The Italian's Ruthless Baby Bargain

‘We hit it off straight away. She liked me, I think; I like her. You have nothing to fear. I will look after her well.’

‘I’m glad to hear it. She means everything to me.’ He picked up his drink, which he must have left on the table when he had come to seek her, and Penny couldn’t help noticing what beautiful, long fingers he had, how well-manicured his nails were. And for a very brief second she wondered what it would feel like to be touched by those fingers, to have them stroke her skin.

Simply thinking about it created a storm and it took an extreme effort to dash the thought away. Fantasising about this man was a dangerous occupation. One she would do well to steer away from.

‘I need you to tell me exactly what my responsibilities are,’ she said, stiffening her spine and hoping she sounded efficient and businesslike. ‘I expected to have to cook for Chloe but it would appear your housekeeper does that.’

‘Emily does all the cooking and washing,’ he agreed, ‘and I have cleaners who come in on a weekly basis. Obviously I’ll expect you to cook for my daughter when Emily has her day off. To be quite honest with you, Miss Keeling, I’m not entirely sure what a nanny’s duties are. I—’

He pulled up short, deciding against whatever it was he’d been going to say. ‘Naturally I wish you to take care of my daughter’s welfare, but when she’s at school your time is your own. Which in effect makes up for your early mornings and late evenings. Do you have a boyfriend? Will you be needing time off?’

‘Needing it, Mr De Luca?’ questioned Penny, her blue eyes sparking dramatically. ‘It’s my right. No one works seven days a week.’ Her tone was sharper than she’d intended. Possibly because of the way her senses were still all over the place.

‘So let’s say your hours are flexible,’ he agreed. ‘And if you do have a boyfriend I must ask that you do not bring him back here.’

Penny looked at him boldly, her chin high. ‘As a matter of fact there is no one. But surely that was something you should have queried before you took me on?’

He gave a very slight lift of his shoulders. ‘I’m new to this game.’

‘So you’re making up the rules as you go along?’ she asked.

Dark eyes narrowed and a muscle jerked dangerously in his jaw. ‘Are you questioning my values?’

Penny drew in a swift breath. ‘Not if my job depends on it. But I’m sure you see my point?’

To her surprise he threw his head back and laughed. ‘Touch'e, Penny. I may call you Penny?’

Oh, goodness, the way her name rolled off his tongue! He said it like no one else. Made it sound different and—dared she say it—incredibly sexy. Of course, he didn’t mean it that way, it was his accent that did it, but heaven help her, the inference was there.

‘Yes,’ she agreed but she didn’t look at him. She looked out through the open doors instead, where she could see a myriad of dramatic colours in the sky. The sun had disappeared but its aftermath was other-worldly. As was the situation she found herself in.

Santo’s male hormones were behaving badly. And it annoyed him because he didn’t want to be attracted to Penny. He’d had girlfriends, yes, in plenty, in the years he’d been alone after his wife had left him. But nothing serious. They all knew it was just a game to him.

But Penny was different. For one thing she was his employee—and it was a cardinal rule of his to never mix business with pleasure. And for another, he sensed that she wouldn’t be into casual affairs. He couldn’t quite weigh her up yet but he had the feeling that she wouldn’t settle for anything less than a serious relationship. When she met the man of her dreams it would be an all-or-nothing affair.

And what a lucky man he would be. She had to be every man’s dream. Beautiful, smart, capable, interesting. He could think of plenty of adjectives to describe her. Sexy, provocative… He stopped his thoughts right there and tossed the rest of his whisky down his throat.

Standing up, he said, ‘It’s warm in here, don’t you think? Shall we continue our talk outside?’ Where there was more air to breathe! Where he could put more space between them.

Penny smiled her consent and jumped to her feet. ‘You have an incredible place here, Mr De Luca. I’d love to explore your gardens.’

‘Santo. Please call me Santo,’ he suggested softly.

‘I’d rather not; it’s a little too informal for our situation,’ she answered swiftly.

He noticed that her eyes had turned from blue to amethyst in the changing evening light. They looked softer and more vulnerable—and, dammit, he didn’t want to notice these things. She was here to work, nothing else, and he’d be as well to remember it. ‘I can’t have you calling me Mr De Luca when we’re on our own.’

‘How about Signor De Luca?’ she asked cheekily, and he was taken again by the flash in her eyes. She was so beautiful, all woman, teasing and flirtatious, whether she knew it or not. He guessed she didn’t; she would probably be horrified if she knew what he was thinking. How he was interpreting her behaviour.

‘Tell me about yourself,’ he said, conscious his voice was even gruffer than usual. ‘I really know very little—except that you come with impeccable credentials, and that you have no boyfriend,’ he added with a twist to his lips. ‘Where do you live, for instance?’

‘I share a flat with a friend in Notting Hill. Or at least I did, I moved out today.’

‘I see. Would that be a female friend?’ The question was out before he could stop it. Even though she’d said that she didn’t have a boyfriend.

‘Are you prying into my private life, Mr De Luca?’

He was startled by her question until he saw the twinkle in her eyes again and managed a smile himself. ‘I’m very curious. Do you have any family? Of course you do not have to tell me if you don’t want to. But I always take an interest in my employees’ private lives; I always enquire about husbands or wives or partners, because if there’s a problem at home it can sometimes affect their work and then I can make allowances. I believe my interest helps improve working relationships.’

She looked at him disbelievingly for a few seconds and then she laughed, and it was such a musical sound that he felt like laughing too. He wanted to pick her up and twirl her around. He wanted to kiss her; he wanted to… He stopped his thoughts right there, berating himself for being fanciful. And he was grateful when she spoke.

‘In that case, if it will improve our relationship, the answer to your question about my flatmate is that she is female.’ And she slanted him another glance to see how he would take it.