The Convenient Bride Read online

  ‘Just enjoy the ride.’

  ‘No,’ she said forcefully. ‘Don’t you trust me?’

  Antonio sighed. ‘I’ve had a busy day. Why don’t we have a casual dinner and then we can talk?’

  The waiter arrived before she could argue. ‘Sir?’

  Antonio ordered for her. He handed his menu and hers back to the waiter.

  ‘Actually,’ she said, before the waiter took his leave. ‘I’ll have the salmon, not the lamb.’

  The waiter looked anxiously at Antonio.

  ‘Sir?’ he asked.

  ‘The salmon,’ Sienna repeated.

  Antonio simply shrugged and the waiter scurried from the table.

  ‘Does everyone do your bidding?’ she said, watching the waiter’s retreat.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘It must get very boring.’

  He cocked his head and considered her, a quizzical smile on his lips. ‘Do you ever just do what you’re told?’

  She thought about all her shelved dreams. About how important it had been for her to take over management of the hotel. To help her father. ‘Sometimes,’ she said. ‘When family is involved.’

  ‘Excellent.’

  She raised her eyebrows. ‘We’re not family.’

  ‘But we will be in five days.’ He rose from his chair.

  ‘Five days, honestly . . .’

  He knelt down next to her. Her eyes widened as he pulled another small box from his jacket pocket. Her ability to speak vanished.

  ‘I wanted to do this properly.’ He took her hand. Her heart constricted as she registered the tenderness of his expression. Did the man have feelings after all? She glanced about. They were completely alone. Even for the great Antonio Moretti, this moment meant something. Men didn’t drop to their knees if they felt nothing, did they?

  ‘Antonio . . .’ She needed to protest but found she didn’t want to. Even though the marriage was a sham, she could read from his expression that this was special. She loved that he’d made such an effort. He could have simply given her the ring at the hotel.

  ‘I just want you to know that I appreciate everything you’re doing,’ he said. He flipped open the box’s lid. She gasped and her hands flew to her mouth. The most enormous diamond she’d ever seen glittered from a band of white gold.

  He eased the ring from its box and took her hand. ‘Sienna De Luca, will you marry me?’

  Her heart jumped to an irregular beat. She blinked hard. This was the most bewildering moment of her life. How could she hate a man who proposed so beautifully?

  Antonio eased the ring onto her finger. She held her hand up to admire the twinkling stone.

  She looked past the diamond and met Antonio’s eyes. He took her hands again as his mouth curved into a slow, sexy smile. A tingling heat washed through her body. The engagement was pretend, but this felt so real. He possessed a softer side. He must trust her to reveal himself so openly.

  ‘Is it to your liking?’ His dark eyes glittered seductively in the candlelight.

  ‘I’ve never seen anything so beautiful,’ she whispered.

  ‘I have,’ he said, standing and pulling her gently to her feet. ‘You.’

  He drew her in, giving her no reason to pull away. She didn’t want to. She wanted to . . . thank him. That’s all. But already her body tingled with desire.

  He bent and skimmed his lips against the side of her neck. She shuddered with anticipation.

  ‘I know this is against the rules . . .’ he whispered.

  He lightly kissed her earlobe. She could barely breathe as his arms slipped around her waist and he drew her closer. His hard body felt so tempting against her, as the air around them seemed alive with electricity.

  ‘But as we are engaged . . .’ He kissed the sensitive skin below her ear. ‘I think . . .’ His hand slid up her naked back. She dragged in a hitched breath as her nipples hardened against his chest. She wanted his lips on hers, now.

  He cupped the back of her head. ‘Just one . . .’ His lips claimed hers and her senses roared into overdrive. Her heart pounded against her ribcage as desire pumped through her body. She ran her hand down his back. He deepened the kiss.

  ‘Is everything —’ The waiter disappeared as quickly as he’d arrived.

  Antonio stepped away from her.

  ‘We should finish dinner,’ he said abruptly, leaving her panting. She stumbled as she sat heavily in her seat.

  He sat as if nothing had happened between them. Grabbing her champagne, she drank deeply of the cool liquid. Gradually the ability to speak returned.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said, holding up her ring finger. ‘I love it. You shouldn’t have.’

  ‘Yes, I should.’

  Something in his tone made her look sharply at his face. The warmth had faded. Before she could comment, the waiter arrived with more champagne and congratulations.

  She fought the disquiet that tugged at her mind as she accepted the congratulations. Had the emotion all been an act? It couldn’t have been. It must have been for her – they were alone, shielded from prying eyes.

  Their meals arrived. Antonio chatted amiably to the waiter. No, she’d definitely glimpsed something behind Antonio’s emotionless mask. She was sure of it.

  ‘How’s the fish?’ he asked.

  ‘Wonderful.’

  ‘The lamb is better.’ But he said it with a smile.

  ‘You’re not used to this, are you?’

  ‘To what?’

  ‘Someone not doing exactly as they’re told.’

  ‘I don’t know, you were pretty compliant just now.’ A cheeky smile played about his mouth.

  Heat flashed in her cheeks. ‘That’s not fair. I didn’t have a chance.’

  He looked at her through dark lashes. ‘What do you mean?’ he asked innocently.

  ‘We’re in Venice, in a private booth in the city’s best restaurant, with champagne, soft lights,’ she said, indicating their sumptuous surrounds. ‘And you present me with a diamond the size of an apricot. What’s a girl to do?’

  He raised his eyebrows.

  Her eyes narrowed. ‘You planned the whole thing.’

  ‘Of course. I plan everything.’

  ‘You couldn’t plan how I would react?’

  ‘No, but you performed beautifully.’ He winced. He clearly hadn’t meant to use those words.

  ‘Performed?’ She frowned. ‘What do you mean, “performed”?’ She looked about. Was somebody watching?

  His brow creased. ‘I’ll explain later.’

  She placed her cutlery down on the plate. ‘How about you explain now?’

  ‘We don’t have time. We need to finish dinner and get to the opera house. It’s a few minutes’ walk from here.’

  ‘I’m not leaving until you explain.’

  He leant back in his chair and regarded her carefully. ‘You knew, didn’t you?’

  ‘Knew what.’

  ‘That we were being photographed?’

  ‘Photographed?’

  ‘Yes. I’ve sold our engagement pictures.’

  Sienna frowned. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘A photographer from High Life magazine captured it all on camera. I sold the rights for a million euro.’

  ‘You did what?’ She jumped from her seat. Her champagne glass fell, staining the white linen with an ugly yellow puddle.

  ‘Keep your voice down,’ he hissed. ‘The whole restaurant will hear you.’

  ‘I don’t care who hears me,’ she said, fury blurring her vision.

  He stood and took her hand. ‘I thought you knew.’ Confusion etched his face. ‘You kissed me back.’

  She pulled from his grasp. ‘The kiss, the ring, everything. It was all staged?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And will be published?’

  ‘Yes.’

  She stared at him, all traces of affection gone. ‘You should have told me we were being photographed.’ Her cheeks flamed as she remembered how she’d responded
to his words – his touch.

  ‘But —’

  ‘You played me.’ Humiliation coursed through her as she slumped back into her seat.

  He sat across from her. ‘No, Sienna, I’m just ensuring this deal works,’ he said in a low voice. ‘Remember, you signed up for this.’

  ‘I didn’t sign up to have my emotions blatantly manipulated for all the world to see.’

  ‘The world will see a passionate woman kissing the man she loves.’

  Loves?

  She leant over the table. ‘I could never love you,’ she snapped.

  ‘Exactly, that’s why deception is necessary,’ he said. ‘And so we are clear, you have to continue that level of passion or this will never work.’

  She couldn’t stay another moment. Grabbing her purse, she walked quickly to the bathroom. She held herself together until she’d shut and locked the bathroom door. Slamming down the toilet seat, she sat, put her head in her hands and hauled in deep breaths.

  How could she have believed Antonio felt something for her? The kiss seemed so real. She’d stupidly allowed herself to be caught up in the moment.

  She sat up. This was a business agreement, pure and simple. She needed to remember that – burn it into her psyche. Whatever moves Antonio made, he did so only to secure the hotel he wanted. She was incidental. A means to an end.

  She stood. From this minute on, she’d lock her emotions away and play the game that needed to be played. He’d get his hotel and she’d get hers.

  She smoothed down her dress. Yanking open the door, she marched from the bathroom.

  Antonio, I hope you’re ready for this.

  Antonio waited outside the bathroom. The paparazzi were camped at the front of the restaurant. After Sienna’s reaction to the engagement photos, he should protect her from the press for the rest of the evening. They’d leave the back way.

  He drummed his fingers against the wall. He’d planned to tell her about the photographer but hadn’t found the moment. She’d looked so alluring in that dress that he’d found himself proposing before he’d meant to.

  And the way she responded to him . . . she must have known they were being filmed. She acted her part so well. He’d certainly been convinced. If she’d run her hands over his back one more time, he’d have had her there on the table.

  The bathroom door opened and Sienna stepped out.

  ‘Everything all right?’ he asked.

  ‘Absolutely.’ Her face sported a brilliant smile. He found it disconcerting.

  ‘The press won’t let us be,’ he said, pointing to the front of the restaurant.

  ‘No doubt at your command.’

  ‘No, I planned a press conference to announce the engagement for the morning.’

  ‘And you were going to tell me about this . . .’

  ‘Tonight.’

  Sienna looked past him to the window, her face illuminated by the camera flashes. ‘So something’s not going to your rigid schedule?’ Her face was innocent but her voice had an edge.

  He studied her carefully. ‘We’ll go out the back,’ he said, taking her hand and pulling her towards the kitchen.

  She pulled her hand free. ‘Why waste a publicity opportunity?’ She started for the front door.

  ‘No, Sienna, tomorrow. I need to go over what we are going to say.’

  But she’d already reached the front door and pulled it open. The cameras went wild.

  ‘Buonasera,’ she said to the crowd of reporters.

  Antonio raced to the door. The clamour outside the restaurant turned to a frenzy as Sienna held up her hand to display the engagement ring. Flashes momentarily blinded him. He needed to take control and fast.

  ‘Ladies and gentlemen of the press —’

  ‘We’d like to announce our engagement,’ Sienna said. A collective gasp sounded across the crowd. Questions flew from every direction.

  ‘How did you meet?’

  ‘Antonio, who is she?’

  ‘When is the wedding?’

  ‘We —’ Antonio began.

  ‘It was love at first sight.’ Sienna’s raised voice cut across the din. The crowd hushed to listen. ‘The moment I laid eyes on him, I knew. Antonio is kind, generous and we have absolute trust between us.’

  Antonio expected her voice to be laced with sarcasm, but it wasn’t. The pressed lapped it up.

  ‘Where did you meet?’ a young journalist called.

  Panic rose in his chest. They hadn’t discussed their backstory. ‘We —’

  ‘At a business lunch. We couldn’t keep our eyes off each other, could we, darling?’ Sienna said sweetly. She reached up and cupped his head, pulling his lips to hers. The crowd cheered and clapped.

  ‘Where are you from?’

  ‘Melbourne.’

  ‘What do you do?’

  ‘I own a hotel with my family.’

  ‘Just one?’

  Antonio felt Sienna flinch next to him.

  ‘Just the one. You know what they say: opposites attract?’ Sienna pulled Antonio close once more. ‘Describes us to a T.’

  ‘How so?’ a journalist at the front of the pack asked.

  ‘Most of you saw me arrive at the airport today; I’m sure you could see the difference.’

  A couple of journalists laughed.

  ‘You mean he’s rich and you’re not,’ asked a pretty, smartly dressed woman with a microphone. ‘He’s famous, we’ve never heard of you —’

  ‘Thank you,’ Antonio cut in.

  But the journalist wouldn’t let it go. ‘He’s sophisticated, you’re —’

  ‘Exactly,’ Sienna said. ‘I’m just like Cinderella. Plucked from obscurity by a prince.’ She balanced on tiptoes and gave Antonio a kiss on the cheek. If he’d planned the event himself, it couldn’t have been any better.

  ‘But you’re Italian?’ another journalist shouted out.

  ‘My family’s originally from Naples.’

  Antonio looked at her. He didn’t know that.

  ‘Any Mafia connections?’

  He tensed. What would she say now?

  Sienna laughed and the camera flashes exploded. ‘If I had Mafia connections, do you think I’d own just one hotel?’

  The crowd roared with laughter. They lapped it up.

  He took Sienna’s hand. It trembled. He glanced at her face and under the big smile he saw tension in her eyes. Behind the confident exterior, Sienna was obviously terrified. He held up his hands.

  ‘Thanks, everyone. That’s enough for this evening.’

  The crowd shouted more questions, but he led Sienna quickly back inside. She walked to the rear of the restaurant and collapsed into an empty booth. He slid in next to her.

  ‘They love you.’ He couldn’t hide his delight.

  ‘That was a stupid thing to do,’ she said, breathing deeply.

  ‘No. That was much better than a press conference. Your idea of painting yourself as an Italian Cinderella – brilliant.’

  She looked at him with an expression he couldn’t read. ‘Yes, that sounds about right. Cinderella did everybody’s bidding.’

  Antonio frowned. ‘You signed up to this deal.’ The words came out more harshly than he intended.

  ‘Did you give me a choice?’ She stood and walked away.

  Her words struck him like a tsunami. He sat back in his chair. Was it true? Had he coerced her into this? He shifted in his seat. He hadn’t given a thought to how this affected her. He raked a hand roughly through his hair.

  Wait a minute. The deal was incredibly generous. She’d save a huge amount of money for a couple of months’ work.

  He stood and walked after her. This deal was win-win whichever way you looked at it.

  But he couldn’t quite eliminate her words from his mind.

  Sienna emerged from the dark tunnel onto a well-lit street. She glanced about . . . Not a camera to be seen.

  ‘Where are we?’ she asked.

  ‘About two streets from the restaurant
.’

  Sienna looked back down into the dark hole behind her. ‘You gotta love those medieval smugglers and their tunnels,’ she said.

  ‘That’s why Belucci’s is one of my favourite restaurants,’ he said, taking her hand.

  Venice shone in the moonlight as they walked towards the opera house. Sienna marvelled at the magic of the city. The canals reflected the glittering golden glow of the city’s lights as gondolas slid almost silently over the dark water. She considered pinching herself just to make sure she really was walking the famed cobblestone streets on the arm of Europe’s most eligible bachelor.

  A shout sounded behind her. She jerked her head around, but it was nothing sinister. Just some young men in high spirits.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ Antonio said. ‘We’ve lost them.’

  ‘I’d love to live here for a while.’ She sighed.

  ‘Why don’t you?’ Antonio asked.

  Because I’m trapped. ‘Not everyone is as free as you,’ she said, unable to keep the bitterness from her voice.

  ‘You create your own freedom.’

  ‘I have responsibilities.’

  ‘Of course, but it’s up to you to create the life you want.’

  ‘You can’t control everything, you know.’

  She felt his arm stiffen against hers. ‘True. But whatever must be controlled should be, ruthlessly.’

  ‘You can’t control love.’ She winced. What on earth had made her say that?

  ‘Of course you can.’

  She stopped and looked up at him. ‘You’re saying you can control who you fall in love with?’

  ‘Love’s overrated.’

  She stared at him aghast. ‘What’s life without love, passion —’

  ‘Painless,’ he said simply, pulling her gently along.

  She couldn’t argue with that.

  ‘Teatro La Fenice,’ he announced, pointing up the street.

  A glamorous crowd milled under the columns of the grand white building. They all looked sophisticated, rich and as if they belonged. An elegant woman spied Antonio and waved.

  Sienna held back.

  ‘Something wrong?’ Antonio asked.

  ‘I just need a moment,’ she said, taking in a deep breath.

  He looked at her closely. ‘Are you still tired? We can skip the second half.’