The Italian's Secretary Bride Read Free Page B

things nice people didn’t do, and pinching your brother’s girl was one of them.
    But then nobody had ever called Luca nice. Instead, they’d called him other things, including sinfully sexy!
    While there was no denying he had something special in the looks department, Alice’s personal taste ran to something far less in your face and obvious.
    Her eyes wandered across the room to the quiet alcove the newcomer had been escorted to and found that coincidentally he was looking her way. She nodded slightly in acknowledgement and looked away. Maybe he’d been stood up too? Although he didn’t look like the sort of man that would happen to.
    God, why did I let Roman talk me into this? Maybe Luca was right, maybe I am Roman’s doormat . Even now, a long time after overhearing the contemptuous remark Luca had made, it still had the power to make her blood boil.
    The notion that she was some sort of slave without a mind or will of her own was totally unfair. Luca’s assessment of her relationship with her boss had been so far off the mark to be laughable.
    For some reason Luca O’Hagan couldn’t stand her and he didn’t make any effort to hide the fact. The tight feeling in her chest got tighter as she contemplated the sneers and snubs, besides the despised ‘doormat’ jibe, she had been on the receiving end of courtesy of Luca O’Hagan. What had she ever done to him except bleed a bit on the upholstery of his car? Hardly a crime to justify a vendetta.
    Her method of dealing with his sneers and him was polite indifference. You couldn’t really start a slanging match with the brother of your boss, especially when he ran part of the family company. So Alice maintained a supernaturally serene front in face of his frequently provocative behaviour, a fact of which she was extremely proud. Fortunately their paths didn’t cross too frequently as he spent most of his time this side of the Atlantic and her time was split between Dublin and London.
    â€˜Excuse me…?’
    The Texan drawl startled Alice from her own thoughts. Her eyes widened when she lifted her head and saw the silver-haired new arrival standing at her elbow.
    â€˜I’m dining alone and I was wondering…?’
    Alice, aware that his remark could be heard by fellow diners, felt her face flush. ‘I’m waiting for someone.’
    There was no question of her encouraging him, but the attention of an attractive man did make her feel a little less like a total loser sitting amongst the romantically inclined couples surrounding her.
    He gave a rueful grimace. ‘I never thought otherwise…but until then, would you like some company? I promise you I’m perfectly harmless.’ His smile was as charming as the line was clichéd.
    This claim wrenched an unwilling laugh from Alice. ‘That I doubt. Actually I was just leaving.’
    â€˜You’ve been stood up?’
    â€˜It looks like it.’
    â€˜The man must be crazy.’
    â€˜No, just incredibly self-centred, insufferably rude and deeply obnoxious.’

CHAPTER TWO
    E VEN without turning her head Alice could pinpoint the exact moment Luca O’Hagan walked into the place from the ten-second hush that descended on the candlelit room, followed by an interested low-voiced buzz of speculative comment.
    She could visualise him in her mind’s eye. He would act as if he didn’t know his tall, imposing figure was the focus of attention as he wove his way with innate grace between the tightly packed tables, but he was. He knew exactly what effect he had on people and wasn’t, she thought contemptuously, above exploiting it cynically when it suited him.
    She smiled and tried to give the amusing tale the silver-haired Seth was relating the attention it and he deserved; it wasn’t easy when she knew who was approaching. Seth paused expectantly and she laughed at the punchline…at least I hope it was the