Free Her Mediterranean Playboy by Melanie Milburne Page A

putting my money on to trust,’ she said. ‘He openly cheated on his pregnant wife. What sort of man does that?’
    ‘What sort of woman pursues such a man, in spite of what she knows of his marital status?’ he tossed back.
    Ally clenched her fists under the table. ‘Do you have any idea what it’s like for women of today?’ she asked. ‘Some men these days can be so selfish. They want their cake and they want it with whoever can provide it. They don’t want to commit, they don’t want to stay in for the long haul. Women don’t have the luxury of a seemingly endless timeline. Finding a suitable mate and settling down loom large in a woman’s mind—even a career-driven woman such as me.’
    He hooked one dark brow upwards as he set his glass back down on the crisp white tablecloth. ‘You call working as a sales assistant in a budget fashion chainstore a career?’ he asked.
    Ally gave herself a mental kick and hoped he couldn’t see how on edge she was under his tight scrutiny. ‘I believe it’s important to understand any business from the ground up. I don’t see how cleaning the bathrooms or serving customers is any less important than being a company CEO. If you don’t have good, dedicated staff representing your business you don’t have a business, as far as I’m concerned.’
    ‘I could not agree with you more,’ he said. ‘That is why I am so concerned about my brother-in-law’s behaviour, and why I am prepared to go to such extremes to cover it up. Word of mouth is everything in finance. Glossy advertisements do not cut it, I am afraid. Reputation is everything, and with the business world being so accessible these days it is important to present a solid, dependable image to my clientele—some of whom have invested large sums of money—in my role as their fund manager. It is my professional responsibility to see their needs are met with efficiency at all times.’
    ‘Who is your biggest client?’ Ally asked, out of genuine interest.
    ‘Paolo Lombardi,’ he said. ‘He has financial interests all over the world. Perhaps you have heard of him?’
    Ally hoped her reaction to the name wasn’t showing on her face. Not only had she heard of Paolo Lombardi, she had sat opposite him just a couple of days ago in Prague, discussing the mining portfolio she was responsible for in his company back home. What quirk of fate had brought this about? It had been the first time she had met Paolo in person, although they had exchanged many friendly e-mails and phone calls in the past. He was a lovely man in his early seventies who, as soon as he had sat with her over dinner, had drawn her out in a way few people had ever done. The thought of him blowing her cover was unthinkable—not yet, when so many questions were still unanswered.
    She picked up her glass and took a reviving sip. ‘The name is vaguely familiar…’ she said lamely.
    ‘He is about as big as you get when it comes to investment in Europe,’ Vittorio said. ‘I am not totally dependent on his goodwill, as I have many other important clients, the difference with Paolo is that he is Rocco’s godfather. Believe me, it wouldnot do to have him offside—especially right now, as the markets have been so unstable recently.’
    Ally put down her glass with an unsteady hand. ‘So you have to do whatever it takes to keep him happy, right?’
    He smiled yet another of his enigmatic smiles. ‘If it means marrying my brother-in-law’s mistress, then I am prepared to do it for the sake of my business.’
    She looked at him with wide, astonished eyes. ‘You’re surely not serious?’
    He leaned back in his seat in an indolent pose. ‘There are risks and there are risks,’ he said. ‘Unlike Rocco, I only make calculated ones.’
    Fear beat like a tattoo in her chest as she locked her gaze with his. ‘Are you saying you would go as far as making me your wife?’ she gasped.
    ‘I would only do so with certain conditions, of course.’
    ‘Such