Free Sweet Seduction by Jennifer St George

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