Read Online The Italian's Secretary Bride by Kim Lawrence - Free Book Online Page A

said something to make him mad.
    â€˜So now that we’re in agreement on something,’ he continued in the same tight, controlled voice, ‘why don’t you do us both a favour and just do as you’re told? Just this once.’
    â€˜What happened to sympathetic and soothing?’
    There was a perceptible thawing in his manner as his eyes brushed her indignant face. ‘I’m cranky when I’m not fed,’ he confessed.
    â€˜You’re cranky full stop,’ she retorted, happy if not relieved to accept this explanation for his intense mood.
    â€˜And when I’ve fed you,’ he continued in a conversational tone, ‘you can tell me what happened back there.’
    Alice, caught off guard, stiffened. ‘What happened back there?’ she echoed, feigning ignorance.
    Bad enough, she thought, inwardly cringing at the memory of him carrying her out of the hotel, to have made such an exhibition of herself in front of him, without going into the details. She couldn’t imagine for a second that anyone as strong and seemingly invulnerable as Luca would not despise weakness in others.
    â€˜I can see how looking as though you’d just seen your worst nightmare and then almost losing consciousness might slip your mind, especially when it happened—what…?’ He consulted his wrist-watch. ‘Almost ten minutes ago,’ he drawled.
    â€˜There is no need to be sarcastic.’
    â€˜Wrong, there is every need to be sarcastic…being sarcastic is the only thing stopping me from ki…strangling you.’
    For a split second Alice had thought he was going to say kissing… now how delusional was that ?
    â€˜Maybe I had too much to drink, but as you can see I’m fine now.’ She gave a brilliant smile just to illustrate how fine she was.
    Luca inhaled and closed his eyes. ‘Clearly it was all a figment of my imagination.’
    His scorching sarcasm made her wince. ‘I’ve already explained.’
    Expressive hands spread out before him in a dismissive gesture, Luca nodded, his face taut with annoyance. ‘Let’s just leave it, shall we?’
    Alice, who was more than ready to leave it, gave a nod of sheer relief. She supposed that he did have some justification for being annoyed. She had gone out of her way to be unpleasant to him—something she might have to think about at a later date… much later—made him miss dinner, and he couldn’t be too happy about the prospect of explaining away tomorrow’s newspapers to the sublime Ingrid. Thoughts of the sublime Ingrid sent her fragile spirits plummeting.
    The entrance to the tiny Italian restaurant was down a side street. ‘Careful of the stairs—they’re steep,’ Luca warned as he preceded her down the steep flight. Presumably if she slipped he was going to cushion her fall.
    Some people might think it worth a few bruises to land on top of Luca O’Hagan.
    She took great care with the steps.
    The interior of the unprepossessing building proved to be totally charming. The cosy room, decorated in a delightfully rustic style, was filled with warmth and laughter…and people ! Lots of people! The place was literally heaving and the diners, like the mismatched and eccentric crockery, were a pretty assorted bunch, some dressed down in casual jeans, others dressed up to the nines.
    There was absolutely no way they were going to get a table this side of midnight.
    â€˜It looks full,’ she said as Luca slid the jacket off her shoulders.
    â€˜I’m sure they’ll squeeze us in somewhere,’ Luca responded with what seemed to Alice like wildly misplaced optimism.
    â€˜You’re too big to squeeze in,’ she retorted, her critical gaze lighting on his broad shoulders. Her stomach took an unscheduled dive. ‘We might as well leave,’ she added hurriedly.
    â€˜We’ve only just arrived.’
    â€˜You obviously have to