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

book.’ She sighed wistfully as a plate of something that looked and smelt delicious was placed in front of some lucky diners. Alice realised just how hungry she was. ‘This is too cruel,’ she complained.
    Two minutes later they were sitting at a table for two in a concealed alcove. They couldn’t have treated Luca with more warmth had he been the proverbial returning black sheep or visiting royalty. The owner, Paolo, who had kissed her soundly on both cheeks when Luca had introduced her, had taken their orders himself.
    Not that she had had the opportunity to place her order; Luca had taken the unseen menu from her hand and handed it back to Paolo.
    â€˜We’ll leave it up to you. That’s all right with you, is it, Alice?’
    Alice hadn’t been left with much option but to nod.
    As they were so busy Alice was resigned to a long wait, but about two seconds later a pretty girl who looked like a female version of one of the waiters appeared. ‘Sorry to keep you waiting.’
    â€˜Do I detect a family resemblance?’ Alice asked after she had deposited their meals in front of them.
    â€˜This is very much a family business; Gina is Paolo’s granddaughter.’
    â€˜How do you know them so well?’ Or was it just the pretty Gina he knew well? ‘They don’t seem like your…’ She stopped and shook her head. ‘They seem really nice and this,’ she added brightly, ‘looks delicious.’
    Unfortunately Luca wasn’t going to let her off the hook.
    â€˜They don’t look like my what, Alice? My sort of people?’ he suggested.
    She coloured but didn’t respond to his angry undertone. ‘What are my sort of people? You think I’m some sort of élitist snob, don’t you?’
    She lifted her eyes from her plate. The conflict that she felt was tearing her apart was reflected in her troubled eyes. ‘To be honest I don’t know what you are,’ she admitted with a spurt of candour. ‘You’re confusing.’ Or should that be I’m confused?
    For a long moment he looked into her face. Then with one of the startling changes of mood he was capable of he grinned. A wide, incredibly charismatic grin that split his face. ‘The first time I came in here I ended up washing the dishes.’
    Alice’s eyes were round with astonishment. ‘You!’
    â€˜I’d had my wallet lifted and I didn’t discover it until I came to pay,’ he explained. ‘Paolo gave me a choice: the cops or the washing-up,’ he recalled.
    â€˜You chose the washing-up?’
    He nodded, looking amused by her open-mouthed astonishment.
    Alice, her food forgotten, put down her fork. ‘But the police would have been able to confirm that you weren’t a con man,’ she protested.
    â€˜I know.’
    â€˜Then why?’
    â€˜I hadn’t been in the city for long and I didn’t know many people. Actually…’ his eyes held a gleam of self-mockery as they lifted from the prolonged contemplation of the ruby-red liquid in his glass ‘—I think it’s possible I was lonely.’
    Alice shook her head. ‘You’re teasing!’ she accused. The idea of Luca O’Hagan washing up was hard enough to get her head around, but him being lonely! ‘You expect me to believe you were reduced to sitting in your hotel room watching repeats on the television?’
    Luca, who didn’t immediately respond, leaned back in his chair and watched the play of expression across her flushed face. ‘Haven’t you ever felt lonely in the middle of a room of people, Alice?’
    â€˜Yes, I have,’ she admitted, too startled by the soft question to prevaricate. ‘But you’re not—’ She broke off, flushing in face of his sardonic smile.
    â€˜Capable of experiencing the same feelings you do, Alice?’
    Alice, who felt there had been far too much discussion of