Her Brooding Italian Boss (2 page)

She sucked in a breath, brushed away her tears and rose from the comfortable sofa. She might not be able to pretend she wasn’t in financial trouble, but for the next few hours she still had to feign happiness and fulfill her bridesmaid responsibilities.

In the plush hall outside the ladies’ room, she straightened her shoulders and drank in another fortifying breath. She could do this.

The first person she saw as she entered the ballroom was Antonio, so she walked in the other direction. The pull of her attraction to him was so strong today she could have melted in his arms when they danced, and that was just wrong. He was grieving a wonderful woman whom he’d adored. And Laura Beth herself had problems to solve before she could even consider flirting with someone, let alone melting into his arms.

Walking past laughing entrepreneurs, happy socialites and waiters serving champagne, she had a strange epiphany, or maybe a rush of reality. She was only here because of her roommates. In the four years since she’d been invited into this rarified world by Olivia and Eloise, they had not only found their true callings, but they had fallen for the loves of their lives—while she hadn’t found squat. Rubbing elbows with executives, she hadn’t been able to prove herself enough to anyone to get a full-time job. And despite being in front of all these gorgeous eligible bachelors, she hadn’t yet found a man who wanted her.

Maybe her problem wasn’t that there was something wrong with her. Maybe she was in the wrong class of people. After all, she’d grown up blue-collar. Why did she believe that just because her friends fit into the glitzy, glamorous world of billionaires, she should fit in, too?

Maybe this whole mess—her inability to get a full-time job, her inability to keep her apartment and her pregnancy—was a wake-up call from the universe.
Hey, Laura Beth, you’re in the wrong crowd. That’s why you’re failing!

It made so much sense that she stopped short, not quite at the open bar.

The answer was so obvious it stunned her. Though she would always be friends with Olivia and Eloise, she didn’t belong in this part of their world. She was common. Normal. Not that there was anything wrong with that. It was more that a common person, someone who didn’t fit in this world, would always come up short. But if she were to jump off her high horse and get a normal job, she would probably be very happy right now.

If only because she would get to be herself.

* * *

Antonio almost groaned when his dad sidled up to him at the bar. “So have you given any thought to my suggestion about a personal assistant?”

As much as Antonio loved his dad, he did have moments when he wished the old billionaire would just get lost.

“Dad, how about letting this go?”

“I think it’s the answer to your problems.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his partner for the wedding, Laura Beth, walk up beside him and order a ginger ale from the bartender. He would only have to tap her arm and snag her attention to get himself out of this conversation. But how fair was that? Not only did he need to put his foot down with his dad, but Laura Beth obviously wanted to be left alone. It wouldn’t be right to drag her into his drama.

He sucked in a breath and smiled at his dad. There was only one way to stop Constanzo—pretend to agree. Albeit temporarily. “You know what? I will think about the PA.” It really wasn’t a lie. He would
think
about hiring a PA, but that was as far as it would go. There was no way he wanted a stranger in his house. No way he wanted someone going through his things. No way he wanted a stranger to accidentally stumble upon any of his wife’s deceit when rummaging through papers or files or phone records while trying to organize him.

Constanzo’s face lit. “You will?”

“Sure.”

“And maybe start painting again?”

He stole a glance at Laura Beth, suddenly wishing he could capture that faraway look in her eyes, the expression that was half-wistful, half-sad. She was so naturally beautiful. High cheekbones gave her face a sculpted look that would serve her well as she aged. And her bounty of hair? He could see himself undoing that fancy hairdo and fanning his fingers through the silken strands to loosen it, right before he kissed her.

What? Where had that come from?

He shook his head to clear it, deciding it was time to get away from his dad before he had any more crazy thoughts.

He faced Constanzo. “I’ll paint when I paint. Now, I need to get mingling again.”

As he walked away from the bar, he noticed his dad bridging the gap between himself and Laura Beth and sighed with relief. This meant his dad wouldn’t follow him. Besides which, it would help Laura Beth get her mind off her troubles. When he wasn’t hounding Antonio about something or another in his life, Constanzo Bartulocci could be a very funny guy.

* * *

Laura Beth glanced at Constanzo and pasted a smile on her face. Now that she recognized she didn’t belong in this crowd, that she was pretending to be someone she wasn’t, she knew exactly what to do: enjoy the rest of the wedding, then get busy finding a normal job and some new roommates. Whoever she chose couldn’t ever replace Olivia and Eloise—no one would ever replace her two best friends—but she’d make it work.

“You seem sad tonight.”

Laura Beth nodded and smiled at Constanzo. He was like everybody’s rich uncle. But he didn’t flaunt his money. He made people laugh. He’d made
her
laugh at more than one of Olivia and Tucker’s family events. It wasn’t unusual or out of line for her to confide. She simply wouldn’t tell him everything.

“My second roommate got married today,” she said, taking advantage of the obvious. “I’m not exactly an old maid, but I’m on the road.”

Constanzo laughed. “You Americans. What is this old maid thing? Can’t a woman mature and enjoy life without being married?”

She laughed lightly. That was exactly the attitude she needed to cultivate. “Actually, yes, she can.”

“Good. A woman doesn’t need a man. She should
want
a man in her life. But he should complement her, not define her.”

She toasted him with her glass of ginger ale. “Wise words.”

“So, now that we’ve settled the old maid issue, what else has made you sad?”

“I’m fine.”

He studied her face, then shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“Jeez. You’re as perceptive as Antonio.”

“Where do you think he gets it?”

“I thought it was the artist in him.”

Constanzo shook his head sadly. “Unfortunately, since his wife’s death, I think the artist in my son is withering and dying.”

His gaze drifted to Antonio, and Laura Beth followed his line of sight. Antonio was stunning in his tuxedo, with his hair a little wild. Every woman he passed eyed him with interest. The spark of her crush lit again, the desire to walk over and suggest another dance rising up in her. But that was wrong. Not only did she have troubles she had to solve before she got involved with another man, but as every woman around him drooled, Antonio didn’t seem to see anybody.

“The death of a spouse is difficult.”

Constanzo accepted that with a slight nod of his head. “I don’t want him to lose his entire life over this.”

“He’ll come around.”

“He needs a nudge.”

Laura Beth laughed. “A nudge?”

Constanzo sucked in a breath. “Yes, he needs to hire help. An assistant. Somebody who can live with him and get him on track.”

“Sounds like a tall order.”

“I don’t think so. We’ve been talking about him hiring a personal assistant, and he’s finally agreeable, which means he’s finally ready to heal and get back into life. I think once an assistant gets rid of the two years of junk he’s let accumulate in his office, Antonio will be able to see his future—not his past.”

Laura Beth mulled that over for a second. “Oddly, Constanzo, that actually makes sense.”

Constanzo laughed. “I like that you understand us. It’s part of why I find you to chat to at parties.”

She smiled. “There’s not much to understand. You’re a dad who loves his son. He’s a son who appreciates having a dad. All the rest is just stuff.”

He laughed again. “I wish I could hire you to be his PA.”

Laura Beth paused her ginger ale halfway to her lips.

“But I’m sure you wouldn’t want to live in Italy. And then there’s matter of the job itself. I’m sure you’re accustomed to much loftier employment.”

She sniffed a laugh. “My degree has gotten me nothing but temp jobs.”

His eyebrows rose. “So you’re interested?”

She thought that through. A real full-time job, that came with room and board? In a country away from her family and friends, so she could think through what to do about her pregnancy before she announced it?

“Yes. I’m interested.”

CHAPTER TWO

T
HE
NEXT
MORNING
,
as instructed by Constanzo, Laura Beth took a taxi to Tucker Engle’s private airstrip. She pulled her measly suitcase out of the backseat and paid the driver one-fifth of the money she had, leaving her a mere pittance. If this job didn’t pan out, she’d be penniless. But since she was already in trouble, and knew Antonio and Constanzo well, taking work as Antonio’s personal assistant wasn’t much of a risk.

A swirl of April air kicked up dust on the tarmac as she walked to the plane. Two pilots stood beside the lowered stairway, comparing information in logbooks. As she approached, one of the men saw her and smiled. He said something in Italian and she winced.

“Sorry. I don’t speak Italian.”

The pilot laughed. “I speak English. What can we do for you?”

“I’m Laura Beth Matthews. Constanzo told me he would call you to add my name to your passenger list.”

The pilot looked down, then back up again. But the second pilot pointed at the list.

“Ah,
sì
. Here you are.” He reached for her pathetic suitcase. “I will take care of this.”

Fear ruffled through her as a man she didn’t know took the entirety of her possessions out of her hand and walked away. But the second pilot pointed up the steps.

She sucked in a breath. She needed to get away. She needed time to think. She needed a job. She climbed the stairs.

At the doorway she stopped and gasped. The main area looked more like a living room than a plane. Rows of seats had been replaced by long, comfortable-looking sofas. Tables beside the sofas provided places for books, drinks or food. A desk and wet bar in the back filled the remaining space.

She eased toward the sofas, wondering where the heck Constanzo and Antonio were. Sitting on the soft leather, she leaned back, enjoying the feel of it against her nape. She’d been so nervous the night before she hadn’t slept, and part of her just wanted to nod off. Before she got too comfortable, though, a commotion sounded outside. She jumped up and looked out the window.

A big white limo had pulled up. Antonio got out and held the door for his dad. She tilted her head, watching them.

Dressed in jeans and an open dress shirt over a white T-shirt, Antonio looked totally different. She usually saw him in tuxedos at gallery openings or formal events, or trousers and white shirts at parties for Olivia and Tucker’s kids. Seeing him so casual sent a jolt of attraction through her. Especially with the way the breeze blew through his long curly hair, making her wonder if it was as soft as it looked.

She shook her head at her stupidity and raced back to her seat. She’d just gotten settled when Constanzo boarded the plane.

“
Carissima.
You made it.”

She rose, just in case she was sitting in the wrong place. “I did.”

Antonio entered behind his dad. He stopped when he saw her, his brow wrinkling. “Laura Beth?”

Though Antonio had been raised in the United States, he’d spent the past five years in Italy. Speaking Italian had changed the timbre of his voice. Her name rolled off his tongue sensually. A shiver breezed along her skin. And another thought suddenly hit her—this man was now her boss. She wouldn’t just be working to organize him. They’d be living together.

Oh, wow. No wonder her thoughts ran amok.
She was going to be living with the guy she’d had a crush on for five years.

Right. Plain Jane Laura Beth would be living with a famous artist, who still grieved his equally gorgeous, equally wonderful wife. Common sense plucked away her fear. She had nothing to worry about.

She smiled and said, “Hello.”

Constanzo ambled to the back of the plane. “Can I get you a drink?”

She turned to watch Constanzo as he approached the bar. “No. Thanks.”

Antonio stopped in front of her. With his windblown hair and sun-kissed skin, he looked so good, so sexy, that her mouth watered. Especially when his dark eyes met hers.

“What are you doing here?”

Reminding herself Antonio wouldn’t ever be attracted to her and she had to get rid of this crush, she peeked back at Constanzo again.

He batted a hand. “I hired her. She’s out of her apartment and had no permanent job. It was perfect timing.”

Antonio’s lips lifted into a smile that would have stopped her heart if she hadn’t known he was off-limits. “Oh. That’s great.”

The pilot announced they’d been cleared for takeoff. Antonio pointed at the leather sofa, indicating Laura Beth should sit, then he sat beside her. Close enough to touch. Close enough that if they hit turbulence, they’d tumble together.

She squeezed her eyes shut.
Stop!

She had to get ahold of these wayward thoughts or she’d drive herself crazy living with him! She was not in this guy’s league. She’d figured all this out yesterday. She was common, pregnant and needed a job more than a crush.

They both buckled in. The little jet taxied to the runway of the small airstrip and took off smoothly. It climbed for a few minutes and leveled off before the fasten-seat-belts light blinked off and the pilot announced they anticipated an uneventful flight, so they could move about the cabin.

To settle her nerves and maybe waylay the attraction that zapped her every time she looked down and saw Antonio’s thigh mere inches away from hers, Laura Beth pulled a book from her purse.

“Ah. I loved that novel.”

She glanced at the book, then at Antonio. “I never took you for a science fiction fan.”

“Are you kidding? Some of the best art is in science fiction. The imaginations and imagery required are magnificent.”

Laura Beth smiled, glad they had something normal to talk about, but her stomach picked that exact second to growl. Her face flushed.

Antonio laughed. “You skipped breakfast.”

She hadn’t been able eat breakfast. It seemed that now that she knew she was pregnant, morning sickness had kicked in.

“Um, I wasn’t hungry when I got up this morning.”

Antonio unbuckled his seat belt. He reached for her hand. “Come with me.”

She undid her seat belt and took the hand he’d offered. Her fingers tingled when his warm hand wrapped around them. As he pulled her up to stand, she reminded herself to stop noticing these things and followed him to the back of the plane.

The area she’d believed was a wet bar was actually a small kitchenette. She gaped at it. “You have to be kidding me.”

Antonio nudged his head in the direction of his dad, who had fallen asleep on the sofa across from the one where Antonio and Laura Beth had been sitting.

“Anything my dad could possibly want is always stocked on the plane. When we arrive at our destination, any food not eaten will be donated to a charity.” He laughed and opened the small fridge. “How about eggs and toast?”

Her stomach didn’t lurch at the thought, so she nodded.

Antonio studied her. “Hmm. Not very enthusiastic. So let’s try French toast.”

“I love French toast.” And she hadn’t had it in forever.

He motioned for her to sit at one of the bar stools, obviously needing her out of the way in the tiny space. He hit a button and what looked to be a grill appeared.

“This is so cool.”

“This is the life of a billionaire.”

She glanced around. Remembering her thoughts from the night before, she didn’t look at the plane as somebody who someday wanted to own one. She counted her blessings that she was here and had a job and a place to stay.

“It’s kind of fun getting to see things that I wouldn’t normally see.”

He frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“Well, I’m never going to be a billionaire. So I’m never going to own a plane like this.”

“Ah.” He broke two eggs in a bowl, added milk, vanilla and a dash of what appeared to be cinnamon, beat the mixture, then rummaged for bread. When he found it, he dipped two slices into the egg mixture and put them on the small griddle. They sizzled.

She sniffed the vanilla. “Yum.”

“You really must be hungry.”

“I am.”

He turned to flip the two pieces of French toast. She tilted her head, taking in the details that made him who he was. Sexy dark hair. Wide shoulders. Trim hips. But his face was the showstopper. Dark, dark eyes in olive skin. A square jaw. High cheekbones.

Something soft and warm floated through her. She was just about to curse herself for looking at him again when she realized she’d never felt like this with Bruce. She’d liked Bruce—actually, she’d believed she’d loved him. But she’d never felt this odd combination of attraction and curiosity that mixed and mingled with the warmth of their friendship and turned her feelings into something more...something special.

She cleared her throat. What was she doing? Fantasizing again? This guy was her boss! Not only that, but he was a widower. Someone who’d lost his wife and still grieved her so much he no longer painted. What would he want with her? Plain, simple Laura Beth Matthews, who—oh, by the way—was also pregnant with another man’s child. Her job was to organize him back to the land of the living, not drool over him.

He made eight pieces of French toast, divided them onto two plates and handed one to her.

Her stomach rumbled again. “Thanks.”

He passed the syrup across the bar. She slathered it on her French toast, but waited for him to pick up his fork before she picked up hers. If there was one thing she’d learned from her years of attending Olivia and Tucker’s baby events and Ricky and Eloise’s elaborate parties, it was to follow the lead of the host and hostess.

He took a bite of his French toast, then smiled at her. “So getting a job where you get to live in was a pretty nifty way to handle the apartment problem.”

She reddened to the roots of her hair. “Does it seem sleazy?”

“No. It’s smart. After I rotated out of the foster-care system, I’d have killed for a job that got me off the streets.”

“Yeah, but then you wouldn’t have scrounged your way to Italy, where your dad found you.”

“Scrounged.” He grinned. “I love American words.”

“Hey, you’re half-American!”

“Yes, I am. And proud of it. I use both worlds.” He frowned. “Or did.” Then he brightened. “Never mind. How’s the toast?”

“I love it.” She pushed her plate away having eaten only two slices. “But I’m full.”

Antonio took her plate and his and set them in a metal drawer, which he closed. “Staff will get this when we land.”

She laughed. “Wow.”

“Hey, you better get used to living like this.”

Though she didn’t think Antonio was as persnickety or as pampered as his dad, she decided not to argue the point. Especially since she’d had a sleepless night, agonizing over her problems. With her tummy full and the lull of the plane, she just wanted to curl up on one of the sofas.

She wandered back to her seat, buckled herself in—in case they hit turbulence—and almost immediately fell asleep.

She awoke to the feeling of someone shaking her. “Laura Beth...we’re here.”

She snuggled into the blanket someone had thrown over her. “We’re where?”

“In Italy.”

Her eyes popped open. When she found herself staring into the gorgeous face of Antonio Bartulocci, it all tumbled back. They were on a plane to Italy. His dad had hired her. She didn’t have an apartment. She was pregnant.

Her stomach dropped.

She was pregnant. In a foreign country. Starting a new job. Working for Antonio, who needed her. But she was attracted to him. She thought he was the sexiest, most gorgeous man alive and she would be living with him. But he didn’t feel the same way about her.

That relaxed her. It could be a good thing if he only saw her as a friend. As long as she hid her crush, there’d be no problem. Plus, being on call twenty-four-seven to help him get his life back would keep her from dwelling on her problems.

That was the real silver lining. Not just the money. Not just a place to live. But someone to take care of, so she could forget about herself.

She pushed aside the soft cover. Her days of daydreaming she belonged in this world as anything other than an employee were over. She could take this job and run with it, create a halfway decent life for herself and her baby. Everything would be fine.

“Thanks for the blanket.”

Antonio smiled. “My pleasure.”

She found her purse and tucked her science fiction novel inside. Two gentlemen, Antonio and Constanzo waited for her to exit first.

Constanzo paused to say something to the pilots, but quickly joined them on the tarmac below the steps.

She glanced around. The sky was blue, as perfect as any she’d seen in Kentucky. Tall green grass in the fields surrounding the airstrip swayed in a subtle breeze that cut through the heat. “Another private airstrip?”

“You don’t think my dad’s going to have a plane and suffer the torment of going to a real airport and waiting to take off and land, do you?”

Pushing a strand of her hair off her face, she laughed. “Right. Spoiled.”

“Incredibly spoiled. You’re going to need to remember that.”

She frowned. It was the second time he’d said something odd about her getting accustomed to his dad. Still, he was her boss now. They might have been able to relate like friends on the plane, but here on Italian soil, his home turf, her role kicked in. She was his assistant. Basically, a secretary. But this was better than anything she’d even come close to finding in New York.

This was her life now.

Constanzo walked over. “Bags are on their way to the limo.”

Laura Beth said, “Wow. Fast.”

Antonio laughed. “So much for you to get used to about my dad.” He nudged his father’s shoulder. “Exactly how do you intend to explain to Bernice that you hired someone to help her?”

Laura Beth’s brow wrinkled.

Constanzo’s face reddened.

Laura Beth gasped as she faced Antonio. “You think Constanzo hired me to work for
him
?”

This time Antonio’s brow wrinkled. “You’re not working for my dad?”

Constanzo’s face reddened even more as both Laura Beth and Antonio turned to him.