Charmer's Death (Temptation in Florence Book 2) Read Online Free

to the brim.
    "They'll be collected later on by a courier from the Garibaldi Hotel." Carlina's smile came out lopsided. Yesterday, when she had sold Trevor all the lingerie, she had felt nothing but happiness. Today, after having learned that Annalisa was going to wear them, things had shifted so much, she was unable to relive yesterday's triumph.
    Her assistant lifted an eyebrow. "Wow. It looks as if you had a great day yesterday."
    "Sort of." Carlina shrugged. "Trevor is back in town."
    Ricciarda bent over the bags and looked inside. Her black ponytail slid over her shoulder and touched the embossed golden Temptation logo on the bag. "Trevor? Do I know him?"
    "Not yet. His name is Trevor V. Accanto, and he's a fabulously rich American who comes to Florence every Christmas."
    Ricciarda turned from the bags and concentrated on aligning some hangers. "Does he always buy that much underwear for his wife?"
    Carlina suppressed a sigh. "It's not for his wife."
    "Oh." Over her shoulder, Ricciarda gave Carlina a startled glance out of blue eyes. "One of those, is he?"
    "Hmm." Carlina said. "But charming."
    "They usually are." Ricciarda's voice was dry.
    "Yes, more's the pity." Carlina went to the tiny storage space at the back of the store to get more gift bags. She needed to refill the gap in the front that Trevor's shopping spree had left.
    "I wish it wasn't like that." Ricciarda said from behind her.
    "You wish men weren't charming?” Carlina bent down to pick up the bags and turned back to the front of the store.
    Ricciarda gave a snort. "No. I wish the charming ones didn't have so much power over us." Her voice held a bitter trace.
    Surprised, Carlina stopped in her tracks, her arms full of glossy shopping bags. She had not employed Ricciarda for long, but so far, her assistant had never shown the slightest sign of being opposed to charming men. On the contrary, she knew precisely how to deal with them, how to make them feel welcome without overstepping boundaries. Maybe she had sounded so disapproving because she was a convinced Catholic and had strict moral standards? Carlina didn't know what to say. She wasn't close enough to Ricciarda to ask personal questions, and maybe she had only imagined that bitter note in her voice.
    Ricciarda looked around. "We're all set, aren't we?" She sounded her normal self again, and the moment was gone.
    "Yes." Carlina said. "But if you really think we'll sell forty pairs today, I'll unpack a few more boxes in the back. Just to be prepared."
    She disappeared behind the curtain that separated her storage room from the store. It was still quiet, and Ricciarda would manage in the front.
    Carlina took a folded footstool from the hook on the wall, opened it and sat down. Then she pulled the box of nylons close and slid it open with a box cutter. She moved with routine, filling the slots in the shelf, assorting them by size. Her thoughts went to Stefano Garini as if pulled by an elastic - whenever she didn't pay attention, they snapped back to him. She liked him. A lot. And she could read in his eyes that he liked her too. At least it seemed like it whenever he stopped for a short chat at Temptation.
    It seemed incredible that they both lived in the same town, so close together, and never managed to meet properly. As bad luck would have it, his father had broken his wrist the very day after Stefano had found her grandfather's murderer. That's how she had met him. How long ago it seemed. Carlina remembered her erratic grandfather with a pang. It would be the first Christmas without him. Better concentrate on Stefano and their date tonight. They would have had their first date weeks earlier if she hadn't gone on vacation, booked ages ago. November was a slow month at Temptation, and she had spent three weeks in sunny Martinique, thinking about him more often than ought to be allowed. When she came back, he was in the middle of a stressful murder investigation, working day and night. Then he had gone