The Passionate Italian 11 DECEMBER EPUB Read Online Free

of it. Then he followed her gaze as the glittering lights of Wellington city reduced to pinpricks before becoming extinguished by the darkness of the surrounding hills.
    “You came as far as you could to get away from me.”
    Her eyes closed briefly as if struck by something in his tone rather than his words. He’d tried to keep it neutral—but he wasn’t overly familiar with anything neutral.
    “I needed distance. I had to get away.”
    “To a small country where you led a small life.”
    She looked at him sharply.
    “You don’t have to live in Europe and spend a lot of money to live a full life.”
    “No. But it’s usual to leave the house occasionally. You lived like a hermit.”
    No-one else would have noticed but me, he thought: the flash of pain in her eyes, the sharp contraction in her brows and around her mouth. The hurt. It was over in a moment, covered by an affected indifference. He knew the indifference was a mask because everything else about her told him that she was anything but indifferent.
    He’d succeeded in wiping the humor from her eyes and he suddenly wished he hadn’t.
    “I suppose there’s little you don’t know about my life.” Her voice was flat.
    “There’s nothing I don’t know about your life.” He’d got through to her at last. He might as well continue to see how much she could take. He relaxed back into his seat. “You seldom traveled, carried out all your business online and mixed only rarely with the local community. I know everything: from who you saw, to the contents of your shopping trolley.”
    Rose swallowed her anger. “Must have been fascinating reading.”
    “Not just reading. Watching too.”
    “You had someone film me? That’s not only an invasion of my privacy, that’s plain creepy.”
    “Not in this day and age. Everyone is watched by someone—the government, friends, family.”
    “Acting a little love-sick aren’t we?”
    “Acting like someone who is looking after their investment.”
    “An investment?”
    Her voice was icy; the words enunciated too clearly.
    “An investment?” Rose repeated, except louder this time. Her anger was betrayed by the sharp sibilant edge she gave the word. But she was past caring—this was the last straw.
    “What else would you call someone in whom one has poured money, hoping for a return. It’s simple economics, Rose.”
    The old feelings of inadequacy came flooding back. But with it now was a strength gained through her years on her own.
    “You condescending bastard. I am not an item for your balance sheet. I’m damn good at creative IT work.”
    “If perhaps, a little lacking in admin expertise.”
    The accuracy of his criticism made her see red.
    “Who was it who turned your security business around? ME! But who was it who nearly knocked a million US off your balance sheet when seducing the girlfriend of your business partner?”
    “Not you.”
    “Glad you got that one right.” Rose sat back in her seat.
    “Anyway, you make it sound as if it were a bad thing. The girl in question was breaking up with my partner.”
    “Shame she hadn’t told your partner that.”
    He shrugged. “I don’t know why you’re so concerned, it was before your time.”
    “I’m not concerned.” She said between gritted teeth. “I’m just making a point.”
    “Which was?”
    “God knows.” She slumped back in her chair. “Giovanni. Sometimes you drive me crazy.”
    “At last we’ve found something we have in common.”
    She sighed heavily. “I’m tired. I want to rest now.”
    “Rest. Sleep if you like. I have business to attend to.”

    As soon as her eyes were closed an image of Alberto’s smoothly handsome features came to mind. Giovanni’s little “investment”, he’d called her.
    Thank God Alberto wouldn’t be in Milan.   Just the thought of him made her skin crawl. At first he’d tried to seduce her but when that had failed he’d grown angry and had tried to find creative ways to humiliate her.