Deception of the Heart (3 page)

‘I used to wait tables while at university
,’ Pete explained, his lips lifting in an amused smile when he noticed her surprise. ‘What, you don’t think I could pull it off? I can assure you I was pretty good at it, too. Ask Giovanni, if you want. That’s how we met, really. I worked at one of the restaurants near campus, and he was friends with the owner. We got talking and realized we had a lot in common.’ He paused, as if catching himself saying too much.

She was surprised.
She had assumed he came from old money. Everything about him hinted he was used to luxury.

‘
He seems very friendly,’ she supplied hesitantly, not quite sure what to say anymore. Asking about Pete’s past was out of the question, of course. He was her boss, for God’s sake! One didn’t go around grilling the man in charge about something he so obviously wasn’t comfortable discussing.

‘
Wait until you try the food; it’s heaven.’ Pete was his charming self again. Whatever shadow passed over his face a second ago was gone and replaced with the usual sunny expression. ‘And to be honest, that’s what I am counting on, Melanie. I need all the help I can get before we talk business. Good food is supposed to mollify you, and I do want you mollified, Melanie.’

Her first, impulsive thought was h
e had changed his mind and wasn’t taking her to Italy. Disappointment washed over her with such force she could barely breathe. Only after she thought it was gone did she realize how much she’d really looked forward to the trip. She’d never been to Europe before. She put down the menu and tried to look nonchalant enough to hide her disappointment.

‘That’s why you broug
ht me here for a meal, right?’ Making it a joke seemed the best way to go, she decided, desperate to get it over with. ‘To sweeten up the fact I am not going to Italy with you? Well, go on, then.’

‘God, no
.’ He looked positively baffled by her assumption, which was a good thing, because it could only mean she had guessed wrong.

‘
Of course we are going together, no question about it.’ Pete shook his head, his eyes reassuring. ‘I need your help there; I thought you knew that.’

‘Well, anything else is fine with me, really.’ Suddenly she felt ten pounds lighter, ready to jump for joy on her chair. The wine brought in by the smiling waiter with the compliments fro
m the patron came just in time.

The ruby red
, aromatic liquid matched her mood, and she lifted her glass in a toast, her brown eyes cheerful. ‘To whatever you want me to be mollified about, Pete. I swear solemnly that as long as I am going to Italy, I am prepared to be cooperative. Is that enough?’

‘Absolutely
.’ He grinned and his boyish charm dazzled the two ladies sitting at the next table. Melanie watched them stare at him, wide eyed, the hunger in their gaze making her want to laugh out loud. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder why was she so totally immune to his charm. He was so damn good looking she should be panting after him like all the other females adoring him from near and far. Instead she felt nothing, not even a stirring of attraction. Was it because he looked a lot like Lucas, her ex-boyfriend? After all, that was her first thought when she saw him at the interview. She still remembered the absurd sense of panic urging her to get up and run from the room before he started asking about her education and experience.

‘Hold onto
that thought, though.’ His voice pulled her from her not so happy musings, and she looked up to catch him watching her with a peculiar expression she couldn’t fully understand. It was almost assessing and speculative, like the look of a predator trying to read his victim. Which was absolutely silly, all things considered.

‘You might change your mind after I tell you what
I’m thinking.’ Pete sipped his wine, his voice calm and smooth. ‘But all I ask is for you to keep an open mind, Melanie. Nothing more, really.’

‘Now you’ve got me curious
.’ She smiled, trying to act nonchalant. That intro didn’t sound so good and she hoped he wouldn’t ask her for anything inappropriate. Not that he’d ever given her the slightest inkling he’d be interested in anything on the side, but then again, did she really know him so well?

‘I told you we
will meet with Daniel Spitieri at his place, remember?’ The smile disappeared as he spoke again. His expression became utterly focused. This was his ‘work’ face and she was relieved her suspicions were wrong. Whatever he wanted to ask, it had to do with the project and not some private, forbidden pleasures.

‘
As it turns out, he will be entertaining another guest at the same time.’ Pete played with his small silver fork, his nimble fingers twisting it repeatedly without dropping it even once. ‘I am not too happy about it, Melanie.’ She must have looked surprised because he explained hurriedly, eager to be understood.

‘No,
normally I wouldn’t mind at all. It’s just that I have only four days in Italy to consult him on his latest work and to cement his collaboration on my own book. That’s not too much time, all things considered. This other gentleman will be staying at his house. I am not sure how much of Daniel’s time he is planning to take up with his own inquiry. They seem to be some old time study buddies. That’s all I know so far. What I mean is I don’t have time to tiptoe around while they rediscover their friendship. I am on a rather tight schedule, as you know.’

It sound
s like a bad case of professional jealousy
, Melanie thought, surprised by the whole issue. She knew how much Pete looked forward to talking to Mr. Spitieri, of course. He had been an acclaimed and highly respected author of numerous publications on social justice issues, and his financial advisory book had been number one on the bestseller list for many weeks now. Brilliant, passionate, and deeply concerned for the well being of the little man, Spitieri had made plentiful appearances both in TV and radio stations.

‘I am not s
ure how can I be of any help?’ She looked up expectantly, her face confused. ‘I could try rebooking our meeting to next week if you wish. Is that what you want me to do? To find some better timing for our visit?’

‘No, I don’t really want to change any dates,
Melanie.’ The fork was back on the tablecloth, Pete’s fingers reaching out to cover her palm. ‘Instead I was wondering if I could count on your help. I would really appreciate it, too.’

‘What can I do?’ I
t was getting bizarre and she struggled against the urge to pull her palm from under his. He’d probably think her skittish and hysterical if she did. She just didn’t particularly enjoy physical contact with her boss. The gesture made her feel extremely awkward and vulnerable.

‘I was just thinking…’
Why was he hesitating? She waited impatiently, trying to figure out what was coming. As it turned out, she was totally oblivious until the very last moment.

‘If you could preoccupy him a bit, it would help immensely.’

Did he realize how awful that really sounded? She hoped not, because that would mean things she didn’t want to consider at all. ‘Preoccupy? How?’

T
he whole situation was slowly but steadily slipping out of her control. Was it going where she thought it was going? Suddenly her previous fears of Pete being inappropriate and unprofessional with her seemed completely silly and childish. His request was ten times worse, unfortunately.

‘
Nothing serious.’ He must have been oblivious to the storm raging inside her, because he kept going, his face calm and unmoved. ‘Just be friendly, maybe distracting. You know, the typical woman thing. Make him want to spend time with you, which should give me more time with Spitieri. I can’t really share his attention at this point with some last minute long-lost friend who decided to write a book at the same time I do.’

She blinked, surprised by the venomous tone that had slipped into his voice.
He had never been nasty before, not even when dealing with the rather obnoxious world of literary critics and publishers. As cool as a cucumber, Pete always took all the snide comments and attacks with admirable calm and a healthy dose of humor. She was the one to get exasperated with the never-ending stream of comments and reviews vivisecting Pete’s work and achievements. He remained calm and collected no matter what.

Until now.
Whatever he hoped to gain from his meeting with Spitieri must be important enough to shake his admirable calm. Which begged the question: What amazing outcome could he hope for?

‘Are you serious?’ S
he shook her head slowly, as if hoping to wake up from this nightmare and find herself in bed, relieved to have just dreamed it all. ‘Are you really asking me to flirt with some old professor to keep him from taking precious time from your own meeting? You can’t be serious, Pete.’

‘I am not asking you to sleep with him, for god’s sake
.’ Pete looked amused, which didn’t sit right with her after the revelation she still had to process. ‘You know, just make sure he has other things on his mind than hanging around Spitieri twenty-four seven. The guy will be living in his house, remember? When I agreed to four days of consultation and collaboration, I didn’t expect some third person to appear and distract both Spitieri and myself, Melanie.’

‘
Maybe he won’t bother you at all. That’s a possibility too,’ she snapped, too frustrated to be cautious any longer. Was he pimping her out to some old scholar who had the bad luck to book his visit at the same time? If so, she would have to let him know what she thought of his tactics. After all, flirting wasn’t part of her job description.

‘
It is, of course,’ Pete agreed, his blue eyes earnest. ‘And if that’s the case, we can forget the whole thing. I know it sounds insane to you, Melanie, but I have been looking forward to finally have my few hours with Spitieri for too long to let it slip away. I need to convince him to be a part of my next book; it’s non-negotiable for my publisher. If I fail to get him to feature in my book, it won’t get approved, and I truly need the book deal to stay afloat. It’s one of those career make or break moments, you might say.’

Something wasn’t right. She couldn’t really put her finger on it, no matter how hard she tried. Still, she could feel
an inexplicable sense of things being wrong and not exactly as he was portraying them in every cell of her body.

‘Is it about money?’
she asked awkwardly. She hated to bring it up, but she had to. Somehow, she couldn’t imagine Pete lacking the resources to keep up his rather extravagant lifestyle. One book deal couldn’t really change things, could it?

‘Money isn’t always the answer to everything.’ The bitterness in his voice was real,
and she was fascinated as she watched his face darken with some emotion that was obviously too strong to disguise. For one moment, the polite veneer lifted, allowing her a glimpse at the Pete she had never known. That man was passionate and strong, far less cheerful and much more determined, even though she couldn’t figure out what moved him that much.

‘It’s about my career
.’ The calm façade firmly back in place, he glanced at her as if checking how much she got from his momentary slip. ‘I need this book to be successful. And for that, I need Spitieri to collaborate with me. It is as simple as that, Melanie.’

The waiter brought in the steaming dishes, Pete’s pasta
Arrabbiata and her penne Alfredo interrupting their conversation.

‘
You’ll see I wasn’t lying.’ He watched her with a little smile, and it took her a moment to realize he was talking about the food.

She speared one of the al dente pieces of pasta, her appetite suddenly gone.
Was taking a job with Pete a mistake? Was that why he hired her on the spot? She had to know, even if the answer would hurt.

‘I’ll make you a deal,’ she said slowly, chewing her pasta to gain some time. Plus
it did taste heavenly, she had to agree. ‘I want you to tell me the truth, no matter if you think I want to hear it or not. If you do, I will consider helping. Within boundaries of reason, of course,’ she added hurriedly. The slow smile spreading over his handsome face alerted her that she may have offered him too easy a victory.

‘
What do you want to know?’ He leaned forward, his blue eyes intent. ‘Ask me anything, Melanie.’

‘W
hen you hired me, back three months ago,’ she started awkwardly, hating the way her voice faltered in mid-sentence. ‘Were you already planning your trip to Italy? Did you pick me as a young female that might prove useful if you needed to create, as you put it… a distraction?’

‘Of course not
.’ His hand was on hers again, his voice serious and pleading. ‘I chose you because of your excellent qualifications, Melanie. It had nothing to do with your age or the fact you are beautiful. And no, I didn’t have anything lined up in Italy. Is that enough?’

They
looked at each other over the table, blue and brown eyes locked for a few seconds. Melanie looked away first. She had to believe him. Suddenly she felt very silly. He had no reason to lie to her. And he thought she was beautiful. As much as she tried to ignore the fact he had just said it, she was filled with gladness that was both exhilarating and embarrassing at the same time. Was she really so pathetic she would swoon because a guy thought she wasn’t totally ugly?