Hired: The Italian's Bride by Donna Alward

was, in fact, the manager of the hotel.
    Yet all it had taken was one bit of information to make her feel like a complete fraud. To make her return to being the scared little girl she’d been for so long.
    A crash echoed through the room and she jumped, pressing a hand to her heart. Her head jerked toward the sound as a flash of a memory raced before her eyes. Glass after glass, shattered against the kitchen wall as she cowered in the corner. Her heart pounded against her ribs and she struggled to keep her composure. This was not then, and no one had thrown anything at her. A table holding glassware had been bumped, sending vases and pitchers teetering over the edge. That was all.
    With a sigh, she grabbed a spare box and started picking up pieces. But when an employee passed by and said, “Sorry, Ms. Ross,” she lost her grip on the thin edge of her control.
    “Sorry? Why can’t you watch where you’re going?” She huffed out a disgusted sigh. “Look at this mess!” Her eyes stung suddenly, mortified. How often had those words rung in her ears? Her regret was instant.
    The girl faltered, her lips twisting. “I’ll help you clean it up.”
    “Is something wrong?”
    Mari looked up from her crouched position. Luca stood over her, his usually smiling lips flat with disapproval.
    “Besides careless employees breaking hundreds of dollars of crystal? Not at all.”
    The girl’s eyes filled with tears at the dressing down and Luca’s gaze fell on Mari, steady and disapproving. Guilt slipped through her; she knew she’d been out of line with hertone. She was manager of the Cascade. The staff had to know she was still in charge. But that didn’t mean she had to be a bully. Her, of all people! Shame reddened her cheeks.
    “Lisa, I’m so sorry.” She looked up at the young woman, mollified and contrite. “I know it was an accident. Please…my tone with you was inexcusable.”
    “I am sorry, Miss Ross! Please let me do that. It was my fault.”
    “Go back to work, Lisa, and don’t worry, we’ll get this straightened out.” Luca’s voice was calmly reasonable, completely unemotional and she hated him for it. She tried to ignore his body just behind her and focused on putting broken pieces of glass in the box. And all the while a voice in the back of her head was chanting, he’s out, he’s out, he’s out.
    “Yelling at the staff isn’t the way to get them to work better.”
    Oh, as if she didn’t already know that. Apparently he didn’t understand that the constant changes and adjustments needed meant that she was juggling twice her normal workload. He had no idea of the other stresses she was under, that kept her awake into the dark hours of the night. “I don’t need you to tell me how to do my job.”
    “Leave the glass and come with me.”
    “God Luca, stop ordering me around!” She looked up again and let her eyes flash at him. Frustration bubbled up and out. “I’m tired of it. You’ve bossed me around all week.”
    His eyes darkened and she knew she’d pushed the anger button. Crossed the insubordinate line. Dread curled in her stomach. How many times had she let this happen? How many times had she let her temper get the better of her and then have to pay the price for it? All the lessons she’d learned flew out of her head when he glared at her.
    “In my office, if you please.” The words were gritted out.
    “No.” She nearly choked on the word, and backed up a few steps. But the thought of following him into his office to be called to the carpet for her actions was more than she couldbear. She would cry. She would beg, like she had so many times before. And then she’d hate him for it.
    “Ms. Ross, unless you want this to happen in front of your staff, you’ll come with me now.” His voice was dangerously low and smooth. Sweat pooled at the base of her spine as she rose and brushed her hands down her trousers.
    She could handle this. She could. Luca was not Robert. He couldn’t