Putting his twin’s needs first, as he always did.
Now Rachel hadn’t a clue as to where it was all going to go from here except—
It was time to beg, she recognised starkly. Time to appeal to one very cold and angry Raffaelle Villani for his understanding and co-operation, when deep down she knew they deserved neither.
She moved towards him. ‘Mr Villani,’ she murmured huskily, ‘please, just think about it. I was actually doing you a favour too tonight because if Leo—’
‘What the hell is—this?’
Rachel hadn’t realised she’d lifted a hand out towards him in appeal until his long fingers were suddenly clamped around her wrist.
‘W-what—?’ she said jerkily.
Grim mouth flattening, he lifted up her hand until her fingers dangled in front of her confused face. She had to blink twice to focus on the diamond-encrusted sapphire ring twinkling back at her.
‘Oh,’ she said and swallowed. She’d forgotten all about the ring.
‘You are betrothed—?’he enquired with blistering thinness.
‘N-no.’ Rachel shook her head. ‘It—it’s nothing; the ring is a f-fake, just w-window-dressing.’
‘Window-dressing,’ he repeated.
‘Part of the look…’ She was beginning to squirm inside again. ‘Leo needed to see it if he was going to…’
‘Believe you were not his wife?’
She nodded, then swallowed again. ‘Elise’s engagement ring is a big single yellow diamond. Th-this one is so glaringly different that it…’
Her voice trailed away, the hiss of his breath making it do so because she knew he had caught on.
‘So, let me see if I have this clear,’ he said grimly. ‘You dressed yourself up to look like your half-sister—from behind, then you threw yourself at my neck, kissing me as if I am your…?’
He wanted her to say it. Her heart began thumping. He was going to make her confess the final full duplicity.
‘L-lover,’ she breathed.
‘Betrothedlover?’ His voice was getting softer by the second.
Rachel licked her lips and nodded.
‘And I was not supposed to issue an instant denial about this?’
‘Th-there’s a letter going to be h-hand-delivered here to you tomorrow along with the relevant newspaper,’ she told him shakily. ‘The letter will explain everything we have talked about and point out to you that to expose the photograph as a lie will leave you open to questions about wh-whose baby it is Elise is carrying.’
‘Madre de Dio,’ he breathed. ‘You are truly devious.’
He was right and she was, but—‘This is serious, MrVillani!’ she cried out. ‘You don’t know Leo! He’s one hell of a strict Greek! He’s also an absolute killer expert on law! If he decides that his wife has been cheating on him with you and could be havingyour baby…for all your wealth and power, he will drag you to the courtroom and through the gutters along with Elise!’
He threw her hand away. ‘I never touched her—!’ he bit out angrily.
‘Even this very trusting sister can’t believe that!’
Her denunciation bounced off the walls and the sheets of plate glass while the air sizzled with his undiluted rage.
‘One kiss, Mr Villani,’ Rachel stressed urgently. ‘One small kiss stolen from the wife of Leo Savakis and he will never forgive her, and you will find yourself stuck with the worst kind of enemy there is!’
He just turned and walked off, striding across the expanse of wood flooring and out through the door.
Rachel followed, quivering, shaken to the roots because it was only now, when faced with what this all meant tohim , that she was beginning to realise how none of them had given much thought to how unfairly they were treating him in all of this.
She hurried after him. ‘I’m so sorry…’
The husky quaver of her apology fell on stony ground. It had been such a useless thing to say anyway, so she didn’t blame him for the filthy comment he
Now Rachel hadn’t a clue as to where it was all going to go from here except—
It was time to beg, she recognised starkly. Time to appeal to one very cold and angry Raffaelle Villani for his understanding and co-operation, when deep down she knew they deserved neither.
She moved towards him. ‘Mr Villani,’ she murmured huskily, ‘please, just think about it. I was actually doing you a favour too tonight because if Leo—’
‘What the hell is—this?’
Rachel hadn’t realised she’d lifted a hand out towards him in appeal until his long fingers were suddenly clamped around her wrist.
‘W-what—?’ she said jerkily.
Grim mouth flattening, he lifted up her hand until her fingers dangled in front of her confused face. She had to blink twice to focus on the diamond-encrusted sapphire ring twinkling back at her.
‘Oh,’ she said and swallowed. She’d forgotten all about the ring.
‘You are betrothed—?’he enquired with blistering thinness.
‘N-no.’ Rachel shook her head. ‘It—it’s nothing; the ring is a f-fake, just w-window-dressing.’
‘Window-dressing,’ he repeated.
‘Part of the look…’ She was beginning to squirm inside again. ‘Leo needed to see it if he was going to…’
‘Believe you were not his wife?’
She nodded, then swallowed again. ‘Elise’s engagement ring is a big single yellow diamond. Th-this one is so glaringly different that it…’
Her voice trailed away, the hiss of his breath making it do so because she knew he had caught on.
‘So, let me see if I have this clear,’ he said grimly. ‘You dressed yourself up to look like your half-sister—from behind, then you threw yourself at my neck, kissing me as if I am your…?’
He wanted her to say it. Her heart began thumping. He was going to make her confess the final full duplicity.
‘L-lover,’ she breathed.
‘Betrothedlover?’ His voice was getting softer by the second.
Rachel licked her lips and nodded.
‘And I was not supposed to issue an instant denial about this?’
‘Th-there’s a letter going to be h-hand-delivered here to you tomorrow along with the relevant newspaper,’ she told him shakily. ‘The letter will explain everything we have talked about and point out to you that to expose the photograph as a lie will leave you open to questions about wh-whose baby it is Elise is carrying.’
‘Madre de Dio,’ he breathed. ‘You are truly devious.’
He was right and she was, but—‘This is serious, MrVillani!’ she cried out. ‘You don’t know Leo! He’s one hell of a strict Greek! He’s also an absolute killer expert on law! If he decides that his wife has been cheating on him with you and could be havingyour baby…for all your wealth and power, he will drag you to the courtroom and through the gutters along with Elise!’
He threw her hand away. ‘I never touched her—!’ he bit out angrily.
‘Even this very trusting sister can’t believe that!’
Her denunciation bounced off the walls and the sheets of plate glass while the air sizzled with his undiluted rage.
‘One kiss, Mr Villani,’ Rachel stressed urgently. ‘One small kiss stolen from the wife of Leo Savakis and he will never forgive her, and you will find yourself stuck with the worst kind of enemy there is!’
He just turned and walked off, striding across the expanse of wood flooring and out through the door.
Rachel followed, quivering, shaken to the roots because it was only now, when faced with what this all meant tohim , that she was beginning to realise how none of them had given much thought to how unfairly they were treating him in all of this.
She hurried after him. ‘I’m so sorry…’
The husky quaver of her apology fell on stony ground. It had been such a useless thing to say anyway, so she didn’t blame him for the filthy comment he
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