THIS IS IT!
At last, it was her big break.
Kayla grinned as she sat by the pool the next day. She could hardly believe that at last her plans were all coming together. If only she could keep her attraction to Angelo under wraps. Was that even possible at this point?
Who’d have thought that the wish she’d made at the fountain would actually come true?
Angelo had kissed her—again.
Her eyelids drifted closed as her thoughts spiraled back to their amazing day beneath the Tuscany sun. The day couldn’t have gone any better. She’d always treasure it. And then there had been that mind-blowing, toe-curling kiss—
“And what has you staring off into space with a smile on your face?”
Kayla glanced up to find Angelo gazing at her. “Um...nothing. I...I mean I was thinking about the wedding.”
“How about the Van Holsen account? We don’t want to forget about it.”
“Of course not. I’ve sent out the new concepts to the art department.”
“Good.” He took a seat next to her. “You know if you’re having problems you can talk to me?”
Was he referring to personal problems? Or business ones? Since they’d arrived in Italy the lines had blurred so much that she wasn’t sure. But she decided that it was best for her career to take his comment as a purely professional one.
“I understand.” She smoothed her hands down over her white capris. “And so far the accounts are all moving along. I should have some drafts back from the art department this afternoon to run by you.”
“Sounds good. Can I see what you’ve come up with so far for the royal wedding?”
She pushed her notebook over to him. “Go ahead.”
The seconds slowly passed as his gaze moved down over the first page. “But this is all about Monte Calanetti.” He shoved aside the pages. “There’s nothing here about the wedding itself. Nothing sentimental or romantic.”
Oh, boy.
This was not the start she’d imagined. She swallowed a lump in her throat. To be honest, she wasn’t ready to present her ideas to him. They were only partial thoughts—snippets of this and that.
She’d have to think fast on her feet if she wanted him to keep her on this account, because she wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip through her fingers. She leveled her shoulders and tilted her chin up, meeting his frown. “I think the main focus should be all about the location.”
“You do?”
She nodded. “The royal couple have already been taken by the village’s charm.” Kayla lowered her voice and added, “I was taken by it, too. It’d be the perfect backdrop for a wedding. And that’s the part I think we should exploit.”
Angelo’s eyes widened and he was quiet for a moment as though considering her words. “What issues do you have with basing the pitch on the wedding itself? You know with all of the pomp and circumstance. We could even throw in a horse-drawn carriage for good measure.”
Kayla smiled, loving the idea of six white horses leading a shiny white carriage with gold trim. And then her imagination took a wild turn and there was Angelo next to her in the carriage. Her insides quivered at the thought. Then, realizing that she was getting off point, she gave herself a mental jerk.
“We don’t know anything about what the bride wants for the actual ceremony. But we need to show them that no matter whether it is a big, splashy affair, which seems most reasonable considering it’s a royal wedding, or whether they want something smaller and more intimate, that Monte Calanetti can be quite accommodating.”
Angelo leaned back and crossed his arms as he quietly stared at her. He was taking her suggestions seriously. She inwardly cheered. Not about to lose her momentum, she continued. “No matter what the size of the ceremony, we need to show them that we are willing to work with the bride. We need to show them that the whole community will come together to make it a day that neither of them will ever forget.”
“So you think our approach should be two-pronged, showing the village both as intimate and accommodating.”
Kayla nodded. “The tour you gave me was a great start. But if we are going to sell the royals on the virtues of this village, I think we need to dig deeper.”
Angelo nodded. “Sounds reasonable. What do you have in mind?”
Before she could continue, her phone vibrated on the table. She’d turned off the ringer, not wanting to bother anyone else who was around the pool.
“Do you need to get that?” Angelo’s gaze moved from her to the phone.
“Um...no.”
Angelo cocked a brow. “It could be the office.”
“I already checked my voice mail and sorted everything that needs attention.” She wanted to get back to their conversation, but he kept glancing at her phone. Knowing he wasn’t going to let up on this subject until he found out why she was so hesitant to answer, she grabbed her phone and checked the ID. Just as she’d suspected, the call was from the States but it wasn’t the office—it was Pam, the woman handling the fund-raiser while Kayla was in Italy.
“It’s nothing urgent.” Kayla would deal with it later.
“Are you sure?”
“I am.” This wasn’t Pam’s first call of the day nor would it likely be her last.
Why was Angelo looking at her that way? It was as though he could see that she was holding something back. And the last thing Kayla needed was for him not to trust her. Because this royal wedding was the opportunity of a lifetime. She planned to grasp it with both hands and hold on tight. Having Angelo make her an official part of this pitch would be the validation she needed to show her parents that she’d made the right decision with her life. At last, they’d be proud of her and her choices.
“Okay.” He waved away the phone and grabbed for her notebook again. “You need to add more detail to these notes.”
“I will, but I was thinking we need to visit each of the establishments in the village again. I could write up very specific notes about their specialties—things that will be hard to find elsewhere—items that the village is especially proud of.”
His eyes lit up. “And I know exactly where we’ll start.”
“You do?” She smiled, knowing he liked her ideas. “Where?”
“Mancini’s. You did bring something pretty, formal— Oh, you know what I mean.”
“A little black dress?”
“Yes, that will do nicely. We have reservations at seven. Consider it a research expedition during which I want to hear more of your thoughts.”
Her mounting excitement skidded to a halt upon his assurance that this evening would be all about business. She didn’t know why she should let it bother her. This is what she wanted—for things to return to a business relationship. Wasn’t it?
* * *
Time flew by far too fast.
A week had passed since their dinner at Mancini’s. Angelo had been quite impressed with the service and most especially the food. What Raffaele was doing spending his time here in the countryside was beyond Angelo. The man was a magician in the kitchen. He could head up any restaurant that he set his sights on from Rome to New York. Although, it was lucky for Angelo, because Mancini’s award-winning menu was going to be the centerpiece of the pitch.
Angelo stood in the middle of the hotel suite. He really liked what he saw. His gaze zeroed in on Kayla. They’d had a couple of tables brought in. The room had been rearranged so that the area loosely resembled an office more than a relaxing, posh hotel room. And it seemed to be helping them to stay on track.
Feeling the pressure to get this right, Angelo had relented and had Kayla pass along some of their other accounts to his top ad executive. Their attention needed to be centered on the wedding, especially since he’d already lost time spinning his wheels. One of the accounts they had retained was Victoria Van Holsen’s account. The woman simply wouldn’t deal with anyone but himself or Kayla. Victoria, who was quite particular about who she dealt with, had surprisingly taken to Kayla’s sunny disposition. It seemed no one was immune to Kayla’s charms—him included.
There was so much more to Kayla than he’d given her credit for when he’d hired her as his temporary assistant. Sure, her résumé had been excellent and her supervisors had nothing but glowing reports about her. Still, he was so busy rushing from meeting to meeting, cutting a new deal and approving the latest cutting-edge promotion that he never had time to notice the girl behind the black-rimmed glasses and the nondescript business suits.
While in Italy, he’d witnessed firsthand her passion for her work. She invigorated him to work harder and dig deeper for fresh ideas to top her own, which was nearly impossible as she came up with ideas for the wedding that never would have crossed his mind. To say she was a hard worker was an understatement. She was amazing and it wasn’t just her work ethic that fascinated him.
Her smile lit up his world like the golden rays of the morning sun. And when he would lean over her shoulder, he’d get a whiff of her sweet, intoxicating scent. It conjured up the image of a field of wildflowers in his mind and always tempted him to lean in closer for a deeper whiff.
Then there were times like now, when she was concentrating so hard that her green eyes grew darker. She lifted her hand and twirled a long red curl around her finger. He noticed that she did this when she was unsure of something. He wondered what was troubling her now.
He moved closer. “Need some help?”
She glanced up with a wide-eyed stare as though she’d been totally lost in her thoughts. “Um...what?”
This wasn’t the first time she’d been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn’t heard him. “I said, would you like some help?”
“Sure. I was contemplating the piazza. I’m thinking it should play a prominent part in the wedding processional.”
Her words sparked his own imagination. They made a great couple...um, team. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this invigorated. “How about having a horse-drawn carriage circle the fountain, giving the villagers a chance to cheer on the future queen?”
“I don’t know. The bride will be a bundle of nerves. I don’t know if she’ll want to spend the time waving at people—”
“Sure she will.”
Kayla sent him a doubtful look. “What would you know about weddings?”
“Nothing.” His jaw tightened. And he planned to keep it that way. “You’re forgetting one important thing.”
“And what’s that?”
“The villagers are the part that makes the village special.”
A smile eased the worry lines on her face. “I’m glad you were paying attention while on our tour. And if the bride is willing, I think the villagers should play a prominent role in the festivities.”
“And along the route there could be large royal flags waving in the breeze—”
“No. That’s too impersonal.” Her eyes sparkled. “What if we hand out small complimentary flags to the onlookers to welcome the newest member of the royal family?”
Angelo paused as he considered the idea. “I like it. It’ll be a sea of color.”
“I also think the chapel should be included in the pitch.” Before he could utter a word, she rushed on. “The place is so beautiful. Sure it needs some work, but it has such a romantic feel to it. Just imagine it filled with roses— No, make that lilies. And the glow of the candles would add to the magic. Can’t you just imagine it all?”
“No.” He didn’t believe in magic or romance. They were just fanciful thoughts. “I can’t imagine anyone wanting to get married in such a dump—”
“It’s not a dump!”
He ignored her outburst. “Besides, you’re forgetting that I talked to the new owner and she wants nothing to do with the wedding.”
“And that’s it...you’re just giving up? She could change her mind.”
What was Kayla getting so worked up for? He wasn’t making up these problems. “The chapel is crumbling. We are not putting it in the pitch. The royal couple would laugh us out of the room if we presented it—”
“They would not.” Her words were rushed and loud. “They’d love its charm.”
His muscles tensed. He hated conflict. “We’re not using it!”
Her fine brows drew together as she crossed her arms. “You’re making a mistake!”
He wasn’t used to people challenging his decisions and they certainly didn’t raise their voice to him. This argument was ending now. “This is my company—my decision! We’re not including the chapel.” When she went to speak, he added, “End of story.”
She huffed but said nothing more.
For a while, they worked in an uncomfortable silence. He kept waiting for Kayla to rehash their disagreement, but she surprised him and let it go. He didn’t know how much time had passed when they started to communicate like normal again.
Angelo rubbed his jaw. “Perhaps our best option is to take all of these photos and do a workup of each setting. We can have sketches made up of how each wedding scenario would work. Nothing sells better than letting the client see it with their own eyes. I’ll have the art department start on it right away. They’ll be on solid overtime until our meeting with the happy couple.”
“You never said— Where is the meeting? At Nico’s villa?”
“No. The meeting is in Halencia. It’s an island not far from here.”
“Oh, how exciting. You must be nervous to be meeting a real prince and his bride.”
“Me? What about you?”
“What about me?”
“You’re part of this team. You’ll be going, too. I hope you have something in your suitcase suitable for a royal meeting. If not, perhaps you can find an outfit or two in the village.”
Kayla’s mouth gaped open and he couldn’t help but chuckle. She looked absolutely stunned. Surely she didn’t think that he’d put her to all of this work and then leave her behind. He was never one to take credit for another person’s work, and he wasn’t about to start now. Kayla deserved this honor.
But he sensed something else was on her mind. He could see the subtle worry lines marring her beautiful complexion when she didn’t think he was looking. He had no doubt she was still smarting over his unilateral decision to scrap the chapel proposal. She had to accept that he knew what he was doing.
Just then a cell phone vibrated, rattling against the tabletop. Not sure whose phone it was, Angelo headed for the table in time to witness Kayla grabbing her phone and turning it off without bothering to take the call. She’d been doing it a lot lately.
He cleared his throat. “You know, just because I’m here doesn’t mean you can’t take a phone call from home now and then.”
She shook her head. “It...it was nothing.”
“Are you sure about that? I get the distinct feeling that the call was definitely something.”
“I told you it’s nothing important.” Her voice rose with each syllable. “Why are you making such a big deal of it?”
“I just thought it might be important.”
Her gaze didn’t meet his. Her voice was heated and her words were rushed. “It’s nothing for you to worry about. Besides, we have work to do.”
He’d never witnessed Kayla losing her composure—ever. What was wrong with her? And why wouldn’t she open up to him?
“Kayla, if you need a break—”
“I don’t.” She ran her fingers through her long red curls before twisting the strands around her fingertip. “Can we get back to work?”
His jaw tightened. These heated exchanges reminded him of his parents, and not in a good way. Kayla had just reinforced his determination to remain single. He wanted absolutely nothing to do with a turbulent relationship.
“Work sounds like a good idea.” He turned to his laptop. Before he could even type in his password, Kayla softly called out his name. In fact, her voice was so soft that he was sure he’d imagined it. He glanced over his shoulder to find her standing next to him.
Her gaze was downcast and her fingers were laced together. “I’m sorry for snapping. I didn’t mean to grouch at you. I...I—”
Before she could go any further, he uttered, “It’s okay. We’re both under a lot of pressure, working night and day to get this pitch perfected.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “Thanks for understanding. It won’t happen again.”
He didn’t doubt that she meant it, but he was a realist and knew that blowups happened even in the best of relationships. So where did they go from here?
When he didn’t immediately say anything, she added, “The phone call was a friend. I’ll deal with it later.”
Not about to repeat their earlier argument, he let her comment slide. “Then let’s get back to work. We have the menu to work into the layout.”
He didn’t miss the way she played with her hair—the telltale sign she was nervous. Oh, that call was definitely something important. All of his suspicions were now confirmed. So what could be so important that it had her jumping for the phone, and yet she refused to take the call in front of him? A boyfriend? But she’d already stated categorically that she didn’t have one, and he believed her.
So what had her nervous and fidgeting with her hair? What didn’t she want him to know? And why was he more concerned about her blasted phone calls and mysterious ways than he was about this presentation that was quickly approaching?
He really needed to get his head in this game or Monte Calanetti would lose the pitch before they even gave their presentation in Halencia. But with Kayla so close by it was difficult at times to remember that she was here to work and not to fulfill his growing fantasies.
* * *
Moonbeams danced upon the window sheers as Kayla leaned back in her chair. They’d been working on this pitch night and day, trying to make it beyond amazing. A yawn passed her lips. Not even coffee was helping her at this point.
“You should call it a night.” Angelo stared at her over the top of his laptop. “I’ve got this.”
Not about to let him think she wasn’t as dedicated to this project as he was, she said, “If you’re staying up, so am I.”
He sent her an I-don’t-believe-you’re-so-stubborn look. “If you insist—”
“I do.” She crossed her arms. Even that movement took a lot of effort.
He arched a brow, but he didn’t argue. “How about we take a break? I’m starved.”
“Sounds good to me, but I don’t think there’s any room service at this hour.”
“Who needs room service? There’s still half of a pizza in the fridge.”
“Oh. I forgot.”
In no time, Angelo warmed them each a couple of slices in the microwave in their kitchenette. After handing her a plate, he moved to the couch. “Sorry, I can’t provide you anything else.”
“This is plenty. It reminds me of my college days. Leftover pizza for breakfast was a common staple in the dorms.”
Angelo leaned back, kicked off his loafers and propped his feet up on the coffee table. There was no longer any boss/employee awkwardness between them. Being closed up in a hotel suite, no matter how fancy, left no room for cool distances. In fact, they’d shared some passionate disagreements over the pitch, which only led them to better, outside-the-box ideas. But it was far too late for any passionate conversations—at least the professional ones.
“I’m surprised your parents let you go to college.” Angelo’s voice roused her from her exhaustion-induced fantasy.
“Why?”
“Because they had your life planned out to be a wife, to be a mom and to take over the family business. Why spend the money and time on an advanced degree if you weren’t going to use it?”
The fact that Angelo Amatucci, star of Madison Avenue, was truly interested in her life sent her heart fluttering. “It was hard for them to object when I won an academic scholarship. Plus, they knew I had my heart set on earning a degree. My guess is they thought I’d go, have fun with my friends for a few years and eventually realize my place was with them in Paradise.” Her gaze met his. “Didn’t your parents expect you to return to Italy after you graduated college?”
He glanced away as he tossed his plate of half-eaten pizza onto the table. “My family is quite different from yours. Their expectations weren’t the same.”
“I have a hard time believing that, after seeing how much your brother and sister miss you. Maybe you can slow down and fly here more often.”
“I don’t know.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’d have to find someone to help with the special accounts—someone the clients would trust.”
“Do you have anyone in mind?”
His steady gaze met hers, making her stomach quiver. “I have an idea or two. And how about you? Is Amatucci & Associates just a stepping-stone for you? Do you have other plans for your future?”
“I’m exactly where I want to be.”
His gaze dipped to her lips and then back to her eyes. “That’s good to know. I want you here, too.” He glanced away. “I mean at the company. You’ve become really important to me.” He cleared his throat. “To the company. You know, it’s really late. Let’s call it a night and pick up where we left off tomorrow. You know, with the pitch.”
Kayla sat there quietly as her normally calm, composed boss tripped and fell over his words. She wanted to tell him to relax because she liked him, too—a lot. The words teetered on the tip of her tongue when he jumped to his feet and moved across the room to shut down his computer.
Disappointment settled in her chest. Shouting her feelings across the room just didn’t seem right, nor did she have the guts to do it. And by the rigid line of his shoulders, he wasn’t ready to hear the words. She had to accept that the fleeting moment had passed—if it had truly been there at all.
She tried to tell herself that it was for the best. Taking a risk on revealing her feelings to Angelo was putting all of her hopes and dreams on the line, but she wasn’t much of a gambler. She liked sure bets. At the moment, the odds were really good that she’d gain a promotion if they pulled off this royal pitch. And that’s what she needed to focus on—not on the way Angelo’s intense gaze could make her stomach do a series of somersaults.