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Dylan waited until Alessandro and his partner were led to their table before he spoke in a low undertone. ‘OK, so you have some explaining to do, young lady,’ he said in mock reproach. ‘That’s Matthew’s father, isn’t it?’
Scarlett gave him a ‘please forgive me’ look. ‘Yes.’
‘I can see the likeness, it’s absolutely unmistakable,’ he said. ‘To tell you the truth, I never really did buy that story about Matthew’s father dying in a car accident, but I figured you had your reasons so I kept quiet.’
‘I’m sorry…I should have told you. Roxanne is still furious with me about it. You and the others had gone to the States by then. By the time you came back home, I couldn’t really tell you one thing and everyone else another.’
He took one of her hands in his and gave it a little squeeze. ‘So what gives?’
Scarlett could feel her hand shaking beneath the gentle pressure of his. ‘He doesn’t believe Matthew is his.’
‘Hasn’t anyone told him about DNA tests?’ he remarked wryly. ‘A friend of mine bought one off the internet. All it takes is a quick swab and the results are back in a couple of days. It puts an end to the argument over paternity right then and there.’
‘I begged him to have one at the time, but he point-blank refused. By the time I thought about pursuing it legally, I realised he might not be such a good person to have in Matthew’s life.’
‘Why’s that?’
She picked up her glass and watched as the miniature necklaces of bubbles rose to the surface. ‘My father made it a point to remind me whenever he could of how I was unplanned and unwanted. I didn’t want to risk Matthew being exposed to the same.’
Dylan gave her a look of concern. ‘You still hold a bit of a candle for him, don’t you?’
Scarlett met his clear grey eyes. ‘No,’ she said with steely emphasis. ‘I don’t think I will ever be able to forgive him for what he’s done. Every day I think about how Matthew has missed out on so much. I can’t forgive Alessandro for robbing our child of what he should have had.’
‘It’s upset you, seeing him with that woman, hasn’t it?’ Dylan said gently.
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Of course it upset me. He’s living the life of the rich playboy while I’ve been bringing up his son without support.’
‘Money isn’t everything,’ Dylan put in. ‘You’ve given Matthew a much greater gift in loving him.’
‘It’s not about the money,’ Scarlett said on a sigh. ‘It’s about the emotional support. It means everything to me.’
Roxanne came in at that point, looking flustered. ‘I’m so sorry I’m late, but my car broke down, and I—’ She pulled up short when she saw Dylan. ‘Oh…hi.’
‘Hello Roxanne.’ Dylan rose and gave her a brief kiss on the cheek. ‘How nice to see you again.’
Roxanne’s cheeks became pink, and she looked even more flustered. ‘Thanks. You too.’
‘Well, I’d better leave you girls to get on with your evening,’ Dylan said. ‘I can see one of my kitchen staff waving at me.’
He gave Scarlett a close hug and kissed her lightly on the mouth before releasing her. ‘Take care, Scarlett.’
Scarlett’s smile died on her lips when she caught sight of the slow burn of Alessandro’s gaze from across the restaurant. A faint shiver scuttled up her spine as she thought of the power she had given him in agreeing to work for him. Any length of time in his presence was going to be dangerous—and not just professionally…
CHAPTER FIVE
‘WOULD YOU mind if we do this some other time?’ Scarlett asked Roxanne briefly, describing what had occurred earlier.
‘Sure,’ Roxanne said, slinging her bag over her shoulder. ‘The last thing you need is to see that woman draped all over your son’s father.’
Scarlett knew Alessandro had had numerous lovers since her, but even so seeing him with the glamorous model had hurt her more than she had expected it to. She hadn’t thought it was possible to be affected in such a way, but her stomach was twisting and turning with anguish even now at the thought of him rushing through dinner so he could take that woman back to his hotel with him.
She tugged herself away from where her thoughts were leading. Why should she care what he did? It wasn’t as if she still felt anything for him. She hated him with a vengeance, and nothing but nothing was ever going to change that.
‘So, what’s going on with Dylan and you?’ Roxanne asked as they made their way out to where Scarlett’s car was parked.
Scarlett glanced at her friend as she pressed the remote-control device. ‘What makes you ask that? You know we’ve always been friends. There’s nothing going on.’
Roxanne rolled her eyes. ‘Sometimes you can be so naïve,’ she said. ‘Dylan was all over you. No wonder Alessandro was giving you the evil eye.’
Scarlett frowned as she strapped on her seatbelt. ‘Dylan’s still getting over Olivia. He’s lonely, that’s all.’
‘Lonely baloney,’ Roxanne said with a cynical look.
‘Are you jealous or something?’ Scarlett asked.
‘Of course not!’ Roxanne insisted. ‘He’s a restaurateur. He works the most ungodly hours. I pity the woman he eventually marries, she’ll never see him.’
Scarlett secretly wondered if her friend was being rather too emphatic in her dislike of Dylan. They had never quite hit it off, skirting around each other on the few occasions they had met, like two wary dogs.
‘You know, I’ve been doing some thinking,’ Roxanne said a few minutes later as Scarlett wove her way through the city traffic. ‘What if Alessandro changes his mind some time in the future?’
Scarlett glanced at her. ‘You mean about Matthew?’
‘One look at that child is going to make him have some serious doubts about his convictions,’ Roxanne pointed out.
Scarlett’s hands tightened on the steering wheel, her teeth nibbling at her bottom lip. ‘I know.’
‘He could make things very difficult for you,’ Roxanne said. ‘I have a friend whose sister went through a very acrimonious divorce a couple of years back. As a result, their only child has to travel back and forth on access visits to Melbourne every second weekend. If Alessandro Marciano decides he wants his son to spend time with him in Italy, it’s going to be tough on you, not to mention little Matthew.’
Scarlett felt her stomach start to clench again in dread. She had been down this road many times as a young child—forced into access visits that had never turned out the way she had hoped.
Roxanne was right.
Alessandro lived in Milan; he was only here to redevelop the old Arlington Hotel. He hadn’t indicated any permanent plans to reside here in Sydney. If he did somehow come to the realisation that he had fathered a child, he might insist on regular access, not stopping to think of how it would affect Matthew to be transported like a parcel through the post.
Matthew was in many ways still a baby. He had not long come out of nappies at night, and still had the occasional accident. He was certainly bright and advanced for his age, but a long-haul flight would be out of the question. Unless of course Alessandro insisted she accompany him, which would throw up a whole lot of other problems—the main one being her ongoing attraction to him. She fought against it assiduously, but each time he was in the same room as her she felt every cell in her body swell in awareness, every fibre of her being tingle in remembrance of the passion they had so briefly shared.
‘I feel so torn,’ she confessed. ‘For years I’ve wanted Alessandro to face the truth about Matthew, but now I’m worried about what might happen if he does.’
‘You’re still in love with him.’
‘How many times do I have to tell you I’m not?’ Scarlett asked in frustration. ‘I hate the man.’
‘Look, Scarlett, I sometimes think I know you better than I know myself,’ Roxanne said. ‘You still feel something for him, I can tell every time you mention his name. You get a certain look in your eyes.’
Scarlett gave her a withering glance. ‘You’re imagining it.’
‘Am I?’
Scarlett let out another sigh. ‘Look, I admit when I saw him at the restaurant tonight with his latest lover I felt physically ill, but that’s because he’s hurt me more than anyone else I know. Even my father’s crappy behaviour is nothing to what Alessandro’s done.’
‘Listen, Scarlett, you were in love with him four years ago,’ Roxanne said. ‘It makes sense that you could fall in love with him again. Believe me, it happens.’
‘Yes, I know,’ Scarlett said. ‘I swore I’d never end up like my mother, falling in love with a man who consistently let her down.’
‘I hardly think Alessandro Marciano is in the same category of scum as your father,’ Roxanne commented wryly. ‘You’ve only seen your father once since you were a young child, and that was when he came to ask you for money. What a creep.’
‘Don’t remind me,’ Scarlett said with a little grimace of distaste.
Roxanne gave her a reassuring smile. ‘You’ll get through this, Scarlett. I know you will. We’re a team, remember?’
‘I know…thanks.’
‘We’ll knock this project over together and then you can get on with your life. Alessandro will be back in Italy before you know it, and you’ll never have to think of him again.’
‘Yes.’ Scarlet began to gnaw at her bottom lip, a frown almost bringing her brows together over her eyes.
‘But you will, won’t you?’ Roxanne said. ‘Think of him, I mean.’
Scarlett released her lip and sighed as she looked at her friend. ‘I’m trying not to, but it’s hard when I have his son as a constant reminder.’
As soon as Scarlett arrived at the studio the next morning Roxanne handed her the telephone, cupping her hand over the mouthpiece to whisper, ‘It’s Alessandro. He wants to speak to you.’
Scarlett took the receiver with an unsteady hand and held it to her ear. ‘Scarlett Fitzpatrick speaking.’
‘That was a very clever trick, Scarlett,’ Alessandro drawled. ‘Dangling the opposition in front of my nose to make me want you all the more.’
She felt her face growing hot, and was glad he couldn’t see it. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. Now, did you want me for something or is this simply a nuisance call?’
‘I want to see you.’
‘So make an appointment like everyone else does,’ she clipped back.
‘That is exactly what I am doing,’ he said. ‘I want to see you this evening at my house.’
Scarlett’s heart felt as if it had just slammed into a brick wall and bounced off again. ‘Your house? You’ve got a house?’
‘Most people do, do they not?’ he said, his tone sounding faintly mocking.
‘But…but I thought you’d be staying at a hotel, or a serviced apartment or something.’
‘I prefer to have my own space,’ he said. ‘I bought a house before I arrived.’
Scarlett had to peel her dry tongue off the roof of her mouth so she could moisten her lips. ‘So…so how long are you expecting to stay in Sydney?’ she asked.
‘As long as it takes to see to the business I have here.’
‘The Arlington Hotel, you mean?’
‘That and some other loose ends,’ he responded.
Jealousy rose like a bubbling, hot tide of lava inside her. ‘I suppose Velika Vanovic is one of those loose ends?’ she put in churlishly. ‘You’d better be careful, Alessandro, she’s been around the block a few times, or so I’ve heard.’
‘I like a woman who is up front about what she wants,’ he returned.
‘I hate to imply you have little else going for you, but women like Velika Vanovic are after one thing, and one thing only.’
‘Yes, I know,’ he said. ‘Sex, and plenty of it.’
Scarlett clenched her teeth. ‘I meant money.’
‘Velika is at least open about it, unlike you, who went about it by more devious means.’
She gritted her teeth. ‘I did no such thing.’
‘I will expect you here at eight p.m. We will have dinner together to discuss your ideas on the project so far,’ he said as if she hadn’t spoken.
‘I’m not having dinner with you,’ she said with stiff force. ‘I have another commitment.’
‘Cancel it.’
Three beats of silence passed.
‘I don’t usually see clients out of office hours,’ she put in guardedly.
‘I am sure you will not mind making an exception for me, since we are old acquaintances, hmm?’
‘So what we had together has been downgraded to mere acquaintances, has it?’ she asked with bitterness sharpening her tone.
‘Old friends, then.’
‘We were lovers, Alessandro Marciano, and as a result you are the father of my child,’ she said through tight lips. ‘Don’t you dare insult me by referring to me as a mere acquaintance.’
‘Are you suggesting you wish to be elevated to the role of my mistress?’ he asked.
‘Of course not!’ she spluttered in indignation.
‘It can easily be arranged,’ he put in smoothly. ‘In fact, I have been thinking about it since I ran into you last night with your boyfriend. He seems pleasant enough, but I bet he has not been able to make you writhe and scream the way I did.’
‘It’s none of your business what I do or who I do it with.’
‘And yet you responded to me so delightfully when I kissed you. I had only to touch you and you went up in flames.’
Scarlett knew she had no way to defend herself, but it didn’t stop her trying. ‘Lots of ex-lovers temporarily revisit the context of their past relationship. It doesn’t mean anything.’
‘It means you are still attracted to me, in spite of your involvement with another man,’ he said.
‘You’re a fine one to talk,’ she shot back. ‘If you’re so heavily involved with Velika Vanovic what business did you have kissing me?’
