Page 9 of Under Her Skin
Just leave mealone.
But she had been raised to be polite, and when he was by her side, she looked up and gave him a pleasant smile. “Hello.”
“Bueno giorno, signorina. GeorgeGaliano.”
She shook the offered hand. “HeroDonati.”
George indicated the other seat at her table. “May I sit for amoment?”
Hero stifled a sigh and nodded. “Please.”
He was tall, not as tall as Arturo, but broad-shouldered and slim-hipped. His brown hair was short and neatly styled, his beard trimmed and shaped. His dark brown eyes searched hers. “I hope you don’t think I’m intruding, but I believe I saw you at the auction yesterday. For the Patrizziapartment?”
“Yes, I wasthere.”
George chuckled lightly. “It was quite the scandal. That apartment was expected to go to Arturo Bachi. We all expected it to go to him, but then, as you saw, a mysterious buyer swooped in and snapped it up. After the auction, I saw you going into the auctioneer’s office. Coincidence,yes?”
Hero sipped her coffee. “Mr. Galiano, do you have a question you want to askme?”
“You bought theapartment.”
“Yes.” She didn’t see how it was his business, but she wasn’t going tolie.
George’s handsome face split with a wide grin. “Then, Miss Donati, I owe you adrink.”
That stumped her. “I take it you and Mr. Bachi are notfriends?”
“Not any longer. Excuse me.” He addressed the nearby waiter. “Could we have somechampagne?”
George Galiano was charmingto be certain, but Hero wouldn’t trust him in any situation. Still, as far as a pleasant acquaintance went, he was certainly easy on the eye and amusing to talk to. His rancor towards Arturo, she discovered, wentdeep.
“We were friends,” he said, “a long time ago.” He sighed, regretfully. “We were in the unfortunate position of being in love with the same woman, and it didn’t end well for any ofus.”
“So, now you hate eachother?”
“For my part, it isn’t hate. Only too much has passed between us for us ever to goback.”
Hero felt a little uncomfortable. “But you’re glad he lost theapartment?”
“Call me petty, but yes. Arturo has had too much influence in this town for far too long. It was time he was taken down a peg ortwo.”
“That’s not why I bought the apartment. I had no idea Arturo Bachi even existed before yesterday.”Although I sure found out who he was lastnight…
A giggle bubbled up, and she hurriedly covered it with a cough. George didn’t seem to notice. “So, you are staying in our lovely town?” heasked.
“For the foreseeable future,yes.”
He smiled. “Then perhaps you would allow me to show you aroundsometime?”
Hero hesitated, then nodded. “Perhaps.”
“Good.” He drained his champagne and reaching for her hand, kissed the back of it. “If you will excuse me, lovely lady, I have a meeting to get to. It was good to meetyou.”
“You,too.”
Hero watched him walk away, getting into a chrome-clad Bentley.Flashy.That was the sense she got from him, and although Arturo also flaunted his wealth, Hero got the impression that he was a little less…what?Ostentatious?
She sighed. Who cared? It wasn’t as if she had any reason to be involved with either of these men anymore. She drained her coffee, left her untouched champagne on the table, and rose to walk around thetown.
