Page 17 of The Tycoon's Shock Heir

‘That may well still be the case. The only thing we can be sure of is that Banca Casa di Rossini is a much better bet for Arturo than Calvaneo Capital. Even if Claudio decides he wants it, there’s no reason to suppose he can make it happen.’

‘At best it’s his sick little way of needling me. At worst it’s the start of a full-blown attempt to merge or buy. Either way, there’s nothing I can do about it now.’

‘I hope it hasn’t ruined your evening, but I thought you’d want to know—just in case.’

Just in case. Matteo knew what that meant. There was a time when he might have done something stupid—he’d have given his right arm to do something stupid, to see Claudio sprawled out in front of him, begging for mercy, to see him confessing his crimes, to see any kind of justice at all.

But it wouldn’t happen that way. He knew his physical strength—and his weaknesses. He could take Claudio out with one punch. But then where would they be? With him in jail—his mother’s biggest fear. He’d grudgingly had to accept that it was possible, and had stayed well away for years.

But now this? His gut was telling him that soon they would be coming face to face in the showdown that would decide the fate of Banca Casa di Rossini. And Claudio was going to play it out like a boxing match—making cheap gibes to goad him.

He had to rein it in, bide his time, keep his head clear.

‘Thanks, David. I appreciate that. I’ll sleep on it. Let’s catch up tomorrow.’

He sat back, his mind racing as it always did whenever Claudio butted his way back into his life. But he had to get it into perspective. There was nothing he could do until he met with Augusto Arturo himself. He couldn’t control who the old man had lunch with. He could only control himself.

‘Is everything all right?’

He looked round. Ruby stared at him with wide, almond eyes.

‘Absolutely, sweetheart.’

If there was anything at all that was going to help him get through the next twenty-four hours it was this woman. He was going to give them both a night to remember.

‘Just work. Nothing for us to trouble ourselves over.’

‘Hmm...if you say so.’

‘I say so,’ he said. He reached for her. ‘I’ve got to keep my phone beside me, but I don’t think we’ll be disturbed now. And here we are...’

The car rolled to a halt outside Luigi’s, one of his favourite restaurants, where the food was amazing and the staff were fast and friendly.

He got out and stood on the pavement, rolled his tensed shoulders and willed himself to clear his mind. He breathed deeply, inhaling the sultriness of the evening, the dense, heady scent of the jasmine planted on either side of the restaurant entrance.

Ruby emerged from the car. Just looking at her was like a sip of summer wine, full of promise, easing him into a better place.

He hoped.

Just one more detail to be sure of before he could completely relax with her...

Minutes later they were settled in a subtly lit corner of the restaurant, where shadows licked at Ruby’s delicate throat, her fine-boned chest and long slim arms as they rested on the white tablecloth. He so badly wanted to reach across the table and take hold of her hand, trail his fingers along her collarbone, absorb the softness of her skin.

But control was all. Control and then controlled release. Like exercising a muscle.

‘You were amazing tonight,’ he said. ‘I couldn’t have asked for a better assistant. You know your world inside out and you didn’t need any notes. I’m impressed.’

‘It’s easy when it’s something you care about.’

‘It’s not just dance, is it? You care about the company, too. It’s obvious how much those people mean to you.’

He thought of her face, shining with pride as she introduced him to her colleagues, how they’d embraced and smiled happily together.

‘They’ve been my family for years. I’ve been very lucky.’

‘You mean that in a figurative sense, of course?’

‘I mean that since the age of eleven I’ve been with the British Ballet as a boarder. So they really are my family. My mum and her boyfriend moved to the south coast when I was twelve, but I was able to stay here. I’m in with the bricks,’ she said brightly, ending the sentence with a fake note of joy.

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