threats.’
Now he actually laughed. ‘I’m not afraid to fight for what I want.’
‘And you’re not afraid to fight dirty.’ She gritted her teeth in the face of his partial nudity. ‘So you think the end justifies the means?’
‘Not always. But often.’
‘And you “often” bully your way into getting what you want?’
‘Usually I buy what I want,’ he replied carelessly. ‘But I didn’t want to offend you by offering you money.’
She flashed a filthy look at him. Of all the pompous things to say. ‘Why not just ask nicely?’
He sighed deeply. ‘Would you please go to the party with me? I’m new in town and I don’t want to walk in alone.’
She didn’t believe he was insecure for a second.
‘You want me to go with you, dressed in my wet skirt and bruised knee?’ She shook her head. ‘I’m going into Bellezzo to watch the festival on the waterfront.’
‘I can take care of your outfit,’ he said softly.
‘Excuse me?’
His grin was positively wicked and he leaned forward and scooped her into his arms again.
‘This is assault,’ she choked as she was pressed against all his hot naked skin. And muscles.
‘What? This is gentlemanly behaviour. I’ve rescued a damsel in distress,’ he countered as he marched through to a large living room. ‘The least you can do in return is gift me a few hours of your precious time. Now...’ He deposited her in a plush armchair and pointed to the corner. ‘What do you think of these?’
Gracie gaped at the two racks of women’s clothing. ‘You have a ready supply of evening wear for occasions such as this?’ She stared from the racks to him and back again. And then back at him because he was insanely fascinating. ‘You enjoy dressing women?’
Something kindled in his eyes and she instantly knew his unspoken answer. He liked undressing them.
He walked towards the racks. ‘They’re using the villa for a fashion shoot tomorrow. These are the dresses they’ll be modelling.’
A fashion shoot? Models? She turned to the hangers in horror. ‘I won’t fit into any of them.’
‘I’m confident we can find something suitable.’
She glared at his tone—catching his gaze raking down her body.
‘They’ll be worth a lot of money,’ she argued stiffly. ‘I wouldn’t want to damage one.’ Except there were some gorgeous-looking fabrics on those hangers.
‘If you want Alex to keep his job and keep his roses alive, then you’ll get into one of these dresses and come along for the ride. It’s only a party. I’m hardly proposing marriage.’
‘If it’s only a party, why can’t you face it alone?’ She straightened. ‘Is someone you’re afraid of seeing going to be there?’ She warmed to the idea, intrigued by his playboy reputation. ‘An ex?’
‘Not tonight I don’t think.’ He adopted a faux thoughtful pose. ‘Perhaps I need armour.’
‘From all your stalkers?’ She shook her head. ‘You’d swat them away like flies.’ No way was this man vulnerable.
He sighed again. ‘I already told you the reason. I’m easily bored. I’d like a distraction.’
‘You’re easily bored? I pity you,’ she mocked. ‘People with good imaginations never get bored.’
‘Oh, I have an imagination. Though right now it’s probably best if I don’t use it.’
She sent him a cool look.
‘So what’s your name?’ He leaned back, smiling at her hesitation. ‘I could call the police, you know. You are trespassing.’
Grimly she bit the bullet. ‘My name is Grace James.’
‘Grace.’ He held out his hand. ‘It’s a pleasure to meet you.’
She couldn’t be churlish enough to refuse his hand when he’d been carrying her about the place for the last twenty minutes, but she wasn’t prepared for the electricity that shot through her the second her fingers clasped his. Quickly she pulled free, hiding her hand behind her back and clenching her fist to try to stop the lingering sizzling sensation. It didn’t work. So she turned to the dresses and started sorting through the hangers.
‘You’re my fairy godmother,’ she said with determined airiness. ‘I might meet an amazing man there.’
‘So you’re single,’ he said, while inspecting the second rack. ‘Good to know.’
She gritted her teeth.
‘I think this would suit you.’ He pulled a gown from the rack and held it up to show her.
‘It’s white.’ She glared at it. ‘I’ll have spilt something on it before we even get there.’
He laughed. ‘It doesn’t matter.’
‘It matters.’ With her luck it would be worse than a spill, she’d likely split the seam and she truly didn’t want to make even more of a fool of herself tonight.
‘You know you want to,’ he said softly. ‘Please.’
The man was an appalling flirt. As if he needed armour. There was no way this guy had any chinks. He had zero vulnerability. No, he was just a jaded playboy looking for light entertainment until his new batch of models turned up tomorrow. She wasn’t going to give him anything.
But she was going to go to the Palazzo Chiara and experience something she never ordinarily would—glamour, exclusivity. Because she was living life on her own terms now. She wasn’t missing out on anything.
‘Fine,’ she snapped, turning her back on the glittering smugness that instantly crossed his face. ‘Where can I get changed?’
Ten minutes later, installed in the most ornate and massive bedroom she’d ever been in in her life, Gracie wriggled into the dress. It had taken her eight of those minutes to absorb the sumptuous decor of the elegant room. Now she glared at her reflection in the large free-standing mirror. No way could she wear a bra beneath it. Worse, she wasn’t sure she could keep her knickers on either. The dress was so form-fitting her panty lines would be visible.
She blinked and wondered if she’d gone completely mad. What was she thinking by agreeing to this crazy idea? But, then, wouldn’t she be equally mad to pass such a chance up? She’d never been able to accept any invitations as a child. She’d never gone to a classmate’s house for a playdate, never walked into a swanky party as an actual guest...and she’d certainly never worn an eye-wateringly expensive designer dress like this before.
Breathing in deeply, she undid her bra and shimmied out of her undies, carefully putting them on the low armchair in the corner. This was one opportunity she was never going to get again, so she may as well go in braless and bold. Then she finger-combed her hair and twirled it into a low bun at the nape of her neck.
‘Are you dressed yet? We need to get going or we’ll miss the fireworks,’ he called from outside the door.
With an overwhelming sense of mortification she stepped out from the room and refused to meet his eyes. ‘I can’t wear this. It’s indecent.’
He was so silent she had to look up at him. He’d dressed in another tuxedo. How many did the guy have? Like the first, this fitted to perfection and was annoyingly gorgeous in the way it emphasised his lean, strong frame.
He regarded her for a full thirty seconds—so long she started to fidget with her watch strap.
‘It’s perfect,’