Never Say Love Read online

  “Well you’ll be able to on your new salary. I’ll pick you up later, and we’ll discuss the details over dinner. Where do you fancy going?”

  “What if I’m busy this evening?” She half smiled, teasing him as she wiped the remainder of her tears away.

  Smiling, “Oh, but I bet you’re not.” His tone becoming soft again as he reached towards her cheek, his thumb gently brushing a tear away.

  “What if I say no?” She asked, teasing him again.

  “You won’t.”

  “How do you know I won’t say no?”

  “I just know, and anyway I nearly always get what I want. So where do you want to go?”

  “Do you?” Lucy frowned, “always get what you want?”

  “Yes, I do. So where shall we go this evening?” He asked again, smiling broadly.

  “There’s a little steak house just around the corner, look!” she pointed in the general direction of the restaurant she had suggested. Following her hand as she flapped it around, he smiled to himself, “there’s normally no need to book,” she added.

  “Okay, I’ll pick you up about eight?”

  Lucy smiled. She really liked him and felt terrible about last night. Was it really so wrong of her to do what she did? Lowering her head, her hands on her handbag, she mumbled, “And, I really am sorry, I’m so sorry about last night.”

  Benito breathed deeply. “It’s okay, no worries,” he gently placed his hand on top of hers, “but you shouldn’t have let me believe that…” he paused closing his eyes for a moment, thinking about what he was going to say next, “you shouldn’t have let me think that it was okay, when it wasn’t.” Turning, he looked at her, her head still down, her stunning silky blonde hair falling forward around her shoulders. He couldn’t shake this feeling off. What he felt for her was like nothing else he had ever experienced before, with any woman. Lucy was different. It was almost as if there was a magnet drawing him to her.

  Before stepping out of the car, she leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Benito’s cheek. “Thank you. I’m really looking forward to this evening.” She smiled, “I can’t wait.”

  He nodded in acknowledgement, a grin across his beautiful mouth, “I’m looking forward to it too. I’d like to know more about you.” What the hell was he saying, shit man, pull yourself together.

  Chapter 8

  At a little before eight Benito arrived outside Lucy’s flat. He called in on Gia and Roberto and received an inquisition about his love interest, to their knowledge the only girl that Benito had ever shown any long term interest in. He had cringed at their questions and had no doubt that Franco would be made aware before long; yeah, Gia the busy-body, would certainly tell her husband’s cousin.

  After spending an hour with them, he’d gone home where he’d made a special effort preparing for the evening. He showered, carefully shaved and dressed in smart black trousers and a pale grey shirt. He took some time to catch up with some friends from home telling them about Lucy. They laughed and told him that it wouldn’t have worried them; the fact that she was untouched, she’d wanted it so why not let the lady have what she wanted! He stood in front of the dressing table mirror. Shit, paying all this attention for a girl! He thought to himself.

  He drove to Lucy’s and pulled up outside. Waiting outside, he sounded his horn for a second time before glancing at his watch. Breathing deeply his mouth drew into a tight line. She was late! Looking at the clock in the Range Rover, checking that the time was right, he started to grow impatient as the digital figures clicked over to 8.15. One thing he could not abide was tardiness. This was something he’d need to discuss with her if she was going to be late getting to the office in the mornings, the arrangement wouldn’t work. It would drive him mad.

  Starting to feel as though he’d been stood up, he shuffled in his seat, cursing himself for letting a woman get under his skin. You stupid fool; you should have sent her away when you had the chance.

  Fucking hell, should he just leave? Looking at his watch and sounding the horn one more time he became increasingly restless and pulled his mobile from his trouser pocket. Scrolling down to James’ number, he was about to call him and ask if he fancied meeting for a drink when he heard his name being called. Turning, he caught sight of Lucy, looking flustered, as she skipped down the steps.

  As she came closer he watched her, the beautiful Lucy, her hair down, falling around her shoulders. She opened the car door and climbed in he focussed on her large blue eyes looking up at him.

  “You’re late!” He said firmly as she fastened her seat belt. “I don’t do late. I hope you won’t be late for work.” Turning away from her, not looking at her, he started to pull away from the kerb, leaving her looking shocked by his chastisement. Running her hands down the pale green flowing top she was wearing she tried to calm her nerves, feeling too shocked and taken back to answer him.

  Looking sideways he noticed the feminine top she wore over a pair of skinny white jeans. The softness of the fabric clung to her figure, emphasising her small breasts, the bell sleeves gave the garment a medieval look. He liked it. He liked ladies to be feminine.

  Drawing a deep breath and turning to towards him she said softly, “I’m sorry, I couldn’t get in the bathroom to get ready, my flat mates are all out tonight too,” she mumbled. “I’m really sorry, and no I won’t be late for work because I’m always out before them, they’re students.”

  He huffed, disregarding her excuses and looked towards her. “I’m taking a chance on you Lucy. You know that normally I would have gone through with the interview process and let Isabella choose someone for me. Don’t let me down and please don’t be late again!” he frowned.

  She glared at him, huffing. “I’ve said I’m sorry, I’ve even given you a bloody reason why I was late—get over it!” She snapped, standing up for herself. “Now is this evening on or off. Because if it’s off, let me know so that I can get out now and join my friends!” Her voice slightly raised, her body language telling him that here was a woman who would not be walked over. No, Lucy Wilson-Hawley stood up for herself!

  Benito was stunned at her response. Sitting back slightly, he turned towards her again and looked at the way she held herself. My God this woman was something else, how the hell did he manage to pick this one out? Not only had she offered herself to him last night, wanting him to be her first ever lover and now she was here, sitting in his car standing up to him. Benito Abelli, the man that almost everyone else bowed down to, well metaphorically speaking anyway! You really like her, don’t you? His subconscious told him.

  Pulling the car into a parking space, he shook his head as he slid out onto the street. Pushing the voice in his head away he walked around to Lucy’s side and offered his arm as she exited the car. She just stood there, looking at him, “Well!” she demanded.

  “Well what?”

  “What do you say, Mr High-and-mighty.”

  Shaking his head he was lost, she’d totally lost him, “About what?”

  “About having a go at me, I said I’m sorry and I told you what happened so you need to apologise for having a go at me!”

  Standing outside the restaurant he looked towards her, cocking an eyebrow, he studied her face, a beautifully symmetrical face, those clear blue eyes, the rosebud of a mouth, high cheek bones with just the faintest hint of blush and that gorgeous hair. Apologise Benito the little voice inside his head commanded. Who the hell was in his head telling him what to do? Shit, he was in a mess. She was killing him!

  After vowing never to have a steady woman in his life, he now felt totally out of control, sucked into her.

  “Sorry,” he mumbled, “can we eat now?”

  “Apology accepted and yes, I’m famished.” She laughed.

  Taking the arm that he offered, she placed her delicate hand on his forearm as she had done when they’d walked around Covent Garden, allowing him to lead the way into the restaurant.

  The place was already busy with only a few
tables free. They were offered a table in the window which he was grateful for; he didn’t want to be secluded with this woman who seemed to have some kind of mind-control over him. How the hell was he going to cope when he was working with her? Shit, what the hell have you done? The little voice resounded in his head. She really is killing you, ha ha!

  Glancing at the wine list, he ordered a bottle of Valpolicella before studying through the menu. He really should get to know more about her, especially now that he’d effectively hired her as his P.A.

  Once they’d ordered their food, both choosing the filet mignon, Lucy opting for a salad accompaniment whilst Benito chose steak cut chips, he watched her. Turning the stem of his wine glass he asked, “So, Lucy, tell me a little bit more about yourself.” Lifting the glass to his lips he watched her as she studied him, formulating her answer. She looked at the dark, dark eyes set under perfectly arched brows, square, masculine chin cleanly shaven and a broad mouth with full lips, the perfect bow. Every time she looked at him she saw something different, saw something new that attracted her more to him.

  “What do you want to know?”

  “Everything.” His deep voice rumbled, his tone demanding as he half smiled, his body language, whilst relaxed as he sat back in his chair, his fingers running along the edge of the table, he studied her.

  Leaning forward, Lucy whispered, just loud enough for him to hear. “Really, well you must surely know that keeping hold of my virginity was the biggest mistake of my life. It’s just a big turn off now, isn’t it?” Sitting back she sighed, “You sent me away.” She added, looking down at her lap, her hands wringing together.

  Benito looked at her before gazing around the restaurant at the other diners and then up to the ceiling. Shaking his head, he puffed his cheeks out before blowing out and extending his hand over the table.

  “Lucy, give me your hand, please.” He looked seriously at her, willing her to comply.

  Holding her forehead in her hand, she closed her eyes for a second, feeling awkward at the conversation that was taking place, this discussing her virginity with an amazing looking guy.

  Slowly lifting her delicate hand from below the table she placed it in his, her fine fingers sitting easily in his larger hands.

  “Lucy, what you kept is precious, don’t think badly of yourself. It’s a gift, something so special for you and for the man you choose to give it to, not for a quick fling.” As he said the words, he stunned himself. It was as if he was opening his mouth and someone else’s words were coming out. Of course, he hoped that she’d give it to him, desperately.

  Smiling, she looked at him and, after taking another large drink of her wine on an empty stomach, she was fuelled with Dutch courage, randomly blurting out. “My new boss is great, he’s so good looking…” gasping at her own statement, her eyes widened, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that.” She looked down at her lap again, half laughing, he cheeks flushing, “I’m so sorry.”

  The awkward moment passed as she recounted her childhood memories, growing up with an older brother, he was the same age as Benito. Some of the things they got up to together, Michael, or Mikey as she called him, always blaming his younger sister for the trouble they got into, her father never believing him, of course. She told Benito that, in her father’s eyes, she could do no wrong.

  As he sat watching her articulating her conversation with her hands, his thoughts drifted. He’d always said that he would not fall into the same trap as his father, giving his life and soul to Sophia and then making that vow, the promise never to love again. Maybe he was changing; he was deeply attracted to pure, innocent Lucy.

  He watched her as she spoke, telling him about her mum and how they got on so much better now that she’d left home. He smiled as she laughed at her own comments about her father. He learnt, or assumed, that she must have a strong bond with her dad, smiling as she spoke about him. Her face hardened a little as she spoke about her workplace. Somehow, he felt, that she went to work out of necessity and certainly not because she liked it.

  Mesmerised by her life story, he just sat staring at her continuing to turn the stem of his wine glass as he listened intently.

  “So you’ve stayed pretty local all of your life?” he asked

  “Yep,” she giggled, “I’ve not ventured too far.”

  “And you think you’re going to like your new job, seriously?” Benito asked as their meals arrived.

  “Oh yes, definitely, I think that I’ll love it. Working for such a kind man helps.” She looked up from her steak and salad, smiling at him sweetly.

  Grinning, and shaking his head, he half laughed at her, “I’m pleased, I really am.”

  “We are a team, aren’t we? You and me and the new office staff,” she asked, cutting into the butter soft steak.

  “Yes. But just remember when you work for me, you’re my personal assistant and the office manager. You’ll be passing the work onto them. There will be some work that I don’t want them knowing about, some that only you will know. That doesn’t worry you, does it?”

  He watched as she laid her knife and fork on her plate, thinking before she answered, “I don’t think so.”

  They ate in relative silence, exchanging glances and smiles.

  He shrugged as he cleared his plate, looking at the amount of food she’d left, “Seriously Lucy, there are some things I don’t want everyone knowing, ever. How much the business is worth, how much we charge. I don’t want them knowing the names of some of our clients. In Italy they come to us because we’re discrete—we don’t publicise the names of the people we work for. Then there are the surveillance jobs that we do, things that I really wouldn’t want being made public. I will have to ask you to sign a confidentiality agreement.”

  Shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly she smiled, “That’s okay,” she watched him longingly again, focussing on his beautiful mouth and his broad chest. Of course, she knew exactly what lay beneath and still, even after last night, wanted him to be her first— something she’d really have to work on.

  Once he’d paid the bill, following an argument regarding Lucy’s offer to pay half, they left the restaurant. “Would you like to go to a bar?” he asked as she slid her hand into his arm.

  “I’d love to,” she held on tightly as they walked, “there’s a wine bar down here.” She pointed in the direction of a bar that she regularly visited. Feeling so very relaxed in his company, kicking her feet along as they strolled down the street, “this is lovely,” she mused.

  Placing his hand on top of hers, as it rested in the crook of his elbow, he turned towards her. “What is?”

  Shrugging her shoulders slightly, she turned towards him, “Just this, just walking along on someone’s arm.”

  “So, what would you normally do on an evening out?” Benito asked as they walked past a particularly noisy group of young people walking towards them, his arm unhooking itself from hers and slipped around her waist, holding her protectively.

  She shrugged, “Sometimes I stay in with a bottle of wine—just me or with my friends, not the girls I live with, they’re not really friends, just flat mates. Other times, I go out with my friends from work, but Henry’s was a real treat, it’s so expensive. But I got to meet you.” She laughed.

  “Hmm, shall we go in here?” he stopped walking outside a champagne bar.

  Lucy stopped abruptly, looking at the expensive bar, the times she’d longed to go in but it was way out her league, much too expensive, her budget struggling to stretch to a night at Henry’s let alone here. “This isn’t the one I was thinking of,” she muttered, “but if you want to?”

  Nodding his head towards the door, “I think it looks good, come on.”

  Feeling insecure about going into the high-end bar, Lucy looked down at her white jeans. “I’m not dressed for here!” she turned towards him, frowning. “I can’t go in here, not in jeans!”

  “Who cares what you’re wearing,” Benito snapped, “and anyway you look great
. Come on.” Taking her arm firmly he guided her through the door and into the bar area where they perched on a couple of stools. Surrounded by wealthy stock broker types, Lucy felt immediately out of place and intimidated. The women all dressed in the latest designer gear and her, in her regular skinny jeans and a top that was as old as the hills.

  “Smile,” Benito touched her knee gently feeling an overwhelming urge to hug her to reassure her that she looked absolutely fine. Shit, what are you doing—are you falling for her? What about your promise to yourself?

  Raising her head slightly, the rosebud mouth pulled into a slight smile, the bright blue eyes with just a glint of a sparkle in the ambient lighting, she blushed.

  “That’s better tesoro,” he whispered, grinning back.

  “What does that mean?” Lucy turned towards him, running her fingers across the back of his hand as he rested his arm on the bar.

  “It means darling, or treasure,” he watched her. God, she was gorgeous. The soft lighting of the bar emphasising her gentle, kind looking face and her pale blush cheeks, he was really falling for her, wasn’t he? The way he felt inside, like he was out of control, a feeling he didn’t like—Benito Abelli was always in control. Benito Abelli nearly always got what he wanted—last night was the first time in a long while that he hadn’t bedded the woman he’d chosen!

  Ordering her a glass of champagne and an orange juice for himself, he raised his glass to her. “Here’s to your new job Miss Wilson-Hawley.” They clinked their glasses as Lucy sipped at the silky smoothness, the fine bubbles bouncing on her tongue. “This is lovely,” she licked her lips, Benito watched longingly as the pale pink tongue ran over her lips.

  She was so very innocent in every way, what he would give to be her teacher, to show her how things should be done, to introduce her to everything that a fulfilled woman should enjoy, at the hands of a highly experienced man.

  He wanted her so very badly, his mind was a mess. What he didn’t want, he thought, was the long-term commitment that Lucy would be. He would never ever take her innocence and leave her. That would be unforgivable and leave him a no better man that the bastard who did the same thing to his sister.