‘What are you saying?’
Nicolò pulled himself up to his full height and looked his son in the eye. ‘It’s very simple – you either support this whole family, or you get out. There’s the door. Make your choice.’
‘This is amazing,’ Brad Redford grinned. ‘This is fantastic.’
‘Is it?’ Gina said uncertainly, looking from Brad to Marco and back again.
‘Yes! You couldn’t buy publicity like this.’ Brad snatched up a paper and began to read: ‘“Brad Redford, who is in Venice to shoot his upcoming movie High Voltage 3: Electric Angel, the third film in the multimillion-dollar franchise, which is expected to be released early next year …” I mean, this is gold dust.’
‘What about Lexi?’ Issy cut in. ‘Won’t she have the press camped outside her door this morning, asking her how she feels about her husband’s affair with La Leonessa?’
‘I’ve already spoken to her, and she’s cool with it. I mean, anyone with one eyeball can see that’s not actually me. I’m pretty sure the press knows it too. But it’s a great story, right? And imagine how wild the headlines will be when the news breaks that Lucia’s actually going to be in the movie. Lucia wins, I win, and the movie wins too.’
‘I don’t win,’ Marco said quietly.
Gina glanced across at him, hearing something in his tone. He was clearly unhappy with the situation.
Brad looked at Marco, suddenly realizing something was wrong. ‘What’s that?’
‘It’s embarrassing for me. My family and friends all recognized me in that photo, and God knows what they think. I went along with the dinner as a favour, and I was assured it would be somewhere quiet and discreet. Now my picture has been beamed all over the world. I’ve spent the morning trying to explain the situation to my eight-year-old daughter.’
Gina hated that she’d been complicit in Lucia’s plans. She’d done it to save her own skin, and in the process she had completely thrown Marco under the bus.
‘It’s me who should be sorry,’ Brad chimed in. ‘I encouraged Gina to arrange the dinner, and I never considered … I’m sorry, man, I didn’t think …’
‘I don’t want Lucia de Santis to get the wrong impression,’ Marco said firmly. ‘She’s a very … determined woman.’
‘I hear you,’ Brad nodded, looking chastened. ‘Look, why don’t I make it up to you all. It’s my day off tomorrow – let’s do something cool. I’ll take you all out somewhere. We can arrange something, right, Issy?’
‘Whatever you want,’ Issy agreed.
‘Bring Daniela, and Edoardo, too,’ Brad insisted. ‘And Gina, can you make it?’
Marco was looking at her intently, waiting for her answer.
‘I’m not sure – I have a lot on. Let me check and get back to you.’
‘Sure, I understand,’ Brad said easily. ‘Marco?’
‘Yeah, why not,’ he shrugged, then checked his watch. ‘I need to get ready for this evening’s shoot, so I’ll see you tomorrow.’
‘Great, Issy will be in touch with the details.’
‘I’ll walk out with you,’ Gina said. ‘See you later, guys.’
Gina and Marco left the suite together and walked down the corridor to the lift. Gina was all too aware of his bulk beside her, the fresh soapy scent of his skin, and the traces of musky aftershave. A sharp stab of desire rippled through her, but she pushed it away, determined to stay in control of her emotions. Instead, she said, ‘How’s Daniela now?’
‘She’s fine, thank you for asking. It was a twenty-four-hour bug, I guess. I’ll bring her tomorrow. I hope you can come – she hasn’t stopped talking about you.’
‘I’d like to see her too,’ Gina replied, his words echoing through her head. I hope you can come. Was that for Daniela’s sake, or for his own?
As they stepped into the lift, Gina was unbearably aware of their proximity, a thousand thoughts rushing through her head of what the two of them could do, alone and in a confined space together. Then Marco’s deep, gravelly voice interrupted her daydreams.
‘I haven’t forgotten that you owe me dinner.’
Gina hesitated. Neither have I. She’d been thinking about Marco – thinking about him nonstop, if she was honest with herself. The chemistry between them was undeniable, but she couldn’t get involved with a married man. She would see him in a work setting and behave entirely professionally, but she couldn’t allow herself to be alone with him again. There was too much at stake.
As the lift reached the bottom floor and the doors opened, they were surrounded by the buzz and noise of people in the lobby. She felt safe again, able to keep him at a distance. ‘I’m probably too busy for dinner. Sorry, Marco.’
Gina strode off towards her office without looking back, not wanting to see the expression on his face.
She had done the right thing, Gina assured herself. So why did she feel as though she’d made a huge mistake?
Chapter 23
The island of Murano, famed for centuries for its glass-making, was a short boat ride north of Venice. It was less grand than Venice, but it was certainly charming – quaint and colourful, with brightly coloured houses lining the canals. On a sunny February day, its understated beauty would almost be a relief from the headiness of Venice during Carnevale.
Issy had asked for her advice in planning the trip, and Gina had been happy to take the reins from her – it was the kind of trip she’d organized hundreds of times before. Her extensive book of contacts came in useful, but this time there were a few extra-special touches to impress Brad and, she admitted to herself, Marco too.
The day was to start with a private transfer from the White Palace in a sleek wooden speedboat, and then the party would follow Gina’s itinerary, which mixed leisurely exploration with organized events. In the morning, she’d made sure the group would be free to look around the island at their own pace. She imagined meandering by the canals, getting lost amidst the painted houses and magnificent churches, crossing the bridges that connected the seven islands that made up Murano. She was sure that Marco would have seen some of this before, but never as intimately as she’d planned.
Gina, snap out of it.
She had to keep reminding herself that she was doing this for her guests, for the White Palace, and not because she got any sort of kick out of it, or that she wanted to see Marco.
At lunchtime, they would visit the house of world-renowned chef Giorgio Bartolini, who owned a Michelin-star restaurant in Cannaregio. He had agreed to cook a tasting menu for them at his own home on Murano. She smiled to herself. His cooking would blow their minds – his ‘lobster three ways’ was world-famous.
Then, in the afternoon, Gina had arranged a private tour of the oldest glass factory on the island, established in the thirteenth century. The guests would even have a chance to try it themselves, and Gina had a feeling that Brad would love it. He had an almost childlike curiosity about the world, which was part of what made him so charming – he was genuinely interested in everything and everyone.
Gina stood on the jetty, waiting for her guests, and couldn’t help breaking into a wide grin as Daniela raced towards her, her long hair streaming out behind her, before throwing herself at Gina in a hug. Marco followed in her wake, while Daniela went to look at the launch.
Gina was also helpless to stop the excited churn of her stomach as Marco greeted her with a slow grin. He looked relaxed in light chinos and a cosy parka that emphasized his broad, muscular frame. Gina couldn’t help the crazy feeling that he held her gaze for just a little too long, and that there was a special something in his smile that was just for her.
Focus on work!
‘So, Gina, we get to spend the whole day together?’
‘Strictly business, Marco.’
‘Ah that’s true, but you can’t back out on this like you have with our dinner?’ He raised his eyebrows laconically.
‘Dinner?’
Gina hadn’t realized that Edoardo had slipped up behind his brother-in-law, and was looking from one to the other of them with a dark expression.
Marco turned around. ‘Something wrong, Edoardo?’
Gina thought Edoardo looked as if he was trying not to explode. ‘There isn’t a single thing that you won’t try and muscle in on, Marco, is there? Isn’t the entire company and my family enough for you?’
