‘I intend to be very fair,’ Rocco said quietly. ‘I’ve made sure that the redundancy packages are generous and there will be roles to fill when the offices are functioning. The pay will be much better than they could hope to earn working for the store. I’ll be laying out the details of the deals in the new year but I hope to put minds to rest by assuring everyone that they will be treated fairly.’
‘You could stay for a while and let everyone enjoy their last Christmas here. We haven’t even put up the usual tree in the foyer.’
‘Yes, the Christmas tradition.’ He flushed. ‘You know how I feel about Christmas.’
‘But this isn’tyourChristmas. This is the final Christmas spent here, at the store, and it should belong to everyone in the town before it disappears for ever.’
‘I hear what you’re saying, Ella.’
‘You’ll stay for at least a few days, be a presence here to stop jitters and ensure that everyone can leave this wonderful place with feelings of goodwill and optimism for what lies ahead?’
‘It’s good to see you,’ Rocco murmured.
He smiled a slow, lazy smile, amused at the passion on her face, knowing that meeting her again had only reawakened his libido, which had been dormant since he had left this slice of unreality behind. She was just as he remembered: outspoken and tough to impress. Even now, knowing he was a billionaire, she hadn’t wanted to hop into bed with him, hadn’t been tempted by his money.
He’d stay. Would he be able to persuade her back into a relationship or had he blown it for good because he hadn’t told her who he was? He could understand that but, even so, when cold common sense told him there was no reason to remain here, that hewasbeing incredibly generous in his final package, he wanted to stay.
Just entering the department store earlier that morning, just returning to this part of the world, Rocco had suddenly felt…different. He’d returned to the life he’d left behind. Two weeks had changed him in ways he couldn’t figure out; it had made him curious, and he didn’t understand why because he’d always known just how dangerous curiosity could be. His uncle had been curious about all the wrong things, and look where that had got him.
But the feeling when he’d returned… Yes, he’d stay.
‘You’re really not tempted to pick up where we left off now that you’ve found out who I am?’
‘I prefer the straightforward guy who could only afford to rent a small cottage.’
‘I might have billions, Ella, but I’m still the same guy who knew how much you’d like it there.’
He liked the thought of her not wanting him because of his money. He played with the idea of her softening, coming to him, walking back into his arms. He thought of a different relationship with everything out in the open, although still one that would never amount to anything more than a fling, even if the fling lasted longer.
His thoughts on marriage didn’t involve the sort of love she would expect, nor was she a woman from the elevated background that would prepare her for the life she would have to lead as his wife. Control would be the very essence of his future, the sort of control that was counter-intuitive to who she was. That didn’t mean that there wasn’t this sizzle of chemistry between them. He looked at her with brooding interest, trying to prise beneath the surface to where her thoughts were hidden.
‘There’s something I think you need to know, Rocco.’ Ella could feel him trying to get inside her head. He’d asked whether she was tempted by his money. He couldn’t begin to understand just how much of a turn-off it was because the man who was the billionaire wasn’t the man who’d listened to her, laughed with her and heard all her confidences.Hewas who she’d given her heart to and that guy hadn’t been bolstered by money.
‘I don’t know how to tell you this, but I’ll start by saying that I did my best to find you. I had no idea that you hadn’t wanted to be found.’ Her heart picked up pace and began to beat like a sledgehammer against her ribcage.
‘We agreed that what we had wouldn’t last for ever,’ Rocco murmured. ‘You told me that I brought out an adventurous side to you and… I’ll admit that being someone else brought out something in me as well. I’m honest enough to admit that. I relaxed in a way I haven’t done before, but I always knew that the end would come, which was why I walked away. And I meant to keep walking until…’ he grimaced ‘…until I found that something inside me wouldn’t let me carry on. I’m not saying anything I haven’t already told you.’
‘You hurt me.’ She hated that admission but, even now and even in these circumstances, it was just too raw to keep to herself.
‘I never meant to do that. Please believe me… I was born into responsibility. My family… I’ve been primed to take over vast business concerns. I could spend time explaining what that means in terms of my personal relationships but, in essence, the life you want and deserve would never be one I could give you.’
‘I’m glad you said that.’
‘Come again?’
‘I’m glad you said that because you’ll know, from the start, that I don’t want anything from you when I tell you that I’m pregnant.’
Chapter Five
The silence was deafening.
‘Did you hear what I just said? Rocco, I’m pregnant. That’s why I tried to find you after you walked away. It wasn’t because I wanted to hunt you down so that I could try and revive anything.’
Restless, and fighting another surge of anger when she thought about how she’d been played, Ella pushed herself off the sofa and walked jerkily to the sideboard to pour herself a glass of water. Then she turned round and remained where she was, staring at him, eyes narrowed with hostility.
‘You ask me whether I would consider re-starting where we left off now that I know how much money you have. Is that really the person you think I am? I… The man I went to bed with wasn’tyou. The man I ended up caring about isn’t the person standing in front of me asking whether I’d consider sleeping with him because he’s rich!’
‘Slow down, Ella. Rewind!’
