New Arrivals: One Secret Child: Mistress, Mother...Wife? / Wealthy Australian, Secret Son / Her Prince's Secret Son

So she hadn’t been able to sleep last night? Dante reflected with satisfaction, ignoring her outburst. His glance swept helplessly over her delicate, now flushed features. Well, neither had he. Learning only a few short hours ago that he was the father of the most engaging and beautiful child he’d ever seen had never been going to help him get the best night’s rest known to man. Neither was the fact that Anna had seemed far from keen on the idea of marrying him. As in the past, rejection was like a scythe, slicing open his heart. But Dante had already decided she could refuse him all she liked—because in the end he was determined to have his way. As far as his daughter was concerned he would use any means possible to ensure she had the upbringing and the future she deserved. But right now he needed to deal with what was in front of him—his promise and commitment to the Mirabelle, to turn the business around and have it flourishing again. Already his mind was buzzing with ideas for changes and improvements. And he would begin as he usually began when he went into a business to update it and improve its profitability—he would interview the staff.

‘Can I pour you some coffee? ‘ Reaching for the newly filled cafetière, Dante glanced expectantly at Anna as she sat down on the other side of his desk.

‘No, thank you.’ Her sherry-brown gaze briefly acknowledged him then quickly moved away again.

Irritation and disappointment threatened his effort to be as good-humoured and fair as possible. Was she still brooding about him ticking her off earlier? As much as his pride wanted to cajole her into viewing him more favourably, right now this interview needed to get underway as well as remain professional, and Dante knew a battle of wills wouldn’t help. Their personal issues would have to wait until later tonight.

‘Fine…Good. We’ll make a start, then, shall we?’

‘As you wish.’

‘For goodness’ sake, you don’t have to sit there like you’re about to climb the steps up to the guillotine! All I’m doing is interviewing you about your job.’ Tunnelling his fingers through his hair, Dante knew his breath was slightly ragged as he fought to regain control of his temper. What was it about this woman that always inflamed him? Whether it was lustful desire or a burst of bad temper she always seemed to inspire some kind of volatile reaction.

‘Am I going to keep my job, or are you planning to replace me with someone else in your clean sweep?’

‘What?’ His dark blond brows drew together in puzzlement. Anna was slumped back in her chair, and the fear in her eyes was suddenly clear as daylight to Dante.

‘I mean, in your drive to improve things, is my job under threat?’

A flash of memory of that night they’d met came back to Dante, and he recalled her telling him that she’d lost her previous job to a ‘ruthless takeover’.

‘I’m only interviewing you to find out what your responsibilities and duties are, and if you enjoy your work. I have no plans to replace or fire anyone right now, so your job is quite safe.’

‘Oh…’ Her sigh was relieved. Her restless hand lifted to play with the tiny heart-shaped crystal on the end of a slim gold chain she wore round her neck. Had an admirer bought her that?

His equilibrium coming under disagreeable fire yet again, Dante leaned forward to level his gaze. ‘Now that we’ve got that out of the way, perhaps you could give me a rundown of your duties?’

‘I will… Only…’

‘What?’

‘I’m worried that because you’re clearly angry with me about Tia you might deliberately find something wrong about the way I do my job so—so that you can get back at me in some way.’

‘What?’ Stunned, Dante widened his blue-grey eyes. ‘Do you really think I’d resort to the kind of tactics that would jeopardise my daughter’s well-being? Think about it. If I tried to punish you in some way, would it not have repercussions for her too? I’d hardly allow that.’

‘You see? That’s where our sticking point is. I don’t know you well enough to know what you might be capable of.’ Her slender shoulders lifted in a shrug. ‘All I know is that it’s been a confusing and worrying time, what with the threat of Anita and Grant possibly having to sell up and leave, and then—and then out of the blue you show up, and I learn that you’re the man who’s looking to invest in the hotel and will become the new senior partner. More importantly, I then have to break the news to you that Tia is your daughter. I had no idea how you’d react. We only spent a night together. You might feel utterly compromised and furious. Or you might.’ Her voice faltered a little. ‘You might want to try and take her away from me. Can you wonder why I couldn’t sleep last night?’

Dante pushed to his feet, because the restlessness and annoyance that deluged him wouldn’t allow him to remain sitting.

‘Why would I want to try and take her away from you? Don’t you think—to use an English expression—that would be rather like shooting myself in the foot? I can see that she adores you, and you her. From what I’ve seen you’ve done an admirable job of raising her by yourself. But I’m sticking by my original conviction that she needs her father in her life too. She needs two parents…which is why I said we should marry.’

‘Why would you want to tie yourself to a woman you knew for just one night?’ Anna’s voice was slightly husky as she asked this, and a tiny perplexed crease puckered her brow.

‘Because that one night resulted in a child…a child I didn’t even know about until yesterday!’ He drove his hands into his trouser pockets as he moved away from the desk, briefly presenting her with his back.

Was the impression he’d left her with so poor that she hadn’t considered even for a moment trying to contact him? It didn’t make Dante feel very good or wanted. It just made him mad. Briefly thinking of his father and his ex, he wondered what rare quality he had that made it so easy for people to walk away from him. And to make them think he wouldn’t be concerned about his own flesh and blood.

‘Dante?’

Garnering his composure, he turned back to face the striking redhead on the other side of the desk.

‘What is it?’

‘I didn’t tell you before because I didn’t quite know how to put it, but I did initially try to contact you when I found out I was pregnant. I did find out your name, and I even looked you up on the internet.’

‘And?’ Dante interjected impatiently, his heart thudding.

‘Your reputation was quite—quite intimidating. To be perfectly honest, it worried me. I didn’t even know if you’d remember me, let alone believe me when I told you I was pregnant. Anyway…’ Glancing away, Anna heaved a sigh. ‘I decided perhaps it was best after all if I didn’t contact you. But some months after Tia was born the conviction that you had a right to know about her took hold of me again. For days I followed every lead I could to try and track you down, but it was as though you’d disappeared. Of course now I realise that it was because you’d changed your name. I went back to believing that maybe it had never been on the cards that we should meet again. In any case, for all I knew you could have married and had children with someone else. And besides…that night we were together you did tell me it was a one-time-only thing and that I had to accept that…remember?’

Dante remembered. He sombrely reflected on how he’d regretted that over the years. There had been many lonely nights when he would have been thrilled to have Anna in his arms again. But, to be brutal, at the time all he could have offered her was sex. Not even companionship had been an option. Not after his mother’s death. He’d been in too dark a place to take anyone there with him. But it still hit him hard that because of his ruthless reputation Anna had been frightened of trying to make contact. And later, when she’d wanted to try and find him again, he had changed his name back to Dante Romano. He could no longer blame her for anything. Everything that had happened was his fault.

‘We cannot turn back the clock. That is beyond even my power, ruthless reputation or no.’ His lips twisted ruefully. ‘What has happened in the past has happened, and all we can do now is face what’s in front of us today. Besides…our personal issues probably shouldn’t be discussed in work time. We’ll talk tonight, as previously agreed. Right now I have an interview to conduct.’

He sat down again, automatically switching his brain to work mode. He’d turned that ability into a fine art over the years whenever emotions had threatened to swamp him. The woman sitting opposite him was silent.

‘Anna? ‘

For a moment she seemed troubled. But then the corners of her pretty mouth curved into a smile.

‘You mean you’re not going to call me Miss Bailey any more? ‘ she teased.

The look on her face was somewhere between angel and imp, and Dante all but groaned—because it was as though someone had shot a flame-tipped arrow straight into his loins. A charged memory of her whispering softly into his ear and moving over his body, erotically sliding her mouth over his as her long hair, carrying its scent of oranges and patchouli, drifted against him surfaced powerfully.

‘When we’re working together, and in the company of our colleagues, I may from time to time call you Miss Bailey. When we’re alone.’ his voice lowered meaningfully ‘.I’ll call you Anna.’

‘Right.’ Beneath her flawlessly satin skin, a soft pink bloomed like a summer rose.

Gratified that he still had the power to discomfit her, Dante couldn’t help the smile that escaped him.

‘We’ll carry on then…yes? ‘

‘Yes, all right.’ She straightened her back, but her expression seemed transfixed and he had to prompt her again.

‘Anna? ‘

She patted down her hair.

‘Sorry. To answer your question—my first responsibility is to the manager…to help support him in fulfilling the hotel’s promise of delivering an impeccable service to the customer.’

‘And how do you and Mr Cathcart get on? Do you communicate well? Are there any problems there, for instance?’

‘There aren’t any problems. Jason—Mr Cathcart and I have always got on. He’s kind and fair… just like his parents.’

‘So you like him?’

‘Yes, I like him. We work very well together.’

‘Good…that’s good to hear.’