Читать книгу The By Request Collection - Kate Hardy - Страница 98
ОглавлениеTHIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING.
It must be some sort of nightmare.
Zoe seriously considered pinching herself, but before she could put her thought into action, she heard footsteps behind her. Her pencil paused over the rough sketch she’d been making of the ballroom with notes for a tentative design.
She didn’t even have to turn around to know who was behind her. It was Demetrius. What did he want now? The sure, steady steps of his dress shoes clicked over the marble floor, growing louder as he grew nearer. The footsteps stopped. He cleared his throat as though to gain her attention. Her entire body tensed.
The truth of the matter was that she owed him an explanation. It was long overdue. But this was not the time nor the place for this reunion. She didn’t even know what to say to him. “Sorry” just wasn’t enough. Regardless, there was no chance of ignoring him.
She leveled her shoulders and turned. “Did you need something, Your Highness?”
“You can stop with the ‘Highness’ bit, we’re alone.”
Zoe’s gaze darted around the room, just to be sure. She took a calming breath. “I honestly didn’t expect to find you here.”
“Obviously. Your start date isn’t until tomorrow. What are you doing here early?”
The easiest solution would be for her to hand in her resignation here and now. The words teetered on the tip of her tongue. But the artistic part of her didn’t want to walk away from this amazing opportunity. This mansion was steeped in Old World charm and beauty. However, her feet were poised to run from the one man in this world who could make her heart flutter with excitement with just one dark, mysterious gaze.
Fight or flight? Fight or flight?
Her spine stiffened and her chin lifted. “I wanted to be prepared for tomorrow when I meet with Mr. Belmonte.”
“Your meeting isn’t with him.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that your meeting is with me. I requested you for this job.”
Zoe’s stomach lurched. None of this made any sense. Why would he hire her with their messy history?
“By the time this job is completed, this mansion is going to be restored to its former glory. It’ll start outside with the sweeping steps and the large, white columns and continue inside with its vintage style. In this section, I want people to forget that it’s a care home and instead feel as though they’ve been transported to a tranquil place. Do you think you can deliver something like that?”
She glanced around at the peeling paint and the chipped plaster. The mansion had been downright neglected. It was hard to imagine the building being transformed into one of beauty. But she knew that it could be done.
“Of course I can do it.” Her unwavering gaze met his. “But you knew that or you wouldn’t have hired me.”
“True enough.”
“What are you really up to? And don’t tell me that you hired me out of the goodness of your heart. I won’t believe you.”
Demetrius’s dark brows rose. “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you just implied that I’m heartless.”
“I don’t want to play word games with you.” She took a second to pull herself together, because it felt as though her world had just slipped off its axis. “What are you up to?”
“I would think that is obvious. This is a royal project and I am overseeing it from start to finish.”
“Not that. I want to know why you hired me of all people.”
“Does it matter?”
“It does.” There was something more—something he wasn’t saying.
The man standing before her wasn’t the same man she’d married—the man who’d swept her off her feet was sweet and fun. His biggest worry back then had been wondering what he’d do for entertainment the next day. She didn’t understand how someone in his position could have lived his life so carefree, but obviously it’d all caught up with him. Because this man with his lips pressed together into an uncompromising line while staring directly at her meant business—of that she was certain.
He crossed his muscular arms. “Perhaps hiring you was a mistake—”
“No—” She bit back her next words but it was too late. Demetrius’s brows lifted at her sudden outburst. “I mean, we have an agreement. Or at least I do with Mr. Belmonte.”
“Agreements are made to be broken.”
“But it’s in writing.”
“And you didn’t think that I would leave myself a loophole—a way out if the need arose?”
Who is this man? And what had happened to the laid-back Demetrius?
Her gut told her to get out now. That she was getting in far too deep with a man who still had a hold on her heart. But what kind of daughter would that make her? This was her chance to make the remainder of her mother’s life better.
And to complicate matters further, she had no job to return to. She’d already resigned from her position as interior designer for the island’s most prominent and discriminating furniture store. And most important, this job paid well—well enough to pay her mother’s bills.
Zoe was stuck.
“You still haven’t answered my question. Why did you hire me?” She watched him carefully, not sure what sort of reaction to expect.
“I wanted the best for this job. And you are the best on the island.”
Was he serious? He thought she was the best? A warmth swirled in her chest and rose to warm her cheeks. Their gazes connected and held. Her heart thudded harder, faster. She refused to acknowledge that his words meant anything to her. She was over him. Past him.
“So you just expect us to work together like...like nothing ever happened?”
* * *
A loud bang echoed through the expansive ballroom.
Demetrius’s body tensed.
“What was that?” Zoe whispered.
He didn’t know but he certainly intended to find out. He peered around the various drop cloths, plaster buckets and scaffolding. “Who’s there?”
A movement caught his attention. Across the room, a worker in a yellow hard hat straightened from where he’d dropped a load of lumber. He glanced their way. “Hey, you aren’t supposed to be in here. This is a designated hard hat area.”
Demetrius nodded his understanding. “We were just leaving.”
“See that you do. I don’t want to have to throw you out.” The man turned and walked away.
Obviously the man hadn’t recognized him with the shadows and the distance. That was all right with Demetrius. Sometimes he got tired of being the prince, of posing for pictures and answering questions. Sometimes he just wanted to be plain old Demetrius. He’d been able to pull that off not so long ago when he was partying and showing up in places most inappropriate for royalty. But those times were over and not to be repeated.
Zoe laughed. The sound startled him. It’d been so long since he’d seen her happy. In the beginning, their relationship had been an easy and relaxed one. He missed those times. He hadn’t relaxed like that since—
No. He wasn’t going down memory lane. That was then. This is now.
Everything had changed over the past year. He refused to be swayed by the way the gold specks in her eyes twinkled when she smiled or how her cheeks filled with color when she was paid a compliment. He was immune to it all.
Zoe turned her attention back to him. “I guess he didn’t realize who he was threatening to toss out of here.”
“The man was just doing his job and making sure that no one is injured on his watch.”
“Then I guess we better hurry.” She turned and snapped a couple more pictures of the room with her phone. “I’ve already been given the dimensions of the rooms as well as the architectural drawings.” She glanced around again. “And now with these photos, I should be able to get started. We should get going before that man comes back.”
Demetrius stepped in front of her. “Not so fast. We need to establish guidelines for our working arrangement.”
“That’s easy. When I have some sketches, I’ll contact you.”
When she once again started around him, he reached out and grasped her wrist. “That won’t work. I want a more hands-on approach.”
She yanked her arm away and glared at him. “Surely you aren’t proposing to look over my shoulder?”
“That’s not how I would have worded it, but so be it.”
Zoe planted her hands on her hips. “I don’t work well under close supervision. I need room to do my research and then I start sketching and playing with colors. It isn’t going to be an overnight project. It will take me time.”
“I understand that. As long as you understand that you’ll need to keep your design plans a secret from everyone—even your family and friends. The big reveal will be the week of the Royal Christmas Ball. Large contributors will be invited to wow them into donating more funding for more renovations in the neighborhood. The following day, Ms. Russo will be airing another segment on her television show giving viewers before and after shots of the mansion.”
Zoe nodded her understanding. “Trust me. No one will see my designs. When I have something ready for you to see, we can meet in the village at the caffè house.”
“That’s impossible. My daily presence in the village, as well as the security detail, would be far too disruptive to businesses.”
A frown pulled at her beautiful face. “Fine. What do you suggest?”
Demetrius glanced over, noticing the workman had yet to return, but his gut told him the man would be back soon. They had to make this brief. “I think our best solution is to work at the palace.”
“The palace?” Zoe’s face noticeably paled.
“Offices have been set up there for the architect, the PR consultant and others. It will be very handy having all of the key people under one roof.”
“But I don’t have a car.”
He hadn’t thought of that, but if that was her only objection, he’d find a solution. “I’ll send my car for you.”
Her mouth opened, but then she closed it as though she’d run out of protests.
Good. Another problem solved. “Now that we have that straightened out, let’s get out of here before that guy comes back. I don’t relish the idea of facing him down.”
The worry lines smoothed on Zoe’s face. “You don’t have anything to worry about. I remember how you’d visit the gym each morning, not to mention your evening run along the beach. I’m guessing you still do both.”
“I do. When time allows.” Demetrius’s shoulders straightened. Had she just paid him a compliment? “Still, I prefer to keep a low-key presence.”
“Since when? You used to love to be the playboy and you didn’t care who photographed you.”
“Things certainly have changed since those days.”
She glanced away. “I guess they have.”
Everything had changed, apparently for both of them. And the more time he spent with her, the more he wondered about those dark smudges under her eyes that her makeup didn’t quite cover. Something was keeping her up at night. But what?
