The Italian's Blushing Gardener

chapter Eight



KIRA gazed after him, hardly able to believe what had happened. It was madness, she told herself over and over again. It didn’t make a shred of difference. All she could think about was the look in Stefano’s eyes as he left. His eyes had been dark and full of longing. The memory worked away at her, slowly chipping out a special place for him in her stony heart. Her ill-fated liaison with the lecturer who seduced her had never been anything like this. Hugh Taylor had lied and schemed to get her—and other women—into bed.

Stefano isn’t like that, she thought, and then told herself the only difference was his honesty. She had thought of him as Stefano the Seducer before she met him, and that may be true, but at least he was truthful about it. He was quite happy to be the man of her dreams, as long as she woke up afterwards. He never made any pretence at being in this for the long haul. He was out for what he could get, but on their first night together, so was she. Once he sated her desires, Kira delighted in what she could give him.

It had never been like that with Hugh. She had been so upset by the whole business she had abandoned her university course and turned away from academic life altogether. Making love with Stefano made her think and feel in totally new ways. This wasn’t some hole-in-the-corner affair. It was an awakening, and one she could dream of experiencing with him again.

She had total recall of every single second she spent with Stefano. It was all so special. She couldn’t stop smiling. It had felt so perfect…

Suddenly a shiver ran over her skin. Her smile vanished. The spectre of her past reached out a cold bony finger and tapped her on the shoulder. She had known Stefano for only a few hours, yet her feelings had a castiron certainty about them. It made her look deep into her heart. She had never felt this way about Hugh. Never. The firework of that brief infatuation with her tutor had been hot and dangerous, but it had never reached this pitch of perfection. She ached for Stefano with a longing that scared her. He was bound to be as faithless as Hugh. How could she risk her heart and peace of mind again?

The answer was simple.

Because it is Stefano, she told herself, and this time I’m the one in control of the relationship. I won’t sacrifice the most exciting job I’ve ever been offered because I’m afraid of pain. I’ll throw my heart and soul into my projects for him. That will satisfy us both, she thought.

When the maid arrived, she found Kira still sitting where Stefano had left her. She was gazing over the rooftops of Florence, lost in thought. Her conscience might be clear, but her eyes were clouded.





Stefano leaned back in his chauffeur-driven Mercedes and breathed a long sigh of contentment. He was still relishing the details of his night of pleasure with Kira. Soon he would be relaxing on Silver Island with the world’s most passionate woman. When they eventually returned to Italy, the Bella Terra villa would be ready for him to move in. Life did not get any better than this.

He felt his brow pleat at the thought of going back to the office. The contrast between these past carefree hours and the urban jungle could not have been more marked. A scowl was as necessary a part of his office uniform as a designer suit and a Rolex. All his working life Stefano had been perfecting that image. Now he had the kingdom to go with it. Everything should have been worthwhile, at last. Today, he had it all—or so everyone kept telling him.

The creases accentuated his dark, beautifully arched brows. Deep in thought, he braced himself for re-entry into the business world of concrete and cut-throats. That was his domain during the working day. Nothing was ever allowed to distract him from it.

Then a faint, feminine perfume drifted through his limousine. He looked around. He had no idea where the scent could be coming from, until inspiration struck. Turning up the lapel of his jacket, he sniffed it appreciatively. He had leaned so close to Kira when he kissed her awake, some of her delicious fragrance had attached itself to his clothes. It brought back all those soft, sweet memories of the night he had spent with his lady of the flowers.

For a split second his frown disappeared again, and he smiled.





Kira’s new project was the only thing that could stop her thinking about Stefano. Even that did not work for long. She was continually drawn back by the memory of his whispers through their one unforgettable night together. As she walked along the corridors of his big old town house, she let her thoughts dawdle deliciously over him and his body.

But the moment she crossed any threshold, work took first place again. Daydreams were put on hold until she had noted down a room’s aspects and angles of light. It was only as she left that she took a moment to look back and appreciate it. The whole building, every nook and cranny, was filled with faded splendour. All the modern art and electronic offices could not hide its beauty. Every passage was full of interest. The rooms were absorbing. She really relished the chance to choose plants to soften and beautify the balconies and public areas. Most of all she wanted to see Stefano’s pleasure—in her work, and in her.

As she was dreaming along an upper corridor, her mobile began to dance.

‘Stefano!’ To her shame, she almost dropped the phone.

‘I never thought one single word could be charged with so much guilt,’ he lilted. ‘Don’t say I caught you with your hand in a cookie jar?’

‘No…no, I was busy thinking about something, that’s all,’ she muttered, her voice indistinct with embarrassment. She had been thinking about him, naked, and spreadeagled across her bed. ‘You disturbed me when I was working,’ she countered more sharply, as she managed to bring herself back to reality. There was much more truth in her words than he could ever imagine!

‘I’m glad to hear you’re taking things so seriously. Clearly, this will be a really good relationship—a really good working relationship,’ he corrected himself carefully.


In spite of her misgivings, Kira blossomed under the warmth of his voice and his small slip-up. It felt as though she grew several inches. Not for the first time, she found that smiling was compulsory whenever Stefano was involved. She couldn’t help herself, especially when she heard what he said next.

‘Go home and throw a few things into a suitcase. A car will be round to collect you in a couple of hours’ time, and take you to the airport,’ he announced in a voice that made her tingle with anticipation. ‘I’m taking you to see phase two of your commission to landscape my properties.’





The next few hours passed by in a blur. Kira was whisked to the airport and straight onto Stefano’s private plane. He met her at the top of the steps and kissed her hand in greeting. She hesitated, not knowing how he wanted to play this reunion    . His lips still pressing against her fingers, he gazed at her. The look in his blue eyes was watchful rather than seductive.

‘Kira…’ He made her name sound so beautiful she blushed. ‘Welcome. In a few hours you’ll see an entirely new kind of paradise.’

He seemed to be waiting for her reaction, so he could fine-tune his own. Kira decided to play it cool, although the mere sight of him threatened to send her temperature off the scale. She looked around appreciatively. The jet was new and smelled of luxury. Inside, the spacious cabin was an extension of his elegant furnished suite in Florence. It was thickly carpeted, and softly upholstered with linens and silks.

‘Paradise? I think I’ve already arrived,’ she breathed, wide-eyed.





Their trip to Silver Island was smooth and fast. Anything Kira could possibly want was to hand. There was a selection of magazines, several shelves of contemporary and classic novels, but she took her lead from Stefano. After his watchful greeting, he turned to his work. Surrounded by papers, he was riveted to his computer screen. Kira was almost relieved. She had packed her laptop case with plenty of work, and cautiously picked a workstation on the other side of the aeroplane. It kept her within reach, while maintaining the privacy she usually guarded so fiercely.

Unfortunately, it no longer felt quite so natural to keep her distance from him. Many times during the flight she felt her eyes drawn across the cabin to where he sat. To glance at him openly was to run the risk he might start a conversation. Kira had no idea what she could to say to him, outside the subjects of bed and the plans for his properties. She wasn’t sure words would come easily on those subjects, either. With relief, she fell back on her plans for the Florence town house and its roof garden. Soon she was lost in her imagination, but it was still impossible to forget Stefano’s presence. Every few moments a strange feeling crept over her, as though she was being bathed in a warm glow. The first few times it happened, she glanced up at him. He was always hard at work. With a shrug, she would turn back to her work, puzzled. It was odd. She could practically feel his eyes on her, but each time she checked he was gazing impassively at his paperwork.

Finally, the pilot announced that Silver Island was coming into view over the starboard wing. Kira instantly looked out of the window. A scatter of green islands rose softly from a sea that was almost as tranquil as Stefano’s eyes.

‘Oh, I’ve never seen anything so lovely!’ she gasped.

‘I have,’ Stefano said quietly.

Kira looked over her shoulder, ready to make room for him if he joined her for a view from the window. He never moved. Instead, he sat back in his seat, watching her with a steady gaze.

‘And if you think that is beautiful,’ he murmured, ‘wait until you are framed by orchids, set against a tropical moon and a sky scattered with stars.’





They flew in to a private airstrip. Unlike the sun trap of the Bella Terra estate, this land was cooled by sea breezes. The atmosphere was as clear as crystal. As she stepped down from the plane Kira stretched her arms up to the sun and revelled in the sharp salty tang in the air.

‘This is wonderful,’ she breathed, but the dream was just beginning. A car swept up to take them to a nearby quay. There, brightly painted fishing boats bobbed alongside the sun-warmed boardwalk, but Stefano led her towards a very different craft. Handing her down into a sleek black-and-gold speedboat, he took the controls and headed out towards a blue-green cloud low on the horizon.

‘This is where I thought to make my base, until I discovered the Bella Terra estate,’ he told her as the speedboat skipped across the clear blue sea like a flying fish. Kira watched indistinct shapes in the distance become a necklace of islands set in the warm, shallow sea. High, forested mountains rose up from shallow shelving beaches of flawless white sand. As they ran into the shallows, she saw the tension ease from Stefano’s face once more. Boys playing football on the beach raced to greet them. As Stefano handed over the mooring rope, Kira was seized by a mad impulse. By the time he moved to help her from the boat she had slipped off her sandals and jumped barefoot into the water.

‘Careful, the surf runs fast here!’ Stefano called, but his warning was too late.

Dizzy with travel and excitement, Kira was pulled in two directions at once. Her feet went from under her and she promptly sat down in two feet of surging water. Stefano reached down and hauled her up. She surfaced, spluttering, to roars of laughter from the beach footballers.

‘Are you all right?’ Stefano’s concern was obvious, but Kira was laughing as hard as anyone.

‘It’s wonderful!’ She giggled, pushing her drenched hair back from her face. Her skirt was sodden, and wrapped itself in clinging folds around her slender legs.

‘Take a seat and catch your breath.’ He took her towards the treeline, where coconut palms draped cool shadows out over the sand. Kira sat down thankfully on a perfectly placed trunk. Instantly, a waiter appeared at her side. He was holding a tray with two tall glasses of passion-fruit cocktail, clinking with ice.

‘This is heaven!’ she gasped. Stefano laughed.

‘Not yet, but it will be. I’ve gathered a world-class team to create an island paradise, and you’re here to see how it can be made still more stunning.’

Kira took a long, slow sip of her drink. ‘It’ll be a challenge—’ she smiled mischievously ‘—but I’m sure I’ll think of something.’

‘There’s no hurry,’ he said softly. ‘No hurry at all. It’s been a long flight. Shall I show you where you can freshen up?’

Kira bit her lip. She had spent the night with Stefano. There could be no secrets between them now, but that was what made her afraid. He was about to lead her to his suite. She wasn’t ready for that and knew she should refuse, yet at the same it was everything she wanted. Stefano barely seemed to notice.

‘I’ve had one of the guest suites made ready for you,’ he said, taking her hand and leading her across the white, warm sand. Her sigh was a strange mixture of relief and disappointment, and he looked back with a laugh.

‘Did you think I’d forget what you told me? You said there would be no repeat of our passionate night once you had signed my contract. I don’t intend to blur the line between employer and employee.’

‘Thank goodness for that,’ Kira said determinedly, but with a heart that had suddenly plummeted. Fool! she berated herself. Don’t mistake his flirtation for serious intentions. It’s good that he wants to keep this businesslike. Tell herself what she would, however, the idea that she might never go to bed with Stefano again made her feel as though she’d lost something utterly precious. Caught up in her thoughts, she nearly missed his next words.

‘Although I like to keep my staff happy,’ he went on, and suddenly his eyes lit up with a dangerous spark. ‘So I always make a special effort for new arrivals. That’s why I’m inviting you to dinner at my apartment this evening.’

He moved closer. Kira felt it with every heartbeat. If he was trying to test her, she was equal to it. ‘Like you, I always mean what I say, Stefano.’

His eyes twinkled in the dancing sunlight. ‘Fine. I wanted to see if you had changed your mind, that’s all.’

With a wolfish smile he lifted her chin with his hand. She had been remembering his touch all day, but her memory was nowhere near as powerful as the real thing. His skin glided over hers like a kiss of fire, drawing a gasp from her lips.

‘Second chances make life worth living, don’t you think?’

His voice ended in a whisper of longing. Enfolding her in the curve of his arm, he drew her the last few inches towards his body. His kiss was a long, slow promise of all the things Kira knew he was so brilliant at. She could not help but respond. She was aware of all the dangers, but they were nothing when matched against his powers of seduction. Knowing she should pull back, she forced herself to do it.

At her first hesitation he let her go. His hands drifted regretfully from her body. She took a step back from him, struggling to catch her breath. Her common sense was marginally easier to manage.

‘Last night was a mistake. One of those should be enough for both of us.’

His touch slid down her back, lingered around her ribs and then fell away. Pushing his hands deep into his pockets, he shrugged.


‘I know—’ he gave her an irrepressible smile ‘—but you surely can’t blame me for trying?’

‘I’ve told you. Now I’m officially on your payroll, there can be nothing between us. I’m only interested in doing the best I can for you.’

He cocked his head on one side and regarded her with the keen look of a bush robin. ‘Ah, but in what way?’

‘You’re my employer, nothing more,’ Kira said firmly, desperately in need of the reminder. She had managed to keep her emotions out of it—until now. She could feel herself sliding out of control. Equally determined to call her bluff, Stefano wasn’t about to give her a second chance to back down.

‘Okay. If that’s how you feel, follow me, and I shall show you to your room.’

He was already walking away. Kira was drawn along in his wake, trying to catch up.

‘Isn’t it lovely? Silver Island is the ideal refuge for me—and anyone I choose to invite here.’

Those last words were thrown casually over his shoulder as he walked into the treeline. Kira followed him. She caught him up as he breasted a little rise where palms gave way to lush, leafy shrubs. This oasis of cool shade was the perfect place for a collection of freshly whitewashed buildings. Each was roofed with yellow ochre tiles, patterned with age.

‘That’s my headquarters.’ Stefano pointed out the largest building as they crossed a clearing. ‘Like all my properties, the first thing I do is bring in office staff, so I can keep my finger on the pulse of business, day and night.’

Kira laughed at the picture he painted.

‘It’s no wonder you never feel at home! You make everywhere into an extension of your office.’

Stefano frowned and did not reply. They drew closer to the buildings. As they crossed the pine- and balsam-scented clearing, a cloud of brightly coloured parakeets exploded into the air from the eaves of an apartment building. It was twice the size of La Ritirata. Unlike Kira’s ancient little home, its roof was supported by all the walls in all the right places. She was instantly impressed. As Stefano showed her up the steps of her temporary home, she was already wondering what design ideas she could take back with her.

‘Well? What do you think?’

Kira had been too wrapped up in her own thoughts to realise Stefano was interested in her opinion. When she jumped at his light touch on her waist, he dropped his hand and stepped back. Hurriedly, she went in to discover her apartment’s air-conditioned luxury—and stopped dead.

‘It’s amazing!’ she breathed, and it was true. Her luggage stood in the centre of a large, cool room. There were big, squashy chairs and a matching settee for loafing. The floor covering was thick and plush. Beautiful art stood on every shelf, while woven hangings added splashes of colour against the sparkling white walls. Everything was brand new—and it was all oddly soulless, as though the wraps had been taken off this apartment especially for her.

‘Am I your only guest, Stefano?’

‘At the moment, yes.’ He strolled over to where a reclining nude sculpted from rich red wood stood on a side table. Drawing his fingers over its glowing flanks, he gazed at her thoughtfully. ‘At least, you’re the first to stay in this particular building.’

Kira didn’t say anything. Instead, she let him show her around the bland and beautiful apartment. Everything was absolutely right, from the wall hangings to the ethnic rugs and the huge gold-and-marble bathroom.

‘I think it’s wonderful,’ Kira said as she strolled into her new bedroom. A genuine Victorian bed stood at its heart. The pillows and thick, soft mattress looked so inviting—but to her embarrassment her first thoughts at the sight of such a bed were certainly not of sleep.

‘I’m impressed you haven’t followed me in here,’ she said airily.

Her words provoked a reaction in him, but too late she discovered it wasn’t the one she wanted.

‘You said you wanted me to stop all that,’ he drawled, leaning against the door frame.

With a pang, she turned to face him. Her first rebuke had worked better than she expected. One look at his beautiful face and she knew he could see through her flinty manner to the real, pulsating woman within. She flushed with shame as he continued to watch her, his gaze feeling heavy as a caress on her skin.

‘From now on,’ he said softly, ‘you’re the one who makes the decisions. For example, whether you want to have dinner with me this evening at eight o’clock is entirely up to you.’

It was a statement, not a question. Before he finished speaking he pushed himself upright and strolled away through her apartment.





Stefano caught himself smiling as he headed for his own bungalow. That was a surprise. He had known Kira was a passionate woman beneath her reserve, but he hadn’t expected such untapped depths of sensuality. She had been so determined not to fall for his charm that usually he would have looked elsewhere without a second thought, but she was different. Her hands put a stop to their kiss on the beach, but her lips told a different story. Stefano knew women and Kira Banks was definitely a girl worth waiting for. She would make such a change from the extrovert capers of his usual women. She needed much more careful handling, and Stefano knew he was the ideal man to conquer her fears. A few days of his company, together with the allure of this tropical island, would slowly melt her English reserve.

Like a stalking leopard, Stefano settled down for a long wait.





Kira watched him walk away. He never once looked back, although something told her he knew very well that her eyes were on him. She stayed motionless, until he disappeared inside his bungalow and closed the door. It was only then she took refuge inside her own rooms.

Leaning back against the closed door, she looked around. This place was paradise. A wand of fragrant orchids peeped over the nearest windowsill. Outside, the parakeets returned, tumbling over the eaves and squawking with delight. Silver Island had everything—including the only man she could ever want. This should be the project from heaven, and more holiday than work. Yet Kira already felt stressed. She might as well have been back in England, trying to sort out her stepparents’ chaotic finances.

She knew she should ignore Stefano’s invitation to dinner. Her willpower would be under pressure from the moment she crossed his threshold.

Somehow, that didn’t feel like such a terrible threat any more. A small smile flitted across her face. When Stefano wasn’t with her, she missed him. That was a totally alien experience for Kira. It made her feel unsure of herself. She didn’t like it, but she did like Stefano—in a way that encouraged all sorts of outrageous thoughts.

She was having a particularly wild idea right now. Any truly independent, intelligent person ought to be able to accept his invitation to dinner. She had come a long way over the past couple of years. She was a successful businesswoman. A perfectly respectable dinner with a man she fancied was exactly the treat she deserved for landing such a lucrative contract. It would also be an opportunity to put herself to the test. If she succeeded in resisting Stefano this evening, she would be unstoppable. There would be no limit to what she could achieve, if only she could show her new boss that not every woman would roll over and beg for his body straight away.

If she failed, the worst that could happen was that he would ravish her senseless. Her heart and mind would never be in danger. They were safely locked away, somewhere Stefano would never be allowed to find them.

Kira felt she couldn’t lose.