Page 25 of The Housekeeper and the Brooding Billionaire

At last she found the design sheet and held it out to him.

He said, ‘It’s thecastello.’ He shifted his chair closer to hers, angling his head to see the sheet better, lifting his hand to trace the design. ‘And the village, and the mountains beyond the lake. But how?’

‘Simple. I took some photos and sent them to her. My friend specialises in making cross-stitch designs of real locations. Though this one was a bit more work than usual, especially given the short time frame.’

He nodded, his focus still on the design. ‘I’ll compensate her for her time. This is remarkable.’

‘I’m glad you like it. All your aunt has to do is follow the design to create an image of thecastelloon its island.’

She’d gone out on a limb, ordering this without consultation, but she’d had to act quickly to have it done in time. If he hadn’t liked it, Charlotte would have kept it to do herself, a memento of her stay.

Charlotte frowned, feeling an unexpected pang of regret at the idea of moving on.

‘It’s brilliant. Beatrice will adore it. Thank you, Charlotte. This is the sort of personal, thoughtful gift I’d hoped for.’

He lifted his head and smiled.

All thoughts of the future and leaving disintegrated.

She’d been right.

When the Conte Dal Lago smiled at a woman—reallysmiled—she melted into a puddle of pure longing.

Nothing had prepared Charlotte for this. Not her clear-eyed understanding of humanity’s foibles developed over years working in hotels, nor her experience warding off entitled men.

Every strength she’d taken for granted, every defence she’d carefully built, crumbled as she returned that blazing smile.

She was in so much trouble.

CHAPTER SIX

CHARLOTTEHUMMEDASshe dusted the top shelf of the towering bookcase. Despite her misgivings, things were going well.

For ‘misgivings’ read ‘a profound weakness for her boss.’

Her breath snagged for a second, but she ignored that, reaching further along the shelf and humming louder.

So he was attractive. Deeply attractive.

What woman wouldn’t feel a little flutter inside when he smiled at her? There was no harm in it, as long as she remained professional. It wasn’t as if he were pursuing her. Far from it.

Their relationship had improved enormously, but it was still aworkingrelationship.

Alessio seemed to trust her, unbending more and proving himself to be a man she could like. That didn’t sound like much, but given some of the men she’d known, it was high praise. He respected her, regularly thanked her for her work and since their discussion a couple of weeks ago, had been out in the village more. She’d seen him talking with locals, and he’d taken over plans for the next chapel visit.

Charlotte put back the book she held and, grabbing the shelf, pulled herself on the tall library ladder further along the built-in bookcase. She smiled. This sliding ladder reminded her of her mother’s precious library at home, the one her father had cleared out when she died.

The ladder stopped short of the end. Charlotte jiggled her weight, trying to shift it but it wouldn’t budge. There must be a problem with the track. She could climb all the way down and try to fix it or lean just a little further to reach the end of the shelf.

Time was short. She’d promised herself she’d finish the top shelf before getting Alessio’s lunch.

Leaning sideways, she reached for the last books. But as she stretched out and up, the ladder suddenly shifted in the opposite direction. She clutched for safety. A heavy book knocked her forehead and she winced. Then came an almighty thud as it tumbled to the floor.

Charlotte didn’t look down to see the damage. She was too busy holding on. The bookcases at this double-storeyed end of the library were magnificent when viewed from the ground but too far to fall. Perspiration prickled the back of her neck, and her arms were rigid as she fought panic. She was stretched at an ungainly angle, but as soon as she caught her breath, she’d pull the ladder back.

Except it wouldn’t budge.

She was just getting really worried when the ladder moved again. Not another jerky slide but a rhythmic vibration.

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