Page 8 of The Maid Married To The Billionaire

‘Whatever you want. We’re on call. The boss doesn’t want us leaving you alone anywhere,’ Matteo explained. ‘And after what I just witnessed, that’s definitely the right decision.’

Her mobile phone buzzed. ‘How are you?’ Enzo asked huskily.

‘A bit shaken up. Very grateful I wasn’t on my own,’ she confided, thinking that he had the most beautiful voice, dark and deep, edged with his purring accent. ‘I’m sorry I’m being such a nuisance.’

‘That’s not what I think,piccolo mio. Just make sure you keep my men with you.’

Enzo finished the call as the firm’s head of marketing hovered, a languorous light in her appreciative gaze as the sinuous brunette studied him with naked longing. He had had a difficult first day. Stripping out the top-heavy management layer in the company would gain him no friends. As for the new ideas he had brought with him, they were no more welcome except to the few who’d had the foresight to see a more prosperous future for the firm.

‘My girlfriend,’ Enzo lied smoothly.

Martina had spent the day trying to flirt with him, brush against him, catch his attention. He wanted her to back off and the pretence that he already had a woman in his life was the easiest cure for what ailed her. Regrettably, Enzo was all too well accustomed to women who threw themselves at him. He was rich, young and single and such pronounced attention went with the territory. Being hunted and propositioned didn’t turn him on and he did not want that complication in the workplace.

‘I thought you were in England alone, Mr Durante,’ Martina remarked.

Enzo cursed the notoriety of his name. Of course, the staff knew who he was: Lorenzo Durante, dubbed the Playboy Prince by the Italian media, a moniker he had inherited from his late father, whose legendary exploits with women had destroyed his marriage soon after Enzo was born. He and his wife had been in the throes of their last attempt at reconciliation when they had died together.

‘I’m not.’ He murmured the untruth without hesitation and found himself thinking with helpless longing of Skye, who had no notion of flirting with him or jumping his bones. It was a new experience for him to be treated as an adult man, rather than a fabulously rich asset to be acquired. It was also oddly restful.

Alana was an invaluable help when their possessions were loaded willy-nilly into the hall. ‘It’s truly over with Ritchie?’ she prompted hopefully as she set the high chair into the kitchen. ‘You know he’ll come after you and apologise and maybe even grovel and promise that it won’t ever happen again.’

‘It doesn’t matter. It’s over for ever and ever,’ Skye confirmed. ‘I don’t ever want to see him again. He saw us leaving and he was still in a temper.’

Alana frowned. ‘Tell me about the businessman who owns this place,’ she urged.

Skye made coffee for everyone and allowed Brodie to take his trike out into the back garden with Sparky because it was fully enclosed by a fence.

While helping to feed Shona in her high chair, Skye filled in the details about what had happened the night before.

‘And there’s nothing icky about this guy Enzo?’ Alana pressed suspiciously.

‘No, definitely no ick factor there. To be honest, he’s gorgeous but I don’t have any worries in that direction. I imagine he goes for much more glamorous types than me.’

‘I’m worried because I honestly don’t think Ritchie is going to leave you alone. He’s more likely to act like a stalker, always wanting to know your business,’ Alana murmured anxiously. ‘I think you need to report him to the police. What if he finds you on your own and attacks you again?’

Skye mulled that thorny question over while Alana helped her get unpacked and persuaded her to choose the bedroom next door to hers for the children, because there was more space and storage. There weresixbedrooms in total and she could always double up with the children if Enzo was entertaining and needed an extra room. The unpacking achieved, Skye mustered her shopping list and rang Antonio to tell him that she was ready to go into town. Alana offered to accompany her to help her with the kids.

As they left the supermarket laden with shopping, Alana took the children straight to her car and Paola took the trolley from Skye. ‘You shouldn’t be pushing that,’ she told Skye firmly.

As the older woman returned to the car to unload the trolley, Ritchie stepped into view between two cars and grabbed Skye’s arm. ‘Who are those people you are with?’ he demanded angrily. ‘Who owns that house you’re staying in?’

‘Let me go!’

As he leant down to her, she smelt the alcohol on him and grimaced. ‘It’s over, Ritchie. Let go of my arm.’

‘Let go of my sister!’ Alana seethed, running up to intervene and aiming a kick at the blond man.

In a fury, Ritchie swung round as Skye finally broke free of him, and found Antonio in his path. But it was Paola who surged forward, seemingly out of nowhere, and took Ritchie down with a martial arts move, dragged his hands behind his back and, with a remarkable lack of drama, handed him over to the security guard approaching them.

‘Now you know why you have to go to the police,’ Paola said quietly as Skye, white-faced and trembling, accompanied her sister back to her car. ‘That man is going to continue coming after you. He’s angry and stubborn.’

‘I’ll do it this evening,’ she promised shakily.

Skye started dinner. But before she even got halfway through her preparations, Enzo strode into the kitchen. ‘Your sister has agreed to stay with your siblings. I’m here to take you to the police station before you lose your nerve.’

Skye tensed. ‘But—’

‘You have no choice,’ he reminded her.

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