Page 31 of His Housekeeper's Twin Baby Confession
‘As your housekeeper?’
He shook his head. ‘No, as my lover.’
Carrie went very still. But inside she didn’t feel still. She felt so many things she couldn’t begin to decipher them. Confusion, excitement, trepidation.Relief.He still wanted her. She would experience the sublime again.
You’ll lose yourself,pointed out a fearful voice.
‘I don’t think that’s such a good idea.’
Carrie wasn’t sure how she was managing to sound so cool and assured when she was still reeling and her insides were knotting and fizzing.
‘If you agree to come with me it will be in a personal capacity. Not professional. But of course I will not stop your pay. When we leave Brazil you can decide how you want to proceed. You can continue to work for me or you can move on. I will give you excellent references. You will have no problem finding other work, if that’s what you wish.’
Carrie felt prickly at the way he seemed to have it all worked out. ‘You wouldn’t have a problem with me resuming my role in a professional capacity after our affair?’ Nor, apparently, with letting her go.
‘Not unless you did.’
One of his lovers, upon being told that Massimo had already left the country by the time she’d woken, had said,‘Wow, he really is as cold as they say...’
Carrie needed to remember that. She was dealing with a consummate player—even if he didn’t end up splashed across the tabloids. This knowledge would protect her.
She wanted Massimo. For as long as he wanted her. What he’d given her last night—shown her about herself—was too seductive for her not to want to experience again. She knew she was weak, but this time her weakness felt like a strength. This would be forher.
‘If I did agree, I wouldn’t want you to keep paying me for the duration. It would feel...wrong. If I come with you it will be of my own accord and it will have nothing to do with our professional relationship. As for what happens afterwards... I’ll see how I feel.’
In the past, she hadn’t had a voice. She’d let it be silenced under layers of grief, confusion, insecurity and fear. She wouldn’t let that happen again.
Massimo inclined his head, ‘As you wish—and of course it’ll be your decision as to what happens, Carrie.’
She felt heady, going toe to toe with Massimo and holding her own. She felt strong for the first time in a long time. She’d known that she was stronger, but she hadn’t reallyfeltit like this before now.
Buoyed up by that surge of power and confidence, Carrie spoke before she had time to change her mind. ‘Okay, then, I’ll come with you.’
Massimo found himself mesmerised by Carrie’s reaction to Rio de Janeiro.
They were driving along the famous seafront and the tang of sea salt and sensuality was in the air. Carrie turned to look at him. She was wearing knee-length shorts and a sleeveless white shirt under a jacket. Mint-green. Clothes of a lover. Not her uniform. Because she was no longer his employee.
Massimo waited for a feeling of regret to hit him, but it didn’t.
Her hair was down, long and tousled over her shoulders, and she went pink in the cheeks when she registered him studying her.
‘You must think I’m very gauche.’
Massimo shook his head, surprised at the strength of his reaction on hearing her putting herself down. ‘Not at all. This city should take everyone’s breath away each time they see it.’
‘But not yours.’
Her mouth quirked and Massimo had to fight the urge to haul her over onto his lap. He took his eyes off her mouth and shook his head, a familiar feeling of pain gripping his chest.
‘The last time I was here my brother was here too. He was...a distraction. He had a tendency to cause a little chaos wherever he went, so I spent most of my time cleaning up his messes.’
‘He died very young.’
‘Ricardo diedtooyoung,’ Massimo said grimly.
When he’d gone to identify his brother’s body at the morgue in Monte Carlo, after the crash, there hadn’t been one blemish or mark on his beautiful face. He’d looked as if he was sleeping. Such a waste. Such a toxic legacy. Such a failure on his behalf to save his brother.
‘How old were you?’
