and how it was going to affect him. When she’d walked into his office yesterday she’d wanted him to defend her. Instead he’d looked shocked.
Luca Corretti, shocked.
He’d done shocking things in his life but clearly he was like so many men. He had double standards when it came to his own behaviour.
The weird thing was she didn’t even care about the photographs any more. Even though it was what she’d dreaded for so long, she didn’t care about the embarrassment and the humiliation. All she cared about was that her ‘engagement’ to Luca was over. No more dinners. No more skinny-dipping in the sea. No more Tomas and Teresa. No more…
Fat, scalding tears slid down her cheeks.
Reaching for another tissue, she blew her nose hard, acknowledging the truth with a sick lurch of her stomach.
She loved him.
Really loved him. All of him, from the fun outrageous side of him to the hurt, lonely boy who didn’t trust anyone.
Somehow, somewhere, her feelings had shifted from fake to real whereas he—he didn’t have any feelings at all.
There was a hammering on the door of her trailer but she covered her ears and screwed her eyes shut, ignoring it.
She’d faced the press alone so many times in her life, why did it feel harder this time?
But she knew the answer to that.
She’d allowed herself to trust Luca. For the first time since her teens, she’d lowered her guard. She’d believed he was a friend. But when trouble had landed he’d cut her loose and tried to distance himself.
She yanked another tissue out of the box. What had she expected? That he’d stand up and fight for her?
The hammering grew louder. It sounded as if they were actually going to kick the door down and anger flashed through her misery.
Why couldn’t they leave her alone?
‘Taylor! Cristo, open this door!’ Luca’s voice thundered through the door and Taylor jumped in shock.
‘Go away! You are a hypocritical bastard and I never want to see you again.’
‘Open the door or I’ll break it down.’
‘Fine! Whatever. If that’s what you want.’ Springing from the bed, she wrenched open the door and Luca immediately barged his way past her and slammed it shut, blocking out the cameras.
He swore in Italian. ‘It’s crazy out there.’
‘Probably safer out there than in here.’ Defensive anger bubbling up through the misery, Taylor folded her arms and tapped her foot on the floor but the words on her lips died as she took a proper look at him. ‘You look awful. Isn’t that the same suit you were wearing yesterday?’
‘What? No. Yes.’ He looked down at himself blankly and then back at her, tension in his features. ‘I don’t know. I do know there are things I need to say to you.’
‘If “sorry for being a hypocrite” isn’t on that list then you can save your breath and get out now.’
‘Hypocrite?’
‘Oh, come on, Luca—I saw your face yesterday. You were shocked.’ The words choked her. ‘How dare you be shocked? After everything you’ve done in your life.’
‘But I’ve never done this.’ His voice was hoarse. ‘I just didn’t think this would ever happen to me. I didn’t want it to happen.’
‘“This” being involved with someone like me? Well, I’m sorry to have disturbed your perfect life.’ Tears of frustration and humiliation stung her eyes and she pointed to the door. ‘Leave, before I sully your reputation even more. If you think you’re such a saint, get out now. And it didn’t happen to you, it happened to me. That’s my naked butt up there on the Internet, not yours, so stop being so sanctimonious. You’ve done far worse, Luca Corretti. You are many things but I had no idea you were a hypocrite.’
He raked his hand over the back of his neck, his expression bemused. ‘Cosa? What are you talking about?’
‘You! I just can’t believe you’re shocked to see naked photographs! You’re the one who almost ripped my dress off at the wedding.’ That revelation was met by tense silence.
‘You think I’m shocked about the photographs?’ Looking slightly dazed, he lowered his hand from the back of his neck. ‘That’s why you’re calling me a hypocrite?’
‘I saw you, Luca. Yesterday, when you stumbled out of the boardroom, you could barely speak you were so shocked.’
‘Yes, but not about the photographs. I was shocked because—’ he broke off and licked his lips ‘—because I…’
‘Because what?’
He looked like a man who was about to step off a cliff. ‘Because I’d just discovered I was in love