Read His Poor Little Rich Girl for Free Online Page B

firm. ‘How about trying some breaststroke?’ he suggested.
    Rachel gave him a look. ‘I just bet you’re an expert at that.’
    His eyes glinted. ‘You could say I’m very experienced.’
    Her belly flickered and fluttered at his double entendre. She slipped back into the water and did her version of the stroke, which she had always felt was more of a combination of a dog trying not to drown and a frog with a wonky leg. That Alessandro thought so too was more than apparent when she saw the grimace on his face when she stopped at his end. ‘Needs some work?’ she asked.
    ‘What a pity you aren’t staying longer than forty-eight hours,’ he said. ‘I could have given you some free tuition.’
    ‘I could always stay a little longer,’ she said, blinking the droplets of water out of her eyes. ‘My return ticket isn’t until the first of September.’
    He held her look for a pulsing moment. ‘Two days, Rachel. That’s all. I want you out of here by tomorrow morning.’
    Rachel felt her resentment building all over again. He was practically throwing her out on the street. What had happened to good old-fashioned hospitality? Did he really hate her that much? ‘But what if my luggage doesn’t turn up by then?’ she asked.
    ‘You’ll have to buy some clothes with the money I gave you.’
    ‘But practically all the money you gave me is going to be used up to pay off debts back home,’ she said.
    ‘Then you will have to find a job to tide you over.’
    Lucia came out at that point and Alessandro frowned when he saw the harried look on her face.
    ‘Lucia? Is something wrong?’ he asked in Italian.
    ‘Sì, Signor,’
Lucia said, wringing her hands agitatedly. ‘Iam afraid I have a family emergency to attend to. My daughter-in-law has been admitted to hospital. There is a problem with her pregnancy. My son needs me to babysit my grandsons. I am so sorry. I must go. I will hopefully only be away for a night, two at the most. I called Carlotta to fill in for me but she is visiting her mother in Sicily.’
    Rachel had no real idea of what was being said since they spoke in such rapid Italian but it was clear Alessandro was not happy about something. A heavy frown pulled at his brows and his jaw tightened like a clamp.
    Lucia glanced at Rachel before turning back to her employer, this time speaking in English. ‘What about Miss McCulloch?’
    ‘No. Non è assolutemente,’
he said firmly.
    ‘But she is already here with nowhere else to go until her luggage arrives,’ Lucia continued. ‘She could fill in until I get back or until we find a replacement.’
    ‘Is there something I can do to help?’ Rachel offered.
    Alessandro frowned heavily. ‘No. I do not need your help.’
    Lucia wrung her hands some more.
‘Signor,
please, I beg you. I must leave as soon as I possibly can. My son is waiting for me so he can be with his wife. I need to pack a few things before I go.’
    ‘All right,’ Alessandro said. ‘Do what you have to do. I will see what can be arranged.’
    Lucia bustled off, her flat sensible shoes almost flying across the flagstones in her haste.
    ‘I take it there’s been some sort of an emergency,’ Rachel said.
    ‘Yes,’ Alessandro said. ‘It seems I am without a housekeeper for the next day or two unless I can find a replacement.’
    ‘I could always fill in for Lucia,’ she said. ‘I can cook and I can clean.’
    Alessandro looked down at her upturned face. Could he risk it? Could he employ her for the next couple of days and wear the consequences? It would solve one problem even if it threw up some others. He knew the press was already wondering why he was here without a mistress. Since his breakup with Lissette there had been speculation over who would take her place. Who better than the young woman who had turned him down in the past? It would be different this time of course. He would employ her. It would be a business deal. They would both get what they wanted. No emotional