Page 28 of Giorgio

“Do I have a home?”

He hesitated again. “I persuaded you to give up the dump of an apartment you seemed so attached to.”

“The doctor does not want me flying all the way back just yet. They are still monitoring me. Besides, I don’t have a job or a significant other…”

“You have me, Jules, and I love you.” He told her quietly.

She nodded solemnly. “I want to stay until I am recovered.”

“Jules…”

“Yes?”

“Nothing. Just take care of yourself.”

“I will.”

*****

Back in his office, Julian settled more comfortably in his leather chair and frowned at the faded wallpaper across from his desk. He had told her the truth about the case he was working on.

The damn workload was such that he had had to spend the last three nights bunking in his office so that he could be on top of things. And even so, he was trailing behind. It was frustrating as hell, especially since he would have loved to book a damn flight and go and see his sister.

He would prefer her here in the State, in her home. Turning slightly, he touched the key on his laptop and stared at the influx of photos that came up. Giorgio Russo was photogenic, which he should be considering he was the face of a very lucrative company.

He was photographed with some extremely well-known women. A European princess, the current Ms. World, movie actresses, theater icons, a diplomat’s daughter, an Italian opera singer. All of those women had several things in common, they were raving beauties and highly placed in society.

And he did not stay with one woman for very long. He was labeled as an international playboy, who partied and jet set around the world using daddy’s money to sustain his expensive habits.

And now Juliana was under his roof, his palatial roof. He loved his sister and to him, she was very attractive. If she put herself together instead of wearing all those baggy clothes, she would be a knockout. But she was nothing compared to those women and her vulnerability, her lack of memory were reasons enough to fall for a man like Giorgio.

A man who would never notice her if she walked by him. They were not in the same sphere. He was royalty, she was not.

He wanted to hasten to Italy, bundle her up and fly her back to America. Hissing out a breath, he leaned back in his chair. Shewas going to get her heart broken and there was not a damn thing he could do about it.

*****

He turned his head to stare at her profile. She was wearing a stunning green cashmere dress that suited her slender frame.

And she had done something to her short curls to have them look glossy. Larg gold hoops were at her lobes, and she had donned lip gloss. He had included a cushion for her broken leg, so that it could be propped up and out of the way.

But she was quiet, and her head was turned towards the window.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Juliana.”

His deep slightly accented voice had a jarring effect on her and had her turning towards him. “I don’t have a job.”

He gave her a puzzled look as he negotiated traffic. “I do not understand. I thought you were here on vacation.”

“My brother told me that I was an editor at a publishing company. The company went out of business, and I was dumped by the guy I was seeing.”

He glanced at her again and privately thought the guy was a colossal idiot. “Do you think you were in love with him?”

She shook her head. “I cannot remember anything about him, so that would be a no. I am more concerned that I don’t have a job.”