Perfect Mistake

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Simone enjoyed the game drive. Angelo was attentive in a date-like way, which she liked more than she’d expected she would. But she couldn’t relax with him and he kept his comments impersonal. With Natalia in the vehicle, the banter was light.

How had Carlo been with her in the beginning, during those first few days of her mentorship? Carlo had fought their mutual attraction, and although he had been warm and friendly, he’d admitted struggling to keep away from her. In itself, this internal battle had fueled her desire for him, that forbidden something that had to be savored. She’d never thought it would be so good.

She sighed. Angelo had his own brand of Carlevaro charm, and probably treated every woman that crossed his path like this. She glanced at him; he was quiet, at ease. Both brothers were tall and dark, the handsome, broody type. Angelo’s hair was longer than Carlo’s, an obstinate curl falling over his forehead. He was sexy in his white T-shirt and cargo shorts, and a far cry from the hardcore executive Carlo had turned into. Carlo radiated power, while Angelo gave off a different vibe. He was rich, good-looking, and she got the impression he couldn’t give a damn about any of it. He had the same hands as Carlo though—long, strong fingers with trim cut nails and fine dark hair covering the backs of his hands where they sloped down to his palms. She swallowed. Those hands were so familiar, and yet they weren’t his.

His gaze rested on her, and when meeting his searching eyes, she had to look away. His signals were clear. If she had Liz’s nonchalance regarding sex, their trip could have taken an interesting turn. Especially if she’d been willing to do as Ross had insinuated and sleep her way to the top. She groaned inwardly. Maybe she was misinterpreting his body language because parts of him were like Carlo. Some relief from the built-up tension, sexual and otherwise, would be welcome.

Mentally she withdrew from the conversation and sat silently through the rest of the game drive. Angelo might be Carlo’s brother, but he hadn’t yet cultivated Carlo’s sacred segregation of work from pleasure.

Her thoughts kept turning to Sarah, and her heart contracted with longing. She checked her watch; it was the time she’d usually be home after an overnight flight. Sarah would help her cook dinner, something mommy and toddler friendly, which they would eat together at the low coffee table in the lounge. Sarah would sit in her small pink plastic chair, and she would sit cross-legged on a cushion on the floor. Afterward, Sarah would have her bath, and she would sit with her, just chatting along. Bedtime would follow with a story and her daughter falling asleep almost as soon as the light was switched off. She loved their little evening routine, and Ruth kept to it when she stayed with Sarah. Soon it would be the longest she’d ever been separated from Sarah, and she couldn’t bear thinking of it.

Angelo held his hand out to help her off the vehicle when they returned to the lodge after dark. When he held it for longer than necessary she pulled away and stuffed her hands into her pockets.

An askari waited for them at the entrance to the lodge. “You are eating in the boma tonight. Please follow me.”

There was only one askari, and Simone seeped out a slow breath. She had no choice but to follow him with Angelo and Natalia to the enclosure on the outer edge of the lodge. So much for her twelve-hour escape plan. Carlo would be in the boma. She couldn’t even sneak off to the kitchen for dinner, because it would be empty—the cooking would be happening over the barbeque that night. Even worse, she might stumble upon the latest sacrifice on Liz’s chopping board whilst all alone.

She shivered and took a deep breath to calm herself. He won’t get under my skin.

Glancing to the stars, she begged for strength. They were packed so tightly across the sky, there seemed to be no space for even one more. At her feet a snake of lamps showed the path to the wooden enclosure and she stepped inside the boma with fresh determination.

It felt like she’d landed in a nest of fireflies. She’d seen it so many times, yet every time the sight took her breath away. Hundreds of lamps hung at different heights from the trees inside the boma, and a campfire burned in the middle. Tables were set in crisp white linen with silver cutlery catching the light of the lamps like sparks. It was glamorously over the top, made more spectacular by the wild setting that surrounded them.

A waiter handed them warm, moist cloths for their hands, and another waiter was already standing nearby with cocktails.

Carlo stood at the fire, drink in hand, talking to Dino. Her skin tingled and her pulse quickened as he looked at her, and they locked eyes for a moment before Carlo glanced at his brother. Angelo stood by her side, so close that their shoulders touched. When Angelo brushed against her he didn’t move away. Marking his territory. She took a small step away from him. Carlo glared at her and pressed his lips in a firm line before emptying his glass.

“Excuse me,” she said to Natalia. “I’ll be back.”

“Can I get you some wine?” asked Angelo.

She didn’t want to hang around having drinks with anybody, least of all Carlo. “I…no, thank you. We’re flying tomorrow. I never drink the night before.”

As she walked to the opening leading to the restrooms she caught Angelo’s words to Natalia. “She can do with a drink, I’ve never come across such an uptight blonde before.”

Natalia shot something back at him in Italian. By the tone of her voice, it sounded like a mother’s reprimand. Simone would have laughed if she hadn’t been too busy wishing that the night would swallow her and transport her to the other side of the world.

An enclosed walkway led to the restrooms, the way lit by lamps. It opened to communal twin hand basins, male and female toilets on either side with lamps lighting the basin and hand towels arranged in a hand-woven basket. She took her phone from her pocket. She wanted to phone Sarah and say good night, but there was no reception this far from the main areas of the camp. An askari would have to escort her back to the staff quarters—she couldn’t sit through dinner with the Carlevaros. Not with that look of murder Carlo had in his eyes, Angelo with his charm on tap, and the rest of the group observing in silent amusement. At that moment, no distance was enough between her and the Carlevaros—all of them.

When she stepped out of the restroom footsteps sounded behind her, but she continued to wash her hands.

“How was the game drive?”

Her heart skipped a beat upon hearing Carlo’s voice. This was a very bad idea. To be alone with him in a dark enclosure had always been…fun. Tonight, there was no allure in his voice, no soft promise to seduce her first with words, then hands, then lips. She took a shallow breath. Just the thought of him had desire pooling in her lower belly, a slow throb pulsing to her core. Even angry he was getting under her skin.

I’m so fucked.

Sarah, Sarah, Sarah.

She finished washing her shaking hands with care, using the time to get a grip. “It was great, we saw—”

“Spare me the details, please. I’ve stopped counting lions a long time ago.” He cursed. “Stay away from Angelo.” He spat out the words one by one, with undue emphasis.

She froze for a fraction of a second, and then plunged her hand down to grab a rolled hand towel from the basket. Did he think she had so little discretion and self-control? He really thought he had a right to meddle in her life? She sucked her breath in as she turned, tilting her head. “What?”

He stood a meter from her with arms folded and brows knitted. In the dark shadows of the lamps he could be the devil himself, he was so angry.

“Angelo will not respect your wishes to be left alone, employee or not,” Carlo said.

She wanted to be left alone, all right, but not by Angelo. That Carlo was standing here warning her off his brother meant that he was jealous. That he could be jealous of Angelo was ridiculous. Didn’t he know that he still had a hold over her, after four bloody miserable years? He actually cared. It meant he wouldn’t leave her alone, and where would that leave her with Sarah?

“My brother is bad news, Simone.” His tone was softer.

Bad news is better than no news, Mr. C.F.L. Carlevaro, she wanted to spit at him, but stopped herself just in time. That was no longer entirely true. Better late than never. She wasn’t sure if this applied in her situation.

“Angelo’s a reckless loner, used to getting what he wants.” Carlo tossed up his hands in a frustrated gesture. “And disposes of women as if they have an expiry date.”

Talking about Angelo would keep Sarah and their past from the conversation. “A spoilt brat, is he?”

Carlo raked his hands through his hair before he stuffed his fists into his pockets. He pursed his lips. “He has more than one girlfriend in Rome.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” she retorted. She could hardly imagine Carlo judging Angelo as a womanizer. She’d seen photos of Carlo with several women on the internet when she’d Googled him earlier. Just how busy had he been over the past four years? Most of the photos were of him with a toned, beautiful brunette, elegantly dressed with such an air of grace about her that the images had made Simone, with her long, gangling limbs, feel like an oaf.

Carlo shook his head. “They’re never of long standing.”

“It runs in the family then,” she challenged him. He was the first to drop his gaze.

“Merda Simone, Angelo has…issues.”

Who didn’t? Half of hers stemmed from the man in front of her.

He took a small step toward her. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Too late for that,” she murmured.

She dropped the twisted hand towel into the basket on the ground and tried to push past him. He stopped her with a hand on her arm.

“Simone, I honestly did try to phone you,” he said, letting go of her. “I know it was too late, I know it’s too late now, but I tried to track you down.” His voice had reduced to a murmur. “I even phoned the contact on your employee health insurance form. Your next of kin was a dead end. I left messages for you, but you never called me back.”

Her stomach twisted in a slow, agonizing coil, tighter than the hand towel she had wrung in her hands a moment ago. She could say nothing; her voice would give her away.

“Simone—” He gripped her shoulders.

She had no idea what he wanted from her. Whether it was forgiveness, closure, or a restart, she wasn’t ready to give it to him.

She yanked away and rushed down the path, bumping into Natalia.

“Oh, sorry!” Natalia said, reaching out to steady her as she stumbled. “Nature calls.”

Simone couldn’t look at her. Natalia had eyes that saw everything, even in the dim light provided by the lanterns.

She swallowed hard and flashed her tourist smile. “Sorry, Natalia.” She forced a chuckle. “That was close.”

Natalia frowned, but let her go.

Simone stomped to the boma’s entrance, her breathing coming hard and fast. She stopped, took a deep breath, and released it. To wait for him to come back down the path would be even worse. She managed to contain her helpless, frustrated anger, pulled back her shoulders and stepped inside.

Back in the warm circle of the boma Simone searched for James but didn’t spot him. Liz was behind the grill barbequing imported T-bone steaks and lobsters flown in from Dar es Salaam. Waiters circled around with silver plates of appetizers. She walked over to Liz, who was dressed in full chef’s attire, appearing tired and wilting in the heat of the barbeque.

“I’m calling it a night.” Simone wiped her brow where her agitation had settled in a burst of sweat. “I need to be up early tomorrow for our flight out.”

“Lucky you,” Liz said. “I must have your breakfast ready at seven for your departure at eight.”

She glanced at the fire pit and then at the exit to the restrooms. There was no sign of Carlo. Yet. Her stomach was knotted into a ball of unmanaged stress. She needed to spend at least forty minutes running. There was nothing else legitimate to make the tension go away. “I’d like to go for a jog beforehand. Can you spare a ranger to go with me?”

“You’ll have to ask James. Your group isn’t going on the game drive so someone should be available.”

She pointed with her prong to the fire where James stood with Dino.

He saw them and Liz signaled to him with a wink. He introduced Dino to one of the guests who’d come to stand by the fire and came over.

“We can get you out at six for a jog, no problem,” James said after a short discussion.

“Thanks, I owe you one.”

Carlo entered the boma, looking straight at her as if his gaze was drawn by some magnetic force. She rushed off, meeting the askari who waited to escort guests back to their rooms. She couldn’t get away from him quickly enough.

****

Carlo cursed as Simone disappeared with the askari. If he could just get her to talk, but every time he’d approached her she’d clammed up. His anger at being unable to connect with her had surged when he’d seen Angelo standing next to her, so close they’d touched. He had known Angelo would toy around, because that was what he did. Games. It was all just games. Would Simone play? Dio, the idea made his hands itch to wring his brother’s neck.

He must change his approach and come up with a new strategy. He had to subdue the crazy need to take Simone into his arms every time he saw her, stop fantasizing about her long legs circling his hips, those soft lips yielding to his. For once he couldn’t blame Angelo for having his mind in the gutter, for he wanted to oust him from his territory.

He shoved a hand through his hair. He hadn’t needed Natalia to walk into his tête-à-tête with Simone either. It had been hard to come by; getting Simone cornered alone had become impossible after their first exchanges, when he’d been forced on the defense every time. Natalia knew more than she should, and it left him with an unwelcome feeling of foreboding. Eliminating Natalia and her sixth sense from his mind, he stared at Liz where she stood talking to James.

He’d observed the short conversation between Simone, Liz, and James from the dark entrance, and they’d looked so much in cahoots that his whole being rioted. He sensed Simone was hiding something from him. That it could have to do with the poaching syndicate left him filled with dread.

He planned to intercept James, who was approaching some guests who stood alone. James didn’t know about the grilling he’d subjected Simone to that afternoon, unless she’d told him. He had probed her for information about everyone, and she’d given him information about everyone else, except herself. James King could be just the man to cast some light on the evasive Simone Levin.