Page 25 of Gold Diggers

Karin felt a little leap of excitement in her belly.

‘It was something you said at the Knightsbridge party. That we both sell lifestyle statements,’ he continued. ‘I’ve been to your stores and I think your corporate identity is really strong.’

Karin felt the delicious bubble of anticipation pop. ‘I think your corporate identity is strong’? she thought furiously. Had he brought her all the way to Venice to talk business? Whatever happened to ‘I think you’re the most beautiful woman I have ever seen’ or ‘I think we could be great together.’ She’d even settle for I think you have great tits. She’d gone to enormous lengths to be here and that was the best he could do? Did he have any idea how difficult it was to get a room at the Cipriani during the carnival?

She took a deep breath: Calm down, Karin, she told herself. You’re a businesswoman, start behaving like one.

‘Well, thank you for the compliment, Adam,’ she said coolly. ‘So what did you want to talk about?’

‘I have a team of creative people advising the Midas Corporation,’ he said. ‘I would love you to do some consulting for the residential division. I think you could really add some class.’

But Karin was only half listening. A tall, slender man in black tie had caught her eye across the dance floor. His harlequin mask could not disguise his handsome features; a long straight nose, a wide mouth and a strong jaw. He boldly walked across to Karin and extended a hand. ‘May I have this dance?’ he said with a heavy Italian accent.

‘Eduardo Ribisi, is that you?’ she laughed.

‘Sì, Karin carissima, it is I!’ he said, whirling his cape dramatically.

Karin grinned. ‘I didn’t recognize you at first, although you can hardly blame me with that mask.’ She looked at Adam. ‘If you’ll excuse me for a few moments …?’

The music swelled as Eduardo took her in his arms and swung her across the dance floor with expert grace.

‘So who is he?’ whispered Eduardo playfully.

‘Someone who has just made me very cross,’ said Karin, unable to shake her annoyance.

‘Karin, darling, you come to Venice for passion and laughter, not for this sad little face,’ he said, touching his finger on her downturned lip.

Over Eduardo’s shoulder, she could see Adam still standing there, his eyes following them.

‘Do you want to go back?’ asked Eduardo.

‘Not yet. Just hold me.’

Adam was stony-faced by the time she returned. ‘Who was that?’ he said flatly, taking a canapé off a tray and biting into it rather harder than necessary.

‘Just an old friend. He’s from a very old Italian family. Practically royalty if Italy still had a monarch. Very charming. Now what were you saying about me consulting for Midas?’

‘Oh, we can discuss that in London,’ he replied dismissively. He fell quiet as they slowly walked around the palazzo to explore its dark corners, finally finding a quiet courtyard that opened onto a canal, the water lapping up against the marble floor.

‘Eerie, isn’t it?’ he whispered.

‘Have you ever seen Don’t Look Now?’

He laughed, moving closer to her so their fingers brushed.

‘Shall we go?’ he asked. She nodded and he led her out of the palazzo, down a tangle of narrow streets and into St Mark’s Square where the launch to the Cipriani was located up a little carpeted gangway.

‘You at the Cip too?’

‘Palazzo Vendramin, next door.’

No other guests boarded and they sat in silence at the uncovered rear of the boat, watching the green water of the Grand Canal splash and foam around them. The Venetian skyline never failed to make Karin smile, the tall tower of St Mark’s stretching up into a midnight-blue sky peppered with stars. Suddenly there was a whoosh and a spider’s web of colour lit up the sky. Carnival was famous for its firework displays and, for the rest of the journey across to Giudecca Island, the sky was studded with gold and crimson stardust. There would not be a more magical spot to be alone with Adam Gold for the first time, Karin thought to herself, letting her hand slip onto the seat next to his.

‘The view from my suite is just like this,’ said Adam quietly, touching her fingers with his. Karin offered up a prayer and made a mental note to call and thank Eduardo for his brilliant performance. The brother of an old school friend, she had known him since he was a teenager. Now twenty-nine, the gorgeous Venetian playboy was also still in the closet, too afraid of his staunch Catholic parents to tell them the truth about his sexuality. But he had been more than happy when Karin had phoned him earlier that day to play her suitor. ‘I’m going to that party anyway,’ he had giggled, ‘And it won’t be hard to pretend I am madly in love with you, carissima.’ He had played his part beautifully. The psychology of rich men was fairly easy to understand. They wouldn’t stand for something to be taken from their grasp.

The boat chugged to the dock at the Cipriani and the captain helped her onto dry land. Karin and Adam walked down the dark, leafy path into the hotel, where they could hear the tinkling of a piano and the good-humoured murmur of guests leaving the bar.

‘Could you handle another drink?’ asked Adam.