Читать книгу Rising Stars & It Started With… Collections - Кейт Хьюит - Страница 102

IT was midmorning when Tina awoke, and for a moment she couldn’t remember where she was. But then it all came back with brutal clarity and she sat up with a gasp. She was marooned in the middle of a lake, held captive by a dark and dangerous man who insisted that she marry him.

She reached for her phone on the bedside table, searching hopefully for a signal, but there was none. Tina tossed the phone down on the plush comforter and made a noise of displeasure.

But what would she do if there were a signal? She’d text Lucia, of course, but she most definitely would not call her mother or Renzo. A shiver slid along her spine at the thought. That would be a disaster.

She flipped the covers back and went to open the heavy silk drapes. The sun filtered in through the laurels, dappling her face with warmth. The lake was alive with windsurfers in the distance, and here and there motorboats zipped by, some towing skiers and others simply out for a leisurely ride.

It was without doubt a gorgeous view and she stared at the green mountains in the distance before turning her attention to getting dressed. Tina showered—and then, just to prove a point, she blow-dried her hair with a round brush until it was stick straight.

When her hair hung smooth and long halfway down her back, she went into the walk-in closet where a staff member had put away all her clothing. Everything was crisp and ready to be worn, so she chose a pair of shantung silk trousers in bright red and a long silk vest in black that belted at the waist. She added a pair of strappy stilettos, just to add a bit of wow factor, and then put on the bangle bracelet her mother had given her for her graduation. She added the rest of her jewelry for the day—diamond earrings, a gold necklace, three rings—before she was satisfied.

No one seemed to be stirring in the house until she reached the kitchen and found the chef and a trio of helpers at work on something that smelled delicious.

“If you will join the signore on the terrazzo, signorina, breakfast will soon be served.”

Tina thanked the woman and went out to the same table she’d shared with Nico last night. He was on the phone, a laptop in front of him, and she stopped to watch the way the sunlight slanted over his perfect features. He seemed oblivious to her presence.

“It stops now,” he grated. “You have an allowance. If you burn through it, you will get nothing more until the next quarter.”

A second later he smacked his palm on the table, swearing violently. Tina jumped at the sudden movement and spun to go back inside. Before she could reach the door, he called out to her. She turned slowly. He still had the phone to his ear, but he beckoned her over.

Warily, she approached and took a seat while he continued to argue with whoever was on the other end. Then he ended the call abruptly and slid the ringer to Silent.

“How is it you get a signal out here and I get nothing?” she asked.

“It’s the carrier,” he told her. “I use a different service when I am here than I do elsewhere. Though sometimes, when the weather is right and you are in the right part of the castle, other signals will come through.”

Well, that explained that. “I don’t suppose you’d let me use your phone today.”

He shrugged. “Why not? You are an intelligent woman, Tina. You won’t call your brother and beg him to rescue you.”

Her heart thumped. “How can you be so sure?”

He studied her for a moment, his eyes straying over her hair. Warmth blossomed inside her belly then, spreading through her limbs like hot honey. “So it does straighten out,” he said thoughtfully.

“I told you so.”

“Women have such tricks at their disposal. I would have never guessed.”

She almost laughed. “I wouldn’t expect you to be au courant about the things that occur in beauty salons. And I did ask you a question, by the way.”

He picked up his espresso, his long fingers dwarfing the small cup. “I am aware of it.”

“And what is your answer?”

“I already gave you my answer, Tina. You are intelligent and thoughtful. You also love your brother very much. You do not wish to worry him or cause him to cut his vacation short when he is so happy with his new wife and child.”

Her pulse throbbed with every word. It was as if he could see inside her soul. She shook herself. That was silly. Of course he couldn’t. But he was a very good guesser.

“Besides,” he continued, “you are not in danger. You are in a situation of your own making and you refuse to cry wolf before you’ve thought it all out.”

“Not entirely of my own making,” she murmured. “It does seem to take two to make a baby.”

“Yes, but I’ve already thought about it and I know what must be done.”

“And what if I disagree? I might think myself justified to call Renzo then. He could at least get his best attorneys onto the situation.”

His expression remained unconcerned. “By all means, if you think this is the correct course of action. We can fight about who is more suited to get full custody of the child in the courts.”

A chill dripped like acid into her veins. She didn’t really think he could take her child away from her—but what if he could?

“I haven’t made up my mind yet,” she said breezily, turning to smile at the woman who brought her a cup of coffee.

“You will,” he said with that arrogant assurance that made her want to grind her teeth in frustration.

His phone buzzed on the table and he pressed the button to send it to voice mail without once looking at the screen. She wondered who was on the other end of the line, then realized with an unpleasant jolt that it must be a woman. He wouldn’t treat a business associate that way, she was pretty certain, so it had to be a romantic entanglement.

Something twisted in her gut then, some feeling she didn’t want to examine too closely. She’d not thought of what his romantic life must be like right now. They’d spent a single night together nearly two months ago. Though he’d not been linked with any particular woman in the papers lately did not mean there wasn’t one—or had not been one that night.

A wave of queasiness swept through her, but it had nothing to do with pregnancy hormones. She pushed the coffee away.

“You can drink it,” Nico said. “It’s decaf.”

For some reason, she was ridiculously touched that he’d known she couldn’t have caffeine. But she shouldn’t be. It wasn’t a romantic gesture; it was a practical one. “Thank you for remembering.”

The smile he gave her threatened to melt all her good intentions to remain detached and controlled. How could she even begin to feel that way? He was threatening her—threatening her family. But what he said next cracked the ice she tried to keep around her heart.

“I spent a couple of hours this morning looking up pregnancy. I admit I know nothing.”

Tina swallowed. Hard. “I’m afraid I don’t, either. I had thought to beg Faith for information.”

Nico looked suddenly thoughtful, and the ice cracked a little more. “There is a website with pregnant women on it. They talk about everything. You can even track the stages of your pregnancy. It is quite amazing.”

Tina picked up her cup with shaky fingers—mostly because she needed something to do—and took a sip.

She didn’t want to see this side of him, not when he’d threatened her with a custody battle and harm to her family if she didn’t bow to his will. But when he looked at her like this, when he spoke so earnestly and honestly it made her heart hurt, she remembered the old Nico, the one who used to work in the garage with Renzo and laugh freely.

And remembering made her ache with longing to see them reconciled, though he’d told her yesterday that would never happen. How could it be that bad between them? That unforgivable?

“I’ll look into it,” she said softly, keeping her eyes downcast while she worked to find her center.

The food arrived then, and once more they were alone and eating together on this gorgeous balcony overlooking the beautiful azure lake. Everything was delicious and plentiful, and she found herself eating more than she’d thought she would be able to.

“I’m glad to see you eat,” he said. “You were very pale yesterday when I first saw you.”

“The medication helps tremendously. I’m just happy I didn’t miss breakfast. I thought I’d slept too late.”

His eyes gleamed like purest silver in the shaft of sunlight slanting through the laurels. “You will never miss breakfast so long as you are here, cara. The meal will wait until you are ready for it.”

A dart of pain pierced her right in the center of her chest and she found herself blinking rapidly to dispel the tears that threatened to fall. Why? Why?

It was nothing to cry over. It was ridiculous to think of crying. Niccolo Gavretti was not holding meals for her. He was taking care of her because she carried his child, nothing more.

She absolutely would not read more into the gesture than it contained. He was not being thoughtful.

But when had anyone ever put her needs and feelings first? When had anyone ever treated her as if she were the center of their universe?

Mama and Renzo loved her, she had no doubt, but Renzo had always been the one around whom the family orbited. Because he was male. Because he was older. Because he was wildly, insanely driven and successful. She’d grown up in his shadow. It hadn’t been a bad place to be, but it had also not been a place where she could flourish on her own merits.

“Thank you,” she managed to say finally. “That’s very kind of you, but there’s no need to hold meals for me. Tell me what time you wish to have breakfast, and I will be here for it.”

His phone buzzed again, startling her. Again, he sent it to voice mail without looking at the screen. He did it so casually that she almost felt sorry for the person on the other end of the line.

“We will eat when you are ready. A pregnant woman needs plenty of sleep.”

Heat suffused her then, made her skin glow. There was something about the way he said pregnant woman that made her blush. Absurd.

“I will still endeavor to awaken at a reasonable hour,” she said stubbornly. “You shouldn’t have to wait for me.”

He grinned, and her heart squeezed tight. So, so handsome when he wasn’t scowling—and even when he was, damn him. “Truthfully, cara mia, I am a night owl. I prefer to sleep in myself. But if you begin to awaken at dawn, then dawn is when breakfast will be.”

Tina shuddered. “Never fear, dawn is definitely not my style.”

He reached for a roll. “Perhaps this night owl lifestyle will do us well when we have a newborn to take care of. I understand they do not sleep much.”

Tina could only gape at him. “Exactly how much reading have you been doing anyway?”

Though, truthfully, that wasn’t why she was stunned. No, it was the implication that we would be taking care of a newborn. Not her. Both of them, as if he, too, would get up in the middle of the night to feed the baby.

It was a mental picture she did not need.

“I couldn’t sleep last night, I’m afraid.” He picked up his coffee. “Do you have any idea how much work a baby can be?”

“I have some idea,” she said, thinking of Renzo and Faith and the haggard, sleepless looks they’d worn for the past few months.

He looked so serious. “It’s rather frightening how much attention such a little person needs.”

“Well, they can’t do it themselves.”

“No,” he agreed.

His phone buzzed again. This time he glanced at it before swearing and sending it to voice mail. It was just what she needed to pierce the bubble of dazed delight swirling around her head. He would not lull her with talk of babies.

“Why don’t you just answer it?” she asked a bit more sharply than she intended.

There was a sudden chill that blanketed his eyes, and she almost wished she’d kept her irritation to herself.

“Because it will do no good,” he told her mildly, though she wasn’t fooled he was anything other than angry about the calls. “Some women are incapable of listening to reason, and I refuse to bash my head against the wall repeatedly in an effort to be heard.”

Tina’s spine stiffened. “I’m rather surprised you would even bother. I thought your usual method was simply to leave once you were finished.”

His eyes glittered so hotly she had an urge to apologize. But she wouldn’t.

He stood and pocketed the phone, and she couldn’t quite shake the feeling she’d insulted him. Though why she should care, she couldn’t say.

“Sadly,” he said, “there are some women in a man’s life that it is impossible to leave. No matter how much he might wish it.”

The island was larger than Tina had first thought when they’d arrived yesterday. On the other side of the castle was a terraced garden, with grapevines twining over a pergola, cobbled walkways, and plots of herbs and flowers. There was also a stone pool with clear turquoise water that looked as if it, too, had been carved out of ancient rock and set here during Roman times.

It had been hours since breakfast. She’d spent some time exploring the castle, and when she’d realized there was actually a garden, she’d changed her shoes into something more reasonable so that she could investigate it further.

She skirted the pool and walked across the grass toward the vine-shaded pergola. From the outside, it looked so private and cool. Peaceful. She could use a little bit of peace in her life right now.

She hadn’t seen Nico since this morning, but she hadn’t stopped thinking about their exchange on the terrace. There are some women in a man’s life that it is impossible to leave. No matter how much he might wish it.

Like a woman who was pregnant with his child? She felt like a fool the more she thought of it. Of course he didn’t want her in his life, but he was willing to accept her because of the baby. If she married him, would she be the woman on the other end of that phone someday?

She ran her hand along a stand of tall ornamental grass, enjoying the way the fuzzy tops tickled her fingers. No doubt she would be the woman on the other end of the phone, whether she married him or not. They were having a baby together and they would always need to be in contact with each other, regardless of whether or not they married.

He would be in her life, and she in his, for as long as they lived. The thought made her shiver—only it wasn’t completely out of fear or anger that she did so.

No, more like excitement.

Tina stopped in the middle of the garden as her legs seemed to suddenly be made of jelly. My God, a baby was such a game changer. A life changer. A child was forever. It was such a huge obligation that Tina sucked in an abrupt, sharp breath, heavy with responsibility and unshed tears.

My God.

What had she gotten herself into? It was too much. Too much …

Her heart beat hard. She thought of Faith and Renzo, of the baby they both loved so much. She could see the pride in their gazes, the love and the utter conviction they would do anything it took to protect their child. And each other.

Tina passed beneath the pergola and found an outdoor furniture grouping plush with overstuffed cushions. It was a perfect place to curl up and read—or to think.

She sank onto the couch and lay back against the pillows. Tears pricked her eyes. Such a mess she was in. Nico didn’t love her, nor she him, but they’d created this life together. This tiny life that would need so many things from her.

Certainly she could hire a nanny. She could buy her own house and hire around-the-clock care for her child. She could do this alone, she didn’t doubt it.

But was it fair to her baby to make him or her shuffle between parents?

Tina put a hand over her belly and concentrated on breathing. Her heart hurt with the chaos of her thoughts. Was agreeing to marry Nico the right thing to do? She pictured Renzo and knew he would be furious if she did.

But if marrying Nico kept him from going after Renzo or D’Angeli Motors, then she had to do it. She would not be responsible for this feud between them growing any worse, nor would she be responsible for bringing harm to her brother and his family.

The sun was warm beneath the pergola, though she was not in direct light. She lay there for a very long time, gazing out at the bright green lawn with red and pink flowerbeds, pencil pines, bay laurels, and even a small grove of olive and lemon trees, until her eyes started to droop.

Tina awoke with a start sometime later, a chill skating over her skin as the sun’s warming caress moved on to another part of the garden. Birds chirped in the trees and she could hear the distant sounds of church bells from the nearest village across the lake.

She’d been dreaming about Nico, as he used to be when he came to their house so many years ago. He’d laughed then. Smiled. He’d always had an edge, but it hadn’t seemed frightening the way it did now.

Now she was utterly convinced he would do whatever it took to get his way. Ruthlessly.

“You scared Giuseppe out of several years of life when he could not find you,” came a cool voice.

Tina gave a little gasp of fright. She turned, found the man she’d been dreaming about sitting in a chair across from her, watching her with an intensity that both warmed and frightened her.

“I’m sorry,” she said automatically. “I fell asleep.”

“I see that.”

She pushed herself upright on the cushions and stretched like a cat coming to life after a long nap. “I don’t know what happened. It was warm and cozy, and I couldn’t keep my eyes open.”

He looked around the sheltered pergola as if seeking the answer somewhere in the leafy green vines. She realized then that they were hidden from the view of anyone in the castle. A person would have to walk across the garden and cross in front of the pergola to see anyone inside it.

No wonder Giuseppe had lost her. She felt a pinprick of guilt as she thought of the little man searching. He’d been nothing but wonderful to her since the moment she’d arrived. He, at least, made her feel like a guest instead of a prisoner.

“It is a lovely spot for a nap,” Nico said. “I believe I might have fallen asleep here once when I was six.”

Her heart flipped as she thought of him as a little boy. Had he frightened his parents when he’d disappeared that day? Or had they known where he’d gone and left him to sleep in this lovely bower?

He seemed distant, his eyes focusing on some faraway point. Then he swung his gaze back to her. It was cool, hard. Determined. “It is time, Tina.”

She swallowed. “Time for what?”

He flicked his fingers against his jeans, as if removing a speck of dirt. “Time to choose.”

Her heart skipped. “Who was the woman on the phone?” she asked, fresh anger surging in her veins.

His eyes darkened. She didn’t think he would answer. But he surprised her.

“My mother. We were arguing.”

Tina ducked her head and studied her clasped hands. So much rage in so few words. She felt as if she’d invaded his privacy somehow, yet she’d had to know the answer. As if it mattered when he compelled her to marry him with threats to her family.

“It’s none of my business. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

She could feel his gaze still on her, intense, steady, penetrating. “You heard me fight with a woman. You saw me ignore her calls. And I’ve asked you to marry me. You have every right to be curious, under the circumstances.”

“Actually,” she said, her heart thudding as she lifted her gaze and met those storm-cloud eyes, “you didn’t ask me. You told me.”

He was so beautiful sitting across from her, his long legs stretched out in front of him, one arm hooked along the back of the big chair as he sprawled casually in it. He wore dark jeans and a white shirt, unbuttoned to show a perfect V of tanned skin that she could remember kissing—innocently at first, reverently later.

He arched an eyebrow as he studied her. She knew her color was high and wondered what he must be thinking. As if it mattered. As if anything but what he demanded of her mattered.

He ran his fingers along the arm of the chair in an absent gesture. “What is the difference? The outcome will be the same.”

Her temper flared. “A woman wants to be asked, Nico. It’s part of the fantasy.”

“Does this mean you’ve come to your senses?”

Her breath caught, her blood pounding in her temples, her ears. Come to her senses? She felt as though she’d lost them two months ago.

“Promise you won’t harm my family or D’Angeli Motors.” She said it firmly, her heart racing recklessly fast. It wasn’t like her to be so bold, and yet she’d been bolder in the past twenty-four hours with him than she’d ever been in her life. Oh, she was assertive enough usually, having learned to come out of her shell after years of schooling, but not confrontational. She’d been taught to be polite, gracious and ladylike—skills that were somehow lacking when she faced Niccolo Gavretti.

One corner of his mouth turned up. It could not be called a smile. “So long as Renzo leaves me alone, then I will do the same.”

Tina closed her eyes, her entire body quivering with fear and anticipation all at once. Was she really going to do this?

Of course she was. What choice did she have? She wouldn’t let her family suffer. Nico was titled, wealthy and no doubt in possession of far more power now that he’d inherited his father’s estate. Renzo would be no match for him. And she would not let that happen.

“Then you should ask me,” she said. “It would be the proper thing to do.”

She didn’t expect him to do what he did next. He rose from the chair in a graceful movement. And then he was at her side, sinking onto a knee on the gray stone cobbles in front of the couch. His palm came up, cupped her cheek, while his other hand took one of hers and brought it to his heart. It was a grand gesture, even if it was false.

Tina turned her cheek into his palm, though she did not mean to do so. But it was such a tender touch, and she’d ached to feel it for so long. For nearly two months. It stunned her to discover that she’d missed him, missed the aching rightness of his skin against hers.

Oh, she was in so much trouble here.

“Valentina D’Angeli,” he said, his fingers suddenly stroking down, along the column of her neck, making her shiver with longing. “Will you be my wife?”

Tina darted her tongue over her lips. She was insane, insane—insane—for even considering this. But he was right; she had no choice.

It was the correct thing to do. For her family. For her baby.

“Yes,” she whispered, her throat constricting on the word. “Yes.”