“Miya, this is Marsha—my fill-in secretary who is actually Christine’s nanny.” He turned toward her and then asked, “Where’s Christine now?”
“She’s eating at the moment.” She sounded more like an elderly nanny than a secretary. She then turned and said, “Christine said she was satisfied with your choice.”
Those words came out of her lips already? Miya stepped back for a moment and asked, “Satisfied? She’s two?”
“My words, not hers. At least, not this week,” Marsha said. “Did Lady Christine impress you?”
Understatement of the year, probably. Miya nodded and side-eyed Frederico. Did he honestly produce such a brilliant girl? She didn’t usually associate brains with muscles, but seriously, he must be smarter than the harried but sexy man she’d first met had seemed. She swallowed and said, “Absolutely. She’s very bright. She spoke in full sentences. I know full-sized adults who can’t …”
“She’s a genius, like her mother was,” Frederico interjected.
Love of his life was brainy. Yeah, she was a go-getter, but brains hadn’t come easy to her. She’d had to study long hours to get good grades.
Frederico continued, “And she’s named after my mother. Linsey thought it would help me bond to our daughter more.”
Smart. In her own dying moments, she’d probably not be putting connections like that together. She brushed her arms to rid herself of goosebumps as she said, “Well, I’m not a genius, but I have contracts to read.”
Frederico nodded to Marsha to leave, then stood, and brushed her back briefly to get her attention as he said, “Right. I’ll be in my study, should you need to find me.”
In a house large enough to hold an army inside, all with separate bedrooms, she wasn’t sure she could find him. She picked up the envelope and asked, “Where’s that?”
He directed her to the door and then pointed. “Down the hall to your right. Take the stairs down, and it’s the last door before the side way out to the gardens.”
Right, downstairs, last door. She could handle that. She stared into his gaze and hoped one day they could get along, at least as friends. She’d never be a genius and she wasn’t some siren. She was somewhere in between, where most people she knew were.
She ignored the swell inside her chest that wished, somehow, some handsome man with a muscular frame might notice her, as she simply said, “Thanks.”
His green eyes lingered on hers until he turned and left.
Her skin still felt as if she’d been zapped as she picked up the envelope. She’d marry him. But she needed to be a little smart, at least. She was here to build an advertising company, not to fall in love with someone impossible. And Frederico was absolutely off-limits, even if he was to be her husband.
Chapter 4
Frederico Cerkev had found a suitable partner. His nose sniffed the silent air now as he realized he missed the slightly floral smell of Miya’s hair. He hadn’t meant to notice things like that, but the simple soap smell hit him.
And that smile of hers shouldn’t haunt him, either. He had no right to desire his contracted wife.
Linsey had also been no-nonsense about soaps and had hated floral scents, as she’d told him whenever anyone wore the smell. So maybe it was a memory that made him feel this way and not Miya.
Most women were clearly nothing like Linsey, and he’d forgotten that small detail about her … until Miya.
And he’d never ever fall in love again with anyone, including Miya, but maybe noticing smells was a sign that Linsey approved of her, at least a little.
Though she’d not approve of how his body hardened at the thought of Miya.
His heart settled on the idea that she was an angel who he’d never touch, as he paced his wood-paneled study.
The walls in this room were all cherry wood. So was his desk and the small nooks for studying built into the walls. His father had once said his grandfather used to supervise him when he studied here as a boy.
Not that he remembered any of that. He’d grown up outside Florence, on a lovely hillside, and that villa had been his only memory until he moved here as a teenager.
Where he’d met Linsey, the local shop girl who knew more about, well, everything than he’d ever know.
His father hadn’t approved at first, but Linsey won him over with facts.
She always knew how to explain something that the rest of them took a while to get. And for some reason, she’d been his.
And now he was alone.
He glanced out at the small playground he’d set up for his daughter, not that she ever played there. Like her mother, she already knew everything before he figured out the first step, and now it was too cold to bother with the slides until spring.
The door opened and he turned as the dark-haired, brown-eyed woman, now in grey slacks and a green shirt, came in. She’d changed for this discussion. She came forward and said, “So, this is good. I signed.”
Zips rushed through him as he took the papers from her and asked, “No negotiations?”
She went up and down on her tiptoes and shook her head. “Are you joking?” she asked. “You’re providing me with a car and an airplane to take me wherever I need to be. Most startups don’t have that perk.”
Right. Her dream. The clear enthusiasm in her voice meant he’d struck a good deal. He checked to make sure she had signed in all the necessary places as he said, “You’ll be the Lady of Martina.”
She watched him closely. Her brown eyes melted him a little and he wished for a second he was free to do what he wanted, with her.
Once he finished signing, he stuffed everything into the envelope for his lawyer to file. But she pressed her hand on his shoulder. “I’ll do my best on the duties listed,” she said. Then she turned toward the window. “Is it snowing?”
White flecks passed the window as he shrugged and said, “Finally. Yes. It seems so.”
A huge smile beamed on her face as she said, “A white Christmas wedding.”
“The snow will probably delay the priest,” he said as he picked up his phone.
No news yet, but the snow had just started. He assumed he’d get that message soon.
Miya turned and her hair moved with her as she said, “My mother loves Christmas. She’s all I had and despite her reservations on my life choices, I miss her.”
Interesting. He followed her to the window and the slight citrus scent hit him again as he asked, “What happened to your dad?”
Her deep, almond eyes met his gaze as she said, “I never had a dad. He left before I was born. It was always just mom and me.”
Unlike him. His mother had cooked for him and his father took him on walks and explained life to him, until Linsey took over that job. He ignored how his heart beat faster near Miya as he said, “That had to be hard.”
She shrugged and watched the snow grow heavier now as she said, “I didn’t know any better, so it was fine.”
If they were to work as a team, perhaps she had insights he’d need to hear, he thought.
“I want my daughter to know her mom was special,” he said. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did your mom handle talking about your dad?”
Miya’s lips curved into a slight smile as she gazed up at him. “I think you’re being noble. Your Linsey died. She’s in heaven watching out for both you and Christine. I don’t know where my dad is, or even care, really, as he never came to check on me.”
Miya’s vulnerability hit him hard. It was like he’d been stomach-punched, but in a good way. He asked, “Do you want to take pictures or video for your mom?”
If there weren’t significant delays, he thought. His home high on a mountain meant travel became difficult until the roads were cleared.
“I … she asked to come,” said Miya. “I told her to stay in Deerrun, but the snow is making me wish she was here with me now.”
Miya was unusual. Not what he’d expected, but in a good way. Of course, he’d never expected an Asian-American w
oman to show up at his door at all. He pointed to the window and said, “The snow?”
She narrowed her gaze and explained, “My mom usually enters a hot chocolate competition this time of year. But in Deerrun, there is also the wreathmaking competition, the ice skating rink, the Christmas tree lighting, the town choir roaming the streets singing carols, and pretty much every Christmas activity a small town can offer.”
She spoke almost in a foreign language to him. In Italy, Christmas was usually warm and mostly included Church-related activities. Nothing like the movies from America that Linsey had sometimes watched. “So why didn’t you go there for Christmas instead of coming here to apply for a job?”
For a second, her eyes widened, and she pulled away. Then she said, “I … I haven’t gone back for the past few years. Work always had something last-minute for me to handle.”
Now that sounded like every American he’d ever met. Work. They weren’t exactly known for having a healthy balance. “If you want to go back for Christmas after the ceremony, it will be tricky this year,” he said, “But next year?”
She pushed her jet-black hair behind her ears as she said, “I read the thirty-days clause—to stay close post wedding in case of royal inspection—and that’s fine. It will take me a while to get my company started anyhow.”
Maybe he could help Miya find a balance in her life between work and living. Part of him ached to touch her, but he resisted. “And if you want your mother here, we can postpone the wedding till tomorrow.”
His phone beeped.
Despite her mother’s negativity about her love life, Miya did miss her and her jingle-through-the-holiday traditions she adhered to like she lived for the season.
He didn’t need to look at the message. He knew what it would read: snow delay.
Miya had no idea as she shook her head and said, “Let’s not wait for her. I doubt there is a flight that would get her here in time.”
He walked away from her, picked up his phone and confirmed his suspicion. Then he walked back, showed her the phone and said, “I have a jet. She can make it. And besides, the priest doesn’t like driving in the snow.”
Her mysterious smile captivated him as she said, “Well then, I’d like that.”
Perfect. Miya had a gentleness in her tone that didn’t match the work mission she’d agreed to marry him for. But that would be all there was between them, he reminded himself.
“We’ll have the wedding tomorrow, as soon as they both arrive,” he said. “I can’t promise snow.”
She pointed to the snowstorm that brewed outside the window and said, “It will still be all white and beautiful here.”
She had no idea, he thought. Unlike Italy, it always snowed heavily here at the manor. There was a chance they’d get snowed in on the mountain till spring, but he’d not scare her with that now. He had a helipad if it came to getting her to a meeting. Instead, he said, “In the meantime you can pick a gown.”
She sucked in her lip and shook her head. “This is a business deal. I shouldn’t want my mom here.”
Adrenaline shot through him like this was a second chance for him and his daughter. He crossed his arms and stood straighter as he said, “We can still be excited for our lives.”
But then he lowered his arms and forced himself to relax as he said, “Besides, I’d like for my daughter to enjoy the day. You’re saving both our lives, which means you should look the part of a bride. And hopefully your mother won’t talk you out of marrying me and leave me scrambling.”
She laughed and pressed her small hand on his chest, making him tremble slightly, as she said, “She won’t. I have a question though.”
He’d never been the one with answers, but he nodded and asked, “What?”
Her face froze for a moment but her dark eyes caught his attention and didn’t let him go as she asked, “Well, what about … passion in our lives?”
His face felt hot. Right. That was in the papers she’d signed. He backed up and massaged the back of his neck as he asked, “I … are you talking about sex?”
She made a fist with one hand and then gently hit her other open hand as she said, “That’s straightforward. The contract stated no affairs.”
He sat in his seat at the desk and folded his hands to keep some distance as he said, “It did.”
She followed to his side and jumped up to sit on the desk as she said, “So what about … y’know … basic needs?”
Linsey had been his first and only love. If he touched another, he’d betray that somehow. His collar was tight as he said, “I can’t promise you love.”
“I understand that,” she said gently. “We’re talking about physical … needs.”
In the two years since his daughter was born and Linsey died, he’d buried that impulse. Somehow, he’d need to change now. It was time. Even if his heart beat a mile a minute. He glanced up and said, “I’ll do my best to satisfy us both if called upon.”
She crossed her legs and said, “What about you? Men have needs and I thought the contract said it was a rule for both of us.”
And like an arrow she hit her target because his body grew hard fast. He shifted in his seat and said, “Affairs lead to royal interference in our lives and put the family—and my daughter—through public scrutiny. I don’t need another child, but I need to ensure that the Cerkev name is kept clean.”
She stared at him again like she needed to peer into his soul and had some sort of power to do it. She leaned closer and said, “But you didn’t mention … your own needs.”
Fair. She’d asked and he’d not talked about how he’d destroy his memories first. He said, “I’ll come to you, and only you, when I’m ready.”
“Okay,” she said and sat back like she was happy with his answer, though his entire body was still tight as she said, “One more thing, Frederico.”
She scooted on the desk closer to him but still kept plenty of distance as he asked, “What’s that?”
She beamed that smile of hers that made the world stop as she said, “Your name doesn’t roll off my tongue naturally. Can I call you Fred?”
His entire face wrinkled as he said, “No.”
She tilted her face as she asked, “Do you have a nickname at all?”
Linsey had called him Rico privately. Maybe it wasn’t a betrayal. Besides, Miya was to be his wife. He said, “That’s very American of you.”
She jumped off the desk like she was done as she brushed off her pants and said, “What can I say? I’m not used to being formal and I don’t know if, in a kiss, I’d want to sigh out all those syllables in Frederico.”
Sighs meant she already envisioned them … in bed. The idea of having this petite woman as his seemed strange, like he’d break her in half. So he held himself together and said, “You’re amusing Miya. Would Rico be better?”
She snapped her fingers in the air. “Yes, Rico is perfect.”
Somehow she made his name sound like a rock star. He sat back and relaxed as he folded his hands in front of him again. “Then call me Rico.”
She headed to the door with some sort of enchanting sass to her step. He stood to watch her leave, but at the door she turned around and said, “Rico?”
Miya was beautiful. Like he’d somehow had an enchantress and secret wish combined into a woman he’d never imagined until now. Even his voice sounded wistful as he asked, “Yes?”
She leaned against the door, full of confidence, as she said, “I’m surprisingly excited for tomorrow. I’m going to get an ad together to hire a secretary. There is tons to do in a startup.”
Good. Yes. Business. This wasn’t a romance. Somehow he’d just have to get his mind focused on what was happening here. He was marrying Miya to ensure Christine had everything money could buy. He was giving Miya free reign to run her business while he focused on regrowing the earldom. And maybe he’d have time to write a little, again. He’d not done that in years, though his palm itched to try. He called out, “Remember, you’re
grounded here for the next thirty days.”
She gave him a twirl like she was happy and kicked her feet in a small dance. “And I won’t work tomorrow at all. Wedding day. And my mother will ensure that.”
Whatever music she heard in her mind, he wished he heard it too, and despite his two left feet, he wanted to join in her excitement. Instead he said, “Sounds lovely.”
She snapped her fingers to her mystery dance in the hall as she said, “And Christmas. She’ll be here and you and Christine will have to join us in whatever event my mom wants us to do. She’ll probably show up in a Christmas sweater.”
Perhaps the winters there allowed for her more American, cheery holiday version than the religious one he’d known. He followed her into the hall as he said, “Then we all need her here. See you tomorrow, at the wedding.”
She waved and headed up the stairs.
He stood where he was. While there was no way his heart would be open to love in the way he’d been with Linsey, maybe he and Miya could be friends and happy with this choice. She clearly had her own plans, which was good. He didn’t need someone else trying to fix him in this life.
Chapter 5
Miya finished in the bathroom and checked that her white button-down shirt was tucked into her black pants. This wasn’t exactly festive, but it was easy to peel off when it was time to dress.
Today was her wedding day, for goodness’ sake. She found her black flats and then headed right to her laptop that was charging near the bed.
Last night she’d been up for hours running calculations for what needed to be done for her startup, what she needed to do as a lady here, and how to figure in some time for herself. It was pretty much impossible on her own.
Her stomach was in knots as she finished the last of the coffee in the carafe.
If she was going to pull this off … she needed Coral. But she’d need to entice her friend to leave New York, and that might take persuasion.
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