Seduced by the Enemy

by Alyssa J. Montgomery

  ‘No.’ Backing away from him was almost impossible when she wanted so badly to be held tightly against him. ‘Being close to you physically right now, Luca, will only confuse the issue.’

  He sent her a sinfully, sexy smile. ‘Or make it clearer which path you’d really like to take.’

  Rolling her eyes at his incorrigibility she bid him goodnight and stepped around him. One foot in front of the other, she didn’t dare stop until she was out the door, down the hall and safely in her own bedroom. As she shut the door behind her, she leaned back and thumped her head softly against it.

  Give me everything, cara, and in return I’ll give you everything I am, he’d told her. But, he wasn’t prepared to give her his heart.

  Why couldn’t he just love her?

  Chapter 12

  The following morning, Olivia deliberately dallied, expecting Luca would’ve gone to his office in the city by the time she went downstairs for breakfast. She should’ve known he’d break with his routine and still be sitting over his coffee when she entered the sunny breakfast room.

  Okay. This was going to be their first awkward encounter after the night they’d shared, but she was an adult. She could do this.

  Telling her feet they had to continue to propel her into the room was tough, but they obeyed. The polite smile on her face was easy enough to manage but she couldn’t quite meet his eyes. ‘Good morning, Luca.’

  All she had to do was set the tone and keep him at arm’s length.

  ‘Olivia.’ God but those four syllables of her name were sexy when he uttered them.

  When he stood up, she couldn’t help but look at him—all six feet four inches of divine masculinity clad in a well-cut suit that screamed powerhouse, alpha male. The same male who’d made exquisite, passionate love to her last night.

  ‘I thought you’d have left for the office by now,’ she blurted as she tried to fight the images crowding her mind.

  His lips thinned. ‘I thought your late arrival might’ve been deliberate.’

  She shouldn’t have admitted it. ‘About last night—’

  ‘Sit down, Olivia. There’s other more important news to discuss this morning.’

  Her heart lurched at the gravity of his tone and she dropped to the nearest chair. There was only one piece of news they awaited. ‘The doctor’s been in touch?’

  His gaze dropped to his plate as he nodded and a huge knot pulled tight in her gut.

  ‘The test results?’

  A long exhalation before he said, ‘Neither you nor Marjorie are a match.’

  Her shoulders sagged. It was the worst possible result.

  All she could see as she closed her eyes was Christiana’s image.

  All she could think was how unfair it was to have an innocent child suffer so much.

  Forcing herself to stop dwelling on the negatives, she looked at Luca. ‘What now?’

  ‘Now, we’re back to waiting for someone to present somewhere in the world as a bone marrow donor. The international registry will contact us to tell us when they have a match.’

  It was too much to bear.

  Tears stung her eyes and her hands went up to cover her face.

  Luca was by her side in a second, pulling her up from her chair and firmly against his body while he wrapped his arms around her in reassurance and support.

  ‘Don’t cry, cara.’ His voice held a wealth of caring. ‘We have to hang on to hope.’

  The tears were unstoppable.

  Last night they’d threatened and she’d held them at bay even as she’d despaired the hopelessness of loving Luca and knowing he didn’t return her love. Today they were unstoppable given the serious hopelessness of Christiana’s plight.

  Olivia was powerless to help her niece. Christiana’s future depended upon someone, somewhere coming forward. All anyone could do was hope and pray and all she could do was love Jane’s daughter and support her in any way she could.

  But you’re not powerless in regard to your own future, her inner voice taunted. Your role in Christiana’s upbringing could be secured if you agree to marry Luca.

  Should she hope to get over Luca and hold out for someone else to come along who’d offer a mutually loving relationship? Or, did she accept Luca’s proposal, ensure she could continue to live here close to Christiana, and hope against hope she could build on the friendship and chemistry she had with Luca to make their marriage work?

  Here she was again in Luca’s arms. Here she was again turning to him for comfort and wanting to bury herself against his chest as her silent tears turned into sobbing that simply wouldn’t subside.

  One of his hands soothed down over her hair while his lips pressed impossibly tender kisses along her forehead and at her temple. And, in between kisses, he murmured to her in Italian—words she couldn’t understand, but words that calmed her anyway because of the care in his tone.

  Eventually the tears stopped, and she pulled away from him. ‘Sorry,’ she said with a self-conscious grimace as she realised she’d dampened his shirt with her tears.

  ‘It’s nothing,’ he dismissed easily. ‘I’m here for you, Olivia, but Marjorie will need you to be strong for her, cara. I broke the news to her over breakfast.’

  ‘How was she?’

  ‘She put on a brave face, but naturally she’s devastated. She went to spend the morning with Christiana.’

  As was her usual routine.

  ‘Isn’t there anything else we can do?’

  Time stretched as he looked at her. She frowned because it was as though he was torn about something—as though there was something he wanted to say but wasn’t sure he should.

  ‘What is it, Luca?’

  His lips twisted before he opened his mouth. Just as he seemed to be about to say something, his lips closed and she got the strong impression he’d changed his mind.

  The fine hairs at the nape of her neck stood to attention in alarm. Luca was never indecisive. She doubted the word even existed in his vocabulary. ‘Is there something you’re not telling me?’

  He looked away from her and walked over to the window of the breakfast room. Without looking at her he said, ‘I don’t want to raise your hopes.’

  Olivia joined him immediately, holding his arms and urging, ‘Whatever it is, I want to know.’

  Again, he hesitated. ‘My lawyers have started to draw up paperwork. I’m going to regularly offer a substantial monetary compensation to new and existing members of bone marrow registries in Rome, London and New York. It’ll be in the form of a lottery where everyone on the list—whether they’ve donated or merely registered and are willing to donate—will go into the draw for the cash prize.’

  Her eyes widened. ‘What a fabulous idea! Surely you’ll raise awareness, attract a lot of donors and find a match?’

  ‘It’s the intention.’

  Why would he hesitate to tell her? It made him even more of a hero in her eyes.

  ‘If we don’t find a match, I’ll extend the net we cast to other major cities in the world. The lottery will continue, however, even after Christiana’s donor has been identified.’

  She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. ‘Think how many people it’ll help!’ He really was a good person. ‘Thank you for doing everything you can.’

  Again there was a light in his eyes she couldn’t identify as he told her, ‘I’m working on doing everything I can, Olivia.’

  ‘I know you are.’ She wanted to kiss him. Instead, she stepped away, unwilling to send him mixed messages.

  His hand rested on the window ledge and his fingers began to tap absently against the wood. ‘Olivia, I told you Marjorie needs your support, but I’d also like your support. I’m concerned you won’t want to stay here after last night. Please tell me I’m wrong.’

  Olivia couldn’t help herself. She reached up and framed his handsome face with her hands, touched he could show her his vulnerability—warmed he could also need her when he was so supportive of her. ‘I’m
not going anywhere, Luca.’

  ‘Thank you.’ He sent her a relieved smile. ‘I told you last night, I want you to stay permanently. Please promise you’ll reconsider your answer to my proposal.’

  It was an emotionally-charged moment for Olivia to see this powerful man’s need for reassurance—to understand his need for support. It made her reconsider her summing up that she merely ticked all his boxes because she loved their niece and because she and Luca were sexually compatible. She hadn’t considered he might want to share the ordeals ahead with her because he also needed her support.

  Olivia had been needed most of her life as Jane’s champion.

  Marjorie had also relied heavily upon her for the last five years.

  Luca was proposing an equal relationship—one where she could both support him and be supported by him. Loving him as she did, this new angle held a lot of appeal. In fact, her entire view of a future relationship with Luca rocked off its axis and she believed—really believed—she should re-examine his proposal.

  Pacing the floor of her bedroom for several hours throughout the night, she’d told herself it would never do to accept a marriage not based on mutual love. Now, she found herself open to it—open to Luca. For, what was marriage if it wasn’t a mixture of passion, friendship, mutual support through the tough times and the ability to enjoy each other’s company during the good times? Weren’t those ingredients even more important than the all-consuming passionate chemistry fizzing between them?

  ‘I’ll give it some more thought,’ she told him at last.

  Maybe he could grow to love her, and if he couldn’t, wouldn’t being his lover and building a life with him be better than living life as a single woman who wanted to be a wife and mother? It was all well and good telling herself she deserved it all, the problem was she loved Luca.

  The love and attraction she felt for him was a million times stronger than the feelings she’d ever had for Carl and this time she was convinced it was the forever kind of love which would never fade.

  ‘Thank you, cara.’ He placed a kiss on her cheek. ‘What are your plans for the day?’

  Going crazy thinking about whether or not to marry you.

  ‘After breakfast, I’ll spend some time with Christiana, and when it’s her rest time, I’m going to lock myself into my new studio and paint.’

  Pleasure spread across his features. ‘I’ll look forward to seeing your work.’

  ‘Not until I’m finished, you won’t.’

  His nod was a small one of acceptance. ‘I’ll see you tonight.’

  ***

  Luca left the room with a renewed sense of hope he could convince Olivia to accept his proposal.

  It was what Christiana needed.

  Inferno! It was what he needed.

  The Australian woman who’d lashed out at him physically—who he’d really believed was dangerously unhinged—was nothing like he’d first imagined. Over these last couple of weeks, he’d discovered how strong she was—how loyal and how generously she cared for those she loved.

  Jealousy had rent him apart last night and he’d been compelled to act on his growing physical attraction and make her his. He’d known it would be good between them and he’d been certain they’d find enough satisfaction in each other’s arms to be able to contemplate a lifetime together in marriage. What he hadn’t known was how extraordinarily perfect it would be.

  No woman had ever shattered his control like Olivia.

  It hadn’t been only his body stripped bare, but his soul—as though she’d broken his being right down to the most basic cellular level then built him back again with every kiss she’d delivered, every caress she’d bestowed, and every sweet sigh she’d uttered. Her finished product hadn’t been a restoration but a total reconstruction. As well as making him feel all-powerfully male, she’d made him more vulnerable—touching him profoundly on an emotional level he’d never known existed between a man and a woman. It was contradictory yet true, and overall, he felt much more worthy of her.

  Worthy of her? his conscience goaded. If you were truly worthy of her, wouldn’t you tell her the reason you first thought of giving in to your attraction? Wouldn’t you tell her why you chose that particular day to cancel all your appointments and play tourist guide around Rome?

  He closed his mind on his conscience.

  Cazzo! He didn’t even know whether the barbed jibes of his conscience were deserved.

  There were so many reasons marriage to Olivia was a good idea.

  His motivations were all matted together to the point he couldn’t sort through them. He didn’t know how much weight each reason carried or whether even the slightest part of him was seriously contemplating moving towards achieving his goal based on the extra information he’d received a few days ago. All he could honestly say was that he wanted her to be his wife.

  Everything will be okay, he told himself.

  Olivia would be his wife.

  A compatible bone marrow donor would be found.

  And … if the second thing didn’t happen?

  There was always Plan B.

  Chapter 13

  Olivia had made the decision shortly after Luca had gone off to the office that morning.

  She’d greeted Marjorie before asking Christiana how she was feeling.

  ‘Happy,’ came the little girl’s smiling response.

  It was always the same. It didn’t matter how dark the circles were under Christiana’s eyes, she always said she was happy. Given her English was fluent, it wasn’t that she had a limited vocabulary with which to reply!

  ‘Did you have a good time with Uncle Luca last night?’

  The innocent question had brought a heated flush to Olivia’s cheeks and she’d turned her head away from her mum, hoping to hide her reaction from Marjorie’s regard. ‘It was great. Seeing all the art work made me keen to start painting again.’

  ‘That’s wonderful news.’ Marjorie had been thrilled.

  Christiana had asked Olivia what she was going to paint, and she’d decided she’d paint Jane’s daughter’s portrait. She’d got out her sketch pad to make some preliminary drawings, and her pencil had flown across the paper as she’d captured Christiana’s features and expressions as she’d played with Marjorie.

  Later, as she’d taken her sketch pad through to the room set aside as her artist’s studio, Olivia looked through the initial sketches and moisture pricked at her eyes.

  Without false modesty, she knew they were good.

  So many emotions rose within her she could hardly identify them all.

  Words couldn’t express her joy at finding she still loved sketching. Within an hour, she’d reconnected to an elemental part of her she’d repressed all these years. Elation burst through her and tears turned to laughter because she finally felt free—the bird caged in a prison of its own making had finally found the courage to break free and soar once again.

  Luca had been the one responsible for pushing her to find her courage. She owed him a great deal.

  Wiping the tears from her eyes with the backs of her hands, Olivia had flipped the page of the sketch pad and her heart had contracted as she’d looked at the next sketch of Christiana. On paper, her niece’s eyes sparked with mischief and her cheeks dimpled with laughter. She’d been full of animation when she took on the persona of one of the puppets she and Marjorie had played with.

  Then and there, it’d been clear there could be no alternative choice.

  Olivia loved Jane’s daughter.

  Jane couldn’t be here for Christiana, but Olivia knew what her sister would want.

  Jane would want Olivia to fill the gap.

  If Olivia became Christiana’s mother figure, no stranger Luca chose to marry could fill the role. Olivia would love Christiana and raise her in the way Jane would’ve wanted.

  This discussion shouldn’t be about you or me. Christiana should be the focus here. Luca’s words had echoed in Olivia’s thoughts.

  It woul
d be reassuring for Christiana to know Olivia wouldn’t go back to Australia.

  It would be good for Marjorie to feel settled in Rome.

  And Olivia? Even knowing he didn’t love her, she wanted to be Luca’s wife.

  Walking back to her room, Olivia had picked up her mobile phone and dialled Luca’s number.

  ‘Olivia?’ he’d answered immediately. ‘What is it? Is something wrong with Christiana?’

  Of course he’d jumped to that conclusion. It was the first time she’d ever used the private number he’d given her. ‘No, Luca. I rang to give you an answer.’

  Silence had stretched as she’d gulped and squared her shoulders.

  ‘If you’re serious about your proposal, I’ve decided I’ll marry you.’

  When he hadn’t responded immediately, her heart stuttered.

  She’d been about to retract her words when he’d said, ‘That’s great. I’ll ask my assistant, Chiara, to start making the arrangements. Can you be free this afternoon if she comes to the house to discuss your requirements?’

  Requirements?

  Oh shit! What had she done?

  Luca’s emotionally detached response during the phone call hadn’t been the only thing that’d sent her into a panic about her decision to accept his proposal. For the three weeks after Olivia had made the decision to marry Luca, his very efficient assistant had made numerous visits to the house, gone through checklist after checklist asking her about her wishes for every little detail of the wedding—a wedding in which Olivia had become increasingly disinterested.

  It didn’t matter that she loved Luca more than she’d ever cared for Carl. Last time, planning her wedding had been exciting because she’d shared the bulk of the plans with the man she was going to marry. The only interest Luca took in the arrangements was to ask her whether she found it easy to work with Chiara, to pull strings so one of the top wedding gown designers in Europe was suddenly at her disposal, and to underline Olivia was to have everything she wanted and to spare no expense.

  Thankfully, he’d at least shown a lot more interest in his bride to be.