Second Chance: A Christian Romance (Royals Book 2)

by Nicole Taylor

  The eldest son, Vincent, like Robert, had more of Michael’s looks than Reba’s. He was married with a child and another on the way and worked as a cinematographer. Nicholas, a year older than Robert, was a winning combination of Michael and Reba with his olive complexion and green eyes. He was currently working for the Internal Revenue Service. A job which he admitted wasn’t that far removed from show business since no one escaped paying taxes, not even movie moguls.

  Robert did just as he had told her he would. He spent the weekend carting her around town in his bright red Ferrari, introducing her to friends, taking her places and generally showing her off.

  The press, of course, ate it up. The two tried hard not to live out their courtship in public but it became impossible not to. The supermodel and the superstar were Hollywood’s latest super-couple, and the paparazzi were handsomely rewarded by the tabloids for capturing every moment of their romance.

  All too soon it was time for Dana to return home. At LAX, she and Robert kissed and hugged and promised to call each other every day as usual. Then she was off to Paris for a few days only to fly off to the Bahamas for a fashion shoot.

  ~*~*~*~

  Corey Elsom looked at Robert Cortelli in stupefied wonder.

  “She told you what?!”

  “No sex until marriage,” Robert replied.

  “And you told her that this is the twenty-first century, not the Victorian era, right?”

  “I actually respect her position.”

  “Are you out of your mind? You are going to wind up dying of frustration, dude. Do you see what that woman looks like? She has got every guy in the free world drooling at the sight of her and you’ve got her but can’t touch her. I am telling you that you will die. You’ll get an aneurysm or something from all that pressure backing up on you.”

  Robert drained his glass and placed it carefully on the table.

  “You know of all the dumb things you have ever said that was by far the dumbest. How did you even get through law school?”

  Corey held up his hands. “Hey, I didn’t mean to offend, dude. I’m just–”

  “Shooting off your mouth as usual,” Robert replied, disgust dripping from every syllable.

  When Corey had asked why Dana hadn’t stayed with him during her recent stay in L.A., Robert had shared Dana’s stance on pre-marital sex. He now regretted that decision.

  “You are so immature. For the record, I can actually control myself. I won’t die of an aneurysm but I could die from serious exposure to idiots like you. So I’m leaving.”

  “What are you so uptight about? I’m just saying the whole ‘no sex’ thing seems a little strange coming from her that’s all. I just don’t want you to get taken for a ride. She’s a Victoria’s Secret model. You don’t get more salacious than…”

  “Corey.”

  That one word came out sounding like a growl and represented a warning.

  “I’m in love with her. So be very careful what you say. Furthermore, don’t offer me any relationship advice. Maybe if you and Trudy weren’t having sex you’d be more objective and get to see her for who she really is.”

  Corey’s mouth fell open. “What do you mean? Is there something you have to tell me about Trudy?”

  Robert shook his head as the quote, ‘There is none so blind as he who will not see,’ sprang to mind. “All I’m saying is there’s more to a relationship than sex, Corey. Thanks to Dana, I’ve come to realize that.”

  Robert glanced at his watch and stood. “I’ve got to go. I’ve got a meeting to attend.”

  “No hard feelings, dude, okay?”

  Robert shrugged. “I don’t hold it against you. I already know that you left half your brains on the football field.”

  “Hey!”

  Chapter 7

  “When are you going to start shooting Damage?” Dana pressed the phone closer to her ear, as she reclined on a sofa in her hotel room in Milan. It was the only afternoon she had off in the midst of her packed schedule. She was shooting a photo spread for Elle magazine.

  “Filming begins in four weeks.”

  “And then in six months you begin The Asylum. I can’t wait to join you, even though mine is a small part.”

  Dana sunk deeper into the sofa and tugged on a lock of her hair.

  “Actually,” Robert confessed, “I’ve got something to tell you.”

  “What?”

  “I’ve asked the producers to expand your role. So you’ll also drive the getaway car instead of me in the scene when I escape. Plus we’ll share a passionate kiss before I leave.”

  “When did this happen? My agent didn’t mention this.”

  “Today. I expect she’ll contact you to ask about it soon.”

  “I’ll have to think about that one. Sounds a bit too racy for a good Christian like me.”

  “Dana Dickson,” Robert growled.

  She giggled. “Just kidding.”

  “Good to hear that. So we have to meet very soon and rehearse that crucial scene.”

  “Driving the getaway car?” she asked with feigned innocence.

  “Sharing the kiss, Miss Smarty Pants. You’re really on a roll tonight.”

  They laughed.

  “When did you say your assignment there was going to end?” Robert asked.

  “I’ll be here for four more days.”

  “Um…okay…so tell me what’s new in your life? What adventures did you have today? Did you have to pose with any wild animals?”

  “No, not today, but I did have to tell off a photographer,” Dana laughed.

  “What happened?”

  “The poses he wanted me to do were totally sleazy. I refused and he had a fit.”

  Robert’s tone dripped with anger.

  “I know that you can take care of yourself but I’m concerned for you. Suppose one of these guys threatens you or something. You’re so far away I can’t even do anything.”

  “Anything like what?” she said teasingly, although warmth had flooded her entire body at his primal desire to protect her.

  “Dana, baby, I’d do anything for you. I hope you know that. Anyone who tries to harm you in any way would wish he’d never been born. I’m serious. I hate the thought of these lecherous sleaze balls ogling you.”

  She toyed with the telephone cord as his remarks sunk in and her mind flooded with images of her early modeling days that she would rather forget.

  “Dana? Are you still there?”

  She drew a shaky breath.

  “Yeah, I am. Just thinking that in some ways you are right. This business isn’t as great as everyone thinks. What I said about that photographer is just the tip of the iceberg, Bobby. There is something I want to confess. I wish I was saying this to you in person and not over the phone but I just want to get it off my chest right now.”

  Dana paused for a second and wondered if she was doing the right thing. What would his response be? No, she needed to trust him. They had been seeing each other for over four months now. It was time. She plunged ahead.

  “There were some things I did in the early days of modeling that I’m so ashamed of now. When I was eighteen, I went to Paris straight from home and discovered that editorial modeling was not as glamorous as the world has been led to believe. It was a dog-eat-dog business where only the toughest girl, the one willing to do any pose, wear anything, work at any time of the day or night, keep going without rest, was going to survive. I swallowed my pride, my values, everything…and just went for it.”

  She paused to take a shaky breath.

  “I lived on salads to stay slim and coffee to keep perpetual fatigue at bay and told myself that it would be worth it in the end, that one day when I had made it, I’d be the one calling the shots. I recall that my mom was really against my going to Paris but the dreams of money and fame were too alluring. Now I look back and know in my heart it wasn’t worth the humiliation. I wish I could delete some of those magazine photos from history, but they are there for posterity.
”

  “Did you ever…” he stopped and cleared his throat.

  “What? Did I ever what?”

  “Nah. Forget it. It’s not fair of me to ask you.”

  “Just say what’s on your mind.”

  “Did you ever do pornography?”

  It was several seconds before she answered.

  “No…but there’s sometimes a fine line between art and pornography. And many of the poses were so sexually suggestive. Especially the lingerie shoots. I’d hear things like, ‘look more sexy, show more leg, more cleavage, make me want you.’ That kind of stuff. In the early days, there were times when I’d show up at a shoot and be told there was no changing room. The other models and I would be forced to change in front of an audience. Nobody said anything because none of us wanted to be sent home, lose the job and then still be forced to pay for the flights. To get through it, I convinced myself that it wasn’t a big deal, that I was just acting and it had nothing to do with who I was inside. You really struck a nerve that night when you made that comment about what models do.”

  “I shouldn’t have said what I did. It was hypocritical of me. After all, when I take off my shirt in a movie what am I selling?”

  “You know, becoming a Christian has taught me that I can’t straddle the fence anymore. I’ve got to make some choices. That’s why this week I made the decision not to renew my contract with Victoria’s Secret when it expires next month.”

  “You did?”

  “Yes. I can’t be that person anymore. Yes, I want to model clothes but I’m not willing to be the pin-up girl. Granted I can’t do anything about the photos already out there. That’s the price I have to pay, but going forward I can change things.”

  There was silence for a short while, and then she said with a tremulous heart, “I hope you don’t think less of me because of what I told you.”

  “Do you know what I think of you?” he asked in a voice thick with emotion. “I think that you are an amazing woman. I have to admit that your looks caught my attention when we first met but what made me fall in love with you was your strength of character, how strong and intelligent, how brave yet feminine you are. You have not wallowed in your mistakes or sought to justify them. Instead, you’ve acknowledged them for what they were and have resolved to make positive changes. I can learn so much from you. I’m so thankful to have you in my life.”

  Dana swiped at the tears flowing down her cheek. She wanted so badly for him to be there with her right then. She so wanted to kiss him all over his face and never, ever let him go.

  “Oh, Bobby,” she whispered. “I love you.”

  “And I love you, baby,” he replied.

  She sniffed a bit. “So tell me, what are these movies where you’ve taken off your shirt? I want to go rent them.”

  ~*~*~*~

  “I’m going to Milan in three days and I’ll spend four days there. You need to clear my schedule,” Robert said to Anna Terranova during a business lunch at Spago.

  Anna hurriedly consulted her diary.

  “Robert.” She always called him Robert when he had done something to displease her. “You’ve got two important events this week. One is a meeting with Ray-Ban to discuss you being the face of their new line of eyewear, and the second is an interview with Oprah Winfrey on her show.”

  “Reschedule them,” he said as he shot off a text message to his personal assistant who he had sent to Zales to collect a custom-made order, costing over $22,000.

  “You can’t just blow off Ray-Ban and Oprah, Robert. Ray-Ban is a big deal for you. It’s a very lucrative contract. I don’t care how many millions you already have in the bank. Believe me, to maintain your lifestyle you need a constant flow of cash coming in,” she sputtered. “And Oprah. Are you kidding? Do you know what her viewership numbers are like?”

  “I’m not blowing off anyone, Anna,” he bit out, annoyed at her presumptuous tone. There were times when he liked being mothered by her. This wasn’t one. “I have to go to Milan. It’s important.”

  “More important than your career?”

  “You forget yourself, Anna,” he said in a dangerously soft tone.

  “Bobby,” she countered in a gentler tone. “Let me check your schedule and select a better time for you to go. Next week may work. You’re clear on Friday.”

  Robert leaned towards her. He spoke slowly, as if to someone who didn’t understand English well.

  “I’m going. To Milan. This Thursday. Deal with it.”

  Anna sighed. She hated when Robert Cortelli acted like a spoilt brat. It was so unhelpful.

  “Fine. I suppose if you were sick we’d have to reschedule anyway. I’ll speak to Sandy and we’ll sort it out between us.”

  “There you go,” he replied with a wink. “You’re finally catching on.”

  ~*~*~*~

  Dana strode out of the hotel elevator pulling her small carry-on suitcase behind her. She checked her watch. The flight to Paris would be leaving in two hours. She was in good time. She headed for the reception area to check out.

  As she stood at the counter waiting for the front desk clerk to complete the process, she suddenly felt arms come around her from behind.

  Dana immediately tensed and tried to twist around. Then she caught a whiff of the familiar fresh scent of his cologne and her heart almost stopped.

  “Surprise!” he whispered in her ear.

  Dana turned in Robert’s embrace and threw her arms around his neck as she broke out into a joyous laugh.

  “Robert Cortelli! What are you doing here?”

  “I came to surprise you.”

  The diamonds in his eyes sparkled as he grinned at her. Boy, he was a sight for sore eyes. He looked so handsome in his jeans and tee shirt and ubiquitous black leather jacket. From her peripheral vision, she could see the stares being sent their way.

  She took his hand.

  “Just give me a minute to finish up here.”

  The front desk clerk had all but turned into a nervous wreck in his presence. The poor girl was trying very hard to remain professional but, at the same time, she couldn’t hide the red flush on her face and the slight tremble in her hand when she gave Dana her room receipt.

  Dana empathized. Robert had the kind of magnetism that could cause a woman to fall to pieces.

  They left the counter hand in hand.

  “I’m headed to the airport. My flight leaves in less than two hours,” Dana said. “You didn’t even tell me you were coming. No wonder you were asking all those questions last night about when my flight was leaving. I didn’t suspect a thing.”

  “I didn’t want you to suspect a thing. It was supposed to be a surprise. There’s more. You’re not returning to Paris just yet.”

  They took a seat in a corner of the hotel reception area.

  “I’m not?” she asked tentatively, suddenly feeling breathless.

  “No. We’re headed to Linate Airport to board a short flight to Naples. We’re spending the next three days there. And before you ask whether we’ll have separate rooms be assured that we will. Further, we’ll be staying with my large Italian family so we’ll be well chaperoned.”

  Dana couldn’t contain the euphoric smile that covered her face. Impulsively, she threw her arms around his neck again.

  “I love you so much. I’m the happiest girl in the world right now,” she breathed against his cheek.

  “Ti amo, piccolo, with all my heart. Come on let’s go. The limo is waiting to take us to the airstrip.”

  ~*~*~*~

  Two days later, Dana sat next to Robert as he raced across the causeway to the Castel dell’Ovo in the tiny sports car he’d hired for the weekend. They were on their third day of sightseeing every attraction in Naples and enjoying Cortelli family fun.

  She turned to face Robert as their destination dawned on her.

  “Why are we here? This is where we shot that commercial in April remember, honey? We don’t need to see the castle again. We’ve only got one
more day here. Let’s go somewhere I’ve never been before. Besides, I’m kind of hungry,” she added as her stomach suddenly rumbled.

  “But we didn’t really explore the castle last time we were here. Now we have the opportunity to do that. Can you hold on dinner for a little while longer?”

  Dana shrugged. “I guess so.”

  He reached for her hand and kissed her fingers as his eyes shifted between her and the road.

  “Thank you.”

  They alighted from the car and made their way to the castle entrance.

  Dana glanced around then pulled up short. She tugged on Robert’s sleeve. “That’s strange,” she commented.

  “What?”

  “There’s a guy over there playing a violin.”

  Robert followed her gaze. “That is strange.”

  They watched the man disappear behind the castle wall.

  “Let’s follow him,” Robert whispered excitedly, grasping her hand.

  Dana hesitated. “I don’t think we should.”

  “Why not?”

  “We don’t know where he’s going.”

  “That’s why we’re going to follow him. Come on. Live a little. Don’t be so cautious.”

  Dana reluctantly followed Robert – and the violinist – but when they rounded the corner the man was gone and had been replaced by another man propping against a wall playing a flute. When he spotted them, he too turned and started walking away.

  “Come on,” Robert whispered.

  “Bobby…this is a little…strange.” She dug in her heels and tugged for him to release her hand.

  “And fun too! Admit it.”

  A nervous giggle escaped her lips.