She said he’d pulled her back together again. But she’d done the same to him. After the Claudette business, he’d been holding himself back from anyone and everyone, on purpose. He’d kept busy, gone through the motions, but done whatever he could to avoid actually connecting with another human.
Until now.
His chest puffed out and a smile lifted his lips, because what they had was good. No, it was great. And it would become impractical, soon enough, and they’d end it, but it wouldn’t be without looking back – he wasn’t foolish enough to believe he could stick to their original script so completely. He’d find it hard to walk away from her; he’d hate leaving her when the time came. He’d do it, because it was best for both of them, but he’d never be like he was before Maddie.
He was different, just like she was. They’d changed each other and he was glad for that.
Chapter 9
“HEY, BOY.” MADDIE reached down, patting the big, loving dog’s head, right between his ears. “Where’s Nico?”
Dante’s ears pricked up and he looked towards the house. Maddie followed his gaze, a small frown on her lips when she saw the door wide open and a couple of pairs of shoes just inside. One was unmistakably feminine.
“He’s got company, huh?” She looked down at the basket she was carrying, the scones she’d made wrapped in a tea towel, and suddenly she felt silly for going to the trouble. It was too much. Not appropriate for their kind of relationship.
Especially after the other night, when he’d guessed some of the truth of her past, and he’d reacted so…beautifully.
Her heart slowed down, thudding in time with Dante’s tail. She hadn’t planned to discuss any of it with Nico. It seemed disingenuous and duplicitous, given that he had no idea who her ex actually was, nor his connection to Michael.
But when he’d guessed what she’d been through, it had felt so good to be truthful with him, at least with regards to her situation. His reaction had meant so much to her. His obvious anger – anger at the man who’d hurt her –was validation that nothing that had happened to her had been right. But there was pride too, pride in the fact Maddie had escaped and was in the process of starting a new life for herself.
Nico was a part of that new life, but not for long, and she definitely didn’t want to intrude on his life more than she already had. If he had company, then she’d leave. Disappointment had her turning more slowly than she should. Her head was bent, her eyes focussed on the ground at her feet, so she didn’t see the little body running towards her at a rate of knots until it was too late. It collided with her legs, knocking her so her ankle caught on an uneven piece of grass and she fell with a loud gasp of surprise.
Past trauma had her brow breaking out in sweat, even as she realised her assailant was about three feet tall, with a mop of dark, curled hair and enormous brown eyes.
Dante came to stand beside her, barking loudly and licking her hand. She stroked his head, smiling reassuringly at the dog. “I’m okay, boy.” She turned to the young child who’d felled her. He wore jeans that had seen better days. There was a hole in one knee and an enormous grass stain on the other, and his shirt had been torn at the chest.
“I didn’t see you. Are you okay?” He asked in Italian, rubbing his head which Maddie realised, belatedly, had taken the full brunt of the collision. It pushed any of her own pain from her mind, though her ankle was beginning to throb in a dull way she suspected would mean it was sprained.
“I’m fine,” she promised. She reached for his head, feeling it for eggs and bumps. He continued to stare at her as she did so. “You are too,” she said confidently. “What in the world were you running from?”
He didn’t say anything. He was silent and transfixed.
“Let me guess,” she murmured, warming to the little boy who must surely be a relative of Nico’s. He was a dead ringer for the man, their eyes so similar she felt as though she knew the child. “There was a tiger after you?”
He laughed, a sweet little noise of innocence and pleasure. “No! There aren’t any tigers at Ondechiara.”
“Are you sure?” she lifted her brows. “Perhaps it was a mermaid then.”
“Mermaids can’t walk. And besides, they’re not scary. Not unless they’re going to kiss you.” He pulled a face. “Then I’d run.”
“Right. So not a kissing mermaid then. Perhaps it was a pirate, fresh from the caves that run beneath the island?”
His eyes grew wider. “A real pirate?”
“Oh, yes. With dark hats and hooks for hands. Did you see one?”
He shook his head, obviously intrigued.
“What a shame.” She gestured towards her basket. “I baked scones for the pirates. I was hoping to run into them here but instead, I found you. Would you like one?”
“What’s a scone?” He was already moving closer to the basket.
“They’re sort of like bread, but much yummier,” she said, tilting her head to the side. She pushed up off the ground then, or tried to, but had to abort the effort when her ankle sent a sharp spear of pain through her legs. “Hmmm. I’ve hurt my ankle. We might have to have a little picnic here until someone arrives. Where is your mum? Or dad?”
“Inside.” He looked over his shoulder. Curiosity grew.
“Do you know the man who lives here?”
“It’s my Zio.”
“Your uncle?”
He nodded. “Nico.”
“Ah.” She pushed the tea towel back and lifted a scone out. They were soft, straight from the oven. She took the top off and reached for the jam she’d brought, adding a generous amount. It was a gift from the landlady of her cottage and was obviously home made, so big clumps of real strawberries fell onto the scone. To this, Maddie added thick cream, handing the treat to the little boy. His eyes followed her actions and he reached for it without a moment’s hesitation, taking a bite that left a small dab of cream on his nose.
“I like it.” Little crumbs fell from his mouth as he spoke through another big bite, then another. “It’s good.”
“Thank you.” She looked over her shoulder towards the house once more. There was no sign of anyone. “What’s your name?”
“I’m not supposed to tell strangers my name.”
She suppressed a smile, and resisted pointing out that he probably wasn’t supposed to accept food from strangers either. “I’m not a stranger. I’m friends with Nico.”
“I’ve never met a friend of Nico’s.”
Maddie’s heart twisted at this innocently offered information.
“He has me,” she said honestly, a smile dimpling her cheeks. “I was going to share whatever scones the pirates didn’t want with your uncle.” She leaned closer, a conspiratorial look on her face. “He’s never tried them either.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. But in England, where I’m from, we eat a lot of them.”
“My mum lived in England.”
Maddie nodded thoughtfully. “Is your mum here?”
A scowl touched his features. “Yes.”
“Were you running away from her?”
A petulant look made his lip jut out. “No.”
She hid another smile, shifting her gaze to the sparkling ocean. “She might be worried about you?”
“She’s only ever worried about the twins.”
“Ah.” Maddie nodded sagely. “Your brother and sister?”
He eyed her warily. “Brothers.”
“How old are they?”
“Babies.”
“Ah.” Another noise of comprehension and sympathy moved through her for this little boy and the obvious adjustment he’d made to his lifestyle.
“They’re stupid and noisy and they don’t play with me and mum wants me to nap when they nap but I’m not a baby, I’m a big boy and I don’t need a sleep in the middle of the day.”
His outburst was so sweet that she wanted to laugh. She didn’t, of course. She could see that to this little boy, his worr
ies were very serious, and she didn’t want him to think she was making light of them.
“Well, little Master Montebello,” another look towards the house. “I hurt my ankle when I fell and I can’t move. Unless a pirate comes along, I’m going to need another grown up to help me.” Dante, beside her, moved closer to the basket, sniffing at the handle. She pulled a scone out and placed it on the grass beside her. He looked at her questioningly for a moment.
“Good boy. There you go.”
He guzzled it down gratefully.
“Do I have to go in now?”
The sun was delightfully warm on her shoulders. She looked out to sea and shook her head. “No. Not yet. We can have another scone first.”
They ate mostly in silence, except for a few little remarks from the boy from time to time. “I feel like I’m on top of the world.” Or, “I found this shell on the beach.”
Dante ate another scone and then began to bark, a deep rumbling sound before running quickly away from them then scampering back.
“Dante?” Nico’s voice was instantly familiar. She gazed down at her companion, who looked somewhat shame-faced. She tilted her gaze over her shoulder so saw the moment Nico registered that she was there, his brow arched in a silent question, the look on his face impossible to read. And then he smiled, a grin that spread slowly and warmed fast, so her heart was racing and her blood was gushing through her body.
“What are you up to?”
She didn’t – couldn’t – move. “We’re having a picnic,” she gestured towards the basket. “And waiting for pirates.”
His grin was just for her and it sent her central nervous system into a spin, making her tummy feel gooey and her skin lift with goose bumps, then he encompassed his nephew in his gaze, coming to crouch beside them.
“Did you see any?”
“Not yet, though my friend here was running from one when we bumped into each other.”
“Were you? And here I thought you were trying to escape your rest time?”
The little boy’s lip jutted out. “I don’t need a rest.”
“Your mother thinks you do.”
“She thinks I’m a baby.”
Nico’s eyes met Maddie’s over the child’s head, and they shared a small smile.
“My cousin’s here,” he addressed Maddie now. “And his wife, Elodie. Why don’t you come in? They’d love to meet you.”
Consternation flooded her system. Others were not a part of what they were, and she relished in that. She didn’t want more people to be drawn into this relationship. She particularly didn’t want to meet anyone else who might know Michael, who could potentially mention this to him. Part of the appeal was their privacy, their secrecy. She bit down on her lower lip, shaking her head. “That’s fine, I don’t want to intrude.”
“It’s no intrusion.”
“She hurt her ankle.”
Nico’s face swivelled to the little boy. “She is Maddie,” he corrected very gently, before turning his attention towards Maddie’s legs. “What happened?”
The little boy spoke again. “I bumped into her. She fell down.”
“Did she?” Concern shifted through Nico’s eyes as he moved towards Maddie. “Let’s have a look here.”
His fingertips guided the fabric of her maxi skirt up her leg, so he could inspect the damage. Maddie winced. Even from this vantage point, her ankle was badly swollen.
“I twisted it as I fell,” she said apologetically. “It’s just a sprain.”
“Perhaps.” He stood up, looking towards the house. “Are you able to carry Maddie’s basket inside, Jack?”
Jack nodded, concern obvious on his sweet little face. “Is she going to be okay?”
Maddie reached out, curving her fingers around Jack’s wrist reassuringly. “I’m going to be fine. I just need to rest it.”
“Go ahead and ask your father to call Alessia.”
“Who’s Alessia?” Jack and Maddie asked in unison.
There was a slight hesitation. “She’s…the local doctor.”
“No, Nico,” she rushed to contradict that. “I don’t need a doctor. Really, it’s nothing serious.”
“It may need to be set. You don’t know it’s not broken, do you?”
“Well, no, but I really don’t think it is. I’m sure it’s just that I twisted it.”
“Twisted ankles can still be broken. Come on.” He bent down, lifting her to his chest as though she were as light as half a feather. There was something about his protective instincts that spoke to her, and made her feel immeasurably safe and secure. He held her to his chest and her hands linked behind his throat, holding him there, her ear pressed to his heart, listening to it, her own slamming into the walls of her chest.
But at the door, she spoke quickly. “I really don’t want to interrupt you guys. I didn’t know you had company or I wouldn’t have come here. Could you possibly…drop me home?”
He stopped walking, fixing her with a look that was mocking at the same time it was somehow affectionate – affectionate in a way that caused a strong sense of longing to overtake her for a moment. But longing for what?
“You don’t want to meet my family?”
“Your family?” Alarm shunted along her spine. More people? “Who else is here?”
“Just my cousin and his wife and children.”
“Oh,” she nodded.
“And Jack you’ve already met.”
“I just don’t want to intrude,” she insisted.
“You’re not.”
She bit down on her lip, casting her eyes through the door. She could see only the beautiful piece of art that hung there, nothing else.
“If you really wish to go home, I’ll take you, but I’ll stay with you until the doctor’s been.”
“So either way I’ll be interrupting your afternoon?” She prompted with a shake of her head.
His grin was magnetic. “I like being interrupted by you.”
Something shifted inside of her, getting rid of her inhibitions, forcing her to be open to this. Paranoia about Michael had made her hesitant. She looked up at Nico now and felt…safe. And happy, despite the throbbing in her ankle.
“So?” He prompted, his eyes roaming her face inquisitively. “What’s it to be, cara.”
Cara. Dear. Sweet. Her chest flooded with emotions and a warning light flashed in her brain. She couldn’t let herself become used to this. But the part of her that was capable of analytical thought registered that he was waiting for her to speak, giving her all the power in this situation. He might have wanted to force her to come inside and rest on his sofa, but he’d laid out an alternative, and was leaving the choice to her.
It was an easy choice then.
“Inside.” Her eyes held his for a second too long, but she found it hard to look away.
His expression shifted, showing true pleasure for a moment. “My cousin is only here for lunch. They won’t stay long.”
“Don’t rush them out on my account.”
“I won’t.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and she swept her eyes shut, trapping that moment far inside her memories.
“Nico?” A male voice, deep and rumbly, emerged from the house. A moment later, a figure arrived with it – unmistakably male, unmistakably Nico’s cousin. She looked from Nico to the other man, cataloguing all the ways in which they were similar. From their physicality – tall, broad, strong – to their symmetrical features, dark eyes rimmed with thick, black lashes, angular faces. There was no shortage of ‘handsome’ between the pair.
Fiero took one look at Maddie and stood back. “I called Dottore Verdi. She’s on her way.”
Maddie compressed his lips. “Really, that wasn’t necessary.”
Fiero’s smile was disarming. “My cousin is exercising an abundance of caution and given that my son is responsible for injuring you, I’m afraid you won’t hear any argument from me.”
“It wasn’t his fault,” she was quick to add.
&nb
sp; “He says he ran into your legs and made you fall down?” Fiero lifted a brow enquiringly. Nico strode into the house – now so familiar to Maddie that she barely noticed the beautiful furnishings any longer.
“Well, perhaps he did,” she felt a smile tugging at her lips. “But I wasn’t looking where I was going, either. Really, it was a dip in the grass. My foot got caught.”
“So we’ll blame that mutt,” Fiero murmured, nodding towards Dante, who assumed a similarly shame-faced expression to Jack’s, a moment ago.
“Nonsense,” she shook her head. “Dante was very protective.”
A woman approached then, holding the hand of a rather serious little Jack. She had dark glossy hair, clear brown eyes and a look that was both warm and frazzled at the same time. “I’m sorry about Jack,” she said with obvious perturbation. “He was supposed to be asleep –,”
“But he wasn’t tired,” Maddie supplied with a conspiratorial wink and smile at Jack.
He returned it before remembering he was cross and smoothing his features back into a scowl.
“Apparently.” The other woman shook her head. “I’m Elodie.”
“Maddie,” she responded, then looked up at Nico. “You can put me down.”
In response, he moved across the lounge room and eased Maddie onto the sofa. She winced as fresh pain radiated along her leg. It was an involuntary, instant reaction, the work of a moment, but Nico stiffened in response.
“I’ll get you an ice pack. Stay here.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him she couldn’t exactly move anywhere, but he was gone again straight away.
“How old is Jack?” She asked Elodie, curiously.
“Four, going on fourteen.” She lifted him up, hugging him to her chest. “But he’s still my baby.”
“I’m not a baby.” Except the words were muffled, and Maddie noticed that he didn’t pull away from his mother’s embrace.
“Why don’t I take Jack to play football,” Fiero offered. “He clearly doesn’t want to sleep.”
Elodie pulled away to look at Jack. “Would you like that?”
“Yep.”
Maddie laughed.
Billionaire Brides: An Anthology Page 56