But it was the dreamy night she'd spent in Leo's arms that she would always remember best—lying in Leo's warm embrace, his passionate kisses and soft words of love gave her a warm fuzzy feeling inside.
Today was going to be the most perfect Christmas Day ever.
The sound of Leo's voice in the kitchen sent tingles through her. She stopped in the doorway and her heart danced at the sight of him sitting beside Violet at the breakfast bar with a cup of coffee in his hand.
"Good morning," she said, even though they'd only parted forty-five minutes ago.
His gaze rose to meet her, the heat and affection in his eyes drawing her to him. She rested a hand on his arm as she bent to embrace Violet. "Buon Natale, sweetie."
Then she embraced Leo, very aware of Gina and Signora Marin only a few feet away. "Buon Natale, Leo." She kissed his cheeks, lingering as his mouth brushed her skin, summoning more memories of their passionate night.
This man affected her like no man she'd ever met before. She'd thought she loved Jonathan once, but her feelings for him had been nothing compared to this overwhelming need for Leo.
Reluctantly she drew away and wished his mother and sister a merry Christmas. "Can I help prepare Christmas dinner?"
Signora Marin said something, and Gina pulled an apron from a drawer and held it out. "Mamma says your help is welcome. Thank you."
Leo gave her a nod and touched her hand as she moved away. As she put on the apron and Signora Marin smiled, Claire felt like a member of the family rather than just a guest. For the rest of the morning she worked in the kitchen, humming along to the Italian Christmas songs sung by Leo's cousin Dino Rossellini, who was an opera singer.
She laid out cuts of cured meat on a platter and garnished them with olives and cheese, then helped Gina prepare four dishes of cannelloni with different fillings to suit all tastes. While they did this, Signora Marin prepared vegetables and watched the braised beef in the oven.
Savino appeared later and sat with Leo at the breakfast bar, drinking coffee until their mamma issued orders. The two men were sent to set the table in the dining room while Signor Marin played with Violet.
The little girl's laughter rang through the house with the festive music while the wonderful smell of cooking promised a sumptuous feast. Surrounded by this loving family, Claire could not imagine being happier.
When the food was cooked, they carried the dishes through to the dining room and set them on the polished granite tabletop. In the center of the table was a gold box filled with wrapped gifts.
Claire peered inside. "I thought you exchanged presents on January 6th."
"These are just small gifts," Gina said, setting down a bowl of pasta. "One for each of us. A token to celebrate the day."
Claire untied her apron and took it back to the kitchen. Then she sat in her seat beside Leo, with Violet on his other side and Savino and Gina opposite them. Signora Marin sat at one end of the table and Signor Marin at the other.
They all bowed their heads while Signor Marin said grace before the dishes were passed around the table and the room filled with laughter and happy talk.
Leo handed her the platter of antipasto she'd helped prepare, and she selected slices of cured meat and laid them on her plate. As she passed it on to Signora Marin, a discordant buzz cut through the soft background music. The conversation around the table stopped abruptly.
"What is it?" Claire glanced at Leo, unsettled.
"A caller interrupting our Christmas dinner." Leo didn't sound pleased. He started to rise, but Savino was already pushing back his chair.
"I'll go."
At the sound of male voices and footsteps, Claire glanced over her shoulder, unease trickling through her. Did she recognize that voice? No, it wasn't possible.
Savino came through the door with Jonathan behind him. "This man says he's Claire's fiancé."
"What?" Leo's single abrupt word rang out as everyone fell silent. Tension flashed around the room as the Marins stared at Jonathan. Then one by one, their gazes moved to fix on her, confusion written on their faces.
"No." The word leaked out between Claire's lips, barely audible.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your Christmas dinner," Jonathan said, his voice carefully modulated to sound apologetic, his smile contrite. "I flew out to Italy to spend Christmas Day with my fiancée, but she wasn't in the hotel where she was supposed to be. I only tracked her down with the help of the hotel owner who recognized Signor Marin."
Jonathan's gaze narrowed on Leo, his hostile expression belying his apologetic manner.
"Leo, I'm not engaged to Jonathan. I broke it off before I came to Italy." Claire laid a hand on his arm.
Leo had paled, tense lines fanning out from his eyes and bracketing his mouth. He stared at her in horror as though she had suddenly grown a second head.
"Of course we're still engaged," Jonathan said, taking a step closer to Claire. "Would I have traveled all the way here to see you if we weren't?"
"Yes. To cause trouble." Tears tightened her throat and she fought to swallow them back. Jonathan was such a manipulative, lying jerk. He always made her look bad. Somehow everyone ended up believing him, even when he lied through his teeth.
"I hope you're not going to be silly," Jonathan said, with that edge to his voice that always drove her nuts.
She wanted to tell him to get lost, but it wasn't fair to the Marins to argue with Jonathan here and completely ruin their Christmas Day.
"This isn't true, Leo. I promise." She stared into his eyes, imploring him to believe her and give her a chance to explain.
Leo's lips pressed together, his gaze shuttered. "I thought you were different," he said softly, the disappointment in his voice like a blade through her heart.
"Leo, please—"
"Not now." His curt response left her in no doubt he did not want to talk about this over the dinner table.
What awful timing Jonathan had. Would she never be free of his stultifying presence in her life?
Claire rose, pushing back her chair with a squeal on the tile floor. "I'm sorry. I'd better go. You've all been so wonderful to me. I don't want to ruin your Christmas Day. I'll run upstairs to pack and we'll leave as quickly as possible."
Casting Jonathan a scowl, Claire dashed past him and ran upstairs. Tears overflowed her lashes and trickled down her cheeks as she dragged clothes out of the wardrobe and drawers and dropped them into her suitcase. She stuffed her laptop in its bag and headed into the bathroom.
The sound of footsteps outside sent a bolt of hope along her nerves. Was it Leo coming to talk with her? Gina appeared in the bathroom doorway and Claire's mood plummeted again.
"Gina, I'm not engaged to Jonathan. We broke up, I swear."
"I believe you." Gina laid a soothing hand on Claire's arm.
"Please tell Leo. Make sure he knows the truth. I don't want him to think badly of me. I love him."
"Oh, Claire." Gina smoothed a hand over Claire's hair. "I had such hopes for you and Leo. He's been happy while you've been here. But I don't know how he'll react to this. He's been so wary of getting involved with another woman."
Claire grabbed a tissue and wiped her eyes. "I want to stay with Leo. I don't want to go with Jonathan, but I know him. He won't leave without me."
"Stay in touch. You have my number on your phone."
"Of course." Claire embraced her friend, her gaze rising to the doorway, praying to see Leo walk in. But he didn't come.
She stuffed her toiletries bag in her suitcase and zipped it up, then set the case on the floor, pulled up the handle, and dragged it into the elevator, while Gina carried her laptop bag. They rode down in silence. When the door swished open, Jonathan was waiting for her in the entrance hall. Savino stood nearby like a guard, arms crossed, shoulder against the wall.
"Thank you. I'm so sorry to have spoiled your Christmas Day." Jonathan took the laptop bag from Gina, playing the polite gentleman. "Of course, if my fiancée had been con
siderate enough to keep me updated on her movements, this wouldn't have happened." Jonathan flashed a charming smile—something he was good at when he wanted to impress others.
Claire bit back her retort and saved it for later. She knew from experience that if she lost her temper while Jonathan kept his cool, she'd end up sounding like the one in the wrong.
She glanced along the hall towards the dining room, but there was no sign of Leo. He and Violet weren't coming to say good-bye to her. Pain banded around her chest, making it difficult to speak. "Thank you so much for your hospitality." She embraced Gina again, exchanging kisses on each cheek. "Thank Leo for everything. I'm very grateful to him."
"I will. Buon Natale, Claire."
"Come on. Time to go." Jonathan put his arm around her.
"Claire! Don't go." Violet's voice echoed around the entrance hall as she dashed in and hugged Claire's legs.
Tears filled Claire's eyes as she crouched and wrapped the darling little girl in her arms. "Oh, sweetie, I wish I could stay, but there's something I need to do."
"But you haven't had your present off the table." She handed Claire a small box unevenly covered in gold paper with too much tape. Leo must have wrapped this himself. Fresh tears filled her eyes and she had to swallow hard.
Leo wandered along the hallway from the dining room and paused in the doorway. Her knight in shining armor wasn't smiling now. His tight, guarded expression broke her heart. She'd hurt him like his wife had, and that was the last thing she wanted to do. "Thank you for everything, Leo."
"We need to go." Jonathan grabbed her arm. His fingers bit into the flesh as he pulled her towards the door, dragging her suitcase with the other hand.
Claire glanced back for one last glimpse of Leo, but Jonathan stepped in the way so she couldn't see.
Chapter Seven
Hurt and anger surged through Leo. He'd confided details of his disastrous marriage to Claire but she had never said a word about her fiancé, although she'd had plenty of opportunity. She'd taken him for a fool. Worse still, she'd hurt Violet.
He crouched and hugged his sobbing daughter as the slam of the front door echoed in his ears. "It's all right, piccolina. We'll still have a lovely Christmas Day," he said, although celebrating was the last thing he wanted to do.
"I want Claire to come back."
Leo stroked his daughter's hair back behind her ears and stared into the big tear-filled eyes he adored more than anything else in the world. The one thing he'd pledged never to do was let a woman close to his daughter until he was certain that woman was in his life to stay. He'd been careful never to bring dates home.
Yet Claire had come in through the back door and stolen both his heart and Violet's. Then she'd stomped on them and walked away. Struggling to relax his tense jaw, he pressed a kiss to the soft hair on top of his daughter's head. How could he have been so gullible a second time? Nicci had married him so he could bankroll her escapades all over the world. Had Claire latched onto him for the same reason?
"I'm so sorry." Gina's hand settled on his shoulder. "But don't think too badly of Claire for leaving. She didn't want to ruin our day with her relationship issues."
Claire obviously had Gina fooled as well. Leo rose and took Violet's hand, casting Gina a warning glance before nodding towards his daughter. "Let's not discuss this now."
"But, Leo, Claire wanted—"
"Later, please."
They returned to the dining room where he settled Violet in her seat before removing Claire's place setting. He didn't want any reminders that she'd ever been at his table or in his house. He wanted to wipe her from his memory.
Yet even as he gritted his teeth and tried to think of something else, memories of Claire's tearful eyes and distraught expression filled his mind.
"Who was that man?" his mother asked.
"Her fiancé, Mamma." Condemnation laced his tone.
"Oh." His mother's eyes widened and she exchanged a shocked glance with Leo's father.
"No, he wasn't," Gina said. "That's what I need to tell you, Leo. Claire swears she broke off the engagement before she came to Italy."
Leo clamped down on his moment of hope. He wanted to believe Claire hadn't played him for a fool, but what the guy had said made sense. "Why would he come all this way to be with Claire on Christmas Day if they weren't a couple?"
"Because he's a jerk who didn't like being dumped. Didn't you read the body language going on in that hallway?"
Leo shrugged. "I didn't notice." He'd been too lost in his own misery.
His thoughts tumbled in disarray, wonderful moments from the past week alternating with the shots of angry disbelief that the Englishman had turned up here and interrupted their Christmas dinner. With his blond hair and neatly trimmed beard, the man had looked so smooth and confident that he was in the right.
"You didn't see the way that guy grabbed Claire's arm and pulled her out. He hurt her, Leo. You didn't see that?"
The anger and pain clouding Leo's thoughts fell away as his gaze jumped up from his plate to Gina's face. "He hurt her? You're sure?"
"Of course I'm sure. I have firsthand experience of a man like that. Remember? I know what to look for."
"I noticed as well," Savino added. "I didn't like him at all. I've met his sort in business. Not a nice guy."
"Claire was desperate to talk to you, Leo. You should have come up to her room while she was packing." The hint of criticism in Gina's tone stung his conscience. Had his past experience made him too quick to assume the worst of Claire?
Leo scrunched his napkin in his hand as he stared at his brother and sister. "You're certain he hurt her?"
They both nodded.
"It was obvious she didn't want to go with him," Savino said.
It hadn't been obvious to Leo. He'd noticed she was upset, but then she would be if she'd been caught in a lie. He should have talked to her and given her a chance to explain. His past with Nicci had made him too quick to think the worst.
• • •
Claire sat stiff and silent in the back of the taxi beside Jonathan, her arm aching where he had manhandled her. She clung to the tight knot of anger in her gut to keep herself strong and determined. This time she would not let Jonathan talk her into a corner and make her feel stupid.
She could never win an argument with him; he was too good at manipulating what she said and turning it against her. So she wouldn't argue. She would simply tell him to leave her alone and walk away. She'd done it before she came to Italy. She could do it again. And this time maybe he'd listen.
"Back to the hotel, sir?" the taxi driver asked, glancing over his shoulder at them.
"Yes," Jonathan said.
Claire pushed her hand in her coat pocket and gripped the small gift Violet had given her, drawing strength from it like a talisman.
"Which hotel?" she asked.
"Bella Sofia, of course. The place where you should have been staying." Jonathan cast her an irritated glance. "By the way, I've paid your outstanding bill. You owe me sixty euros."
She knew perfectly well that Jonathan must be the man who had canceled her hotel room, yet here he was chiding her for moving out.
For a couple of weeks she'd thought she was finally free of these mind games. A desperate longing cramped in her chest at the memory of how kind and considerate Leo had been. He and Jonathan were like two different species.
"I'm not paying you a penny. You canceled my hotel room to make me come home, but you didn't bank on Leo helping me." She met his arrogant steely blue gaze. "I broke up with you, Jon. I won't change my mind."
Jonathan's jaw tensed and he pulled a small zip-top plastic bag out of his pocket and tipped the diamond engagement ring into his hand. "Stop being silly and put this back on."
Claire fisted her hand in her pocket in case he tried to force it on her finger.
"No way. If you were the last man on earth, I wouldn't marry you."
"Stop your childish tantrums. I told your
parents that you'd left me and they were shocked. Now put the ring back on and get over it." He tried to pull her hand from her pocket, and she huddled into the corner of the seat.
"Even if you turn everyone I know against me, I won't take you back." And he'd try to alienate her from her family and friends. He'd done it before. She was lucky her sisters saw through him. "I meant every word I said before I came to Italy. I haven't changed my mind. Go home and leave me alone."
Jonathan gripped the lapels of her coat. For a moment she thought he was going to slap her. She caught the startled expression of the taxi driver in the mirror. Maybe Jonathan remembered they were being watched, because he flopped back to his side of the seat with an angry grunt.
"If you think that Marin guy will come after you, you're wrong." Jonathan's tone was scathing. "Now he knows you're a lying little—"
She was saved from hearing the rest of Jonathan's words as the taxi's brakes squealed. It pulled up outside Hotel Bella Sofia. The taxi driver fetched her suitcase from the trunk as she stepped out of the vehicle. Jonathan paid and the taxi drove off.
Jonathan stepped close and lowered his voice, his voice gruff with anger. "You'd better not have been unfaithful to me."
"I can't be unfaithful to you. We're not in a relationship." Her voice rose on the final word in frustration. He treated her like a child who couldn't make her own decisions. Why wouldn't he listen? What would it take to get through to him?
Light rain started to fall and Jonathan turned towards the hotel entrance. "Come inside. We'll continue this discussion in the privacy of our room."
No way was she going up to a bedroom with him. She'd got him away from the Marin family, now it was time for her to leave. She pulled up the handle on her suitcase, hitched her laptop bag over her shoulder, and strode up the hotel drive towards the road.
Thoughts swarmed around inside her head, tangled with emotions that brought tears to her eyes. All she wanted to do was go back to Leo and share Christmas Day with the Marins, but there was no going back in time. Jonathan had ruined her relationship with Leo—like he ruined everything.
"Claire, come back here. Don't you dare walk away from me."
Sweet Italian Christmas: Three Christmas Romances Page 6