by Melissa Hill
A few minutes later, once Lily was settled, he joined her on the terrace, where Kim again found herself standing by the rails looking out over the water. It was so easy to get lost in the dark depths and forget her troubles for a moment.
Just for a moment.
‘Hey,’ she greeted softly as she turned to look at him. His shirt was off, his feet were bare, and the only thing he wore were the light chinos he’d had on when he arrived. She smiled automatically. He was such a huge guy, tall, strong and built like a rugby player, and she remembered thinking the first time she laid eyes on him that he looked as if he could easily lift her up with one hand.
She loved that, loved how he always made her feel so protected and cherished. All man yet so tender with it. The combination was irresistible.
She really was a lucky woman. And it had been some time since they’d last had a romantic moment together. Gabriel’s body was distractingly irresistible, but right now Kim just wanted to lose herself in his strong embrace.
‘C’mere,’ he called, both arms outstretched, as if instinctively knowing it was what she needed. She moved to him, resting her head upon his firm chest, the downy hair soft beneath her cheek.
‘I’m so glad you’re here,’ she said as she tried to suppress a sob.
‘What is it, babe?’ he questioned. ‘Don’t tell me “nothing”, I know you better. Something’s wrong and you aren’t taking it well,’ he said gently. ‘Usually when something goes wrong, you’re all action and solutions. I don’t worry then because I know you’ll figure it out on your own. Not this time, though. Tell me what’s happening.’
She looked at him. ‘You know me too well,’ she admitted.
‘Hey, it’s part of my job.’
She raised her hand to his face and stroked his cheek with her thumb. ‘I think someone’s out to sabotage me. And Villa Dolce Vita.’
His brow furrowed, Gabriel led her back inside to their bed and settled on it, gently pulling her down beside him. ‘Why do you think that?’
Kim took a deep breath and then explained about the increased social media negativity and backlash, as well as the recent accusations.
‘If this gets out publicly, it’ll ruin everything.’
‘Aw, come on, nobody takes notice of online trolls. It’s just keyboard warriors hiding in their bedrooms with nothing better to do. The bigger you get, the bolder they become. You know that.’
‘It’s not just that anymore. The plagiarism thing … If the media gets wind of that, they’ll have a field day. Especially when there’s so much attention on us just now. Bad press for Villa Dolce Vita before it even opens for business will ruin it. And with pretty much everything riding on this being a success, it could also end up ruining everything I’ve worked for.’
Gabriel pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his huge arms around her. ‘You’re getting way too ahead of yourself now. Hank will work it out, do what it takes to make it go away. That’s his job, remember?’
‘What if he doesn’t, though? And what if this person decides to go public with these accusations – or worse, has proof of them? I’m finished.’
‘Babe, stop.’ Gabriel’s gaze was fixed intently on her. ‘Stop working yourself into a frenzy about this. Let Hank do what he does best and you do what you do best. Everything’s pretty much ready to go now. Take some of your own advice. Don’t worry about what might happen. Deal with right now. Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow, remember?’
Kim smiled weakly. ‘You really have a way with words, you know that?’
‘What are you talking about? They’re your words.’ Gabriel smiled and Kim’s heart almost broke in two.
She couldn’t admit now that there was some truth to this person’s claims. Not when Gabriel was essentially using what he thought were her own words to make her feel better.
‘Anyway, it’s true. Don’t let this get to you. You can handle this. You’ve handled worse.’
‘Have I? It doesn’t feel like it.’
‘Yes, you have. And I’ve been there. Every day since I first met you I’ve watched you fight for what you want, fight for your passion. It’s what you do.’
‘Why do I, though?’ The question was involuntary. Even though it had been rolling around in her mind, Kim hadn’t intended to actually say it out loud. ‘Why is it so important?’
Gabriel was taken aback. ‘What kind of question is that? What do you mean?’
‘I mean, it’s not as though I set out to do this – be some kind of mindfulness expert. We both know I sort of just … fell into it, and it’s not like I have all the answers either. I struggle as much as the next person.’
‘Which is exactly why you are so good at this. You’re relatable and down-to-earth, not some otherworldly Dalai Lama type. You’re just Kim, warts ’n’ all.’
‘You’re saying I have warts?’ she laughed.
‘I’m saying you’re just like everyone else. You have your good days and bad. This is just one of the bad ones and it’s inevitable given all you’ve had to do and think about these last few years. But it’ll be over soon and then you, me, and Lily can get back to being a proper family.’
Kim’s heart sank a little at his words. Could they ever be a proper family when she had no idea how to be a proper mother?
All she truly knew how to do was work, strive, and keep pushing for bigger and better things.
And for what?
Still, she couldn’t admit this to Gabriel. Definitely not now. No, she just had to keep going, and hope that what he said was true, that it would all blow over.
And Villa Dolce Vita’s grand reveal would be the pinnacle of everything she’d worked for and more.
Chapter 26
Then
‘Do you really think I need this much eye make-up?’ Colette asked, as her gaze shifted uncertainly between the mirror and her friends.
The three women were in the bedroom she shared with Kim and she was (incredibly) getting ready for a dinner date with Luca.
‘Definitely,’ Annie replied. ‘It’s about time you glammed up your look, if you ask me.’
‘But what’s wrong with how I look?’
‘It’s a bit … I dunno … like a middle-schooler,’ Kim replied as she applied more eyeliner. ‘Annie’s right. Time you upgraded and sexed up your style.’
‘And did something with your hair,’ Annie chimed in. ‘Your ends badly need a trim and the rest could do with a good deep treatment. Give me a decent go at it, and I could work wonders, honestly.’
‘Well, I don’t want it to be a different colour or anything,’ Colette said quickly, Luca’s words from before still lingering in her mind.
‘I wasn’t going to suggest it – most people would kill for that kind of natural shade. Me and Kim just think there are a few more things you could do to make the most of yourself. You’re very pretty, but you hide it all,’ Annie stated. ‘You have to show a guy like Luca that there’s more to you.’
‘He seems to like me well enough just as I am, though.’ She was dubious.
‘He does like you as you are,’ Kim agreed. ‘But there’s way more to you than what he’s seen so far. I think it’s time he saw that. Don’t you?’
‘Yep,’ Annie replied for her. ‘We are going to make you look so good, Luca won’t know what hit him.’
‘I don’t want him to like a pretence,’ Colette argued.
He did like her as she was. For some reason. She didn’t mind making the packaging a little nicer, but she still wanted to feel like herself.
‘He won’t,’ Kim assured. ‘We aren’t changing who you are, Colette. We’re simply bringing out your full potential.’
‘OK …’
Her friends believed a makeover was exactly what Colette needed and it seemed they were determined to give her one.
Once Kim had finished doing her face, they flicked through her own designer wardrobe for something for Colette to wear.
She was surprised to find that s
he and Kim were pretty much the same size, though the leggy American’s stuff was a good bit longer on Colette’s shorter frame.
‘He has to see behind all that innocence or else he won’t stick around long,’ Annie stated authoritatively. ‘A guy like Luca wants a woman. One who makes him look good and who looks good on his arm.’
Colette glanced down at herself. She knew she didn’t fit that bill at all.
Luca wore Ralph Lauren polos and Lacoste shorts. She wore Marks and Spencer with the occasional flash of LK Bennett in between. She wasn’t a fashionista by any means, but if she wanted Luca to take her seriously perhaps she was going to have to at least show him that she could complement him. And try to hold her own against all the very many glossy and gorgeous women in these parts.
She gulped a little.
‘How about this?’ Kim asked as she raised up the dress for them all to see. It was a slinky shocking blue knee-length number with a plunging neckline and a daring split up one side. The bodice was fitted and sure to accentuate Colette’s curves. But at least the dress’s length would look midi on her and perhaps lessen the whole thing’s in-your-face sexiness.
‘I don’t know,’ she said nervously as she looked at the revealing garment. ‘I’ve never worn anything that … colour before.’
‘Perfect! That’s just what we want. You trying the unknown,’ Annie confirmed bossily. ‘Remember what your mother said. You can’t stay in your comfort zone forever. You need to step out and try new things.’
They were right. Miriam was always saying there were lots of things out there for her to see and experience. She wasn’t going to get that experience staying in her comfort zone.
Colette needed to do what she’d never done before. No more being careful and taking things slowly.
She needed to jump right in with both feet and find out if she could sink or swim.
Chapter 27
By the time she was ready to leave, Colette couldn’t quite believe the sight that looked back at her from the mirror as she smoothed the creases in her dress.
The old mousy girl from Brighton was gone.
The dress did exactly what they’d said it would, bringing out her slender waist and the slight fullness in her hips. It even managed to make her bust seem fuller without looking trashy.
Thanks to Annie, the waves of her hair were completely smoothed out, and the crown pinned up in a neat chignon, while the remainder cascaded over her shoulders.
Despite her concerns, Kim had done an equally miraculous job on her make-up. It felt as if there was nothing on her face at all.
For the first time in Colette’s life, she looked and felt subtly, effortlessly … glamorous. It was a heady feeling.
‘Ready?’ Kim’s voice called from downstairs. ‘Taxi’s here.’
‘Coming,’ she called back, and brand-new Colette got ready to face the world.
The two enjoyed a lively meal at a small seafood trattoria just outside the main town, somewhere near the water. But Colette couldn’t concentrate too much on the food (which, in truth, paled in comparison to Luca’s).
He truly had a way of making her feel like she was the only woman in the room, if not the world.
When they’d finished eating, he asked if she wanted to go for a walk ‘beneath the stars’.
She smiled at the romance of it all as he led her by the hand while they made their way down the stone steps to a small bay, and didn’t say a word as they walked along towards a nearby pier. In turn, Colette didn’t feel the need to fill the silence with unnecessary chatter.
She was enjoying the quiet company he offered, but even more so, she was enjoying the feeling of her hand in his. He had big hands that completely enveloped her own, and they were warm and comforting as his fingers intertwined with hers.
The lights from nearby houses and buildings above the shore reflected on the water as they made their way along to the end of a pier that branched off to the right. The water lapped at the wooden structure but held firm as they stood upon it.
‘It’s so beautiful here,’ Colette said softly as she leaned against the rail and looked down into the dark depths.
‘Not as beautiful as you,’ Luca replied, as he moved closer to her, his hands finding their way into her hair and moving the strands back over her shoulder as she turned to face him.
‘Thank you,’ she replied with an automatic blush.
‘It’s the truth,’ he insisted, as he gazed into her eyes.
‘Why do you say such lovely things?’ she found herself asking as she looked at this impossibly handsome man beside her. ‘Is this a game? Am I a game?’
A tiny smile flashed across Luca’s face for a moment before it disappeared. ‘You really don’t see you,’ he muttered, and gently repeated the words he’d said before.
Colette’s breath caught as he moved from her side to stand directly behind her, his arms wrapping around her waist, pulling her against his body. Then his mouth whispered against her ear.
‘I won’t lie to you, Colette. I’ve been with a lot of women in my life,’ he admitted.
Her heart sank. Why was he telling her this? Was it so she could prepare herself for the inevitable let-down in store? Clearly Kim and Annie hadn’t transformed her in the way she’d hoped.
‘Lots of women,’ he continued. ‘But they were all fake. Plastic dolls looking for someone to buy them whatever they wanted. They weren’t like you. You are honest about yourself. I remember that first day I saw you sitting in Aunt Elene’s restaurant. You didn’t act like most tourists, who think that because they’ve watched a few movies or looked at a few pictures they know everything about Italy and life here. You took my aunt’s advice and let her guide you. I liked that.’ Colette could hear the smile in his voice. ‘I also liked the outfit you were wearing. Also the face you made when you tasted the limoncello. It was a photograph.’
‘Really?’ Colette questioned as she turned to look at him. It was a mistake. His face was so close that when she turned, their noses met and her breath hitched.
She could feel the heat begin to rise from her neck up to her face as she quickly turned away, much to Luca’s amusement.
‘You really do blush so easily,’ he commented as he pulled her closer.
‘I can’t help it. You unsettle me,’ she admitted.
‘In a good way, I hope.’
‘I suppose. I’ve never had anyone affect me this way before.’
‘Never?’
She shook her head. ‘Not really. I told you.’
‘You told me you never really dated in England, but surely there was someone of importance?’
Colette thought about the question before she answered. She didn’t have to think too long. There was only one.
‘There was someone at university …’ she admitted.
‘What happened with him?’
‘Nothing,’ she said softly as she hung her head. ‘He didn’t like me.’
Luca chuckled. ‘He was a fool. Then again, he was young, and when you’re young you make foolish mistakes.’ He hugged her tighter. ‘I’m thankful he did.’
‘You are?’
‘Yes, I am. If he’d seen what was before him, you might not be standing here with me now,’ he explained. He leaned closer again. ‘And I like that you’re here,’ he whispered.
Her breath quickened and her heart was racing so hard she could hear it in her ears. ‘So am I.’
She didn’t dare turn around again. Luca’s gaze was difficult enough to hold when he was sitting a few feet away. When he was only inches … she couldn’t imagine what effect it would have on her.
She felt his hands at her waist as he turned her towards him. The moment he did she was caught in his eyes. Lost in the dark pools that looked at her as if she were the only woman on the planet.
‘Colette?’ he whispered as he leaned closer.
His lips were now getting dangerously close and her heart felt as if it were about to explode. Was she ready for
this? How well did she know him? How could she be sure what this really meant to him? To her?
His lips moved closer.
Colette dropped her chin seconds before Luca’s mouth would have met hers.
She wanted to kiss him, she really did, but so much fear accompanied the excitement, and at that moment the former had won out.
‘I’m sorry,’ she apologised, mortified. ‘I can’t …’
‘It’s OK,’ Luca assured, as he took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles slowly. ‘There is no rush.’
Chapter 28
Now
Colette’s eyes opened blearily and she forced herself up from where she lay against the side of the bath.
She’d drifted off at some point after her tears had drained her.
There was silence on the other side of the door and she wondered what time it was.
Ed was more than likely at work now. Had he called the office to let them know she wasn’t going to be in this morning or that she would be late?
She got to her feet and unlocked the door. In the bedroom the curtains were still drawn. She walked to where she’d left her phone beside the bed and checked the time. It was just after ten o’clock.
She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed as she flopped down onto the bed. She’d made such a scene. She was going to have to apologise to Ed.
Quickly slipping out of her nightgown, Colette headed back to the bathroom to shower. As she stood under the warm jets of water, her hand slid over her flat stomach and she imagined what it would be like to smooth her hand over one with life inside it. How it would feel to have a child moving around, the feeling of little kicks against her hand. She wanted that so much.
She turned off the water, determined to put it out of her mind.
She dressed in jeans and a light cashmere knit, and the gurgling of her stomach reminded her it was long past breakfast-time. Going downstairs, she heard Ed’s voice still in the house. What was he doing still home? He should be at the office by now. She moved towards the sound and stopped in the doorway of the kitchen.