The Mysterious Italian Houseguest

by Scarlet Wilson

  She shrugged. ‘When I first walked into the villa I just...just...felt her. You know? It doesn’t matter that she’s been gone two years. When Miranda walked up the stairs of the villa and opened the door of the wardrobe, revealing her spectacular clothes, it was like being five again. I kept expecting Sofia to walk in behind us and offer us a piece of her jewellery to match her clothes.’

  ‘You were wearing Sofia’s clothes?’ He looked puzzled.

  Portia nodded. ‘Sorry, yes. Miranda got married on the beach below the house. It was kind of short notice. There was no time for bride or bridesmaid dresses. We all just picked something out of Sofia’s vintage wardrobe.’ She finally took a bite of the fish—it was delicious.

  ‘You did?’ He seemed genuinely surprised. ‘I thought the wedding dress was a big thing for you girls.’

  ‘Oh, it is.’ She nodded. ‘If you want it to be.’

  She picked up her wine glass and took a sip. A smile crept across her lips.

  ‘What? What is it?’ Javier’s eyes were sparkling.

  She shook her head. ‘I’m just thinking about some of the celebrity weddings I’ve covered.’ She leaned across the table conspiratorially. ‘Honestly, you have no idea. If an average woman can turn into a bridezilla, what do you think a Hollywood star with a million dollars can do?’

  He wrinkled his nose. ‘Bridezilla?’

  She waved her hand. ‘You know—a crazy lady. Thinks the whole world revolves around her, and her wedding.’

  He nodded and smiled. ‘Okay, I’ve got it.’

  ‘Let’s face it. It doesn’t matter how much money you spend on a wedding—or where it is. It’s the person you marry that’s important.’

  He gave her a thoughtful glance. In the dimming evening light those grey eyes were mesmerising. People always said that every photo of a star these days was edited. And for the majority of them that was true.

  But for some reason, right now, Portia had never seen a more handsome man in her life. The exposed skin on her arms prickled at the mere thought. The white shirt showed off his tan perfectly. She could see the hint of stubble on his jaw. Her fingers wanted to reach across the table and brush against it. The edges of his lips started to hint at a smile. ‘So, what you’re telling me is that you’re a romantic at heart.’

  She gave a conciliatory nod. ‘I guess I am. I’ve never seen Miranda look happier. Cleve too. I guess a year ago he thought he’d never be happy again.’

  ‘Why, what happened to him?’

  ‘He lost his wife in an accident.’ She ran her fingers up and down the stem of the wine glass. ‘Grief can be a horrible thing.’

  Javier was watching her closely. ‘Do you think that people can have more than one big love in their life?’

  She was surprised. Not many guys she knew would ask a question like that, and she wasn’t quite sure how to answer. She nodded. ‘If you’d asked me before, I would have said no. I would have said that I thought there’s probably only one true love out there for everyone. But now? When I watched Miranda and Cleve say their vows together I could see the love in their eyes—their devotion to each other. I think they’re lucky that they’ve found it.’

  Javier gave a slow nod. ‘So, Portia—no big love in your life?’

  She shifted a little in her seat. This conversation was getting very personal. Wasn’t the shoe supposed to be on the other foot—wasn’t she supposed to be getting information from him instead?

  She sighed. ‘In LA? Not a chance. Most of the time life feels unreal there. You must get that. I’m so busy with work most days that I don’t really have time for dating. I cover all the parties but I don’t actually go to them.’

  She didn’t want to seem too cynical, but the truth was her experience of Hollywood was a sham. After all she’d witnessed in the last few years she’d completely shied away from dating anyone around Hollywood. It all seemed so false. Why risk your feelings or your heart when it would end up broken anyway?

  Javier laughed. ‘Oh, come on. You’re telling me that none of my fellow actors have ever invited you into one of the parties?’

  She raised her eyebrows at him. ‘Of course they have. And I don’t need to tell you who they were—you could probably list them. But I’m not that kind of girl.’ She took another sip of her wine. ‘What about you? You get photographed often enough. Who is your latest flame?’

  Are all your relationships fake too? That was the question she really wanted to ask.

  He shook his head. ‘No one—much to my agent’s disgust. If I’m not photographed every few weeks with a different girl he seems to think my star will fade.’ It was clear from the way he said the words that he wasn’t at all bothered. That surprised her. She’d always thought there was a hint of arrogance around Javier. But here, in Baia di Rose, he didn’t seem like quite the same person. Her curiosity was piqued again. He’d mentioned being at a funeral. Maybe the loss had affected him?

  She filed the thought away and stuck to the conversation. ‘So, how many of those photographs have actually been real?’

  He winked. ‘Let’s see how good you are. How many do you think were real?’

  She leaned back in her chair and tried to remember who he’d been seen with. After a few moments’ contemplation she met his gaze. There was a twinkle in his eye. She counted off on her fingers. ‘Okay, your co-star in the action film, Olivia Burns—no way. The comedy actress, Linda St John—’ she waved her hand from side to side ‘—maybe. The female wrestler Jill Cacanna? No way, and last but not least, the up and coming Ms Ruby Delaware? Yes, I think that one might have been real.’

  Javier started laughing. ‘Oh, dear. Olivia, yes. But that was never going to last. Linda? No. We’re just friends. Jill? Best blind date I ever had. She’s one of the coolest human beings on the planet—but it’s impossible to have a relationship when you never see each other. And Ruby?’ He looked thoughtful for a moment and tapped his fingers on the table. ‘That was odd. I think I might have been played.’

  Portia was astonished. She thought her instincts were usually pretty good. But not with Javier Russo it seemed. What was it about him that just seemed to boggle her senses?

  ‘What do you mean “played”?’

  It was clear he was a little uncomfortable, and that reassured her a little that he wouldn’t normally be indiscreet.

  He reached for the wine bottle in the cooler at the side of their table and topped up both of their glasses. ‘I’m not really a “drop a note to the press” kind of guy.’

  She understood instantly what he meant. Lots of celeb photos on the beach, or coming out of restaurants, were staged—everyone in their industry knew that.

  ‘But I think my agent is.’

  She racked her brain trying to remember who Javier’s agent was but came up blank.

  ‘You think your agent was involved?’

  He sighed. ‘I’m not entirely sure. I think there may have been chat between my agent and Ruby’s. All our time together felt kind of stage-managed. I didn’t notice at first. But after a while, you realise that every time you go somewhere—even if it seems spontaneous to you—there are paparazzi waiting. It just didn’t sit comfortably with me.’

  Portia was amused. Ruby was a pretty enough actress. ‘You think she wasn’t actually interested in you?’ It just seemed ridiculous. Javier was one of the hottest guys around. She just couldn’t imagine that. But even more surprising was the fact that all his relationships hadn’t been fakes. It seemed she didn’t know everything about Hollywood after all.

  ‘The truth is I don’t know. She was nice enough but I always got the impression that underneath that sweet smile there was a streak of ruthless ambition. Once we started dating and had been photographed a few times she landed a couple of roles in upcoming blockbusters. It wasn’t that she wasn’t already being
considered.’ He stopped for a second, obviously trying to find the right words.

  Portia finished the sentence for him. ‘It’s just that the exposure probably helped boost her up the list a little?’

  Javier visibly cringed. ‘I think so. It made me stop and take stock. Well, that and other things.’

  He was doing it again. Fixing his gaze on the horizon while his thoughts obviously went elsewhere.

  She didn’t think she was boring him.

  Please don’t let me be boring him.

  Javier Russo was more contemplative than she would have guessed. She’d only scratched the surface but was sure there was a whole lot more going on underneath.

  She wanted to press. She really wanted to press. But her stomach gave an uncomfortable twist—almost as if it were acting as her conscience. It just felt...wrong.

  ‘What about your agent?’

  That caught his attention. He looked back at her again. ‘What do you mean?’

  She lifted her hands. ‘On one hand, they’re working well for you. You’ve had good roles.’ She smiled. ‘Or almost good roles, in back-to-back films. Isn’t an actor’s greatest fear not working?’

  He nodded.

  Just like mine, she thought.

  ‘But, if your agent is involved in playing games with you—manipulating you—is that really what you want?’

  Javier blew out a long slow breath between his lips.

  She saw it as opportunity to continue. ‘You said they wouldn’t be happy about you having a break. Maybe not. You’re probably the person they make the most money from. But, on the other hand, if you’re their most bankable star, shouldn’t they be looking after you more instead of less?’

  He let out a gentle laugh and leaned across the table, his hand covering hers. The warmth shot up her arm like an electric shock. Someone at the next table was pointing at them, obviously recognising who Javier was. ‘Portia Marlowe,’ he whispered, ‘you ask all the right questions.’ He gave her arm a tug and pulled her up, throwing some money down on the table with the other. He was still smiling. She saw someone lift their phone at her side. Javier’s hand was still holding hers, the other had casually snaked around her back, pulling her hip against him. His face was only a few inches above hers and he was grinning at her. ‘But I like it. You’re making me think. And that’s exactly what I’m here to do.’

  He glanced at the road between the restaurant and the port. ‘Come on, it’s a beautiful night. Let’s walk a little.’

  He didn’t wait for her reply, just kept her hand in his as he led her out of the restaurant.

  It was as if something had changed in the air between them. That physical contact was doing weird things to her brain. He’d taken her hand so easily, so casually, but should he really be holding it? All she knew was there was no way she was tugging it back.

  As they walked along the port she noticed a few curious glances in their direction. Her heart skipped a few beats. Javier pointed out a few familiar places from his childhood. He seemed more at ease here, more relaxed. He nodded at the few people who said hello. Portia was trying her absolute best to be as casual as possible even though she felt as if there were a huge red arrow above her pointing to their entwined hands.

  The breeze was warm, joined by the laughter of those drifting out from the nearby bars and cafés. The horrible tense knots that had been in her shoulders since she’d got here slowly started to unknot. L’Isola dei Fiori had a peaceful feeling around it. She hadn’t really noticed it as a child.

  When she was a child it had been a place of wonder and amusement.

  Now she was an adult it was different. It was the first time in a long time that Portia had walked down a street where everyone didn’t have a phone pressed to their ear. People were actually looking at each other, and talking to each other. In LA that was practically unheard of.

  Javier was easy to talk to. He asked more questions about her family and her father’s aviation business. He wanted to know where she’d gone to university and where her favourite holiday resort was. But as soon as he started to ask about work, she felt herself prickle.

  ‘You were the one that broke the Jake and Meg affair, weren’t you?’

  She nodded. That particular story had been one of the biggest scandals in Hollywood a few years ago. Two of the biggest ‘happily married’ stars who’d had an affair together on set on their latest movie. Both of them were regularly talking in the media about how much they loved their partners, constantly talking about family values. The reality of their lives had been a little different and most of the world didn’t believe it when the story first broke.

  It was yet another nail in the coffin for love in Hollywood. It seemed that it just didn’t exist out there.

  ‘How did you find out, anyway?’ His hand was still holding hers and as they walked he’d shifted his thumb so it was tracing little circles in the palm of her hand.

  She gave a shrug. ‘Would you believe a mistaken text message? It seems that Meg Malone and I had mobile phone numbers with two digits interchanged.’

  His eyes widened. ‘Do I want to know what the message said?’

  She smiled and gave a shudder. ‘Oh, no, absolutely not. The only reason I figured out who it was, was because they mentioned being interviewed together on a talk show that night. I did a little digging after that and...’ She held up her hands.

  He gave his head a shake. ‘Well, I didn’t know anything about it. I was just as surprised as everyone else.’

  Portia let out a long slow breath as they kept walking. They’d reached the outskirts of the town and the villa wasn’t too far away. ‘I got offered the job at Entertainment Buzz TV permanently after that.’ Her chest constricted. The thought of going back to LA in a few weeks with no story made her feel sick.

  Her job would be no more.

  What would she do next? Where could she find work?

  That tiny little voice was rattling around her head. Push Javier. Dig deep. See what you can find out.

  But the thumb making circles in the palm of her hand was stopping all rational thoughts.

  She’d spent the last five years not being fazed by film stars, then, she’d arrived in L’Isola dei Fiori, spent one minute in Javier’s company and felt like a star-struck teenager all over again. And that feeling wasn’t really going away.

  But part of her brain wasn’t thinking about Javier the film star any more. It didn’t matter that he could be the ticket to keeping her job.

  Javier, the teenager that worked with his Uncle Vinnie, the young boy with the sometimes sick mother, was revealing a little more about himself every time they spoke.

  He only let go of her hand when they finally reached the villa and slid the key in the lock. She couldn’t help it, her feet led her automatically back outside, through the conservatory and out onto the terrace. The pinks and blues of the sky had vanished, leaving a navy dark sky dotted with little twinkling stars. The breeze here amazed her. Any time before she’d been on the coast the sea winds had always been fierce, no matter how mild the weather. But the breeze here was warm and welcoming, moving through the surrounding gardens with a mere rustle. The white sand in the cove gleamed beneath her, shadowed only by Neptune’s arch. It really was the perfect place.

  With the perfect person.

  She heard his footsteps and felt his presence just behind her.

  ‘Why are you so tense?’ the voice whispered in her ear.

  She stopped looking out over the horizon and closed her eyes for a second. She’d been tense since the first second she’d arrived here, first of all worried her sisters would figure out something was wrong, then, secondly, worrying about sharing a house with a Hollywood superstar.

  She couldn’t help the fact that the tension and anxieties in her head automatically translated th
eir way into her body. She hated feeling like this, she really did.

  She gave a little gasp as two firm hands found their way onto her shoulders. The fingers started moving straight away, finding the tiny knots around her neck and shoulder blades. She wanted to tell him to stop, but she could feel his warm breath at her neck and sense the presence of his body inches behind hers.

  She moved her head from side to side as he continued. ‘My goodness. What have you been doing? You’re coiled tighter than a spring.’ His soft Italian voice was like a soothing balm.

  As he kept working his fingers she could visualise the picture from this morning, the bare chest and shoulders, the chiselled abs and dark hair. Then again from tonight, the twinkle in his grey eyes, his tanned skin and white smile. She moved without even thinking, leaning her body against his.

  This time it was Javier that gave an intake of breath. His hands moved from her shoulders, one resting at the side of her waist. He rested his head just above one shoulder, taking his other hand and tracing one finger from the nape of her neck, painstakingly slowly across the top of her shoulder and down the length of her whole arm.

  It was like a million little butterflies beating their wings against her skin. For a second she couldn’t breathe. Then his fingers intertwined with hers and wrapped in front of her, resting next to her stomach.

  His voice was low. ‘I think that Villa Rosa has a little magic in it. Healing powers. It’s a place to relax. To enjoy.’

  She nodded, enjoying feeling his skin against hers. She couldn’t pretend that her tension was gone. It had just been replaced with a whole other kind of tension.