The Mysterious Italian Houseguest

by Scarlet Wilson

  He groaned. He should have trusted her. He should have stopped to think. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t told anyone else—there was always a chance that an investigative reporter could dig deep. Celebrities’ phones had been bugged before. Messages had been listened to. He should have realised. He should have thought a little harder about the glimpse on the balcony.

  A trickle of sweat ran down his back. He had to speak to Portia. He had to find her.

  He looked around. Hollywood. He hadn’t even asked her where she lived. He had no idea where she might be.

  Had she even left Villa Rosa—might she still be there?

  The skyline changed in front of him and something came into view. Something that made his heart twist. His reaction was automatic.

  He leaned forward and touched the driver’s shoulder. ‘Change of plan.’

  The driver turned his head slightly. ‘Mr Russo?’

  ‘Take me to Griffith Park.’

  * * *

  The wind was whipping up a storm. When she’d changed and dashed outside she hadn’t thought to bring a jacket. It was almost ironic. The outfit she’d grabbed from her case to put on was the pink satin dress she’d worn with Javier.

  Normally when she came to the observatory she wore jeans, a T-shirt and running shoes. Today, she had the running shoes along with a satin dress. She’d already had a few odd stares. But she didn’t care.

  From here she could look out over LA. She could see the city beneath her.

  Part of her loved it and part of her was tired of it. She just had to decide what to do next.

  She’d been up here for hours. Her hair was tangled in knots with the wind and she was definitely feeling the chill. The crowds had thinned too. A lot of the tourists had vanished for the day. If she waited much longer, the place would be full of teenagers searching for a quiet corner. Nothing like young love to make you feel old. And broken-hearted. And useless.

  She brushed her feet on the ground in front of her. It was time to move on. Time to make a change. Maybe she could finish that book? Maybe taking a complete break might do her some good. Help her re-evaluate. Help her decide what she wanted to do with her life.

  Her eyes squinted in front of her. There was something familiar about the figure striding towards her.

  She put her hands up to shade her eyes as he neared. There was a pitter-patter in her chest. She wasn’t imagining things. She wasn’t dreaming. The guy in the jeans and T-shirt really was who she thought it was.

  Javier? Here?

  His steps slowed as he neared and he pushed his sunglasses up on his head.

  The steady grey eyes made her suck in her breath. ‘Hi,’ he said quickly, before he looked downwards and gave her a smile. ‘Nice shoes.’

  For a second she was stuck for words. Last time she’d seen him he’d yelled at her. Accused her of lying. Accused her of playing him.

  She glanced around to check she wasn’t hallucinating. Nope. That was definitely Javier Russo standing in front of her.

  Her heart did that silly pitter-patter again. She wasn’t usually lost for words. This just seemed surreal. Javier Russo at Griffith Park. The place she’d told him she loved the most in LA.

  She glanced down at her red running shoes and wiggled her feet. ‘Yeah, I think so. Come in handy around about here.’ She pressed her lips together for a second. She couldn’t help the next words that came out of her mouth. ‘How are Aldo’s family? Are they okay?’

  Javier sighed and sat down next to her, taking off his sunglasses and turning them over in his hands. ‘Yeah, they are. They aren’t angry at me. They say they understand.’

  He looked out across the skyline. There were lines around his eyes. He looked exhausted.

  ‘You don’t believe them?’ she asked.

  He shook his head. ‘I do.’ His head dipped for a few moments and he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees.

  Portia nodded. ‘I hope they’re going to be okay.’

  Javier looked straight back at her with those sincere grey eyes. ‘But will we?’

  It was as if something had struck her in the chest. It just seemed to cannonball out of nowhere. For a few moments there she’d thought they might tiptoe around each other for a bit. But it seemed that Javier had decided to go straight to the heart of the matter.

  She followed his lead. ‘Is there a “we”?’

  Right now, she couldn’t suck in a breath. A million thoughts were flying through her head. Not a single one of them made any sense. An imaginary fist felt as if it were clamped around her heart. She didn’t want to believe that this could actually be real. He was actually here with her now.

  He turned towards her, pulling one leg up on the bench seat so his chest was entirely facing her. They were in the middle of one of the most popular tourist destinations in LA. No one had noticed them. No one had commented.

  She hadn’t pretended when she’d said this was her favourite place and something about this felt so right. Whatever was going to happen to her life in LA, it seemed fitting that it should happen here. Javier reached towards her, his fingers stopping a few millimetres from her cheek. ‘I never told you something.’

  All the little hairs on her body stood on end. It wasn’t the wind. It wasn’t the temperature. It was every cell in her body preparing itself for what could come next. She tried to keep her voice steady. ‘What didn’t you tell me?’

  His finger moved forward and brushed against her cheek. ‘I never told you that in the last few weeks I discovered something about myself.’

  ‘What was that?’

  He met her gaze. ‘I found out I’d met my soul mate. I met someone who made me happy. Who supported me. Who challenged me. Someone I could picture myself growing old with.’

  Portia’s heart thudded against her chest as he kept talking. ‘Fate had put her in my path before, but it wasn’t until I got to Villa Rosa that I understood why. I’m sorry, Portia. I’m so, so sorry. I couldn’t think straight. I was so worried about Aldo’s family.’

  She shook her head, her voice shaking. ‘Javier, you thought I’d betrayed your trust. You didn’t even give me a chance to explain—not that I knew what the explanation was at the time. But you just upped and left. Is that how you treat your soul mate? Do you know what that did to me?’ Tears were brimming in her eyes.

  ‘I’m sorry, Portia. I was stupid. I was selfish. From the moment I left your side, you’ve been in my head. Nothing about this felt right. I jumped to a stupid conclusion. I know it wasn’t you. It was the guy on the balcony next to us in Naples.’ He shook his head. ‘But I should have let you explain. I let my past experience with the press cloud my judgement. I’ve spent my life trying to protect myself, only revealing what I wanted to the rest of the world. The truth is I’ve never connected with someone the way I’ve connected with you. I am so sorry. So, so sorry I didn’t take the time to stop and think. To believe in the person that I know you are—and always will be.’

  The tears started to flow. ‘And I felt the same. But you didn’t trust me. You didn’t give me a chance to explain. You walked away, Javier.’ She shook her head. ‘Do you know how much that hurt?’

  He reached up and touched her cheek. ‘And I’m so, so sorry. Portia, I went to Villa Rosa looking for peace. Looking for a place to regroup, and get my life back to a way I wanted it to be. And then...’ he paused and smiled ‘...I found you. The crazy, unwelcoming Englishwoman who assaulted me and accused me of breaking in.’

  The memories flooded back through her. ‘You took me by surprise.’

  ‘You took me by surprise too.’ He ran his fingers through her tangled hair. ‘And not just down on the beach.’ He pulled her forward and rested his forehead against hers. ‘I never expected to go to Villa Rosa and find love,’ he whispered. ‘I wasn’t ready for it
. And I didn’t recognise it right away.’

  She gave a little wheeze, her words caught in her throat.

  ‘But for the first time in my life I’ve found a real connection. Someone I want to talk to, to share with—to fight with. Someone who can challenge me, and match me in every way. Someone I want to wake up with. And that’s you, Portia. Every single day.’

  A tear slid down her cheek as she pulled her head back and tilted her chin up towards him. ‘I felt that way too. I stopped thinking about you as Javier Russo the film star. You were just Javier to me. The guy that wanted to help others. The guy that had a bigger heart than I could ever have imagined. The guy that stole my own heart away.’

  His face broke into a smile. ‘I stole your heart?’

  She raised her eyebrows. ‘You trampled it.’ She shook her head. ‘You don’t get to do that again. You don’t get to not talk to me. You don’t get to walk away.’

  He gave a slow nod. ‘I promise.’

  But she shook her head. ‘Hollywood is full of promises. None of them I believe.’

  He raised one eyebrow. ‘The woman who doesn’t believe in love.’ He tilted his head a little. ‘But you told me I stole your heart.’

  ‘But can I trust you with it?’

  It was bold. It was brash. But they’d come too far.

  Javier didn’t hesitate. He knelt down in front of her. ‘You’ve quit your job?’

  She nodded, wondering where this was going. ‘Yes.’

  ‘Have you found another one?’

  She gave a little smile. ‘Not yet. I may be considering other career plans.’

  He took her hands in his. ‘I want us to be together. Not just for now. Forever. What do you think, Portia? I love you. I want to find a way for us to plan for a future. Do you think we can find a way to stay together in this crazy world?’

  Something surged inside her. She wanted to wrap her hands around his neck and cry with relief. But she wouldn’t. She wouldn’t let herself.

  She straightened her back and looked him in the eye. ‘So what comes next?’

  ‘Whatever you want.’

  She licked her lips. She wasn’t going to tell him what she wanted even though she knew deep down in her heart. ‘What do you want to do?’

  He nodded slowly and pulled her up into his arms. ‘I have three houses. Pick one. We can stay anywhere you want.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘And, I want to hire a plane. I want to take you back to Italy and introduce you to the Lake Como house first. But before that, we have something else to do.’

  ‘What’s that?’

  He bent down and kissed her. ‘I’ve wasted enough time. When you know, you just know.’ He placed his hand over his heart. ‘And believe me, Portia, I know. There’s something that we need before we get to Lake Como. It’s just a formality. Do you have your passport and birth certificate?’

  Her heart surged in her chest. She almost thought she knew what he was hinting at. ‘Yes, but why?’

  He grinned. ‘Then let’s go to the Italian consulate before we get on the plane.’ He swept her up into his arms and she let out a squeal. ‘Hey, I’m doing things early.’

  He leaned his forehead against hers. ‘How about I promise to carry you over the threshold in Lake Como too?’

  She smiled as she wound her arms around his neck. ‘What about the Hollywood house and the Malibu beach house?’

  ‘Mrs Russo,’ he whispered, ‘are you always going to be this demanding?’

  She kissed him on the lips. ‘Oh, believe me, Mr Russo, I’m only just getting started. Hold on for the ride!’

  EPILOGUE

  HE WASN’T NERVOUS at all. The paperwork was completed, the minister in place, the garden decorated and the families placated.

  He’d surprised Portia with a huge engagement ring that she’d worn for five days. But Portia had assured him she was only interested in the thin rose-gold wedding band they’d picked together.

  At the bottom of the garden, looking out over Lake Como, the florist had created their own Neptune’s arch made entirely of pink and white flowers.

  Portia was an uncomplicated bride. She didn’t want fuss. She didn’t want a million arrangements and the hint of press anywhere near them. She’d picked a dress from a local wedding shop that fitted perfectly and could be bought immediately. Pink flowers were threaded through her hair and in her bouquet. Her traditional wedding dress was cinched with a pink satin sash similar to the dress she’d been wearing a few days ago. Her dark hair tumbled about her shoulders and her eyes shone.

  It was a simple civil ceremony with a blessing from the minister of the local church and two witnesses pulled from the luxury villa next door.

  Portia’s brown eyes brimmed with tears as they said their vows. He’d never seen a bride look more beautiful. ‘For better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for as long as we both shall live,’ she repeated, sincerity emanating from every pore in her body. Then she smiled and added a few lines of her own. ‘I never found anyone that made me feel complete, made me feel whole, until I met you, Javier. I promise to love you, respect you and challenge you, every single day for the rest of your life.’

  He couldn’t wipe the smile from his face. He repeated the vows looking into the face of the woman that he loved. When he finished he kept hold of her hands. ‘Portia Russo.’ He gave a little laugh. ‘I’m going to love saying those words.’ He shook his head. ‘When I went to Villa Rosa I didn’t expect to meet anyone. I wasn’t ready to meet anyone. But then there was you. All English accent, twinkling eyes and very, very long legs. You made me smile, you made me laugh. You asked all the right questions. And before I knew it, I was in love. Hook, line and sinker. Don’t ever let me go. Because I plan on us growing very old together.’

  He bent to kiss her, her perfect lips on his, and then she wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear, ‘I guess we should make this official.’

  He swept her up into his arms, ready to carry her over the threshold of their home. ‘It will be my pleasure, Mrs Russo.’

  * * * * *

  If you’ve loved this book

  then make sure you read

  CHRISTMAS IN THE BOSS’S CASTLE

  by Scarlet Wilson, part of

  MAIDS UNDER THE MISTLETOE.

  Available now!

  If you loved this story, and want to indulge

  in the next Mediterranean romance in the

  SUMMER AT VILLA ROSA quartet,

  the third book,

  THE RUNAWAY BRIDE AND THE BILLIONAIRE

  by Kate Hardy, is out next month!

  Keep reading for an excerpt from

  BOUND TO HER GREEK BILLIONAIRE

  by Rebecca Winters.

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  Bound to Her Greek Billionaire

  by Rebecca Winters

  CHAPTER ONE

  LYS THERON ARRIVED ahead of time for her appointment with the detective at the prefecture in Heraklion, Crete. The officer at the desk looked her over in a way she found insulting and hurtful.

  From her early teens she’d had to get used to men young and old staring at her. But his scrutiny was different because the unexpected and unexplained death a month ago of Nassos Rodino, the Greek multimillionaire hotelier on Crete, continued to be under police investigation and she was one of several people still being questioned.

  The well-known, forty-nine-year-old owner of the Rodino Luxury Hotel and Resort in Heraklion had died too young. Nassos had always been an object of fascination in the news. But since the divorce from his wife, Danae, four months ago, there’d been rumors that he’d been having an affair with twenty-six-year-old Lys, his former ward who’d lived in their household since the age of seventeen.

  While Lys struggled with her grief over his death, and many people lamented his demise, the media had done their best to sensationalize it, developing a story that had played every night in the television news cycle. Had Lys conducted a secret affair with the famous hotelier for several years? Questions had been raised as to what had actually caused the divorce and his ultimate death.

  Without answers, speculation grew that foul play might have been involved. Rumor that Lys might have caused his death to gain access to part of his money had caught hold. Though the detective conducting the investigation hadn’t put the blame on anyone, the reason for Nassos’s death still hadn’t been declared and a cloud hung over her. Lys’s heart shuddered over the cruel gossip. Nassos was the man she’d loved like a father since childhood.