The CEO, the Puppy and Me

by Jennifer Faye

  They were alone on a side street when Ric stopped and turned to her. “Would you like me to kiss you?”

  Yes!

  She struggled to hold back her answer.

  Their gazes met and held. There was definite interest reflected in his eyes. “It sounds like you’re the one with kissing on your mind.”

  A deep growl rattled in his throat. “I have a whole lot more than kissing on my mind.”

  She hadn’t been expecting him to say that. His words melted her insides into a heated ball of need. Would it be wrong if she were to fall into his arms right now?

  She stifled a frustrated sigh. Probably. She couldn’t—she wouldn’t—be one of those women who threw themselves at him.

  But would that be so bad? After all, he was the one who had opened this door. Or had she? Either way, she was more than willing to yank that door wide open and march right through the opening and into his arms—

  “You’re smiling,” he said, cutting right through her daydream. “Must mean you like the idea.”

  Oh, yes, she did. A car honk from farther down the block startled her back to reality. The voice of reason reminded her that they weren’t out and about on this gorgeous sunny morning to fall in love. Wait. Where had that thought come from?

  She swallowed hard. She was not falling for him. No way. Admiring his sexy good looks was one thing, but anything beyond that was off-limits. Because no one could truly love her until she knew the truth about herself. She reinforced the walls around her heart with sheer determination.

  She wouldn’t let herself be vulnerable again. Not even for someone as kind and amazing as Ric. Because whenever she found her father—whoever it might be—she couldn’t stand for Ric to look at her differently, to push her away.

  In that moment she knew the flirting had to stop. She straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin to look into his dark and mysterious eyes, but then she realized her mistake as her movements had only succeeded in bringing her closer—much closer—to his tempting lips.

  If she were to lean forward ever so slightly, their lips would meet. And then she’d lean into his arms. He’d pull her closer. And as his mouth moved over hers, they’d get lost in the moment.

  Desire flashed in his eyes. Did he know she was fantasizing about him—wanting him? Her heart hitched in her chest.

  No. No. No! Get a grip girl. You are here on a mission. Don’t get sidetracked.

  She stifled a frustrated sigh. Was it wrong that she wanted both? A summer fling with Ric and to be united with her father. Probably. One couldn’t be greedy.

  Stay focused.

  With great reluctance, she pulled back. “We should keep going.”

  He hesitated for a moment, but when she moved past him to continue down the sidewalk, he fell in step beside her. All the while, she couldn’t help wondering what would have happened if she had given in to her desires and kissed him back there. Where would things have gone between them?

  And when it was over, what would happen? Would she just be one more conquest for him? After all, he could practically have his pick of women. There were certainly enough of them willing to be with him.

  She didn’t like the thought of just being another notch on his bedpost. And she didn’t like the thought of him turning to another woman with that devilish grin that made his eyes twinkle with unspoken promises of passion.

  But there was no point dwelling on it. She wasn’t in Lapri for fun and romance. She was here to find out who she was and get to know her father—a father who’d been kept from her. She had to right the past before she could contemplate the future.

  * * *

  The old book had been searched.

  Every entry regarding his uncle’s house had been analyzed for clues.

  And they were still no closer to locating Gia’s biological father.

  “I’m sorry,” Ric said. All the while his mind raced, searching for something they’d missed.

  Deep sadness filled Gia’s eyes. “This isn’t supposed to be this hard.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you. It doesn’t appear the prior owner has any living relatives.”

  “But how am I supposed to find my father? I just know he was in that house. It’s the only reason my mother would have that address in her journal on the page that speaks of him.”

  A woman working at the counter gave them dirty looks for making noise. Even though this was a government office, it was much like a library where speaking was frowned upon.

  “Come on,” he said. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Gia didn’t argue. They returned all the research material they’d borrowed and headed out the door. The bright cheery sunshine seemed to mock the dark stormy look on Gia’s face. Right about now, he’d be willing to do most anything to put the smile back on her face. But even he couldn’t work miracles. He’d already run an exhaustive search on the internet for any reference to a man who might fit the criteria Gia had given him. The problem was she didn’t have enough definitive information to narrow down his search enough. Ric had ended up with thousands upon thousands of results. Far too many to weed through.

  “Don’t worry,” he said. “We’ll figure something out. This isn’t the end.”

  Although he had serious doubts if she was ever going to find her father. He knew what that frustration felt like. He knew she’d never truly give up hope. He still hadn’t. Every now and then he would come across something that would spark a new search, and as usual, it would lead him down a rabbit hole that led nowhere.

  He didn’t want that for Gia. And then he had a thought.

  “Do you have your mother’s journal?” he asked as he led her to a nearby coffee shop.

  “I do. Why?”

  He held up a finger, signaling for her to wait. By then they’d entered the nearly empty coffee shop, as most people were at work at that hour. They placed their order. He wanted to wait until they were seated at a table before he posed his proposal to her. The bistro was quick, and in no time they were holding one steaming espresso for him and a latte for her. They headed over to a table by the window.

  “I can’t wait any longer,” she said. “What do you have in mind?”

  “I wonder if you’d be willing to lend me your mother’s journal. I have a friend who’s good at locating people. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner.” Actually, he had. He knew Gia would resist the idea, but now that they were out of options, she might agree. “But if you were to allow my friend to read your mother’s journal, he might be able to unearth some clues that were overlooked.”

  Gia was already shaking her head before he said the last words. “No. I couldn’t do that. It’s private.”

  “I can vouch that he’s very discreet.”

  Gia continued to shake her head. “It wouldn’t be right.”

  “So you’re okay with giving up and never finding your father?” He knew the answer before he asked the question, but he doubted Gia had come to terms with what her decision would mean.

  Gia finally stopped shaking her head. She stared at him, and he could see in her eyes that she was turning over the idea and weighing her options. “Your friend, he doesn’t need the original, does he?”

  Ric noticed the hesitant look on her face. It was though there was an internal struggle waging within her. “I don’t know.”

  “I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t lend someone my mother’s last words. I... I couldn’t.”

  “I understand. I’ll talk to him. Maybe we can scan the book or make photocopies. Would you be all right with that?”

  She stirred her coffee. “I guess so.”

  That was all the affirmation he needed. He reached for his phone and signaled that he’d be right back. He wanted to make the arrangements before she changed her mind.

  He knew if she didn’t do absolutely everythi
ng within her power to locate her father, she would regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But one day she would look back on this moment, wondering why she didn’t have the courage to do whatever it took. And Ric didn’t want her to have any regrets—not about this.

  After a brief phone conversation and promising access to his yacht for a future unnamed date, his friend said he’d look at it. But Nate made it known there were no guarantees. In his line of work, sometimes things worked out and sometimes he would hit a dead end. Ric told him he understood, but Nate wasn’t referring to him but rather Gia. She shouldn’t get her hopes up, but he would do his best.

  “Well, what did he say?” she asked as soon as Ric returned to the table.

  “He can’t guarantee results, but he’ll take the case.”

  “I understand.” Then the worry returned to her face. “And the journal. Does he need the original?”

  Ric shook his head. “He said we can scan the pages and send them to him.”

  Gia visibly exhaled. “Okay. I can do this.” And then for the first time since they’d left the courthouse, a smile came over her face. “I have hope again. And it’s all thanks to you. I wish there was some way I could pay you back.”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  “But I do. You’ve gone above and beyond for me. I will pay you back.”

  He knew she meant it, but it wasn’t necessary. “I just want you to have a happy ending.”

  Not everyone got those, but Gia had a big heart for stray puppies and stray CEOs. She deserved her happy ending, and he’d do whatever he could to make sure she got it.

  He told himself that it wasn’t anything more than he’d do for a friend. Because that’s all they were—friends. He couldn’t let it be more—even though it was tempting.

  In the end, she’d be gone. And he’d once more be alone. He couldn’t risk losing someone else he cared about. It was best to keep his beautiful houseguest at arm’s length.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  A DEAD END.

  That was the opposite of what she’d been hoping for.

  The next morning, Gia squinted at the bright sunlight streaming through her bedroom window. She yawned and stretched. She had zero motivation to get out of bed. Her lack of sleep might have something to do with it.

  After staring into the dark, she’d turned on her light and combed through her mother’s journal again, searching for any clue to the identity of her father. If she couldn’t find anything, how was Ric’s friend going to turn up anything? Still, when they’d returned from the café yesterday, Ric had helped her painstakingly scan the journal and email it to his friend.

  Gia had all her hopes and dreams pinned on Ric’s friend working miracles. After all she’d been through, her journey just couldn’t end like this. There had to be a clue.

  By the time she’d showered and spent a little more time than normal applying her makeup, she found Ric sitting out on the terrace, drinking his morning coffee. Well, not so much drinking as holding his coffee while staring blindly off into the clear blue sky. It seemed she wasn’t the only one that day with something on their mind.

  And she felt guilty. She’d taken up a lot of his time and kept him away from his office. He needed to know that he didn’t need to stay here and babysit her. She and the pup would be just fine on their own.

  Speaking of Gin, she hadn’t seen the little guy all morning. In fact, she hadn’t seen him since she’d finally slipped off into a restless sleep last night. As she stepped out onto the terrace, she was surprised to find him lying at Ric’s feet. Those two had certainly bonded. Immediately the puppy spotted her and ran over for some cuddle time. She bent over to pick him up.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Ric turned to her. “For what?”

  “I fell asleep last night and didn’t notice that Gin had wandered off. I hope he wasn’t too much bother.”

  Ric didn’t say anything for a moment. “He was fine once I got him out of my shoe closet. He seems to think my leather dress shoes are good chew toys.”

  “Oh, no!” Gia pressed a hand to her chest. “I’m so sorry. Let me know how much they were and I’ll pay for them.”

  Ric shook his head. “No need. It was my fault for leaving the door open.”

  Gia frowned at Gin. “Naughty puppy. You have to be a good boy or Ric will toss us to the curb.”

  When Gin started to wiggle, she put him down. Gia had an idea she wanted to run past Ric, but first, she needed caffeine.

  In the kitchen she poured herself a cup of coffee, leaving barely enough room for sweetener and creamer. A swish of the spoon and then she eagerly lifted it to her lips. She drank in the steamy brew and moaned her glee.

  With cup in hand, she returned to the terrace. Gin was hot on her heels. Ric was still sitting there, once again staring into space. Whatever he was thinking about definitely had a hundred percent of his attention.

  “Mind if I join you?” she asked softly, so as not to startle him.

  He lowered his cup to the small table and turned to her. He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Please do.”

  Gin ran up to him and put his paws on his leg. The pup excitedly barked at Ric. The little guy was doing so well that they’d dispensed with his plastic cone.

  Ric laughed and picked up the little dog, settling him on his lap. While those two went through their morning ritual, Gia made herself comfortable in the other chair. All the while, she tried to figure out what to say.

  She raised her gaze to find Gin giving Ric a kiss. “I’d like to pay for the investigation. Whatever it is, just let me know.”

  Ric shook his head. “That won’t be necessary.”

  “But I insist.”

  “There’s nothing to pay. My friend, Nate, and I have a mutually beneficial arrangement, so he’s doing it pro bono.”

  “Oh.” Still, she just couldn’t take any more charity from this man. She had been raised to carry her own weight. “Then let me pay you.”

  Ric again shook his head. “That won’t be necessary.”

  He was not making this easy for her. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, but there has to be something I can do for you in return.”

  “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  “I am. My parents raised me to be independent and not to rely on the generosity of others.” And then the thought about his uncle’s villa came back to her. She still wasn’t sure how Ric would feel about it, but it was worth mentioning. “I could work on cleaning up your uncle’s place, you know, so it’s ready for you to sell.”

  Ric arched a brow as he studied her. “And you feel you’re up to the challenge?”

  She nodded. “I did a good job with my hotel. I can show you pictures.”

  “Actually, I’ve seen the pictures online. Your hotel is beautiful. But my uncle’s house would need a whole lot of updates to come close to looking that good. Surely you can’t do it by yourself.”

  “Oh. Sorry. I didn’t mean to imply I would. I’ll work on the design, with your approval of course, and then I’ll hire contractors or we can do it together, if you desire.”

  Ric’s lips pressed together as though he were mulling it over. “And how long do you think it will take?”

  “If the contractors are available, I wouldn’t think too terribly long.” And then a thought came to her. “You aren’t planning on tearing down walls or anything drastic, are you?”

  “The walls stay. The kitchen and bathrooms need to be gutted.”

  “I agree.”

  “But will you be around that long?” His gaze searched hers.

  “Probably not. When we find my father, I’ll want to spend time with him.” When Ric frowned, she added, “But if we get started right away, the design should be in place. You’ll be able to oversee the finishing touches. And then you wo
n’t have to worry about it sitting around being neglected.”

  He was quiet for a moment. “I like the idea. I’ll make sure you have whatever funds you need. You know you really don’t have to do this.”

  “But I want to do it.” She truly did. It would be a much welcome distraction from the search for her father. “I went to design school, but with my parents passing, I never really got to put my education to use, aside from internships and working on the hotel.”

  “If you’re an interior designer, why are you running a hotel?” He looked genuinely confused.

  She shrugged. “It just worked out that way.” But that answer didn’t seem to appease him. And so she decided to tell him about her parents’ very unusual will. “When my parents died, they left the estate to the sibling who could generate the biggest profit with the villa and vineyard.”

  “But what about the other two siblings?”

  “They’ll inherit an equal fortune.”

  “Do you want the estate?”

  She shrugged. “I did at first, but now, I don’t know.”

  “Why would you change your mind?”

  “Because now I know I’m not a Bartolini. Not by blood. It seems the estate should go to a true Bartolini.” It made her sad to admit it. She felt different now. She couldn’t explain it to anyone, but until she found her father, she’d never truly know who she was.

  Sympathy showed in Ric’s eyes. “But you were raised a Bartolini. If your parents didn’t feel you were a Bartolini, don’t you think they’d have told you?”

  Gia shrugged. “It doesn’t change the fact that I need to find my biological father. Once I find him, I’ll be able to figure out what comes next.”

  “And if you don’t find him?”

  His pointed questions poked and prodded her, making her consider things she’d put off until now. “I can’t think about it because...because it would mean I’ll never know the answers to my past. I just know that if I can find my father that...that...”