“Is there a reason we should put things off?”
Other than to give him more time to get used to the idea—which was never, ever going to happen—nothing stood in their way.
When his gaze met hers, he saw the worry reflected in her eyes. It was now, as the initial shock subsided, that he noticed the shadows beneath her eyes and the lines bracketing her mouth. Though she might be proposing this plan, it didn’t appear it had been by choice but rather one of self-preservation.
“If you aren’t interested in the deal, I’ll find someone else.”
She didn’t say it, but he filled in the blank—she could easily find another willing participant. And if she were to do that, he was certain the door would be firmly closed on ever getting his products back in the Falcos’ restaurants.
“I’ll do it.” Once the words passed his lips, he felt as though he’d just shackled himself to Carla.
He gave her a quick glance, from her long dark hair to her warm brown eyes down to her pouty lips that were just begging to be kissed. Okay, so there were much worse people to be chained to.
“Good.” She glanced around as though trying to determine where their meandering had led them. “Perhaps we should turn around.” When he nodded in compliance, she said, “Have your attorney look over the contract, and we’ll set the date to finalize everything.”
“Don’t you mean set our wedding date?” He couldn’t resist pointing out the obvious.
Color flared in her cheeks. “Yes, that, too.”
So she wasn’t any more eager than he was to exchange wedding vows. But it wasn’t going to be that easy.
“I have some demands, too,” he said.
Carla’s eyes momentarily widened with surprise before she returned to her neutral expression. In a practically monotone voice she asked, “What would those be?”
“We need to move immediately on getting Marchello Spices back in the restaurants.”
She nodded. “I knew you’d expect nothing less. It’ll be our first order of business.”
“I have other ideas—”
“I’m sure you do, but don’t get ahead of yourself.”
“But I won’t sign unless it’s in writing about Marchello Spices being returned to tables immediately.”
As they continued their stroll, Carla didn’t say anything at first. In her beautiful eyes, he could see the wheels of her mind turning. Surely she had to see the merits of this plan. It would breathe new life into the restaurant chain. It would benefit both of their companies.
“Have your attorneys write up an addendum to the current agreement and I’ll have my people go over it.”
He stopped next to her small yellow sports car. “I’ll do that.”
“Remember, time is of the essence.”
“This will be my top priority.” He opened the car door for her. “Are you really sure you want to do this? This agreement is quite unprecedented.”
Her unwavering gaze met his. “Sometimes sacrifices have to be made. It is a marriage in name only. And it is only six months. But it has to look convincing. My father has to believe this is a real, traditional marriage. Anything less and he’ll have us tied up in litigation.”
He sighed. “Agreed.”
“So how do we get him to the wedding without him knowing that he’s going to our wedding? Because he’ll need to see it with his own eyes if he’s to believe it.” She paused as though giving the dilemma some serious thought.
Franco gave it some thought. “I know. We’ll invite everyone to a special event—a special announcement.”
Her eyes lit up with interest. “I like the way you think.”
“Just remember, this was all your idea.”
“How could I forget? But it’ll be worth it in the end. Everyone will get what they want or need.”
He nodded in understanding. It wasn’t until he was seated in his own car that he realized he’d been holding his breath. Perhaps because he’d been holding back an argument—this was too much of a sacrifice for business.
Wait. Had he just thought that? He was the one who was all business, all the time. But this marriage contract felt over-the-top even for him.
What if Carla changed her mind about what she wanted from this marriage? Then he recalled her cold and businesslike demeanor during their dinner. She was no longer the fun and vivacious young woman that he’d met at his sister-in-law’s villa not so long ago. Something had changed in her—something he couldn’t identify.
And when it came down to it, her offer was just too good to pass up.
But could he really utter the words I do?
CHAPTER THREE
THERE WAS A diamond ring in his pocket.
It felt as though it were burning a hole through his slacks.
Franco thought back to when his grandmother had given him the ring, the same evening she’d given his brother an heirloom ring to properly propose to his now wife, Gianna. His grandmother had told Franco that she was giving him the ring, even though he wasn’t involved with anyone, because he was the type to play things close to his chest. And she doubted when the time came to propose that he’d come to her for the ring.
He’d tried vehemently to refuse it, but what can you do when your grandmother gives you that look? You know, the one where her face turns serious, a brow is arched over the rim of her glasses and the look in her eyes says if you don’t do what I say, you’re going to live to regret it? Yeah, that one. Well, that’s exactly what she’d done to him. And the last thing he’d wanted to do was have his grandmother upset with him. Because he loved his grandmother dearly—she was the only true mother figure in his life. She never wavered—never shrank away. She was calm and she was steady.
So when Carla sounded frantic about making time for her father, attending to business at the office and preparing for the quarterly board meeting, he’d offered to have his assistant send out invitations to a private party where a big announcement was to be made as well as throw together an intimate wedding. Carla had sounded so relieved when she’d accepted his offer. And that was why he had a diamond ring readily available when his assistant had asked about Carla’s engagement ring. It was the one detail he needed to take care of personally.
Still, this wedding was so much more involved than he’d been prepared for when he’d first agreed to the marriage contract. He’d thought they’d exchange empty vows and then coexist for six months. Instead, they needed a real wedding with select guests and a photographer. He’d had no idea their arrangement would go to these lengths in order to sell it to her father. But Franco didn’t want to leave anything up to chance.
Today was their wedding day. Franco’s gut was tied in a knot. He hadn’t eaten a thing since yesterday. Not even coffee appealed to him. He wondered if all grooms felt this anxious.
He pulled to a stop in a no-parking zone, right in front of Carla’s apartment building. He couldn’t back out now. He just had to get through the day the best he could.
Franco exited the car at the same time she stepped onto the sidewalk. She rushed up to him with her overnight bag in hand. Her face was pale, but that was the only clue she was nervous.
“Are you ready for this?”
“As ready as I’m ever going to be. My father wasn’t happy about the mysterious party, but I talked him into going. What about your grandparents?”
“They’re out of the country.”
“Oh.”
He didn’t like her disapproving tone. “What’s the matter?”
She shook her head. “Nothing.”
When she moved to walk past him, he stepped in her way. “If we’re going to marry, you have to learn to talk to me.”
She glanced away. “I just wondered if getting married without your grandparents—well, if it would bother you.”
“If this was a real wedding, yes, it wou
ld. But since this is a business arrangement, I can live with it. In fact, it’ll be easier this way. Besides, it’s probably best my grandfather and your father aren’t in close proximity.”
She nodded in agreement.
He took her bag and stowed it in the boot of the car before they set off on their journey. The fact of the matter was he had a surprise in store for Carla. He hoped she’d like it.
“Where are we going?” she asked as they headed away from the center of Verona. “I thought we’d have a quick wedding in the city.”
“You’ll soon see.”
She turned to him. Her expression was very serious. “We don’t have time for distractions. We have to get the papers signed and then we have to get straight to work. I have to let my key people know that we’re shifting gears and focusing full-time on our collaboration.”
“That can wait for a day.”
“No, it can’t—”
“Yes, it can.” He could hardly believe he was saying these words. And all this time his family had accused him of being a workaholic. Obviously they didn’t know Carla very well, or they might realize that she definitely outdid him.
“Franco, if we’re going to make this all work out in time, we can’t waste a moment.”
“But for any of it to work, we must marry—”
“Quickly and without fuss—”
“Aw...but you forget that your father needs to believe in this marriage—a marriage to a Marchello. You know as well as I do that he’s going to fight this marriage. If we aren’t careful, he’ll prove us frauds, and then our agreement will be null and void.”
Her mouth opened. No words came out. Then she pressed her lips together with a deep sigh. “Fine. What do you have in mind?”
“You’ll see. Trust me.”
“That’s the problem,” she said. “I don’t trust you.”
He let out a laugh. The truth was that he didn’t trust her, either. It definitely wasn’t the correct way to start a marriage. But then again, this was a business partnership. And when it came to business agreements, there was always a bit of distrust. So the way he saw it, they were okay with this. But as they headed out of the city, he realized there was one other thing they needed to deal with sooner rather than later.
He swallowed hard. “There’s something else we need to do to seal the deal.”
Carla turned to him with concern reflected in her eyes. “Do I even want to ask what you’re referring to? Because if this is about consummating our marriage—”
“It’s not, I assure you.” Though that’s one part of the day that might be quite enjoyable. As soon as the thought came to him, he dismissed it. Blurring lines between business and pleasure was never a good idea.
He pulled off to the side of the road. He reached in his pocket and pulled out the ring. There was a distinct gasp from Carla. He glanced at her, but she wasn’t looking at him. Her full attention was focused on the ring in his hand.
“If we are going to do this right—” his voice wobbled, at least to his ears “—we need to be properly engaged. So... Carla Falco, will you marry me?”
Her gaze flickered to meet his. He could see the wheels of her mind spinning. He hadn’t thought this would catch her so off guard. Didn’t all women look forward to receiving a diamond ring? Her gaze moved back to the ring, but she didn’t reach for it.
“Go ahead. Take it.” He moved it closer to her. “It won’t bite you. I promise.” When she still didn’t reach for it, he said, “You know you have to play the part, just like I do.”
At last she took the ring from him and slipped it on her finger. “I guess you’re right.” She held up her hand, letting the light twinkle off the diamond. “It’s very pretty.”
“It was my great-grandmother’s ring.”
“Oh.” She quickly pulled it off and handed it back to him. “I can’t accept this, even on a temporary basis.”
“I want you to wear it.” And then realizing how that might sound, he clarified himself. “I mean my grandmother expects my wife to wear the ring. If you don’t, everyone will wonder why you don’t have it on. Do you really want to answer those questions?”
“No. I suppose not.” She placed the ring back on her finger. “But it’s going to make me very nervous. What if I damage it?”
“You won’t.”
“But I might.”
“It’ll be okay because I have no intention of using the ring for a real marriage, so no one will know.”
“I’ll know.”
They continued to ride on quietly, each lost in their own thoughts. What had sounded like a good idea at one point—a means to an end—was now sounding so much more involved with so many entanglements. He couldn’t help but wonder what details he’d forgotten about for this big day. He’d just have to hope they wouldn’t be big enough to be noticed by anyone—including their families.
* * *
It had been a week of negotiations.
A week of hammering out the details of their future.
If Carla had any doubts about proposing a marriage between herself and Franco, those doubts were quickly quelled. Nothing about this upcoming marriage felt personal in the least. Her gaze strayed to the heirloom diamond ring on her finger. Okay, maybe it was a little personal.
The thought that her father’s reckless disregard for his own health had pushed her to this drastic decision hadn’t gone unnoticed. Though she was very upset with him, her concern about his teetering health trumped everything. And so she would go through with this crazy plan.
She leaned back against the buttery-soft black leather of the chauffeured sedan. She glanced over to Franco. A large gap yawned between them. She took comfort in knowing that he wasn’t any more anxious for this union.
And though when they’d first met she’d thought he was attracted to her, she now realized it must have all been in her imagination. Because ever since she’d proposed to him, he’d kept a respectable distance from her.
This was going to work out just the way she’d planned. Still, the thought of a loveless marriage left her saddened. Call it the romantic in her or maybe she’d read one too many romance novels, but she’d been under the illusion that marriage was supposed to be about love. Nothing could be further from the truth where they were concerned.
But without emotional entanglements, she’d be able to focus her full attention on the family business. That was what she wanted after all. She just had to keep that in mind.
Carla turned her attention back to the passing scenery. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll like this. Just relax,” Franco said.
Carla sighed. The truth was she couldn’t relax. She’d barely slept a wink the night before. She’d watched infomercials, thinking they’d bore her to sleep. No such luck. She’d tried chamomile tea. Nothing. At last, she’d lain in the dark, tossing and turning. Sometime in the middle of the night, she’d nodded off. She wondered if all brides were this nervous.
Not that this was a real wedding. It wasn’t like she had feelings for Franco. Though he was gorgeous. He was so serious most of the time.
She chanced a glance at Franco. He was staring out the window. And then he consulted his Rolex. He was probably wondering how soon this wedding would be over so he could get on with his business.
But what would he be like if he were marrying for love? Would his sole focus be on his bride? Would he be able to think of anything else but spending every waking moment with his beloved? An uneasy feeling churned in the pit of her stomach.
She let out a soft sigh and turned away. It wasn’t like she wanted him to look at her that way. She knew how fleeting love could be. And when things fell apart, it was messy and painful. She refused to set herself up to be hurt again.
Just outside the small village of Gemma, where her cousin lived, the car slowed and turned into a sho
rt drive. It led them up to a stately house that sat right on the edge of Lake Como. The house appeared to be three stories with tall windows. She didn’t recognize it.
She turned to Franco. “What are we doing here?”
“I thought it’d be a good place to have a wedding.”
As the car pulled around to the front of the villa, she caught a quick glimpse of the lush garden bordering the lake. Her attention turned to the impressive villa. It had floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing a picturesque view of the lake.
Whoever owned this villa was most fortunate. She couldn’t even imagine how much a house in this stunning setting would cost. Though she’d always thought her father had the most beautiful house in the Lake Como region, she had to admit that this house definitely rivaled it. No, it surpassed it in size, location and sheer beauty. What a place for a wedding.
“Who owns this place?” Carla asked.
“I do. Now that my brother lives here, I wanted to have a place close by.”
“It’s beautiful.”
Standing off to the side of the driveway was a stylish young woman with a digital notepad clutched in her arm. A smile lit up her face as she looked expectantly at Carla. Who was she? Carla glanced over at Franco, waiting for some sort of explanation.
“Go ahead,” he said. “Everything is waiting for you.”
“Everything?” She didn’t know what to expect.
He lowered his voice so as not to be overheard. “We both know this has to look real or else your father isn’t going to believe it.”
She opened her mouth to argue but then wordlessly closed it. As much as she hated it, Franco was right.
“I’ve seen to all the details, including a few guests as well as my brother and your cousin.”
“You invited them, too?” she whispered. “But why? Couldn’t you have just invited people from your office?”
“You do want people to believe this marriage is real, right? Isn’t that the only way your agreement with your father will be ironclad?”
“Yes, but...” Her frantic thoughts were fragmented. “This...it feels wrong. We invited everyone under false pretenses.”
Falling for Her Convenient Groom Page 3