“Melo?” Cade squeezed her hand. Her shoulders relaxed. Her hand fluttered to her mouth, then dropped. She pulled in a deep breath.
“I had to. Marco told me to.” She spoke so quietly Cade had to strain to hear the words. Her gaze flickered between Adam and Rosa, and she blinked rapidly. “He wouldn’t let me talk to you…”
Rosa stepped forward and placed a hand on her fiancé’s shoulder.
“What do you mean; Papa wouldn’t let you talk to Adam?” Her voice was high and shrill. She glared at Melo as though Melo was to blame.
What the hell was the matter with this family? Couldn’t they see Melo was upset? Cade stood shoulder to shoulder, and stared Rosa down.
“I think it’s time we took this question to Marco,” Cade suggested. Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed Melo’s rapid nod. “And I think you two better back off.” He slipped an arm around Melo’s shoulders and pulled her close. Whatever was going on here wasn’t her fault. And he wasn’t standing around to watch her being bullied.
Marco was sitting up in bed, with Mary at his side when they walked into his bedroom. His eyes flickered to Melo.
“Good morning,” Mary started, then stopped, realizing this was not a social visit. “What’s the matter?” Her hand reached for Marco’s. Gripped it tightly.
“I’ve just heard from the company making the replacement tanks,” Adam said. “They tell me Melo has cancelled my order.”
Mary stared at Melo. “What on earth would make you do such a thing?” She stood. “Melo. Explain this.”
“I had to.” Melo’s voice was low and she clenched Cade’s hand fiercely. “Papa knows.”
Her mother’s gaze turned back to her husband, and her eyebrows rose in query. Marco flushed. His hands picked at the bedcovers. “I asked Melo to cancel the order. It was necessary. His voice wavered. “I hoped we could delay this discussion until after tomorrow. I asked Melo to be discreet.”
He glared at Melo, as if it were somehow her fault the supplier had taken matters into his own hands and called Adam.
“I think you better tell us what’s going on.” Mary waved to the chairs around the corners of the room. “Sit down, everyone.”
Cade felt Melo tremble through their tangled fingers as they sat around the bedside. He squeezed gently, trying to pass an unspoken message of support to her.
All eyes were on her, and her throat moved discreetly as she swallowed before starting to speak. “The business is in jeopardy, through imprudent investments.”
Melo’s face colored and she avoided the shocked faces before her. No wonder, as an investment specialist she must be horribly embarrassed and ashamed of giving the family bad advice.
A mass of voices rent the air, all speaking at once, questioning how this could have happened. Through it all Melo said nothing. Eventually, Marco cleared his throat and the room fell quiet.
“How we came here is not important,” he said slowly in a voice brooking no further discussion. “What is important is we now face an impossible situation. One where Melo had to cancel the new orders.”
Cade gripped Melo’s fingers tightly. He waited for Marco to reveal the fact he’d talked to Cade about buying land, but Marco stayed silent.
“I didn’t want to ruin your wedding day, Rosa.” Marco held out a hand to his daughter, grooves deepening in his forehead. “I knew it would be a disappointment. Cast worry into what should be only a happy occasion.”
Cade’s heart clenched. How could Melo have gambled so recklessly with her family’s future? He glanced at her pale face, half hidden by the veil of her chestnut hair. He should feel anger, disgust. Instead, he felt pity for her obvious pain.
“I’ve looked through the figures; the only option was to cancel the improvements. We can’t pay for them.” Melo’s tone wavered. She turned to Adam. “I told Papa we should talk to you about it. You made the order; you should have been the one to cancel it.”
“I’ve been brought in as new Managing Director of this Company, it’s unforgivable that I haven’t been informed of this,” Adam said.
“You mustn’t upset Papa,” Rosa urged, resting her hand on her husband-to-be’s arm. There must be something we can do,” Rosa pleaded, still in denial about the severity of the situation.
“We have only one option, Rosa.” Marco’s gaze held Cade’s. “We can sell some land.”
****
Why was her father looking at Cade?
Melo’s heart clenched. She shivered feeling sudden chills as she gazed up at the profile of the man she’d spent the previous night with.
He held Marco’s gaze steadily, then his chin moved down slightly then back up, in a subtle nod. She pulled her hand out of his, and wrapped it around her own body, holding in the feelings of panic that shuddered through her.
“I have spoken to Cade.”
With her father’s words, something inside Melo shattered. She scrunched her eyes up tight, and clenched her knees together. It couldn’t be true. White noise thundered in her ears, and she swallowed, desperate for composure.
“Cade is interested in building a hotel on the island,” Marco said, his thin voice wavering.
Melo’s eyes shot open, she stared at her father in shocked disbelief.
“Is this true, Cade?” Adam demanded, frowning at Cade.
So, this was news to Adam too.
Cade nodded. “Marco swore me to secrecy.”
Cade was staring at Melo with something strange in his eyes, a plea for forgiveness perhaps?
Melo avoided his gaze. She pulled in a breath, and tried to steady herself as the true import of his betrayal stung.
Marco elaborated. “It could be the perfect solution. Cade wishes to extend his hotel empire into Europe, and we have property we are not using. We can renew the order, purchase the tanks and the winery will prosper.” A tight smile stretched Marco’s mouth.
“But what land?” Mary asked the unspoken question that burned in Melo’s mind. “There is the land around the villa, and the mountain land…” Her mother’s voice trailed off.
“And the beach. The family also owns Paradise Beach, and the land surrounding it.” Marco crossed his arms over his chest. “We must sell it in order to secure the future of The Bellucci Winery.”
Melo’s jaw dropped. Her father was talking as if Paradise Beach was his. To do with what he wished, rather than hers. Willed to her by her grandmother.
Marco stared into her eyes, as if willing her to stay silent. Be, once again, the dutiful daughter and discard her claim.
She shook her head.
He opened his mouth, and she stood, holding up a hand to silence whatever order he was going to give. This was too much. A straw too far. He wasn’t getting away with it.
“Surely that is my decision, Papa.” To her relief she sounded strong, when inside she felt like shredded tissue. “Paradise Beach is not an asset of our family’s. Paradise Beach belongs to me. My grandmother owned it, and left it to me in her will. It has always been mine, Papa. You know it, and so does everyone else. I intend to build a house there someday. Everyone knows that.”
The room was so quiet she could have been alone, but for the heavy tension hanging in the air, causing her muscles to twitch. Her eyes flickered to Cade.
He looked shocked.
He should be, she was so shocked by his duplicity her heart filled with hate. He’d taken her to bed, planning to build a hotel on her beach. Had he known the beach was hers? She searched her memory, trying to recall if she’d ever told him the story of how her grandmother left it to her. She brought a hand to her temples, rubbed at the burning pain that bloomed there. It had been a conspiracy. Between the man she’d always thought she loved and her father. Neither of them cared about her at all. They both just wanted her land.
“It looks like you were bargaining with the wrong Bellucci, Cade.” She turned and walked out of the villa. Climbed into the car, and drove away.
****
“What
did she mean?”
Cade frowned. Melo’s bombshell had come as a total shock. There’d been no hint the land wasn’t Marco’s to do with what he wished. The old man had placed him in an impossible situation by stating he’d decided to buy the land. As if Cade was the driving force behind the sale, rather than just a buyer invited to the table.
Nothing was decided. He hadn’t agreed to purchase it, although the thought of Felix Mezzuti building one of his overblown eyesores on Paradise Beach stung and burned in his gut. If he turned Marco down, Mezzuti would win by default. The mere thought was enough to force ice into Cade’s veins. The nightmare scenario of Mezzuti owning the land would be harsh punishment for Melo’s mistake. So harsh it would destroy her.
“A misunderstanding.” Marco shrugged.
“No!” Rosa sprung up from the chair, shaking her head in vehement refusal. “Nonna left the beach to Melo! We all knew it. What are you saying Papa?” She pulled in a deep breath, quivering at her father’s words.
“Yes, Marco. Rosa is right.” Mary nodded. “It was her legacy to Melo. She put it in her will. We don’t have the right to sell.” She clenched her hands together and stared at her husband, shock in her eyes.
Unused to open rebellion in his family, Marco frowned. “The beach was not my mother’s to give. Her husband always told her it was her beach, but never transferred title. Everything my father owned came to me, as his heir.” His jaw clenched tight. “It is unfortunate Melo feels the property is hers, but under the law it is mine to do with what I wish. And I wish to sell.”
Marco’s mouth set in a determined line.
Crunch point. Cade pushed a hand through his hair. The money Marco wanted for the beach would be easily raised. After all, the West Hotel empire was so profitable it had made him millions. Cade could buy the beach from his personal funds to keep it safe while he considered his options. It would give the family a vital breathing space—and see off the threat from Mezzuti once and for all.
Melo had looked stricken, devastated. His whole body reverberated with the echoes of the hurt she felt when her father shattered her dreams, and yet Marco hadn’t flinched, hadn’t reacted at all. And even now the wily old man waited for Cade’s reaction like a fat spider sitting in a web. Cade was under no illusions. If he refused, Marco would be on the phone to Mezzuti before the day was out.
But there was more at stake now. There had been shock, horror, and disillusionment in Melo’s eyes. Cade’s hands curled into fists. Despite the legal situation, the beach patently belonged to Melo. Her mother and sister were as shocked as she was at her father’s words. He needed to find her.
Cade had a reputation for ruthless negotiation, but he had no stomach for this. “I shall buy the land, but first I need Melo’s blessing,” Cade said.
Marco’s mouth opened, and then closed at the resolve in Cade’s eyes.
Cade glanced at Rosa. “Where will she be?”
****
She couldn’t run forever. The wedding was tomorrow. The day she’d spent so long planning, making sure everything was perfect. The events of today had shattered that; ruined everything. Melo drove up the winding road, higher into the forest. Away from civilization; away from Cade. She couldn’t even feel sorry Rosa’s day wouldn’t be as happy as she planned. For Rosa, this latest upset was about money. That was all. She still had her fiancée, and tomorrow she would be a bride. Secure in the love of her new husband, with her whole life stretching out ahead of her.
Melo turned off the main road down the track leading to the little restaurant hidden under the Cork Oak trees. The black stripes of stripped bark gave the trees a surreal appearance, and she breathed in deeply as she pulled over and stopped. The restaurant was closed, this time of day, but she could still get a drink. She strode out of the car and made her way inside. Greeting the restaurant’s owner Antonio, by name, she ordered a freshly squeezed orange juice with plenty of ice, and took it to a table under the trees.
They’d come here as a family when she was younger. For birthdays and other celebrations. She’d sat at this same table with her grandparents, the air filled with the excited chatter of her happy family. The memories were painful, and for a moment she regretted her decision to drive here. But everywhere else Cade knew about. Everywhere else, he could find her. She swallowed a mouthful of the cold orange, appreciating the citrus zing after the heat of the car.
He’d stared at her in the house. His hand had reached out to her before dropping to his side at the look in her eyes. He wouldn’t leave it, in fact she was pretty sure right about now he’d be on his way to her beach to talk to her. To seduce her with his caring attitude, his sexy smile. Her hand tightened on the glass. He must think she was a complete idiot, and of course, he had every right to his opinion didn’t he? She’d set right out to seduce him the moment he arrived on the island. Had fallen right into his arms. He hadn’t even had to work to get her into bed, and all the time…
Her stomach clenched with the totality of his deceit. All the time, he’d been talking to Marco, making plans for her land. Her heart sank. She’d revealed all her worries about the family business to him, confided her deepest secrets. But he knew them all the time, didn’t he?
Black despair took hold as another possibility formed and solidified in her mind. Marco must have told him about her claim to the beach. He’d taken her to bed, anyway. What for her had been a culmination of a teenage dream, the longed for moment when she and Cade finally made love, had been a cynical ploy by Cade to tip the balance in his favor.
He’d looked furious when Adam confronted her. In panic, she’d held Cade’s hand, let his strength infuse her, and almost melted when he told Adam and Rosa to back off. She’d thought he was angry because they were shouting at her. Melo rested her head in her hands as the true awfulness felled her. Cade was angry his secret was about to come out. It was all about the land, none of his anger was about her. Nothing was about her, she’d been a fool.
“Is everything okay, Melo?” Antonio stood by the table, his expression full of concern. They’d been in school together, and he’d always known the restaurant would be his. It was his inheritance. His destiny. Just as the beach had been hers.
“Just overwhelmed with all the things to do for the wedding.” Melo smiled weakly.
Antonio nodded. “I know how hard you’ve been working with all the preparations. My sister tells me every time she’s seen you since you’ve been back, you’ve been in your car, driving people around.”
Antonio’s sister was doing the flowers for the wedding. Melo had been in and out of the shop constantly, organizing last minute details.
He patted her shoulder. “You need time for yourself. Time to relax.” He picked up her empty glass, and his gentle, warm smile soothed her. He gestured toward a hammock stretched between two ancient cork oaks. “Go. Lie down. I’ll bring you another drink, and some biscotti.”
“No, Antonio, I…”
“Take some time to rest. You’re always the one in charge. The one who fixes everything, but you’re exhausted.”
Melo felt the threatening prick of tears. He was right. She always put everyone else first. She was a total doormat, and where had it got her?
“I’ll put the orange and biscotti on the table there.” He pointed. “You’ll be able to reach them from lying down, no need to even sit up for them.” His teeth flashed white in his tanned face. “I should know—I’ve spent many an hour lazing under the trees.” He pulled her to her feet, and patted her back. “Don’t worry; I’ll wake you if you fall asleep.”
“Grazie, Antonio.”
Melo walked to the hammock and sank down into it. She gazed up into the green canopy and let the stress leach out of her aching shoulders. A breeze rustled the leaves above as she breathed in the heated air, redolent with the scent of the sage growing wild under the trees. The canvas swung slowly as she shifted her weight, curved around her body as Cade’s had done.
For a moment, she forced the
bittersweet memories away. Then closed her eyes, and surrendered to them. His smile as he pushed her back onto the crisp sheets, the way his body had trembled as his lips trailed over her neck, and his hands cupped her breasts. The wonder of their lovemaking had been everything she’d dreamed of.
But she’d been in love with a ghost. A boy who captured her youthful imagination. That boy didn’t exist. Maybe he never had. She’d made love with a shadow, a shadow of her own imagining. The real Cade was someone different. Her body flushed with his remembered caresses as her mind struggled with the truth. She’d given herself to a man she barely knew. A man with a wallet where his heart should be. And really, she had no one to blame but herself. These moments thinking of Cade would be the last ones. A final morbid wallow in the memories of a dead dream.
She reached for the orange juice and bit into a crisp biscotti. She should be thinking of a plan to save the vineyard, but her mind rebelled. Let the rest of them do it. Antonio was right; she was always the one losing sleep over the family’s problems. Problems not of her making. She crunched the biscotti savagely. And not hers to solve, either. Her father seemed sure his claim on her beach was legitimate, but that wasn’t the end of it. When the wedding was over, she’d get her own lawyers on it. At the very least, she’d tie up Cade and her father with legal counterclaims for months.
Melo rested her hands on her stomach. Yes, she’d been naïve, but the scales had fallen from her eyes, and now she saw things clearly. She wouldn’t be browbeaten or emotionally blackmailed any more. The fresh mountain air expanded her lungs. She blew it out slowly, then breathed in again, feeling power infuse her body with the inhalation.
Her relationship with Cade had been shrouded in insubstantial dreams. She hadn’t seen the real man through her infatuated prism, but there was nothing but clear air between them now. When she got back to the villa, everyone would want to talk. They’d lobby her to give up her claim, and smooth things over with her father for the sake of the wedding.
Paradise was hers, and she’d see Cade in hell before she let him steal it.
Marrying Cade Page 9