The look in his eyes when he neared her had been reserved for her. It always had been, and to see it there had been a little shocking at first. Then she realized he should be looking at her like that again if he was interested in rekindling their relationship. Still, it was going to take some getting used to. A smile spread across her mouth at the thought. She had all of the time in the world.
“I would love to know what you are thinking about,” Amalía murmured.
She glanced at her friend with puzzlement. “Why do you ask?”
“Because you have this look on your face that I haven’t seen in a long time,” Amalía said.
Daníella laughed. “What? A smile?”
Amalía gave her a serious look. “No. True happiness.”
* * * *
Carlo entered his office and closed the door behind him before easing his long frame into his chair. He automatically hit the massage button, laying his head back and closing his eyes in pleasure. The investment in this chair was well worth it. His thirty-three-year-old body felt a lot older at times like these. He would never be able to forget the fateful car wreck that had forever changed his life. The last four years had been hard, but he had survived them, even if it was with a battered and broken body. He rubbed his thigh in an absentminded fashion. It, along with his pelvis, had been crushed when he had been pinned inside of his car. The pain that followed was indescribable and only surpassed by the pain he’d experienced during rehab.
His fear of being unable to walk was the only thing that kept him going when he’d just wanted to lay there and rest. His family had also supplied motivation. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply before reopening them. There were times when he loved his family for everything they did, everything they were, and then there were times when he could do without being in their presence. Regardless, his family was good to him and they meant a lot to him, especially his siblings.
Antonio was the oldest and the best friend of all of his younger brothers and sister. He was the diplomatic Carabelli son. Not one person could dislike him. Amalía was the next oldest and had the privilege of being the only girl. It he let her tell it, she would say it was nothing but suffering. He loved Amalía because she was full of spunk and didn’t hesitate to speak her mind. She also had a hell of a right fist. He was lucky that he hadn’t been on the receiving end of Amalía’s fist in a long time. The person who had was Giovanni, the Carabelli bad boy, who had a problem with authority of any kind unless it came from Mona or Bruno Carabelli.
As impulsive as Giovanni tended to be, it came as a surprise to some that Giovanni didn’t break any laws. Nor did he have the attention of the media any more than the next Carabelli. They were lucky in the fact there were many other wealthy people for the media to focus on. Yes, he, as well as his siblings, had all graced the cover of the newspaper, but they tended to keep a low and clean profile for the most part. Still, all of them had suffered a slander of their name in some sense. It had been another way in which he’d hurt Daníella. Yet everything had been calm lately, and if their name did make the paper, it was because of something good, the most recent being Antonio’s marriage to Tierra. It probably wouldn’t be that way for long if Leonardo kept leaving a trail of broken hearts behind him.
Leonardo was a charmer, and he always would be. That left the last and youngest Carabelli child. Macéo had a habit of being forgetful about everything—unless it dealt with numbers. Macéo excelled at numbers, so no one held his one-track mind against him. He’d saved the hotel money more than once. His youngest brother was smart as well as realistic, which also made it easier to deal with him.
Taking everything into consideration, it wasn’t hard for one to understand why Carlo couldn’t get enough of his family during the exciting times. As well as why there were times when he wanted to curse his siblings in both English and Italian. Right now wasn’t one of them. Daníella was back in his life, whether she completely realized it or not. Either way, it was enough to make him not worry about anything else. When he sat back and thought about it all, there really wasn’t a time she hadn’t been. It took him a while to realize Daníella had never truly been out of it.
He had come to realize lately how much he cared about Daníella. How much of a mistake it had been to push her away instead of holding on to her. He’d chosen to fight his demons by himself. He hated it was when he had to rely on someone else because of his physical limitations. Even now he had a cane to walk with. If he could avoid it, the cane didn’t come out until he was at home. Yes, it meant there were periods of time when he had to sit and rest or walk slower to keep from collapsing under his own weight. Yet it was worth it to be able to have a small amount of freedom in public. He rubbed his thigh again, wondering if he should stop by or call in the masseuse. A deep tissue massage never seemed to stop working miracles.
Closing his eyes, he took another deep breath and tried to relax. A smile appeared on his face as he reminisced back to the events that occurred this morning over breakfast. His family had been so excited at Daníella’s arrival. He couldn’t blame them. Daníella hadn’t been to a Carabelli breakfast since he’d called an end to their marriage. No one would have ever expected she would show up to another.
Having her by his side this morning, smelling her flowery scent and taking in her beauty, had only emphasized all he’d missed out on—all he’d thrown away. When his lips had touched hers this morning, he realized with regret just how stupid he had been. It also told him how much Daníella still wanted him.
His eyes flew open at the notion, and the smile on his face widened. Now he had an idea as to why she’d reacted the way she did when he asked her about dinner tonight. It seemed as if Daníella didn’t trust herself around him.
Unfortunately, he knew all about that. Before today he hadn’t trusted his body to function properly, but once she’d straddled his lap, his erection had come to life instantly. Why he ever second-guessed himself, he didn’t know. The passion between Daníella and himself had never been lacking to say the least. Still he didn’t want her to be afraid of what could happen between them. Fear would make her hold part of herself back from him, and he wanted everything this time around. He had plans to keep her by his side forever. Losing her once was enough for him.
Still, he wondered what the outcome would be once he revealed everything to Daníella about why he called off their marriage. Just thinking about how she was going to respond had him afraid to utter a single word about it. Unfortunately, that was taking the easy way out. He also knew that at some point he would have to tell her everything. Things between them could only progress so far until he came clean. The problem was he had a feeling that things would come to screeching halt once he did.
Releasing a pent-up breath, he turned his attention to the paperwork on his desk. He knew he would have to formulate a plan to do it. The only obstacle to overcome would be dinner with her family tomorrow night. Daníella had been very worried about what their opinion of the two of them getting back together would be. Truthfully, he could care less because the relationship was between the two of them, but the purpose of this was to prove they could get along as well as fit into each other’s lives. True enough, the Manginos weren’t as close as his family was, but they were close enough. He wanted to make sure he wasn’t the reason Daníella was unhappy. Stretching his leg out in front of him, he moved it back and forth, trying to loosen the tension.
He wondered where he and Daníella would be if he hadn’t been in the accident, if he hadn’t pushed her away out of stubbornness and fear. Would they still be happily married? Have a baby or two? Daníella had always wanted to start a family, but she had insisted on waiting until after they had been married for a few years. She had wanted them to have some time to themselves as husband and wife before they brought children into the equation. Carlo hadn’t minded because her reasoning had been sound. Unfortunately, two years had never come for them. If they had, he would probably have a little girl or boy running around
the hotel, maybe one of each. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine Daníella round with his child. Maybe if he did everything right this time, he would no longer have to settle for imagining.
Chapter Five
“Daníella, I can’t believe you are doing this to us.”
Daníella rolled her eyes. “Give me a break, Nikkía. I’m not doing anything to you.”
Nikkía pouted. “I said us, and you are. You are keeping a secret from Silvana and me.”
Daníella didn’t even attempt to hide her impatience. They had attacked her as soon as she’d come back from her last tour. She’d hoped her sisters would be gone for the day by the time she had come back, but there was no such luck.
“I always keep secrets from the two of you. This is part of the reason why we get along so well.”
The statement earned her a dirty look from both of her sisters.
“That’s the problem.”
She returned the look. “That may be so for you, but this is working out just fine for me.”
Silvana sighed heavily. “Why do you have to be so difficult? It would be a lot easier if you would let us into your life.”
Daníella rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Again, for you maybe, but for me things are fine the way they are.”
“Sometimes I wonder if you were adopted,” Nikkía retorted with an impatient huff.
Daníella laughed. “I think that since I’m a spitting image of Mom, it negates your statement.”
No one could argue with that. She looked just like her mother, and there was no denying it.
“Well, we still say you should tell us who this mystery guy is.”
“I will—tomorrow night when I bring him to dinner.”
Nikkía pouted one more time for good measure before standing. “Come on, Silvana, we are wasting our time.”
Daníella inhaled a deep breath of relief. A glance at the clock on her desk told her she would still get home at a decent hour. However, she would be going home to an empty house. Considering it was Ignacio she’d usually had been coming home to, she didn’t feel as though she was missing much. Maybe she should have taken Carlo up on his offer. Oh well, there was no use in fawning over it now. She would go home, rearrange her bedroom, and have a nice dinner by herself before watching a little television and going to bed. Reaching for her bag and purse, she bid her sisters good night as she walked out the front door and headed toward her apartment.
Thankfully Daníella didn’t live too far from her apartment and she could walk, but after a day like today, she was too tired to. Usually, the only time she didn’t walk home was when it was dark. She normally called for a cab when that was the case, but she chose the bus instead. Otherwise her feet and legs would give out on her halfway. After a short ride on the bus, she rode the elevator up to her apartment. Daníella paused briefly as she exited the elevator then continued on toward her apartment. Carlo stood there looking relaxed and sexy. He smiled when he looked up and saw her.
“Welcome home, bella. How was your day?”
It took her a moment to gather her bearings, and she had to clear her throat to find her voice. “It was fine. How was yours?”
“Buon. It was good. I’m not going to stay long. I wanted to make sure the loser wasn’t here to ambush you.”
Leaning down, he picked up a bag she hadn’t noticed sitting on the floor.
“And I brought you some dinner. I figured if you wouldn’t have dinner with me, the least I could do was buy it for you.”
She fought a smile and lost. The romantic action was so Carlo-like it was the only way she could respond—other than jumping up into his arms and throwing herself at him.
“You know you didn’t have to do that either, but thank you anyway.”
He stepped aside as she made her way toward the door.
“Is there enough food for two?”
He shook his head. “I really only brought enough for you, so unless you have any leftovers from dinner last night, no.”
She opened the door before looking over her shoulder at him. “Would you like to join me then?”
Carlo responded without hesitation. “Of course.”
Daníella stepped over the threshold, stepping aside to let Carlo in. “Have you been waiting long?”
“No. Five minutes at the most.”
“Good. I’m going to go freshen up a little. Feel free to put the food in the kitchen and freshen up as well if you need to.”
Carlo nodded, and she made her way upstairs. She entered her room, frowning as her gaze fell upon her bed. It wouldn’t be gone soon enough. Last night she’d slept in her guest room after she had scrubbed her shower and bathtub from top to bottom.
For some reason cleaning always seemed to calm her nerves when they were in an uproar. She just couldn’t wait to be rid of the bed. The one she chose to replace it was better and wouldn’t carry the image of Ignacio and Valencia. Daníella stripped as she headed into the bathroom. One of the downsides about being a tour guide in a city with a Mediterranean climate usually meant she was sticky by the time she made it home. Most of the time she relaxed with a long soak before having dinner, but she didn’t have time tonight. Instead, she settled for a quick shower, washing off the sweat and dirt of the day. Daníella dried off and slipped into her favorite sundress. It was comfortable and wouldn’t give Carlo the impression that she was dressing up for him. Yet, she resisted taking a quick glance in the mirror to check her reflection. Everything looked like it was in place, so she made her way back downstairs.
The smell of food assailed her nose as she reached the bottom of the stairs. Whatever he had brought her for dinner smelled scrumptious. After she entered the kitchen, she stopped and took in the scene before her. Carlo had been busy while she was upstairs. He’d rolled up his sleeves, revealing tanned, muscular arms. Arms that had once made her feel as if she had no worries in the world. He had pulled the food out and arranged it so they could eat. The table was already set and two glasses of wine poured.
“Everything looks really good.”
He looked up at her and smiled. “I’m glad you think so. Go ahead and have a seat. The ravioli liguri is in the oven keeping warm.”
Daníella nodded as she sat down, watching him move around the kitchen. What stood out to her was how comfortable he was. Carlo leaned down to open the oven, and she watched his dress slacks pull tight over the butt she’d once been familiar with. She began to drool—and it wasn’t over the mouth-watering aroma of the food.
When he turned and headed toward her, she tried to clear her expression as she reached for her wineglass and took a sip. She smiled as he sat a plate of salad down in front of her.
“What is it?”
“Mixed spring greens with goat cheese. Ravioli liguri is the main course.”
She nodded her approval as he walked away before coming back with two steaming plates. Daníella almost felt guilty that his contained leftovers from last night. But because of his sweet gesture, she planned to share some of her food with him.
He sat one plate next to her salad, another next to his own before joining her at the table. She looked over everything before looking up at him and smiling.
“Thank you for this.”
He held his wineglass in salute. “You’re welcome.”
She reached to the middle of the table and broke off a piece of bread for him and another for herself. They began to eat their food in silence, with her looking at him on occasion, only to catch him looking back at her. He was the one to speak first.
“Am I making you nervous, Daníella?”
“No more than usual. But yes—only for a different reason.”
“What is the reason if you don’t mind me asking?”
Daníella took another sip of her wine before answering. “Because physically I’m still attracted to you and I don’t want it to get in the way of what we are trying to find out.”
“How would it get in way?”
“Carlo, I
want it to be more than physical intimacy if we are going to be involved with each other again.”
His brows bunched together. “So you’re saying you don’t want our relationship to become physical?”
“Of course I’m not saying that. I’m simply saying I’m not ready for this to become physical.”
Daníella took a bite of her salad, watching Carlo ponder over what she just revealed. She knew he would respect her wishes even if it did prove to be difficult.
“Is kissing allowed?”
She nodded and saw instant relief appear on his face. Laughter escaped her before she could stop it. “Is kissing me so important to you?”
He nodded without hesitation. “It is if it’s the only way I can touch you.”
She shook her head as she finished her salad and began on her ravioli. It was as good as she expected it would be. Then again, anything came from Hotel Carabelli’s restaurant normally was. Daníella savored the bite before speaking.
“Did I thank you for bringing dinner?”
“Yes, you did, and once again you’re welcome.”
He finished off his own portion of his salad before starting on his main course. “So how was the rest of your day after lunch?”
She made a sound of frustration. “If anyone is aware of how insane Nikkía and Silvana can act, it’s you.”
He chuckled softly. “That bad, huh?”
“Yes, but it could have been a lot worse with the way they tried to join forces against me.”
“So we are still on for dinner tomorrow night?”
Her brow arched. “Of course we are. Why wouldn’t we be?”
“No reason. I just realize you have the right to change your mind anytime you want to, and I want to give you the opportunity if needed.”
“Well, I can tell you it isn’t needed. If it is, I’ll let you know.”
Morris, Stephanie - Unfinished Business [Indulgence 3] (BookStrand Publishing Romance) Page 5