VITTORIO'S WOMAN

by Kimberley Reeves

  Milana’s eyes widened in surprise. “Who hasn’t heard of them, they’re magnificent. The one in Paris is my favorite; the ambiance of the place is simply incredible and I know Simon likes them too. Of course, he travels more extensively than I do so I imagine he’s visited more of the resorts than I have. We’ll have to ask him…”

  “No!” Lilly said with vehemence. “Promise me you won’t ever tell Simon about my connection with the resorts.”

  Chapter 4

  Milana looked at Lilly as if she’d lost her mind, not that Lilly could blame her after she’d practically shouted at the woman. It was difficult to explain, the changes that came over people once they learned whose daughter she was. Lilly wasn’t ashamed of it by any means, and in reality, the money she’d made from having shares in the resort wasn’t where the major portion of her wealth stemmed from. Where Caitlyn’s talent lay in taking the resorts to even grander scales and knowing just how to cater to the rich and famous, Lilly discovered she had a gift for choosing investments which seemed far too risky for others to take a chance on, but had been enormously profitable for her.

  She probably had more money than any one person should have in a lifetime, but at least she could honestly say she didn’t squander it on material things she didn’t need. Oh, she wasn’t quite ready for that Sainthood Luisa seemed so eager to bestow on her. Lilly never short changed herself when it came to comfort, but she was giving by nature and never passed up the opportunity to help others get ahead when she got the chance.

  She never simply gave away money though. Too many times she’d witnessed the greed and corruption that followed in its wake, especially for those who’d never had much of it before and were easily lured into spending money just for the sake of spending. And once it was gone, they were no longer satisfied with the life they’d had before, their misery twofold for having lost the chance for something better than where they had started.

  So Lilly gave in other ways. She gave her time and skill as a therapist and was quite proud of her success rate. A good deal of the battle rested on the patients’ desire to get better, and Lilly seemed to possess that one magical ingredient that made them believe they would. She gave in other ways too; donations of food, clothing, medical supplies and equipment, but any cash she gave went directly to pay off medical providers. That was her way of providing financial relief, and in return, her patient and their family were also relieved from the emotional stress. The money she received from Milana would be used in this manner, but only after Lilly worked her magic on Simon.

  “I’m sorry,” she apologized, “that sounded incredibly rude.”

  “Not rude, just unexpected. I realize you feel the need to protect yourself, Lilly. You and I are in the same boat and we’re both smart enough to know it’s not always our pretty faces or charming personalities that draw men to us. I also know that Simon can reduce even the most sensible woman into a blithering idiot with little more than a smile, but I promise you it’s never money he’s after.”

  Now Lilly was truly embarrassed. “I didn’t mean to insinuate he would be interested in me for my money, or that he’d be interested in me at all for that matter.” Milana gave her that secretive smile again, which only served to fluster Lilly even more. “What I’m trying to say is that people tend to treat me differently when they know about my family ties. Suddenly I’m the spoiled little rich girl who only does this as a hobby or to relieve the boredom of shopping. To tell the truth, I get more respect when my patients believe I live from paycheck to paycheck and that they’re actually helping by allowing me to take care of them.”

  Milana nodded thoughtfully. “I have to agree that in Simon’s case it would be much more effective. Even though he’s a millionaire several times over, he’s also a workaholic and has little faith that money does anything but make people lazy and uncaring if they don’t guard against it.”

  “So we agree you won’t tell him?”

  “If it’s what you want, though I doubt it would make any difference to Simon. In spite of the lifestyle he lives, he’s really not materialistic.”

  Lilly arched a brow. “You say that now, but take away his sunken tub and I’d bet you’d hear some pretty colorful Italian phrases.”

  Milana laughed. “I’m sure I would. So tell me how you got Simon to eat and take a bath.”

  “Oh... no,” Lilly shook her head, “those are secrets of the trade, and as much as I’d love to stay and talk some more, I really do need to get back upstairs.”

  “Anxious for round two, are you?”

  “Anxious to get it over with is more like it. I neglected to tell Simon we would be starting his physical therapy this afternoon.”

  “Do you want my help? I don’t know anything about physical therapy, but I could…well, I’m not sure what I could do,” Milana gave a helpless shrug, “but I’m available if you need me.”

  “No, I’d rather Simon have only himself and me to rely on. It’s difficult to deny someone you love, and he’s smart enough to figure out he can play us off of each other. He’ll portray me as the big bully and cast you in the role of his rescuer.”

  “Simon’s not like that,” Milana denied, rising to her feet.

  “You underestimate your brother’s desire to get rid of me if you believe that.”

  “But he likes you, he must or he wouldn’t have given in to you.”

  “Oh, I’ll admit he’s putting on a good show, but Simon doesn’t fool me for a minute. He’s letting me win the small battles, but I assure you, he fully intends to win the war.”

  ***

  Simon was feeling a little water logged by the time Lilly returned to help him out of the tub but he didn’t dare give away how agitated he was feeling. Besides, she would be much more susceptible to his advances if he wasn’t quite so quarrelsome. He imagined she had been downstairs boasting to Milana about how quickly he’d folded to her, but that was okay. It was what he wanted her to believe.

  He’d done some serious thinking while she was gone, and one of the things he’d determined was that he needed to get her out of his life as fast as possible. He already had more feelings for her than was safe; the heavy ache in his chest was proof of that, and it would only get worse the longer she stayed.

  “Have you finished or do you need more time?” Lilly asked as she slipped off the sundress she’d donned for Milana’s sake.

  “Any more time in here and I will look like a prune,” he grumbled.

  Lilly’s eyes skimmed over his massive chest. No chance of that, she thought with a wistful sigh. “I’ll help you out of the tub then let you dry off while I gather some clean clothes.”

  He didn’t need her help getting out, but Simon wasn’t about to tell her that. “Assist me to the seat at the foot of the tub, cara.”

  Lilly climbed back into the water and waited for Simon to turn himself around, more than a little suspicious of his passive behavior.

  “Scoot back just a few more inches and your back will be against the seat. That’s it, now all you need to do is use your arms to hoist yourself up onto the seat.”

  Simon did as she instructed then made a few lame attempts to lift himself from the seat to the edge of the tub. With an irritated grunt he snapped at Lilly.

  “Are you just going to watch me flounder or do you intend to help?”

  “Of course. I’m sorry, Simon, I honestly thought you could…oh!” Lilly let out a startled gasp when two strong arms shot out and pulled her down onto his lap.

  “I have considered your proposals, mio bello, and I have decided against them.”

  “Wh-what proposals?”

  “The one where we forget what happened earlier,” Simon said huskily, “and the one that does not allow for us to kiss.”

  “We can’t,” she struggled in vain to free herself. “You’re my patient, Simon, it isn’t right.”

  “Isn’t it, cara mia?” He pulled her up hard against his chest. “Your heart is racing, Lilly, I can feel it.” Si
mon dipped his head and found the softness of her lips. “Kiss me,” he commanded, then let out a low groan when she stopped fighting him and slipped her arms around his neck.

  The illusion that he was in control of the situation was shattered into a million pieces the moment Lilly pulled his mouth down onto hers. Dio, had anything ever tasted so sweet? Slow and seductive, the kiss tormented him with the promise of things he could only dream of having with this woman. Simon drank heavily from her mouth for several more minutes before trailing a moist path down the side of her neck. He inhaled deeply, breathing in the soft, feminine scent of her skin and delighting in the silky feel of it against his lips. He was falling hard and fast with no way to stop himself, at least not as far as his heart was concerned. His crippled legs would make sure this was as far as it went physically.

  “Strega,” he murmured in her ear. “You are a witch, Lilly; casting your spell, making me want things I can never have.”

  Lilly squeezed her eyes shut, wishing will all her heart that she hadn’t played along. It was a game to Simon and nothing more, she’d known it from the moment he grabbed her up in his arms. Was her desperation to be kissed by him so obvious he couldn’t wait to use it against her? But of course it must be or she wouldn’t be pressed so intimately to him right now. Disgusted with herself for allowing Simon to get past her defenses, Lilly drew her head back, flattening her palms against his chest to keep him from kissing her again.

  “Bravo, Mr. Vittorio,” she said coolly, “that was quite a performance.”

  “Lilly, I…”

  “Don’t try to deny it. I’m on to you, Simon. Kiss me senseless, isn’t that how you phrased it? Kiss pathetic little Lilly senseless and she’ll turn tail and run from the humiliation of letting her patient seduce her. Was that the plan?”

  Cut to the quick by the icy tone of her voice, the biting words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. “Yes it was, and now that you know it was all just an act perhaps you could spare yourself further embarrassment by getting the hell out of my life!”

  Lilly drew in a sharp breath, pain spearing through her entire body. “You’re a horrible man, Simon Vittorio, and you’re right, I am embarrassed. But not for the reasons you think.”

  She shoved against his chest and managed one tiny squeak before tumbling from his lap and landing with a splash at his feet.

  “Lilly!” Simon waved his arms frantically in front of him. “Lilly, are you okay? I didn’t mean to hurt you…cara, answer me!”

  Lilly brushed back the dripping curls from her face with an indignant huff. “Calm down,” she said curtly, “I’m not likely to drown in two feet of water. Unless that was your back up plan,” she added as she hauled herself out of the tub.

  Simon followed suit, bracing his hands on the edge of the tub, then using his upper body strength to drag his useless legs out of the water and onto the tiled floor. He didn’t thank Lilly when she draped a towel around his shoulders or when she rolled his chair up behind him and held it steady so he could lift himself into it. And if it hadn’t been for the slight pressure against his hips, he wouldn’t even have known she’d slipped his legs into his boxers. Filled with guilt and remorse for having hurt her, Simon remained tight lipped as he tugged first his boxers and then a clean pair of jeans up over his hips.

  “Your shirt,” she said in a subdued tone.

  Simon allowed her to pull the t-shirt over his head then stuffed his arms into the sleeves. “Lilly…”

  “Keep your eyes closed while I remove your patches.” She worked quietly and efficiently for a few minutes, replacing the patches and winding a new bandage around his head to keep them in place. “Would you like to rest for awhile or would you rather get the physical therapy over with first?”

  Simon couldn’t have been more shocked if she’d stuck a cattle prod to his side. “You mean you are staying?”

  “I told you I don’t give up and I meant it.”

  Warmth flooded his heavy heart. Ringraziare Dio. Thank God. Out loud he said indifferently, “Suit yourself.”

  ***

  Lilly stared up at the ceiling, unable to sleep. Her stomach was twisted into knots, as it had been since she’d announced to Simon that she had no intention of giving up on him. Was it really only five days ago that she’d walked in to find him hiding in the shadows of his room? It seemed longer. She glanced over at the clock and groaned. Two o’clock in the morning and she was still wide awake, still wondering what in the hell had made her think she could continue to be around Simon and not fall more and more in love with him.

  He was as arrogant as he was stubborn. He irritated her to no end, did his level best to be as disagreeable as possible, and yet she loved him more than ever. Because she had finally figured out what he was doing. Simon knew she was the one who had been drooling over him at Amanda’s birthday party, knew she’d seen him when his body was strong and healthy, and it was a blow to his pride for her to see him like this. Somehow, Lilly had to prove to him that he was no less a man to her now than he’d been when she’d first laid eyes on him. She refused to believe he would never walk again, but if the worst happened and Simon was crippled for life, it wouldn’t change the way she felt for him.

  He’d tried to drive her away by pretending to be attracted to her, and when that didn’t work, he reverted back to being an impossible ogre. She could deal with a Simon who snarled and snapped at her; it hurt a lot less than having him kiss her knowing it meant nothing at all. It was also easier to keep the longing out of her voice when he was being so difficult because his antagonistic comments demanded sharp responses that masked how she really felt for him.

  Simon resented that his efforts to chase her off had been to no avail, though she suspected he also respected her for not backing down. And as much as he grumbled about the rigorous exercises she put him through each day, she could also tell he was relieved they were slowly reversing the muscle deterioration in his legs. He was eating regularly and had gained back some of the weight he’d lost, and Lilly’s insistence that he spend some time outdoors each day had brought color back to his face.

  He’d been having trouble sleeping the past few nights, but that was understandable because tomorrow he would be taking the helicopter to the mainland to have his eyes checked. Tomorrow could make or break him, and Lilly’s heart ached for the pain of uncertainty he was going through right now.

  Rolling onto her side, Lilly closed her eyes and willed herself to fall asleep. She wouldn’t be going with him tomorrow, but it was still going to be along day because she knew she’d spend the entire time pacing the floors until she heard from Milana about Simon’s condition. The chances were excellent that his sight wouldn’t be impaired at all, but there was always the possibility, however slight, that he would be totally blind. Simon would need her to be strong and she couldn’t very well be at her best with only a few hours of sleep.

  Lilly burrowed beneath the covers and was just starting to drift off when something jerked her back into a full wakeful state. It was impossible that any noise from within the house could have woken her because the rooms were virtually soundproof. It was one of the things she enjoyed most about the nights here because the only sounds that ever invaded her room were the ones she invited by opening her balcony doors. But she’d left them closed tonight and it wasn’t likely that the soothing sound of ocean waves curling to shore would have roused her. She lay there for several minutes before she heard it; the unmistakable baritone of Simon’s voice calling out her name.

  Lilly threw back the covers and rushed into Simon’s room, terrified that he might have fallen out of bed and hurt himself. To her enormous relief, she could see his shadowed form still safely settled in the middle of the bed where she’d left him before going to her own room earlier that night. Guided by the moonlight filtering in through the open balcony doors, Lilly made her way to his side and leaned over him.

  “I’m here,” she said softly.

  “Lilly?�
� he croaked. “Is it time to get up already?”

  “No, no it’s not. I thought…I’m sorry I woke you. I thought I heard you calling for me.” There was a moment of silence before his hand snaked across the bed to cover hers.

  “Perhaps I did. My head hurt. I had trouble falling asleep, but I guess I must have finally slept because I was dreaming of you.”

  Lilly smiled into the darkness. “Do I dare ask what the dream was about?”

  Simon laughed softly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “Nothing that would make you blush, cara mia. We were in the gardens and you disappeared down one of the paths so I called out for you to come back.”

  He didn’t tell her that he’d been unable to follow her because his wheelchair got stuck in the moist soil, or the overwhelming feeling of panic that had engulfed him when she didn’t return. He could hear her light-hearted laughter floating back to him but it was getting further and further away and Simon had been struck with the numbing fear he would lose her forever. He’d struggled out of his chair and fallen flat on his face, his fingers clawing at the ground, dragging the dead weight of his body forward inch by inch in a desperate attempt to follow her. He knew he would never reach her, just as he knew he would never give up trying, and that’s when he’d cried out her name.