His male-model mouth twisted into a scornful grimace. “They’re my family, Megs. Do you think I like lying to them? Do you think I like feeling like the only way they’ll accept me is if I pretend to be someone I’m not?”
She leaned against the cold stone of the building, an arm propped out for support. “Pete...it’s more than that, and I don’t quite know how to tell you.”
“You’ve always been able to tell me anything, Megs. What is it?”
“It’s...” She reached over and took his hand in hers, sought his eyes, stared into them earnestly, apologetically. “It’s Teo.”
He frowned, rubbed a hand across his jaw.
“What about him?”
She swallowed. “I swear, if I had known he was your brother... I never would have let it happen. But that night, in Rome, at the club...” She swallowed again, and found she couldn’t quite meet his eyes. “I met him, after I’d left you. We... got talking. And you know I’ve never done anything in my life like this, but we just, sort of, clicked.”
“You clicked?” Pete intoned harshly. “Is that a euphemism for slept together? Had sex?”
She coloured at his crudeness but nodded, her eyes wet with tears. “Oh, Pete, I’m so sorry. I had no idea, and by the time we arrived here, at the villa, I was too mortified by my behaviour, and the fact it was your brother, to say anything. But the truth is... it’s more than just a one night stand. For me, and I think for him, too.”
His eyes flashed. “You’re wrong, dear Meghan. I know my brother, and he isn’t capable of more than a brief physical relationship. He is married to his business, intent on creating the biggest empire he can. Women do not figure into his grandiose plans. Whilst he no doubt finds you alluring, that is where it ends.”
He leaned down towards her, his face showing hurt, whilst his words were full of fight, “In fact, if you asked me to place money on it, I’d say it has all been about stealing you from me, from the beginning. You might believe him incapable of such callous behaviour, but you forget, I’ve known him longer, and I know him better. His rivalry with me is unquestionable, and any opportunity he gets to assert his superiority, he capitalises on.”
She shook her head. “You’re wrong.”
“Am I?” He whispered. “Suit yourself. But you promised me you would do this for me, and I know you are a loyal friend, that you will keep your word.”
Her jaw dropped. “You can’t mean that you expect me to continue with this charade despite what I’ve just confessed?”
He slouched his shoulders. “It’s not ideal, but it’s better than owning up to what we did.”
She shook her head. “No. You must tell him. This is not right.”
“I consider the matter closed, Meghan.” He refuted coldly, and turned to walk away, his head held high.
She was shivering when she returned to the villa, an hour later. Pete had already been and gone, his travel bag with him, for a night in Rome. So much for their friendship, she thought sadly. His anger would fade, and reason would return. It had been an emotional day for everyone, and perhaps she’d been wrong to broach it at the funeral. But she was sick and tired of lying to Matteo, of hurting him, and hurting herself, too.
Hours later, in the courtyard that Tony had loved so dearly, she sipped on a glass of ice-cold wine, whilst Nina, Giovanni, Matteo and Sofia reminisced. Whilst she had little to contribute, it was a pleasure to hear their memories of Tony, as a younger man.
“Meghan,” Nina said with a warm smile, tapping her on the leg. “What are your family like? Tell us of them.”
Meghan shifted self consciously and sipped on her wine whilst she thought of the words. “I don’t see much of them.” She said honestly. “They’re based in America, and I’ve lived in London since I was five.”
“Five years old!” She exclaimed. “Mama Mia! Why so young?”
Meghan’s smile was humourless. “My mother and father never really wanted children. Perhaps as a last ditch effort at continuing the family dynasty, they had me. My father was already in his sixties, and my mother was never particularly maternal. There was a position vacant at a top London school and I suppose they felt it was just far enough away to see me when they wanted, but not often enough to bore of me.”
Matteo’s eyes bore into her whilst she spoke, scanning her face for emotion, but she couldn’t look at him.
“That’s shocking,” Giovanni intoned scathingly but Meghan flashed him a small smile.
“True, it’s unusual, but I was happy at my school. I was surrounded by peers and my teachers were excellent. I am happy with my life now, so I can’t complain about what it took to get here.”
“An excellent attitude,” Nina said approvingly. “Pietro is very lucky to have you.”
Meghan felt her heart start to hammer in her chest. It was decision time. She had decided to take matters into her own hands, since speaking to Pete, and she had rehearsed a sentence that she thought could achieve her freedom from their lie without sullying his reputation within his family.
Her green eyes clear with intent, she sought Matteo’s attention. “Actually,” She said, a small tremble in her voice, “We’ve broken up.”
CHAPTER NINE
Nina froze, her face visibly surprised. “When?”
Sofia’s face was filled with anguished concentration, something which did not escape Meghan’s notice.
Meghan clasped her hands together, and looked down at them, careful to stay on point. “A little while ago. However, we are still friends, and flatmates.” She intoned meaningfully, her eyes lifting to Matteo to see that he was listening. Looking to all the world as if she were discussing the weekend’s rugby, or the wind-speed-shear on aeroplanes, his face was perfectly expressionless, his body relaxed in the chair.
“He asked me to come to support him today, and I hope that you don’t feel I’ve intruded.”
“Oh, darling, of course I don’t.” Nina said, rising to put her arms around the girl she had hoped would become her daughter in law, one day. “Frankly, I’m just disappointed. We all had such high hopes that you and he might end up together. You seem to be such a good influence on him.”
Not that good an influence, she thought sarcastically, remembering their earlier conversation, and the fact that Pete had run off on the night of his grandfather’s funeral to party up a storm in Rome.
“He is a good influence on me, too, in some ways.” She said thoughtfully. “You know, Nina, Pete really is a wonderful man. One day, he will make some lady extremely lucky.”
Nina grimaced. “He is all those things, I know, but he seems determined to live as a twenty year old. There is so much he could do with his life if only he could settle to something.”
Meghan nodded thoughtfully. “I believe he will settle, and sooner than you think.” She cleared her throat anxiously. “I don’t mean to give my opinion where it isn’t wanted, but I think he craves your approval. Approval from all of you,” she let her eyes drift to each one of the four people sitting opposite her. “I think it would mean a great deal to him to know that he was accepted, regardless of his perceived faults.”
Sofia, unable perhaps to hear her ex-fiance’s ex-lover speak so frankly about the man in question, stood jerkily, her pretty face for once something other than elegantly composed. “If you will excuse me.” She intoned flatly, moving quickly out of hearing distance and disappearing back into the villa.
Dinner was a quiet affair. Matteo and Sofia did not re-appear, apparently taken up in some work on Tony’s estate that was time-sensitive. Meghan ate with Nina and Giovanni, and before nine o’clock, she disappeared upstairs into the quiet solitude of the Rose Room. It was a perfectly glorious Summer’s night, as they had all been in her time in Italy, and she slipped out onto the balcony to read her book.
Her stomach was in knots, the tension she felt palpable as she replayed her confession. Okay, so it had been a half truth, but at least it meant Pete’s scheme was kept secret, and his pride,
to some extent, remained intact. It served him right, anyway, that she had somewhat pulled the rug from under his feet, for how uncaring he’d been to her in her predicament.
She bit down on her lip. It was still a mess. A big, horrible, sticky, stressful mess. Worst of all was how her mind kept straying to Matteo, how her body ached for his touch, craved his nearness.
She drew in a shuddery breath and turned her head sideways. There he was.
Matteo. Standing just inside the doors of his room, looking out at the orchard below.
Spurred on by desperate need, she crept back into the Rose Room, beyond its luxurious decor and plush carpet, to the hallway beyond, and the bedroom door across from hers. She held her fist up to knock but then dropped it again, breathing heavily.
“Courage favours the brave,” she whispered, and turned the doorknob with slightly trembling fingers.
Matteo turned as she entered, his face registering her entrance with an expression of shock that was swiftly disguised.
She stared across at him, courage suddenly having deserted her. She had to see this through though. Very likely, after this trip, she would not see him again.
“Well? Have you come to offer yourself to me, now Pete has grown tired of you?”
His words stung and she shook her head sadly, knowing she had to refute them.
“That’s not what happened.”
“I don’t care to know what happened, Meghan. I’ve told you once and I will tell you again: I do not consider you to be a woman of character. Unlike my parents, I am thrilled to hear that you and Pietro are no longer an item, so that he is saved from a lifetime with you and your duplicitous personality for company.”
Her eyes flashed with sorrow. “That is not fair. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I know that you claim to have loved him, and yet, here you are, in my bedroom. Was it not your intention to join me in my bed tonight, Meghan?” He asked huskily, his eyes scanning the flimsy cotton nightgown she’d changed into.
“I came here to talk.” She said thickly. “But I can see you won’t listen to a single word I have to say.”
He stormed across the room and gripped her shoulders, his fingers digging into her flesh. She flinched beneath his touch and he loosened his grip, his eyes a-flame with emotion. “Damned you, Meghan Walker, why do I still want you like this? I loathe women like you, and yet I’ve never needed anyone like I need you. What does that say about me?” He ran his hands through her hair, gripping it at the scalp and tipping her head back, so that she had no choice but to stare into his face.
“It says your body is smarter than your brain,” she answered truthfully, her eyes staring at his full, attractive lips.
He shook his head. “It says I’m a fool.” He contradicted, but he drew his hands down to her shoulders again, and gripped the wide lace strap of the gown. He eased it over her shoulders, slipping it down her arms until it pooled at her feet. Beneath, she wore only a skimpy pair of cotton underpants. He stepped back and his eyes drank up the view of her near-naked body hungrily.
“You know what is going to happen if you stay in my bedroom a moment longer.” He muttered, his eyes dark with desire.
She nodded wordlessly.
“You want this?”
She nodded again.
“God help me, so do I.”
He pulled her back into his arms and crushed his mouth to hers, the intensity of the kiss was so fierce that his teeth knocked against hers, his tongue dominated her mouth and she gasped at the feeling of molten anticipation throbbing between her legs.
“I thought I had learned to resist you,” he muttered, dropping his lips to taste the soft skin of her ear lobe. His hands strummed the flesh of her naked back, his fingertips thrilling against her smoothness.
She bit down on her lip as sensation assuaged her body. “Teo,” she whispered, her hands pulling at the crisp white shirt he still wore from the funeral.
“I know,” he rasped, and he reached down and lifted her up against his chest. Meghan wrapped her legs around her waist, her hands tousling through his hair, her lips against the warm column of his neck. He let her glide down his body so that she landed softly on the King Size bed, and he quickly came to cover her body with his.
Her fingers worked at the buttons of his shirt, but it was slow progress as she could hardly hold her hands steady. With a frustrated grunt, he pushed her fingers aside and ripped off the shirt, his buttons popping out as he did so and scattering across the room.
“Touch me,” He rasped, bringing her hands back to run across his smooth, muscled chest. She did, with wonder in her eyes, as she watched his muscles flinch beneath her ministrations. Shyly, she brought her fingers up to his nipples, and she teased the fine, dark hairs that surrounded them, before boldly stroking the tips. He sucked in a deep breath and bent down, kissing her again on the lips, hard and fast, while he pressed his body against her, hard, so that his arousal was like a rock at her entrance, kept separate from her by their clothing, but so very tangible that it made her want to scream.
She unhooked his belt clasp and whipped it out in one smooth movement, throwing it across the room and returning to unbutton his suit pants. Once undone, he kicked out of them easily, using the movement to manoeuvre her higher into the bed, so that she was almost buried amongst the soft, downy pillows. His boxer shorts were next. He pushed the pillows aside swiftly, burying his head in her neck, tasting her sweetness.
She groaned at the sensation and pulled at his hips, clutching him desperately, leading him to her moist core.
When he entered her, she had to bite on her lip to stop from screaming, so explosive was the pleasure, so complete his ownership. He moved swiftly, a man overwrought with grief and longing, needing this most basic of human feelings.
Meghan was beyond words, a pure river of sensation rocked her body and she dug her nails into his back as he increased his rhythm. This wasn’t like the first time they had been together. Where that had allowed for gentle exploration, this was charged with all of the emotions that ran through their union now.
Their eyes locked as she felt her body fall apart at the seams with desire, and he followed her, chasing her to the place of complete and total blissful oblivion.
He pulled out of her quickly and rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling.
“What have I done?” He groaned, bringing a hand to his head. “That was a disaster.”
Meghan propped up on her elbow, watching him cautiously. “Actually, it was pretty sensational from where I was standing. Er, lying.”
He turned to face her. “Are you making jokes?”
She tried to remove the small smile that was playing around her lips. But failed.
“I didn’t use protection.” He intoned flatly.
She hadn’t even noticed, so caught up had she been in her desperate hunger for him.
“I’m on the pill.” She reassured him.
“Yes, and how many men have you slept with behind my brother’s back?” He asked harshly, pushing up on his own elbow and rolling to face her.
“I have only ever been with three men. Including you.” She said earnestly, bringing her hand to his and holding it to underscore her point.
“Three men.” He refuted harshly. “I don’t believe you.”
“Try. Try to believe me, Teo.” She sighed. “There are things I can’t tell you... things that might make you feel differently about me. Out of respect to Pietro, I’m bound to secrecy.” She saw the dark emotion that flittered across his face and ached to remove it once and for all, by revealing the true nature of her very platonic relationship with his brother. But she couldn’t. Not until Pete had agreed that it was the fair thing to do.
“I can’t bear to hear about you and my brother,” he snapped, wrenching his hand out of hers.
“Matteo, please. I can’t change the past, but trust your instincts. You know what we share is special. Can’t you draw a line in the sand, and s
ee you and me as distinct from Pete and me?”
He swore loudly in Italian. “You ask too much. It’s not possible.”
She fell back onto her back, her body weak with dejection. “Then we might as well be honest. This is goodbye.”
His laugh surprised her. He rolled over and came to kneel on top of her, surprising her with a body already hard and needing satiation once more. “Bella, this is not goodbye.”
“What is it?” She asked dubiously.
“It’s you agreeing to be my mistress.”
He plunged into her aching moistness before she could answer, watching as pleasure contorted her pretty features. He was going to own her. Every single bit of her was his to taste, enjoy, and revel in.
Later, Matteo’s arms wrapped possessively around her, their breathing slowing gradually, she murmured against his arm, “What exactly did you mean before? About being your mistress?”
He frowned. “I would have thought the role of mistress was reasonably well defined.”
“I mean in terms of us. Of you and me.”
He ran ran his fingers down her flat stomach to the swell of her bottom, and around to her thighs. She drew in a shaky breath as he brought them to the curls at her entrance and pushed a finger just inside, where her nerve receptors were already so sensitive. “I mean sex. Lots of it. For, let’s say, the next week.”
She felt her heart seize a little at his proposition. “Th- the next week?” She stumbled over the time frame.
“Hmm. I think that should be enough for us to get over this, don’t you?” He moved his finger further inside, finding her most pleasure-giving flesh and stroking it gently. She couldn’t speak, as waves of need crashed against her exhausted body. She bucked into him as the sensations became almost too exquisite to bear, crashing over the edge of oblivion.
Her breathing ragged, she demanded, “Get. Over. What?”
“This curse we have walked into.”
Her stomach flipped over. “I don’t consider this a curse.” She was surprised by how steady her words sounded.
The Italian Billionaire's Betrayal: What if you fell in love with the one person you couldn't have? A story of forbidden love and overpowering need. Page 9