Her fingers hovered over the keypad. How was she going to explain this?
“Hey, are you here for the hostess position?” came a familiar voice from behind her.
Lizzie spun around to find Dante leaning against an old truck. “What are you doing here? I mean, what are you doing back so soon? Is the party over already? You did have the party, didn’t you?”
She was nervously rambling and he was smiling. Smiling? Why was he smiling? The last time she saw him, he’d looked miserable.
“The party is probably still in full swing. Once my family gets started, it goes on and on.”
“That’s good.” She didn’t want to think that anything she did would ruin this special day for Massimo. “I...I’ll be out of your way in just a minute.”
“Don’t go.”
“What?” Surely she hadn’t heard him correctly.
Before Dante could repeat himself, a taxi pulled over to the curb. She should feel relieved, but she didn’t. Whatever Dante’s reason was for returning early, it was none of her business. He’d made that abundantly clear before he left yesterday.
Lizzie turned and slung her purse over one shoulder and her carry-on over the other shoulder. She grabbed the handle of her suitcase and turned in time to see Dante leaning in the window of the taxi, handing over a wad of cash. What in the world?
As she approached them, Dante straightened and the taxi pulled out.
“Hey! Wait!” She was going to miss her flight. The last one for the day. She turned on Dante. “What did you go and do that for?”
“We need to talk.”
She frowned. She wasn’t up for another battle of words. She was bruised and wounded from their last go-round. All she wanted was to be alone to lick her wounds. “There’s nothing left to say.”
“I’m sorry.”
His words caused the breath to catch in her throat. This time she was certain about what she heard. But whether he was talking about how he’d dumped her or whether he was referring to dismissing the taxi, she wasn’t sure.
“About what?”
“Let’s go inside and talk.” He moved to the restaurant door and unlocked it. When he held it open for her, she didn’t move. “I promise that if you hear me out and you don’t like what I have to say that I’ll drive you to the airport myself.”
She glanced at her wristwatch. “You’ve got five minutes.”
“Fair enough.”
She must be losing her grip on reality. What other reason would there be for her to agree to put herself through more heartache and pain?
Her feet felt as though they were weighed down as she walked inside the oh-so-familiar restaurant. She really was going to miss this place and the amazing people that she’d gotten to know here—most of all, she’d miss Dante.
She stopped by the hostess desk and turned to him. “What is it you want?”
“You.”
“What?” Her lack of sleep was not helping her make sense of what he was telling her.
“I want you, Lizzie. I love you.”
Her heart tripped over itself. She’d been waiting for so long to hear those words, but before she went flying into his arms, she needed to understand. “But what about yesterday?”
“I panicked. When I got a phone call telling me that you’d been in an accident, I overreacted. It seems like the DeFiore men are destined to grow old alone and I thought— Well, it doesn’t matter. All I could think about is that if I lost you I’d be devastated and unable to go on.”
Really? No one had ever cared about her that much.
“But if you felt that way, how were you able to just dump me?”
“I thought that by protecting myself that I wouldn’t be hurt. But my father pointed out the fallacy of my logic—”
“Your father? You two were discussing me?” She wasn’t so sure how she felt about that detail.
“Thanks to you, we had a talk that was long overdue.” He looked around at the restaurant and then back at her. “You opened my eyes to a lot of things including how much I love this place...especially with you by my side.”
Her heart tap-danced in her chest. “Do you really mean that?”
He peered deep into her eyes. “I love you with all my heart. And I would be honored if you’d consider staying here and running Massimo’s with me.”
“I couldn’t think of anything I’d like more.”
He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her. “I promise no more panic attacks as long as you promise not to take up skydiving.”
“Now that’s a promise I can readily make.” She smiled up at him as she slipped her arms up over his shoulders. “I’m scared of heights.”
“So we’re partners?”
She nodded. “But I think we should kiss to make it official.”
“I think you’re right.”
His head dipped. Their lips met and the rest of the world slipped away.
At last Lizzie was home.
EPILOGUE
A month later
THE CLINK OF champagne flutes sounded in the empty dining room.
“To the most amazing man.” Lizzie stared into the eyes of the only man she’d ever loved. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Dante pressed a kiss to her lips that promised more to follow. And soon.
“Can you believe we were on television? Our grand premiere.” Lizzie couldn’t keep a silly grin from her face.
“And you were amazing.”
She waved off his over-the-top compliment. “I think those bubbles are going to your head.”
“Nope. It’s just you.”
“Can you be serious for just a minute?”
The truth was that she had never been this deliriously happy in her entire life. Even the evenings she’d spent sitting next to Dante on the couch watching soccer...erm, football made her smile. And she never thought she’d ever appreciate sports, but Dante was opening her eyes to football and so much more.
“I can be serious. As long as it doesn’t take too long.” His gaze dipped to her lips.
When he started to lean forward, Lizzie held out her hands. “Dante, do you think of anything else?”
A lazy smile pulled at his lips. “Not if I can help it.”
“Well, try for just a second.”
His tempting lips pursed together. “What’s on your mind?”
“What do you think about the television studio’s offer to give us our own show?” They’d just received the call and Lizzie was too excited to trust her own reactions.
“I can think of something I’d like better.”
She searched his face to see if his mind was still in the bedroom, but his expression was totally serious. “What is it?”
“How about you become my partner?”
“Well, of course I’ll be your partner. That’s what the studio is interested in. You and me working together—”
“No, I don’t mean that.” He took her hand in his and looked deep into her eyes, making her heart skip a beat. Then he dropped to his knee. “I mean I want you to be my family.”
The breath hitched in her throat as tears of joy obscured the view of the man she loved with all of her heart. She blinked and the tears splashed onto her cheeks. With effort she swallowed the lump of giddy emotion in her throat.
“I can’t think of anything I’d like better.”
He got to his feet and encased her face in his palms. “I’m sorry I’m unprepared but I hadn’t been planning to propose tonight. I’ve been playing it over and over in my mind. And I just couldn’t wait any longer.”
She stood up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. Her heart thumped with excitement. She didn’t know how it was possible but she’d swear with every kiss it just kept getting better and better.
When Dante pulled away, she pouted. He smiled and shook his head. “I take it that was a yes?”
“Most definitely.”
“I have one more serious question.”
“W
ell, ask it so we can get back to the good stuff.”
He laughed and she grinned.
“I have an idea and I don’t know how you’ll feel about it, but what about having the wedding at the vineyard?”
She couldn’t think of a more romantic spot on the entire earth. “I love it but...”
“But what?”
“What about Jules?” The thought of being permanently separated from her foster sister dimmed her excitement. “She’s my only family—”
“Not anymore—I’ll be your family, too. And Jules is always welcome here.”
“But she has grad school. I won’t let her give up. She’s worked too hard for this. I want her to reach for her dreams.”
“And she will. We’ll make sure of it.”
“But how?”
Dante pressed a finger to her lips. “Shh... Nonno always says, Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
Lizzie’s mind and heart were racing. The two people she loved most in this world were divided by an ocean. “I don’t know.”
“Look at me.” Dante’s gaze caught and held hers. “Do you love me?”
Without any hesitation she uttered, “With all of my heart.”
“Then believe in us—in the power of our love. Believe that the future will work out for all of us. Maybe not in the way we’d expect, but sometimes the unexpected is just what people need. There’s a way to make this work with Jules and we’ll find it. Do you believe me?”
“I do.”
He pressed his lips to hers and the worries faded away.
Together, they could do anything.
* * * * *
Don’t miss the second in Jennifer Faye’s fabulous THE DEFIORE BROTHERS duet, BEST MAN FOR THE BRIDESMAID, coming April 2015.
Keep reading for an excerpt from REUNITED WITH HER ITALIAN EX by Lucy Gordon.
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PROLOGUE
VENICE, THE MOST romantic city in the world.
That was what people said, and Natasha was becoming convinced that it was true. Where else could she have met the man of her dreams within hours of arriving, and known so soon that she was his and he simply must become hers?
Sitting in a café by a small canal, she looked out at the sun glittering on the water. Nearby she could see a gondola containing a young man and woman, wrapped in each other’s arms.
Just like us, she thought, recalling her first gondola ride in the arms of the man who had changed the world in moments.
Mario Ferrone, young, handsome, with dancing eyes and a rich chuckle that seemed to encompass the world. She’d met Mario just after she’d arrived in Venice on a well-earned holiday. He’d insisted on showing her the city. As his brother owned the hotel where she was staying, she’d briefly thought this a professional service, but that idea soon changed. There was an instant attraction between them, and nothing had ever seemed more wonderful than the time they spent together.
Until then, there had been little in her life that could be called romance. She was slim, pretty, humorous, with no difficulty attracting admirers. But where men were concerned she had an instinctive defensiveness.
It went back to her childhood, when her father had abandoned his wife and ten-year-old daughter for another woman. Until that moment Natasha’s life had been happy. Her father had seemed to adore her as she adored him. But suddenly he was gone, never to get in touch again.
Never trust a man, her mother had told her. They’ll always let you down.
She’d been content to heed the warning until Mario came into her life and everything turned upside down.
Her own reactions confused her. Her heart was drawn to Mario as never before to any other man. Sometimes her mother’s voice echoed in her mind.
No man can be trusted, Natasha. Remember that.
But Natasha felt certain that Mario was different to all other men—more honest, more trustworthy, more faithfully loving.
Last night he’d kissed her with even greater fervour than before, murmuring, ‘Tomorrow I want to...’ Then he’d stopped, seeming confused.
‘Yes?’ she’d whispered. ‘What do you want?’
‘I can’t tell you now...but tomorrow everything will be different. Goodnight, mi amore.’
Now here she was in the café where they often met, waiting for him to appear and transform her world yet again.
She almost ached with the yearning to know what he’d meant by ‘everything will be different’. Was he going to propose marriage? Surely he must.
Oh, please hurry, she thought. How could Mario keep her on tenterhooks when it mattered so much?
Suddenly, she heard his voice call, ‘Natasha!’ Looking up, she saw him walking by the canal, waving to her from a distance.
‘Sorry I’m late,’ he said, joining her at the table. ‘I got held up.’
She had a strange feeling that he was on edge.
‘Is everything all right?’ she asked.
‘It will be, very soon,’ he said.
His eyes never left her and every moment her conviction grew that tonight they were going to take the next step—whatever it might be.
He took her hand. ‘There’s something I’ve been trying to tell you for days but—’
‘Trying? Is it so hard to tell me?’
‘It could be.’ His eyes met hers. ‘Some things just aren’t easy to say.’
Her heart was beating with anticipation and excitement. She knew what he was going to say, and she longed to hear it.
‘That depends how much you want to say them,’ she whispered, leaning close so that her breath brushed his face. ‘Perhaps you don’t really want to say this.’
‘Oh, yes, you don’t know how much it matters.’
But I do know, she thought happily. He was going to tell her how much she meant to him. In a moment her life would be transformed.
She took his hand in hers, sending him a silent message about her willingness to draw closer to him.
‘Go on,’ she whispered.
He hesitated and she regarded him, puzzled. Was it really so hard for him to reach out to her?
‘Natasha—I want to tell you—’
‘Yes—yes—tell me.’
‘I’m not good at this—’
‘You don’t need to be good at it,’ she urged, tightening her clasp on his hand. ‘Just say it—’
‘Well—’
‘Traitor!’
The screamed word stunned them both. Natasha looked up to see a woman standing by the table, glaring at them. She was in her thirties, voluptuous, and would have been beautiful but for the look of livid hatred she cast on Mario.
‘Traitor!’ she screamed. ‘Liar! Deceiver!’
Mario’s face was tense and pale as Natasha had never seen it before. He rose and confronted the woman, speaking angrily in Italian and pointing for her to leave. She screamed back at him in English. Then turned to Natasha.
‘It’s about time you knew what he is really like. One woman isn’t enough for him.’
She raved on until Mario drew her into a corner, arguing with her vigorously. Natasha could no longer hear the words but there was no mistaking the intensity between them. The dark-haired woman’s rage grew with every moment.
‘He’s a liar and a cheat,’ she screamed in perfect English.
‘Oh, yes, he knows me,’ the woman spat. ‘You wouldn’t believe how well he knows me.’
‘Tania, that’s enough,’ Mario said, white-faced. ‘I told you—’
‘Oh, yes, you told me. Traitor! Traitor! Traditore!’
For a moment Natasha was tempted to thrust herself between them and tell Mario what she thought of him in no uncertain terms. But then her impetuous temper flared even higher, driving her to a course of action even more fierce and desperate. While they were still absorbed in their furious encounter, she fled.
She ran every step of the way to the hotel, then up to her room, pausing at the desk to demand her bill. Nothing mattered but to get away from here before Mario returned. It had all been a deception. She’d believed in him because she’d wanted to believe, and she should have known better. Now she was paying the price.
‘You were right,’ she muttered to her mother’s ghost. ‘They’re all the same.’
The ghost was too tactful to say I told you so, but she was there in Natasha’s consciousness as she finished packing, paid her bill and fled.
She took a boat taxi across the water to the mainland, and from there she switched to a motor taxi.
‘Airport,’ she told the driver tensely.
Oh, Mario, she thought as the car roared away. Traitor.
Traditore.
Copyright © 2015 by Lucy Gordon
ISBN-13: 9781460378502
The Playboy of Rome
Copyright © 2015 by Jennifer F. Stroka
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