by Selena Kitt
Trisha’s lips lifted in an equally thin smile. “Like I said, I just had to make quite certain that it was true and not just some joke. But then I watched Nick place the ring on your finger so…”
Her smile seemed almost genuine as she added with satisfaction, “Well, at least now it gives me a chance with the man I love.”
Keyonna frowned. “You mean Mark?”
Trisha merely smirked, her eyes turning cold. “Years ago I watched you ensnare him in your net. When he joined the military and left the country a part of me felt almost glad that he was out of your reach. I’d hoped he’d forget all about you but instead, he returns and proposes to you,” Trisha muttered with a bitter twist of her lips.
“I refused, remember?” Keyonna said bitingly. “And now I’m married to a man and feeling things I never could feel for Mark.”
Trisha’s lips twisted in a little sneer. “Aww. Looks like you’re in love. Question is, does he feel the same?”
Keyonna’s eyes darted as she wondered if Trisha knew anything about the clause in Nick’s father’s Will.
Keyonna found herself seeking Nick out in the crowd, as if she felt in need of protection from Trisha’s vindictive prodding. She saw him standing by the side of a strikingly beautiful redhead dressed in an exquisitely tailored peach trouser suit. Keyonna blinked in surprise as she watched the strange way the woman was gazing up at Nick as they spoke. Who was she?
“I see Nick’s stepmother has arrived,” murmured Trisha, and Keyonna glanced sharply at her.
“That’s Nick’s stepmother?” Keyonna couldn’t help asking in disbelief. She hadn’t even known Nick had a stepmother before he mentioned her a few minutes ago. The flame-haired beauty didn’t look much older than thirty, with her sleek figure and glowing, tanned complexion.
Keyonna’s confusion must have been evident to Trisha who let out a mocking chuckle. “I can see you’re in the dark about a whole lot of things,” said Trisha with a dramatic sigh. “Unlike you, I make sure to follow the lifestyles of the rich and famous. I guess being adopted I’ve always been intrigued to know how the other half lived – you know, people who were actually born into big money. Or maybe I simply find pleasure in reading about rich people making asses of themselves.”
“I’m sure you’re getting closer to the point,” Keyonna said with as much patience as she could muster.
Trisha gave another one of her chilly smiles, taking the time to reach out for a glass of champagne from a passing waiter’s tray. She sipped appreciatively from the fluted glass before finally continuing in a slightly bored voice, “It just so happens that when Gio Vitale, Nick’s father married Lena she was twenty-five years younger than him and just a couple of years older than Nick. Of course sparks were certain to fly and story goes that Nick became infatuated with his new stepmother. One angle claims he even asked her once to divorce his father and marry him. Talk about youthful exuberance. But naturally the old girl knew on which side her bread was buttered and told him to forget it. Tortured, Nick moved out of his family home to settle down on his own, swearing never to love again. No one knows if his old man ever guessed or found out what was happening. I mean, how would he ever have suspected that the young wife he married secretly had the hots for her handsome stepson?”
Keyonna’s eyes were narrowed as she took in Trisha’s airy words, wondering how much of it was true or just malicious bullshit. “Just what are getting at, Trisha?”
“I’m just saying,” the other girl murmured with a shrug. “Most people know that Nick still carries a torch for his delectable stepmother. And now that her husband, Nick’s father has passed on, bless his soul…” She shrugged again.
“You’re mistaken. I surely would have heard about something like this,” Keyonna said stiffly, wishing she could smack the sneer off Trisha’s face.
“Not everything makes it to the gossip columns. Besides, you can’t have known Nick that long. I got these tidbits from Marilyn; she’s always been close to the Conte’s and the Vitale’s and you know how she gets her nose into everything.”
Keyonna was shaking her head though she knew Trisha wasn’t far wrong about one thing. Marilyn, Mark’s aunt and Trisha’s adopted mother, had a way of getting into the secrets of her friends or rivals. She was always on the lookout for a weak spot that would help her lord it over others. Keyonna also remembered that Nick had attended Mark’s party with Rachel who must have been invited by Marilyn.
She still couldn’t help feeling confused and found herself asking, “I still think you’ve got it all wrong. If Nick wanted Lena then why did he marry me? I really think you should stop trying to stick your nose where it isn’t wanted.”
“Just trying to give you some friendly warning,” Trisha said, ignoring the barb. Lifting her glass to her lips, she sauntered away with a self-satisfied smile.
Keyonna glared after Trisha’s departing back. She wasn’t sure how to process what she’d just heard. Nick had a stepmother he was once in love with? That was messed up, especially since in the whole month since he’d given her the ultimatum to marry him, not once had Keyonna ever heard of Lena. Hell, Nick had taken the time to introduce Keyonna to his family members, friends and close associates and not once had Lena’s name come up. And now Keyonna was finding out that the beautiful, elegantly dressed woman had been married to Nick’s father.
And now she was here.
Keyonna looked around and was just in time to catch Nick disappearing around a corner of the garden with his stepmother. No one else seemed to notice, the music loud and carefree from the speakers tucked in the gardens and the guests busy having so much fun as the afternoon hour wore on.
Frowning in confusion, Keyonna knew she needed to find out the truth. If Trisha was right and there was something going on beneath the surface between Nick and Lena then Keyonna wanted to know about it. She wasn’t about to be played a fool, no matter if the marriage was simply an arranged one. She deserved to know what she was up against, especially when there was so much more at stake.
Keyonna wanted to confront Nick with the whole story even though she knew she would be risking him telling her to mind her own business. So she quickly made up her mind and without thinking twice, went in the direction she’d seen Nick and Lena vanish into, determined to get to the bottom of whatever was happening.
* * * *
Nick turned to face Lena, a somewhat impatient look on his face as they stood in the shadowy alcove of the scene trees.
“Now we’re alone, what’s the very important thing you couldn’t tell me in front of everyone else?”
Lena looked up into his face with a sultry smile, her dark green eyes teasing while her curvy lips pouted. “Don’t be short with me, Nick, please. I couldn’t bear it if I made you angry.”
Nick let out a deep sigh. “Of course I’m not angry. It’s just that you know you can’t drag me from the wedding like that. I have guests to see to. And Keyonna…”
“Ah yes, Keyonna,” Lena murmured. “I had a glimpse of her earlier. She’s very pretty.”
“Thank you.”
“So, you’re a very rich man now,” purred Lena. “It’s too bad now you’re saddled with a wife to go with all those billions.”
* * * *
Keyonna made her way carefully through the tree-covered pathway and deeper into the gardens following the low sound of voices, one of which she recognized as Nick’s. She paused in her stride when she heard Nick’s stepmother mention billions, and Keyonna’s curiosity was pricked.
“I must say I’ve got nothing to complain about where she’s concerned,” Keyonna heard Nick respond in an off-hand tone. Keyonna kept out of sight but stayed just close enough to hear what was being said even as she tried to look through the thick brush to find where they both stood. Keyonna felt like such a heel for spying on Nick like this, but she couldn’t help it.
“Why do I find that so hard to believe?” Lena said with a scoffing tone. “I mean, she’s hardly your type.
Not what I’d have expected you to end up with considering your lofty tastes.”
“Keyonna will do,” Nick said, his words still studiously nonchalant. “She’s willing to play the given role. She’ll do what she’s told – which means there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Of course not,” Lena returned smugly, and Keyonna was able to catch her smirk as Keyonna managed to push aside the foliage concealing the two figures from her view.
“I mean, she seems like the perfect, pliant wife,” went on Lena with a shrug, even as she looked up at Nick through fluttering eyelashes. “But it won’t be long before you tire of her. I know you, Nick.”
“I’ll cross that bridge when and if I get to it,” Nick drawled and Lena’s smile spread with pleasure, reaching forward to wrap her arms snugly around his neck.
“Till then, my love, it’s just you and me,” Lena breathed and to Keyonna’s disbelief, inched up to join their lips in a kiss.
What the…?
Keyonna’s first instinct was to crash in through the bushes and slap that bitch. Instead she found herself turning blindly from the shocking scene and heading straight for the house and up to the room where their boxes were already packed for the trip.
They’d planned to take a flight to Nick’s beachside villa deep in the beautiful province of Santorini, but now all Keyonna was thinking was how she needed to get away. This was her worst nightmare! Her back rested against the closed door of the room as she began to breathe heavily. She felt like she was about to have a seizure, torn by different emotions that wanted to rip her apart. Shock, rage, disappointment – hurt. Blinking rapidly, she swore over and over, “I will not cry, I will not!”
It took another minute to regain her composure, and then her mind began work in fast forward. She threw in some things from the bigger cases into a smaller one. When that was packed, she tore out of her wedding gown and changed into jeans and a shirt.
“The bastard,” she fumed out loud as she zipped into a jacket. Well, she’d heard and seen enough to know where she really stood with him. Oh, she’d secretly hoped that he was beginning to have feelings for her, but after witnessing that romantic little scene she knew she was wasting her time.
Still boiling, she pulled her hair up into a ponytail and then finally grabbed her bag and made her way out the back of the house. Luckily for her, she was able to evade the staff and guests until she was outside the grounds and headed for the road.
She hailed the first cab that came in sight. “Get me to the airport, fast.”
Heaving a sigh of relief that she’d been able to make her escape within such a fast period, she settled into the rear of the taxi. No one would even notice she was gone before it was too late. Keyonna rested her head back, feeling like there was a boulder in her chest and not a heart that beat and lived. Looking down at the heavy diamond and platinum bands on her wedding finger, Keyonna couldn’t help but shudder. She’d had no alternative but to marry Nick; he’d seen to it that she was solidly trapped. But growing feelings for him had been her choice to make and she’d been a fool to fall.
She could have known she couldn’t handle meaning nothing to him. He’d laid it on the line from the start that this was all about the end game and getting his inheritance. Romance had nothing to do with it. She remembered the words he’d said that should have warned her: “Love? Do I even know what that means?”
No, Nick, you have no idea, Keyonna thought with despair as she stared unseeing out of the car window. He’d never understand her kind of emotions, the true, honest-to-goodness feelings from the heart.
Then and there, Keyonna damned the consequences as she swore to go far, far away. Away from the devastation of betrayal and away from Nick.
Chapter Eleven
How Keyonna survived the next several hours she’d never know. All she remembered was that she jumped on the next available flight to the last place she felt Nick would think to find her.
Keyonna knew her main flaw was always doing things without thinking them through first. It was her impulsive streak that had got her in this mess in the first place. If she hadn’t kissed Nick at that party, she wouldn’t be here on the run from her own wedding, leaving everything behind and not looking back.
She just needed some time to sort herself out; she knew that. For the first time in her life she’d fallen hard and the rude shock of realizing she was never going to be anything but a pawn to Nick had hit her hard.
And now here she was, days after and still not sure where her life was headed. She didn’t even want to think of what could be happening back home and what everyone could be thinking. Especially Nick.
But then Keyonna told herself she didn’t give a damn what Nick thought. He’d had his wedding. She’d fulfilled her side of the deal and she wanted nothing more to do with him. She should have kept it strictly business no matter what, because then she wouldn’t be all messed up inside feeling hurt because Nick didn’t care. He never had and never would.
There, in the heart of Verona Italy, Keyonna had spent almost two weeks losing herself in the historic city as she tried to piece herself together. She’d found a gorgeous hotel surrounded by the most eye-catching attractions in the city. She was glad for the classic luxury of her room and the lovely view she had from her window.
Part of her wondered if perhaps there was another reason why she’d picked this city. Nick had spoken of his family being from here and how he’d liked to visit especially since they had a number of homes not just here but all over Italy. Keyonna really hadn’t been thinking straight when she bought the ticket with cash but now that she was here, she felt calmed as the days went by.
She could get through this. She would get through this; because she had to. She had her whole life ahead of her and she was going to overcome this one setback. At that point she didn’t even care what Nick could or would do to her. It didn’t matter anymore because as far as she was concerned, he’d done his worst.
Every time she thought of his cold, distant words, she flinched. She couldn’t forget that first time at Mark’s party when he’d made those unfair comments. And then to hear him talk about her like she meant nothing, and at their own wedding, it had cut her to the bone. She should have known better than to think he would grow to have feelings for her. Whatever he had going on with his stepmother Lena, Keyonna decided had nothing to do with her. Keyonna told herself she didn’t care if those two got together. Nick was nothing to her now and if she had her way, she’d never see him again.
Understandably, Keyonna was in no state to be thinking of romance, not even in the most romantic country in the world. She’d been getting a lot of attention both at the hotel and much to her surprise, whenever she went out sightseeing or shopping. Keyonna knew she couldn’t hide away from the world forever, but while she was here it felt good to just have some time for herself, with no one to bother her. So she grew very adept at brushing off unwanted admirers or offers. She knew that being alone in a strange city would make her susceptible to seek company to ease the loneliness but Keyonna just wasn’t interested.
But then three weeks into her stay, she was having dinner in the hotel’s beautiful restaurant and lounge, with its splendid 14th century arches and innovative regional cuisine. Being surrounded by such contemplative beauty as well as enjoying the fine dining available, would have been enough to improve Keyonna’s mood but it only made her sadder. She’d have been on her honeymoon with Nick in another beautiful and romantic city, but now she was here, alone and still caught up in the way he’d made her feel.
He’d touched her like no other man could. That one time, spread over her kitchen counter she’d let him take her to a place she’d never dreamed she’d see. A man who could make a woman feel like she was walking on a cloud of bliss wouldn’t be so easy to forget. But then it wasn’t just physical the way she felt about him. He switched on something inside her heart that made her feel weak and yet bold at the same time. He made her feel like a woman. But that w
as then, before she discovered just how shallow and unfeeling he really was. She’d felt like nothing but an object manipulated to fulfill his self-interested uses. How could she have stood another second of that?
Glad now that she’d walked out of the situation without a backward glance, she sighed deeply as she sipped on her wine, just before a shadow fell over her table.
For some reason, her heart simply froze, unable to function. Until she looked up and saw a strange man standing there, a charming smile on his face as he asked if he could join her. From his strong, classic good looks, she could tell he was Italian, especially from his smooth, flowing accent. He was dressed impeccably in a suit, and something in his broad, friendly smile endeared her to him. He looked a few years older than she was and Keyonna had a sudden sensation that he reminded her of someone. Like Nick, he had a strongly carved jaw and dark, lustrous hair, and he stood around the same height. But unlike Nick’s dark, brooding gaze, this stranger’s brown eyes were warm, almost boyish.
Keyonna found herself agreeing with a smile of her own. He seemed like he’d be nice company and she really was kind of lonely, having a solitary dinner in the stately lounge where everyone else seemed coupled up or with friends or family.
“My name is Sergio. Sergio Battista,” he told her as a server appeared to offer him some wine. “And you, beautiful lady?”
“Keyonna…Hayes,” she said slowly, unable to use her married name. she’d stopped feeling like a “Vitale Bride” long ago.
Sergio took a drink of his wine, his eyes appreciative as they ran over her face. “You are very lovely.”
“Yeah, you already said that,” Keyonna murmured, her smile wry. He’d called her ‘beautiful lady’ and now he said she was lovely. Nice. These Italian men weren’t stingy with her compliments, she’d noted. Since she’d arrived she’d had a few propositions and even made some casual acquaintances. She’d never have imagined attracting so much attention; she’d never been vain about her looks or figure but it was somewhat a morale boost to find that if she was interested, she could get in a fling or two with someone totally hot.