Lost in Italy

by Stacey Joy Netzel

  She stared at his chest and he dipped his chin to try catch her eye and coax a smile. “Admit it. You want me all to yourself.”

  He got the smile and a laugh.

  “I haven’t missed your ego one bit.”

  “And the rest of me?”

  When she still wouldn’t look him in the eye, he closed the distance between them and removed her purse from her death grip to toss it into the car.

  Then he kissed her. Soft and gentle, and full of the love he had yet to share. Her hands rose to his chest. Flattened for a moment, then fisted in his T-shirt. He drew back and waited for her lashes to lift. The longing in her blue eyes sent his heart soaring, but other emotions cast shadows that couldn’t be ignored.

  “What are you afraid of?” he asked.

  She didn’t look away this time, though he noted her throat muscles convulsed in a hard, audible swallow. “I’ll never be like Jennae, or any of the other women you date.”

  “Dated. Past tense. And if you were, I wouldn’t be here.”

  Another flicker of hope in her eyes. Before it could flourish, her stubborn little chin tilted and she stated, “I saw the press conference, Trent.”

  He frowned. Which one? Ten seconds into his desperate attempt to recall which event and what he’d said, she filled him in.

  “On the steps in front of the hospital,” she said softly. Hurt colored her voice as she added, “After everything we’d been through, you said you barely knew me and then joked about where to get a new boat.”

  Ah. Things were becoming so much clearer. “Obviously, you’ve never dealt with the press before. If I’d have admitted we had a relationship you wouldn’t have had a moment’s peace,” he countered.

  “You told your friend quite emphatically at the hospital nothing was going on between us.”

  “I told my publicity manager there was nothing going on that he needed know about. I hadn’t talked to you yet, I wasn’t going to stand there and tell him how I felt.”

  “Why not? You’d already made it clear how you felt back on the boat.”

  Her expression mirrored the one she’d worn when he’d inferred their night together meant nothing to him.

  “I wanted those words back the instant I said them, Halli.”

  She didn’t appear convinced. He shoved away from the car, hands fisted at his sides as frustration sank teeth into his determination. She’d pushed him away in Italy, yet now he found himself defending why he’d left.

  “The look in your eyes that day…I knew I held your world square on my shoulders and it scared the hell out of me. Living up to expectations has never been my strong suit, and I couldn’t stand the thought of letting you down.”

  “No matter how things turned out, Trent, I wouldn’t have blamed you. You’d more than proved yourself.”

  “Not to myself.”

  Her hand on his arm urged him to face her again. “And now?” she asked softly.

  “I’m working on it.”

  Their eyes met for a long moment. The air thickened with expectation. Halli knew what she wanted to say, but was still scared to believe in the fairytale staring her in the face. Trent was the one who broke the silence.

  “You said what we’d shared wasn’t real.”

  “Can it be after only four days?” she wondered. “You kissed me and then walked away with nothing more than a take care, sweetheart.”

  “Distancing technique. Remember?” A wry laugh accompanied the swipe of one hand through his hair. “God, you nailed me with that one. Never realized I did that until you threw it in my face.”

  His parting words took on a whole new meaning. Her heart leapt with joy. Geez! She’d recognized it on the boat, how’d she miss it in the hospital? And all the times she’d gone over the conversation in her head?

  Trent took her hands in his. “Since the moment we met, Halli, you were different than anyone I’d ever known.”

  “Yeah…I annoyed the hell out of you.”

  “And you didn’t like me,” he added.

  “Only when I thought you’d kidnapped me.”

  “Still, that was new for me. To add insult to injury, I found myself more and more attracted to you, yet at every turn you gave me the cold shoulder. Women don’t usually resist my natural charm, and my confidence didn’t handle it very well.”

  “I suggest your confidence stop confusing ego for charm.”

  He smiled, but his expression quickly turned serious. “I came to the hospital to see if we had a future together, and you cut me off at the knees with a brush off I’d used myself a time or two. I cut my losses and got the hell out of there.”

  The blunt statement revealed so much. Halli drew in a shaky breath. “I hurt you.”

  “Yes.”

  One step closer and he cradled her hands in his against his chest. He looked into her eyes with such intensity she feared he saw right into her soul. Beneath her hand, his heart beat out an irregular rhythm.

  “I know what’s in my heart, Halli, and it’s very real to me. The million dollar question is…what’s in yours?”

  This should be easier. Why was she so darn nervous? “I was going to come see you.”

  “Why didn’t you?”

  His frown told her he assumed the worst. She smiled. “Because, I’d only decided about five minutes ago.”

  His gaze narrowed. “When I pulled up?”

  “Seconds before. As usual, your timing is impeccable.”

  His hold tightened. “Why now?”

  “What you really mean is why not two weeks ago in Italy.”

  “No…what I really mean is, why’d you push me away in Italy?”

  “I was scared.” Halli stilled. She hadn’t meant to say that. She was supposed to have had time to plan this conversation. Rehearse her words so they came out just right instead of raw emotion. But now that she’d started, she took a deep breath and plunged forward. “To be completely honest, I’m still scared.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, my parents for one. I mean, they’re in prison.”

  “I couldn’t care less about them. You are not your parents.”

  His instant and complete dismissal of that issue left her scrambling.

  “Then there’s the fact that things like this only happen in the movies.”

  “And sometimes it happens in real life.” His fingers squeezed hers. “Believe me, this is much better.”

  She tried to smile, but the fear choked her next words to a whisper. “But I’m still just me. Wisconsin Halli. Boring Halli. What happens when you get bored?”

  “I told you, you could never bore me.”

  “But our entire time together—”

  He reached up to cup her face in his hands. “I didn’t fall in love with ‘Italy Halli’. I fell in love with you. Strong, beautiful, pain-in-the-ass you, with your determination to find your family, your sheer guts for sticking with me through all the craziness, your courage and—”

  Halli reached to lay her fingers against his lips. Happy tears welled as she finally released the last of her doubt. It floated into the air and evaporated in the warm rays of the late afternoon sun.

  “Say that again.”

  Trent detained her retreating hand, turned it to press his mouth to her palm. The emotion in his eyes held her equally captive.

  “I love you, Halli. Whether you believe it or not, it’s true. And if I have to spend the rest of my life proving it to you, I’d like to start today.”

  She smiled so wide her cheeks hurt. “How about right now?”

  Wordlessly, he slid one hand through her hair, tilting her head for his kiss. It was different than any other they’d shared, yet it brought her home in a way she’d never imagined possible. She wound her arms around his neck and kissed him back with all the passion in her heart. Then she leaned her forehead against his.

  “I love you, too, Trent.”

  He blew out a relieved breath and crushed her in his arms at the same time. Her feet lef
t the ground as he spun them in a circle.

  “It’s about time. I was beginning to think you were just after my body.”

  She rolled her eyes through a burst of laughter, hugging him tight. He came to a stop, letting her slide down along his body until her toes touched the sidewalk again. Desire sparked along every inch they touched. One glance up and their eyes locked. The fire in his gaze turned the spark into an all out sizzle. His gaze shifted, then returned.

  “We seem to have developed an audience,” he murmured. “Either you get into my car, or I’m going to have to kidnap you again. But this time, I’m not letting you go.”

  A one-eighty turned him into a shield between her and a handful of gawking co-workers. She ran her hands down his chest to slide her fingers along the inside waistband of his jeans. His stomach muscles quivered against her knuckles as she raised her eyebrows.

  “Is there room for me and your…ego?”

  With a low growl, he scooped her up into his arms. “I’ll make room. Always and forever.”

  That promise made, he deposited her in the passenger seat of the convertible. Grinning, Halli watched him hood-slide across the passenger’s front corner before he rounded the car and vaulted behind the wheel. The man had flair, that’s for damn sure.

  The engine roared to life as she handed him the sunglasses she’d dug out from under her butt. “Where are we going?”

  “We were supposed to meet Rachel and Ben for dinner, but after that last move, I guarantee you, we’re going to be late.” He cast her a quick glance, fired by a sexy, wicked gleam. “You okay with that change in plans?”

  Delicious heat rose in her cheeks and spread through her body. “Are we talking about sex?”

  “After the dreams I’ve endured the past two weeks, damn straight we’re talking about sex.”

  “Mmm.” She leaned her head against the seat, smiling as the warmth of his hand enveloped hers. “In that case, I’m more than okay with the change in plans.”

  With the wind whipping through her hair, she enjoyed her ride around Lake Como, Wisconsin with Trent Tomlin, her very own international movie star.

  ~*~*~

  Copyright 2011 Stacey Joy Netzel

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Website and Blog: http://www.StaceyJoyNetzel.com

  Cover art: Tamra Westbury

  Editor: Stacy D. Holmes

  About the Author

  ~~~

  I fell in love with books at a young age, so for me the graduation to writing them was natural. An avid reader and fan of movies with a happily ever after, I live in my native Wisconsin with my husband and three children, a couple horses and some barn cats. I work part-time as a travel agent, and in my limited free time I enjoy gardening, canning, and visiting my parents in Northeastern Wisconsin (Up North) at the family cabin on the lake.

  Follow online:

  ~~~

  Website and Blog: http://www.StaceyJoyNetzel.com

  Facebook: Facebook.com/StaceyJoyNetzel

  Twitter: http://twitter.com/StaceyJoyNetzel

  Hearing from readers is a special thing for any writer, so feel free to contact me at any of the above locations.

  Other titles by Stacey Joy Netzel

  Available at: Amazon

  More Than a Kiss (contemporary romance)

  ~

  Welcome to Redemption Series

  (small town romance series with Donna Marie Rogers)

  A Fair to Remember, WTR book 2

  Grounds For Change, WTR book 4

  The Heart of the Matter, WTR book 6

  ~

  Stacey Joy Netzel Novella Collection

  Dragonfly Dreams (Christmas novella)

  If Tombstones Could Talk (paranormal ghost novella)

  Ditched Again (high school reunion novella)

  Also available individually

  ~

  Mistletoe Rules

  (Christmas anthology)

  Mistletoe Mischief, Mistletoe Magic, Mistletoe Match-Up

  ~

  Chasin’ Mason (contemporary western)

  ~

  Colorado Trust Series

  **excerpts included

  Trust In The Lawe (western romantic suspense)

  Shattered Trust (romantic suspense)

  Shadowed Trust (romantic suspense)

  ~~~

  More Than a Kiss ~ contemporary romance

  When a kiss...

  All reporter Sadie Barton wants is to be taken seriously and judged on her own merits, not her stepfather’s money. She and her actress sister left Wisconsin to get out from under his controlling thumb and leave behind the malicious whispers that they’re no better than their gold-digging mother. But California isn’t all sun and fun, and paying the rent while trying to prove herself is harder than she ever imagined.

  ...is more than a kiss...

  Something about Sadie drew self-made millionaire Zach Robinson—and it wasn’t just the amazing kiss they shared as impromptu actors in his company's commercial. He’s used to women being interested in his wealth, and Sadie’s fierce independence is an enticing breath of fresh air. He’s falling fast—until his brother suggests acting runs in her family and Sadie might not be exactly what she seems...

  ***“I loved how Ms. Netzel penned this novel to be a rags to riches theme and she did so in such a realistic fashion the readers walked away believing the situation as if it truly happened to real people. This is another satisfying story I think the readers will love!” ~ Diana Coyle, Night Owl Reviews, TOP PICK

  ~~~

  Ditched Again ~ A high school reunion story

  Summer Clark: Yes, I’m excited for my ten year class reunion—I flew all the way from Florida to Wisconsin so I could rub my success in Josh Nelson’s face. I know it sounds vindictive, but the jerk ditched me at the Snowball dance, left me to find my own ride home, and never apologized. He’s got it coming…if I can get a tow truck to come out in this freak May snowstorm and pull my rental car out of the ditch.

  Josh Nelson: No, I’m not looking forward to the reunion. Just hearing the name Summer Clark brings back memories of a night I buried long ago and never talked about again. Seeing her means skirting the truth while trying to deliver a way-too-late apology. No, with this storm, I think I’ll head home…as soon as I help this car sunk in the ditch.

  Clearly, there are two sides to every story.

  ***5 Stars Reviewer TOP PICK Night Owl Reviews. “I absolutely loved this story. Ms. Netzel’s characters showed deep emotions throughout this story and you just can’t help but become fully engrossed in the storyline. I loved how she wrote the story from both Summer and Josh’s point of view which made it fresh and unique. This is definitely one that you should add to your buying list!”

  Welcome to Redemption Series...

  (with Donna Marie Rogers)

  ~~~

  ...a small town in Northeast Wisconsin where second chances don’t always come easy, but if you’re willing to try, anything is possible.

  Book 1: A Fair Of The Heart, by Donna Marie Rogers

  Single mother, and work-at-home beautician, Lauren Frazier can barely keep a roof over her head, let alone stop it from falling down around her. When handyman Caleb Hunter shows up at her door for a haircut, it’s like the answer to her prayers—and the attraction is instantaneous. Too bad her troublesome ten-year-old son isn’t
quite as thrilled to have Caleb hanging around.

  Old wounds have kept Caleb from returning to Redemption permanently. When he receives word of his mother’s unexpected death, guilt and regret bring him home again, but will the love of a good woman keep him there? Beautiful, witty, and strong, Lauren excites Caleb like no woman ever has, but she’s a package deal, and he’s not sure he’s prepared to take on a ready-made family.

  Book 2: A Fair To Remember, by Stacey Joy Netzel

  Reformed gang member Wes Carter feels Redemption, Wisconsin, is just the place to relocate his financial business for reasons more than just the name. He’s ready for a nice, quiet life in small town USA. Tara Russell has decided it’s time to add some excitement to her life and get a little wild—no matter how uncomfortable it makes her or her overprotective family. They meet at the local fair one warm summer night and discover opposites attract for all the right reasons. Add a dash of Sugar in the form of an incorrigible Great Dane, and it’s destined to be A Fair To Remember.

  Book 3: The Perfect Blend, by Donna Marie Rogers

  Carrie Lowell swears off men for good after nearly losing her business in a bitter divorce settlement to her abusive ex-husband. She’s on the verge of filing bankruptcy when handsome librarian Matt Jacobs walks into her shop and offers sound—if unwanted—business advice. Sure, financially he’s a godsend, but emotionally he’s a threat to the barricade she’s built around her heart.

  Heir to a vast fortune, Jacob Spalding flees LA for the tiny Midwest town of Redemption, Wisconsin to escape the scandalous nightmare his life has become. Now known as Matt Jacobs, he buys a little cottage and settles in to small town life. Soon, he finds himself infatuated with the owner of the coffee shop across the street. Too bad the infuriating woman is as contrary as she is beautiful.