Capelli’s Captive Virgin

by Sarah Morgan

  Vibrating with tension, Alessio paced across her bedroom and grabbed her handbag. ‘You’re going to marry me. Is your passport in here?’

  ‘Alessio—’

  ‘We’ll leave everything else here.’ He glanced around her flat impatiently. ‘We can clear it out another time. Are you going to get dressed?’

  ‘Alessio, you just said—’ She broke off as her phone rang again and yet another client called to cancel.

  Swearing first in Italian and then in English, Alessio yanked the phone cable out of the wall. ‘I’ve had enough of hearing that. They are all idiots—’He gave up on English and let out a stream of Italian, none of which she understood.

  ‘Alessio!’ Lindsay slid out of the bed. ‘Stop ranting and raving and talk to me for a minute! You’re not making any sense.’

  ‘I’m making perfect sense. Is your passport in your handbag?’

  ‘Yes, but—Alessio, you just said you were going to marry me!’

  ‘I am going to marry you. But first I want to get you back to Rome.’ His tone raw, he sank his long fingers into his glossy dark hair in a gesture of frustration. ‘I can’t protect you here.’

  Her legs failing to hold her, Lindsay plopped back onto the bed. ‘You can’t be serious—’

  ‘It’s just too exposed. I own a villa outside Rome. I’m taking you there.’

  ‘No, I mean—about marrying me.’ She gave a disbelieving laugh and tried to sort out her muddled head. ‘What is this? A sudden rush of chivalry? You think because our affair is all over the newspapers, you have to marry me?’

  ‘It has nothing to do with the newspapers.’ He crossed the room and hauled her to her feet again. ‘You’re going to marry me because I want you with me. Always.’

  ‘Alessio—’

  ‘Have you any idea what the last two weeks have been like for me?’

  ‘I thought you said you hadn’t seen the newspapers—’

  ‘I’m not talking about the newspapers.’ He cupped her face in his hands, his eyes fierce as he looked down at her. ‘I’m talking about just not being with you. I—missed you.’

  The words were so unexpected that for a moment she didn’t reply. ‘You missed me in your bed.’

  ‘Well, yes, obviously—’ he gave a brief frown ‘—but not just that. I missed having you around. I like what you have to say—’

  ‘You disagree with me—’

  ‘Invariably—’ his eyes gleamed with sardonic humour ‘—but always I find you interesting.’

  ‘You do? You find me interesting?’ Her heart was thudding hard against her chest and he gave a groan and lowered his mouth to hers.

  ‘Yes. You’re the only woman who has ever been truly honest with me and the sex is amazing. I’ve missed doing this.’ He kissed her slowly and surely and Lindsay sagged against him, her head spinning and her heart so full she felt as though it might burst through her chest.

  ‘You’ve missed the sex.’ She muttered the words against his mouth and he lifted his head and gave a slow, dangerous smile.

  ‘Of course.’ And then the smile faded and he stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. ‘But most of all I missed you. I missed the way you talk and the way you listen. I missed your honesty and your sweetness.’

  ‘Alessio—’

  ‘I want you with me permanently.’

  Everything inside her softened and emotion rushed through her. ‘You’re blaming yourself—’

  ‘Sì, I am. This whole situation is my fault. But I’ll make it up to you.’

  She reminded herself that it was just his guilty conscience talking. ‘Alessio, I don’t want to build my business again. What do I know about relationships? Nothing. I was so convinced that if I could just help people talk to each other, they could sort things out. But all I was really doing was trying to compensate for not being able to sort my parents’ marriage out.’ Having admitted that, she pulled away from him, finding the whole thing really difficult. ‘The truth is that relationships come in all shapes and sizes, and what works for some won’t work for others. And sometimes passion on its own can be enough. Marriage isn’t everything.’

  ‘You don’t believe that.’ Alessio picked up the clothes and stuffed them into her hands. ‘If you’re not dressed in the next two minutes then I’ll dress you myself.’

  Wondering what had got into him, Lindsay pulled on her trousers, fastened her shirt and pinned her hair into a neat coil. ‘There. Satisfied?’

  ‘I won’t be satisfied until you’re wearing my ring every day and lying in my bed every night,’ Alessio breathed and her heart skipped a beat as she looked into his eyes.

  ‘That’s a pretty big gesture,’ she said shakily, ‘even for a guy with a guilty conscience.’

  ‘It isn’t a gesture.’

  ‘Oh, Alessio, this isn’t fair.’ She covered her face with her hands. ‘Please, for once, see it from my point of view. This gorgeous, sexy guy who I—This gorgeous sexy guy offers me marriage, but I know it’s never going to work so I have to turn him down.’

  ‘Why would you turn me down?’

  Her hands dropped to her sides and she looked at him with frustration, breaking up inside because he’d offered her what she wanted, knowing that she’d never take it. ‘Because guilt isn’t a good basis for a long-term relationship. And it’s cruel of you, Alessio—’ Her voice broke. ‘It’s cruel of you to stand there saying these things when you know I have to refuse.’

  His eyes glittered hard. ‘I’m not letting you refuse. Why would I let you refuse when I know you’re desperate to be with me?’

  She caught her breath. ‘Well, it’s nice to know your ego hasn’t suffered a blow.’

  He swore under his breath. ‘We’ve always been honest with each other, but you’re not being honest with me now.’

  ‘Of course I am.’

  Alessio raised an eyebrow. ‘So finish your sentence, tesoro. What was it you said? This gorgeous, sexy guy who I—who you what?’

  Lindsay swallowed and looked away. ‘Just go away, Alessio,’ she muttered. ‘On balance it’s easier to deal with the paparazzi than you.’

  ‘You were going to say, this gorgeous, sexy guy who I love.’ His tone soft, he pulled her back into his arms. ‘I know you love me, Lindsay. You told me.’

  ‘And you ran away so fast you almost tripped.’

  ‘Running away was a reflex action. A lot of women have used those words and you have to understand that it’s instinctive for me to back off.’ He gave a driven sigh. ‘And it’s true that it took me a while to get used to the idea that you love me. But I have done that, and it’s fine.’

  Lindsay gaped at him in disbelief. ‘What?’ She gave a tiny laugh. ‘You’re saying that it’s OK for me to love you? That you’re going to let me? You’re so arrogant, Alessio!’

  ‘No, I’m not saying that. Let me finish.’ He ran a hand over the back of his neck. ‘This is so hard.’

  ‘It isn’t hard, Alessio.’ She looked at him wearily, all the fight draining out of her. ‘I fell in love with you, yes. But as you rightly point out, I’m not the first woman to do that. You’ve walked away before, you can walk away again. And you don’t need to feel guilty about any of this.’ She waved a hand vaguely towards the window. ‘I honestly don’t care. They’ve probably done me a favour. I needed a change.’

  ‘How much of a change?’ His voice hoarse, he took her face in his hands again, tilting her chin so that she was forced to look at him. ‘Would it be too much of a change to be married to a wicked Sicilian divorce lawyer?’

  ‘You don’t believe in marriage, Alessio.’

  ‘I think expecting two people to stay together is asking a lot,’ he admitted, ‘unless they truly love each other.’

  She stilled. ‘What you feel is passion. And passion is no better a basis for a marriage than guilt.’

  ‘That’s true, and I understand why you believe that after what you told me about your parents. But you’re missing one important fact and
that’s that you can have passion and love,’ he murmured, taking her face in his hands. ‘And that’s what we have.’

  ‘No, we don’t.’

  ‘I know I’m not saying the right things, but I’m not good at this! I’ve never told a woman that I love her, before! I’m probably saying it all wrong.’

  Lindsay stilled. ‘You haven’t said it at all.’

  ‘Sì, I told you.’ His tone was impatient. ‘I told you that I love you.’

  ‘No.’ She covered her mouth with her hand and shook her head. ‘No, you didn’t say that to me.’ Her legs turned to jelly.

  ‘Well, I’m saying it now,’ he growled, removing her hand so that he could crush his mouth against hers. ‘I love you, tesoro.’

  She felt light-headed and terrified at the same time. Terrified of believing him. ‘You’ve never loved anyone—’

  ‘No.’ He folded her in his arms. ‘I haven’t. I saw how much pain loving my mother caused my father. In the small village in Sicily where I grew up, divorce just wasn’t an option. And frankly, I don’t know whether he would have divorced her even if he’d been given the chance. But I lived with his misery and I felt—helpless. I suppose that’s why I saw divorce as a good thing. He should have moved on—maybe met someone else.’

  Lindsay looked up at him, understanding. ‘It’s so hard when you’re a child—you want to help, and you can’t. And they think it’s just about them, but it affects you, too.’

  Alessio nodded. ‘I’ve never talked to anyone about it before.’

  ‘You don’t have to tell me—’

  ‘I want to. You need to know what you’re marrying.’ His gaze was wary. ‘I’m not exactly experienced when it comes to relationships, but I know you are so I’m relying on you to teach me what I need to know.’

  Lindsay gazed at him, tears blurring her vision. ‘You really think you love me?’

  ‘I know I love you.’ He gave a wry smile. ‘And if you knew how much I’d changed over the past two weeks, you wouldn’t even question me. Twice I’ve suggested to prospective clients that they try counselling and just this morning—’ He broke off and Lindsay looked at him quizzically.

  ‘What happened this morning?’

  Alessio’s face hardened. ‘He had two little girls,’ he muttered, ‘and I couldn’t stop thinking of you and Ruby.’

  ‘You didn’t take the case?’

  He hesitated. ‘We’re going to act for the wife.’

  Lindsay gave a soft gasp and then laughed. ‘You’re kidding?’

  ‘I want to make sure those two little girls suffer as little as possible. You see what you’ve done to me?’ A gleam in his eyes, Alessio dragged her back into his arms. ‘I’m going to be a magnet for every gold-digger in the Western hemisphere.’

  ‘Just as long as they’re only interested in your professional skills,’ Lindsay murmured, standing on tiptoe and pressing her mouth against his. ‘I’m proud of you. And I do love you. Very, very much.’

  ‘Just keep saying it.’ Alessio hugged her tightly. ‘And now I need to give the press something to photograph.’ He took her left hand and slipped an enormous diamond solitaire onto her finger.

  ‘Oh, Alessio—’ tears blurred her vision ‘—it’s beautiful.’ But the most beautiful thing was the fact that he loved her. ‘I can’t believe this is happening.’

  ‘Well, it is. And now stop crying or the press will think I’ve been doing unspeakable things to you. Are you ready to face the world?’

  Still staring at the ring, Lindsay gave a weak laugh. ‘Every woman with a pulse is going to want to know how I persuaded you to marry me.’

  ‘Well, they’re just going to have to work it out for themselves,’ Alessio drawled, leading her towards the door. ‘From now on I’m not sharing you with anyone.’

  As they walked out onto the pavement flashbulbs exploded in their faces and a voice called out, ‘Hey, Lindsay, you’re wearing a ring! Care to tell everyone your secret?’

  Turning to face the bank of cameras, Lindsay smiled. She couldn’t stop smiling. ‘You’d better listen carefully because this is the last piece of relationship advice I’m ever going to give.’ Almost bursting with happiness, she clutched Alessio’s hand and smiled up at him, her eyes misting. But when she spoke, the words were intended for him. ‘The secret,’ she said softly, ‘was love.’

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-3427-1

  CAPELLI’S CAPTIVE VIRGIN

  First North American Publication 2009.

  Copyright © 2009 by Sarah Morgan.

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  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.

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