The Italian Billionaire’s Scandalous Marriage: An Italian Billionaire Romance (Italian Billionaire Christmas Brides Book 2)

by Mollie Mathews

  You…propose…and I’ll accept.

  When she had demanded that Vitali propose instead, she hadn’t meant marriage.

  But he obviously thought she had.

  Marrying a man she'd known for less than three days was as ridiculous as it was compelling! Life was short. Her father's premature death had taught her that. Besides getting married had never been on her bucket list. But how could she explain that?

  And while it was less a proposal and more like a demand, Vitali was waiting for her answer!

  She had fantasized about being his lover…but his wife? The idea had an instant and compelling appeal, and after that kiss she wasn’t going to say no. Why would she? Saying yes would force them to spend more time together. Time she needed to unlock the secrets of the painting.

  Ok, so he didn’t love her. But they appeared well matched—equally wilful and obstinate. And they shared a passion for art. He was also outstandingly handsome, supremely successful, disarmingly charming—and he wanted her. Well not her—not yet. She was under no illusion on that count. He wanted the painting. But perhaps in time he would come to love her.

  ‘Yes, let’s marry. The sooner, the better,’ she said, privately acknowledging that she had gone quite mad.

  His eyes fastened onto hers, burning with the same reckless fire Alex felt consuming her. He slid his hand sensuously down her back to the base of her spine, deliberately re-igniting the passion that had flared between them. ‘Is tomorrow soon enough?’he said.

  Excitement fevered her mind and, before the handbrake of reason could prevail, she committed herself recklessly. ‘Tomorrow is perfect.’ While Alex had no idea how he would organise all the formalities in such a short-time, now that she had settled on the idea the last thing she wanted was to give him time to change his mind.

  ‘I’ve got nothing else planned,’ she said. Nothing else planned for the rest of my life—until now, she reasoned. Marrying Vitali would certainly be a change…for better or for worse. No other man had ever made her feel so sharply alive, both mentally and physically. She barely knew Vitali Rossi, but why not give it a chance? To hold a man like Vitali Rossi could be a stimulating challenge—an adventure if nothing else.

  ‘Bene, I like a decisive woman. When one decides it is best to move swiftly.’

  Alex felt a little quiver of uncertainty as the simmer of desire she’d detected in his eyes retreated into driving purpose.

  ‘I’ll make all the necessary arrangements.’

  ‘That suits me,’ she said with firm bravado. After all, if she came to her senses in the next 24-hours she could always disappear on the first flight back to New York.

  She had come here to find out about her father and been swept into a decision that she could never have anticipated in her wildest dreams. The realisation that nothing in life was permanent steadied her nerves. Vitali's proposal only confirmed whatever he was hiding it had something to do with her father and his life.

  Something he was determined would not be revealed.

  How she was going to find out the actual facts, she didn’t know. She didn’t even know why he was marrying her. Was it a marriage of convenience—a way to ensure a legitimate heir to the Rossi fortune? Revenge for some past wrong-doing? Some twisted way of resolving a longstanding family feud? Or did he think she was wielding the painting and refusing to sell it to him because she intended to blackmail him?

  It was all so confusing. But some things were obvious. He was complicated. She was complicated. It was complicated.

  Vitali wasn’t accepting this marriage with any good will towards her, she was sure of that. He might find her desirable enough to bed for a while. But one way or another he was determined to beat her at the game he thought she was playing. She had a wolf by the tail at the moment. But Vitali would never be tamed.

  Their marriage was bound to be a bitter relationship at first with Vitali thinking her a coldly calculating gold-digger who was out to get all she could. On the other hand, he had been doing quite a bit of calculating himself—saving on litigation that he obviously thought would cost him dearly. He couldn’t consider her any more mercenary than he was. And he hadn’t seemed displeased with the bargain they had struck.

  That put them on level terms. And she’d proven she was his sexual equal. The thought gave Alex a surprisingly deep satisfaction. She wouldn’t be a mere token female, an ornament in his life. And the painting, for whatever reason, gave her power to blow his hardened veneer apart. And she didn’t care if that was fair or not at this stage. On the contrary, it excited her even more.

  Vitali forged ahead, settling the practical details that their marriage entailed. Alexandra said ‘yes’ to everything he suggested, from an unceremonious wedding to a dismissal of any pretence of a honeymoon.

  When he dictated that they fly to Gold Ridge Station the morning after their marriage, she didn’t even enquire where that was, or what it was, assenting without question, even though she noticed that her agreement brought a wicked glitter to his eyes.

  After dinner he took Alex back to her hotel and saw her up to her room. She had already handed him her passport to facilitate the legalities required to get married. There was nothing she could think of to hold him with her any longer. She opened the door with her swipe-card and paused, half hoping he would kiss her goodnight. His expression was stern and forbidding, which made her wonder if he was having second thoughts.

  What had happened to him, she wondered, to make him such a cold, emotionally closed man.? A breach of trust? Some family drama? Or something else traumatic? Whatever it was their mutual wariness made them equals and for some reason she couldn’t yet fathom earning his respect and his trust meant everything.

  ‘Goodnight then,’ she said quickly.

  ‘One more thing Alexi—’ As she stepped inside her room he grasped her arm firmly, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to send a clear message. ‘That painting is to be removed from the exhibition first thing in the morning.’ His eyes burned with commanding intensity. ‘Get Gacos to store it. Replace it with something else. I don’t care what arrangements you make, so long as it’s never on public view again. Is that understood?’

  The painting! Of course, she thought sadly. That was at the heart of everything. The goal that had driven Vitali into the extraordinary moves that would see them married tomorrow.

  His fingers dug into her flesh and a flash of ferocity added bite to the command in his eyes. ‘You’re getting what you want. Now I get what I want. From here on in the games are over. Don’t doubt that for one second.’

  ‘I’ll take care of it first thing in the morning,’ she assured him unequivocally, injecting her voice with the same uber coolness expression she plastered on her face.

  She had always felt guilty about putting Lost Love on exhibition anyhow, and now it had served its purpose. Not that she had all the answers she had been seeking, but she was quite confident that time would bring them to light. Vitali's assumption that she already knew what he was hiding was half the battle. It would all fall into place sooner or later.

  Vitali looked at her searchingly as if he wasn’t quite sure he could trust her word. Then he nodded and released her arm. ‘You’re not a fool. I’ll say that for you, Alexandra Carr-Spencer.’ He shook her hand in a mocking business salute. He hesitated briefly as though fighting a compulsion. ‘Until tomorrow.’

  Alexandra released her breath a disappointed sigh as he strode off down the corridor. Obviously Vitali was unwilling to concede anything else to her, although she had sensed he was tempted to kiss her in that moment before turning away. Had the possibility of losing his control made him think twice? Vitali Rossi was a proud, self-contained man, but after tomorrow he would be her husband. He wouldn’t turn away then.

  A little smile curved Alexandra’s mouth as she stepped inside her room and closed the door. Her heart danced a waltz. Tomorrow would come soon enough and she could be so much closer to discovering the truth.

 
; CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  ‘You sold it! That’s fabulous’ Clive Gacos’s voice rose in excitement.

  ‘No. I told you I would never sell it, Clive,’ Alex said evenly, sipping a cup of green tea as she sat up in bed the following morning. ‘I’ve decided I don’t want it shown any more. I’d be grateful if you’d store it for me until further notice.’

  ‘But— ’ The tone of his voice suggested deep disappointment. ‘How will I explain its absence from the exhibition?’

  ‘The painting my father did of the Whirinaki rain-forest is the same size and the title Lost Love could apply to it equally well. If you hang that in the gallery it will fill the space and no one will be any the wiser.’

  ‘But…I don’t understand. And what of the anonymous buyer?’

  Not wanting to alienate him, she injected a light tone in her reply. ‘Clive, what you told Vitaliano Rossi was indiscreet.’

  There was a short silence. Alex could almost hear the calculating wheels of his mind furiously whirring through all sorts of possible escapes. When he spoke it was with wary circumspection. ‘How did you know about yesterday?’

  ‘None of that matters now. But please respect my privacy in future. And to answer your question, no, I didn’t sell the painting. I realize losing the commission on five million dollars must hurt, but I believe you did some exceedingly profitable business with Vitali Rossi yesterday,’ Alex reminded him. ‘Mr. Rossi has a fine art collection and over the years he may very well buy a lot more paintings from you. You’ve made an excellent contact.’

  Despite of his breach of trust Alexandra smiled. Without him she would never have met her future husband and she was confident there would be no more talk about the painting. And the fine arts dealer would be a lot more discreet about her business in future. ‘You will remove the painting this morning, won’t you? It can’t be done soon enough.’

  She heard the expulsion of breath on the other end of the line. ‘Of course, I’ll arrange it straight away.’

  ‘Thank you, I appreciate it. You’ve been very helpful. I won’t forget it.’

  Manipulation was such an ugly word, Alex thought as she placed the receiver down and lay back on the bed. She preferred to think of herself as a strategist. Finding the truth about her past was a game of skill. Clive Gacos was well aware he had committed a faux-pas yesterday, and he didn’t want to lose her business. And she didn’t want to risk alienating the only person in some way connected with her father in case this latest turn came to a dead end.

  Alex heaved a sigh. Of all the dead-ends her mother’s betrayal and continued stony-silence was the greatest. And while it hurt that she wouldn’t tell Alex anything of her past she couldn’t forgive herself if she alienated her mother and got married without telling her. It would be bad enough that the wedding wouldn’t be a huge society affair in New York. But it would be much worse if somehow the media got wind of it and Alex didn’t give her the courtesy of some forewarning.

  The extremely short notice would make it impossible for Elizabeth and Charles Spencer to be there. Which was just as well, Alex thought gratefully. They would only come out of duty and if there was one thing Alex would no longer abide, it was pretence.

  ‘You’re marrying who?’ Elizabeth Spencer stammered. Her shocked disapproval couldn’t have been clearer if she had been standing right in front of her wayward daughter. ‘This is ridiculous, Alexandra. You’ve only known him three days.’

  Alex felt the muscles in her shoulders knot. ‘Vitali is the most handsome-looking man you could ever imagine, Mom,’ she said, offering the kind of consolation that might best appease her mother.

  ‘So was your father,’ her mother said in terse condemnation.

  Her father had been handsome. That was news to Alex. He must have been extremely good looking to pass her mother’s exacting standards. It would certainly explain how her mother had come to make “her mistake.” And while her father’s looks didn’t matter to her nearly as much as what he was like as a person, it was the first slither of intimate information her mother had ever shared. Which wasn’t such a surprise given that good looks were almost everything to Elizabeth Spencer.

  ‘He’s also fabulously wealthy,’ she added, loading her voice with incredible excitement as though Vitali’s money meant everything, when in fact she didn’t judge people on whether they were rich or poor.

  ‘New money or old money? Her mother asked, suddenly interested. ‘What from?’

  While nothing was ever going to change her mother’s innate snobbery, Alex knew she’d scored some mother-pleasing points. ‘Gold, Mother. Mountains of gold. As far as eligible bachelors go, I’d say he’s probably richer than all the men in Manhattan.’

  ‘Don’t be vulgar, Alexandra.’ There was a slight pause, then grudgingly, ‘I suppose you could do worse. But what about Bradley?’

  Alex rolled her eyes. Why did her mother never listen to her? Why did she never care what or who Alex wanted?

  ‘Well, I suppose I should be thanking you for letting me know, Alexandra. It’s so very good of you to call.’ Her voice was icy with sarcasm. There was a short silence before she spoke again. ‘But why the haste? Have you thought how your behavior will disparage this family?

  ‘I’m not pregnant, Mom.’ She didn’t bother telling her that they hadn’t slept together.

  ‘Why aren’t you getting married properly? Everyone will ask you know.’

  Alex sighed. Her mother’s fears were natural enough given her own fast-tracked wedding.

  ‘Please be happy for me. Can you do that for me?’

  She could see her mother’s immaculately painted lips pursing together as she hissed a heavy sigh. ‘I expect Charles’ people can put together a dossier on this Viagra Rossi.’

  “Vitali, Mom. His name is Vitali.’

  ‘Gold you said?’ She continued with frosty resignation. ‘Would you be good enough to email me a photo of you both on your wedding day so that we can release the news here? It may make the society pages, but I’m not promising anything.’

  ‘I don’t think Vitali will want the publicity anyway.’

  ‘Alexandra, I don’t understand you.’

  ‘So you keep saying. One day perhaps I’ll understand myself.’ Alex knew the last point would completely escape her mother.

  ‘When are we going to meet this Rossi?’

  ‘I’m not sure, Mother. We’re flying in his private jet to Gold Ridge Station tomorrow. Once I’ve settled in—’

  ‘Alexandra!’ her mother interrupted. ‘Where did you meet this man?’ Her voice was no longer the smooth cultivated timbre of a lady of leisure but serrated with rough urgency.

  ‘Mother, please don’t worry. I know what I’m doing—’

  ‘Oh, my god. I knew no good would come from going back. It can’t be happening,’ her mother’s voice shuddered. ‘Alex,’ she said softly, ‘Oh Alex I had only known your father for three hours when I…I fell head over toes in love with him. Despite everything we felt, despite the spontaneous urgency of our passions, despite the intense physical attraction—oh, my darling child, please don’t make the same dreadful mistake.’

  Alex fell back against the bed in shock. Her mother never called her Alex, and she most definitely never called her “my darling.” Yet she couldn’t recall a time where she had heard such deep, genuine caring and utter concern in her voice.

  Pent up emotions pricked the back of Alex’s eyes. She wiped her hand as the tears she’d promised herself she would never cry began to flow. All her life she’d never felt cared for. And now, against all odds her mother was showing her concern. And finally she was telling her something of her past. But why? What was it about marrying Vitali now that she knew his connection to Gold Ridge Station that upset her so much?

  ‘I’m not making a mistake. I know it’s quick, but perhaps you can understand after all, what it feels like to meet a man and feel he is your past and your future.’

  ‘You won’t wait?’
>
  ‘No.’ I can’t.

  ‘I…’ her mother’s voice quavered slightly. ‘I do love you, you know. I concede I haven’t been the best at showing it. But I’ve always wanted the best for you. You do believe that don’t you?’

  The lump in Alex’s throat made it difficult to speak. ‘Yes. Yes, of course I do,’ her voice sounded like a whisper.

  Maybe getting married would soften the divide and bring them closer. They had different values. Different histories. Different desires. Yet Alex knew better than anyone the importance of accepting people for who they are, not who you wanted them to be.

  Her mother had done the best she could. Perhaps when she had her own daughter or son Alex could change the cycle that had nearly destroyed her family. But right now Alex had to be the change she wanted to see. To do that she must forgive.

  ‘I love you too, Mom, and I’m grateful for the way you looked after me when I was ill and for everything you’ve given me. I know it wasn’t easy.’

  ‘Alexandra…’ She gave a hard, obvious swallow, ‘I do hope you know what you are doing.’

  Alex felt her stomach clench. She took a deep breath, then steadied her voice. Her mother was who she was, she reminded herself.

  ‘So do I,’ she conceded. ‘So do I.’

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Alex sunk into the bed, relieved to have ended the call. It shouldn’t have upset her, but the fluctuating emotions and the intensity of it all was exhausting. Her mother and she had begun to mend some fences but they were still worlds apart. Still, if this was the only time her mother reassured her that she cared for her daughter, beyond parading her in front of her friends, it would be a memory she’d cherish.

  Her mother may never understand Alex’s real motives, and even though Alex barely understood them herself, what she did know for certain was she was not marrying Vitali Rossi for his looks, nor his squillions.

  Nor was she marrying him to mine him for information about her father. It was more primal than that. Something in him drew her irresistibly to meet his challenge. He had thrown the gauntlet and she would fight to the end to prove she was worthy.