LITMIR.BIZ

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to normal. Wouldn’t they?

      Surely they would. This project was huge. It was amazing. An honest-to-goodness royal wedding. She didn’t even know where they’d begin, but she couldn’t contain her excitement. She’d show Angelo how good an ad executive she could be. Just wait and see.

      * * *

      Pitch a wedding to royalty?

      Angelo had never done such a thing. Weddings weren’t his thing. He knew nothing about love and romance. He was highly unqualified for this project. But he wasn’t about to admit any of this to Nico. No way. So how was he supposed to get out of this?

      Nico smiled as he led them straight through the modestly decorated villa that still looked much the same as it did when he’d been a child. Once everyone was situated on the veranda with cold drinks, Nico turned to him. “So what do you think?”

      “About what?”

      “You know, coming up with a pitch for the village?”

      Angelo wanted to tell his brother that he was too busy and that he couldn’t possibly fit it into his schedule. He highly doubted his brother would hear him. Nico had selective hearing when he wanted something bad enough—like Angelo being a silent investor in the vineyard.

      Angelo turned to Kayla to see what she thought about the idea, hoping she’d make some excuse to get them out of this situation. But her green eyes sparkled with excitement. How wrong could he have been to look to her for support? Was there a woman alive who didn’t get excited about weddings? Or was it the part about pitching it to a real-life prince that had caught her full attention?

      Angelo’s gut tightened when he thought of Kayla being starstruck over the royal prince. He shrugged off the uneasy sensation. It was none of his concern. Besides, it wasn’t as if she was attracted to him. She couldn’t dismiss their kiss fast enough.

      His jaw tensed as he recalled how easily she’d brushed off their moment. He could have sworn she’d been as into him as he was into her. It just showed how little he understood women.

      He drew up his thoughts, refusing to dwell on the subject. In the meantime, Kayla had engaged his brother in light conversation about the vineyard and how it’d been their childhood home. Angelo looked around the place and was truly impressed by what his brother had done to bring this place back to life. It looked so different than when they were kids, when the place was dying off.

      Angelo had actually thought that his brother was crazy for wanting to devote his time and money into reviving the vineyard, but with Nico’s determination, he’d made a go of the place. In fact, this boutique vineyard might not produce a large quantity of wine, but what it did produce was of the finest quality. Angelo kept his private wine collection stocked with it. Calanetti wines impressed a great number of influential guests that he’d entertained.

      The chime of Kayla’s laughter drew his thoughts back to the moment. Nico was entertaining her with a tale from when they were kids. As the oldest, Angelo had always been put in charge of his siblings while his parents went out. But this one time, Angelo hadn’t been paying attention and they’d sneaked off. What Nico failed to add, and what he probably didn’t know, was that had been one of Angelo’s scariest moments—not knowing what had happened to his brother and sister.

      “Are you telling them about the royal wedding?” Marianna joined them. Her face was a bit on the pale side and there were shadows beneath her eyes.

      Nico leaned back in his chair. “I just told Angelo about it. He’s thinking it over.”

      Marianna turned to Angelo. “You have to think it over? But why? This will be the biggest thing you’ve ever done.”

      “You really want me to do the pitch?”

      She nodded. “Please. It would be so wonderful for everyone. Couldn’t you just this once help your family?”

      Guilt landed squarely on his shoulders with the force of a full wine barrel. He owed his brother and sister this. It’d put Monte Calanetti on the map. And the benefits the village would reap from the royal wedding taking place here were countless.

      But he was already fully obligated. And he couldn’t do it all on his own. He’d need help. A good copywriter. His gaze strayed to Kayla. He’d already witnessed just how talented she was with words and images. He could easily imagine her taking on some more of his workload, allowing him time to work on the wedding proposal.

      They’d have to work closely together—closer than ever. There was no way he’d let her loose with the company’s most important clients. But would they be able to manage it after the kiss?

      “So what do you say, Angelo?” Nico looked at him. “The village is all abuzz with the news, and you know that pitching a wedding isn’t my area of specialty.”

      “Please Angelo, will you do it?” Marianna looked at him, openly pleading with him with her eyes.

      He’d never been good at telling her no. And now that she was standing there carrying some stranger’s baby—some man that his sister wouldn’t even introduce to their family—his resistance to her plea was nonexistent. If playing host to a royal wedding made her happy, how could he deny it to her? The decision for once was quite simple.

      “Okay. I’ll do it.”

      “You will?” The words echoed around the patio.

      “Why does everyone sound so shocked? It’ll be good publicity for the firm.” But that wasn’t his reason for agreeing—it was to see the smiles on the two women in his life...and his brother.

      Marianna launched herself into his arms. Warmth swelled in his chest. He may not have been here to protect her and watch over her as he should have been, but at least he could give her something to look forward to while she sorted out the rest of her life.

      Marianna pulled back and sent him a watery smile. “Thanks.”

      He turned to Kayla. She looked like an excited kid on Christmas Eve. “How about you? Are you up for taking on some more responsibility?”

      Kayla didn’t waste a moment before uttering, “Definitely. Just tell me what needs done.”

      “Good.” He turned to his brother. “It looks like you’ve hired yourself a team. I’ll get started on the pitch as soon as we get back to New York.”

      “New York?” Nico’s brows gathered together.

      “Yes, that’s where we work. I’ll send through what I come up with, but it’s going to take me a little time. I have a rush project that I—we—have to wrap up—”

      “This can’t wait. You have to get started on it right away.”

      Angelo didn’t like the worried tone of his brother’s voice. “Why? What haven’t you told us?”

      Nico got to his feet. “Does anyone need anything else to drink?”

      Angelo knew a stalling tactic when he saw one. “Nico, spit it out. What is the catch?”

      After Nico finished refilling Kayla’s iced tea, he turned to his brother. “The catch is the pitch has to be completed in no more than three weeks’ time.”

      “Three weeks.” Angelo leaned back in his chair. “You sure don’t give a person much time.”

      “And—”

      “There’s more?”

      Nico nodded. “The presentation has to be given to the royal family at the palace in Halencia.”

      Nico sank down into his chair while Angelo charged to his feet. “This changes everything. I wasn’t planning to stay in Italy for three weeks. Nico, don’t you understand? I have a business to run.”

      “You’re the boss. Can’t you put someone else in charge while you’re here?”

      Angelo never sloughed off his work

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