LITMIR.BIZ

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will you be in the meantime?”

      “At the airport in Metaponto. I’m working in my office on the jet and will stay in the bedroom overnight. I’ll give you until ten a.m. to get in touch with me. If I don’t hear from you by then, I’ll be flying back to Naples.”

      She knew he meant it. This was it.

      “If you’ll give me your phone, I’ll program my number for you.”

      Alessandra handed it to him. “Rini, whatever my answer is, I promise to call you.”

      Lines marred his arresting features. “I can’t ask for more than that.” He put the phone on the table. “You need rest now. Take care of yourself, adorata.”

      The second he disappeared from the day room she wanted to call him back and tell him she’d go with him right now. But she needed to keep her wits about her. The decision to spend a week with him would change her life forever.

      She kissed the cat’s head. “Who am I kidding, Alfredo? My life changed beyond recognition the day he approached me in the foyer.”

      He said they’d take things a day at a time. She had no choice but to do what he wanted because at this point she knew she couldn’t live without him. If it was only for a week, so be it. The man was so complicated it was driving her crazy. Somewhere in the mix, Rini’s inability to give a woman a child had stunted his vision of life. She wanted to help him explore the world of adoption so he’d realize he could know total fulfillment.

      With her heart ready to burst from the joy his invitation had brought her, she lay down and didn’t awaken until hours later, when she heard her parents’ muffled voices talking about her sleeping her life away.

      Alessandra sat up, disturbing Alfredo, who jumped to the floor. “What time is it?”

      “Time for you to be in bed. Let’s get you upstairs.”

      Later when her mother tucked her in bed she told her about Rini’s invitation. “I want to accept it, but I’m afraid.”

      “Don’t let what Francesco did keep you from reaching out for your own happiness.”

      If her mother only knew this had nothing to do with Francesco. But at least she had her parents’ blessing.

      Liona brought her breakfast at eight, after which Alessandra pressed the button programmed to phone Rini.

      “Am I going to hear what I want to hear?” he answered in that deep voice. She thought she heard a trace of nervousness and loved him for it.

      “Maybe, unless you’ve had a change of heart during the night.”

      “Alessandra—don’t keep me in suspense.”

      Her mouth had gone dry. “I want to come, but I need time to pack.”

      “How much?”

      She chuckled. “Do we have to leave by ten?”

      “I don’t care when we leave today as long as you’re with me.”

      “Then can we say noon?”

      “I’ll be at the castle at twelve and we’ll eat on the plane during the flight.”

      “It sounds wonderful. Ciao, Rini.”

      After ringing off, she hurried around her room to get ready for her trip. She needed to pack everything under the sun. Normally she traveled light, but not this time. Besides sportswear for their outdoor activities, her plan was to bring a few new bikinis and evening dresses that would knock his socks off.

      She turned on her radio to some light rock music. The cat wandered in her room and probably thought she was out of her mind as she danced around filling her two suitcases.

      “Alfredo? You should see his gorgeous villa.”

      “Whose villa would that be?” asked a familiar female voice.

      Alessandra spun around. “Dea!” After being caught off guard, she hurried over to her sister and hugged her. “I didn’t know you were coming.” With Rini coming for her, she couldn’t believe the bad timing.

      “Evidently not. Papà told me about your accident so I came home to see how you are. I thought you’d still be in bed recovering. I never expected to find you flying around your room having a conversation with the cat. What’s all the packing for?”

      “I—I’m going on a trip,” she said, her voice faltering.

      “I gathered as much.” Dea’s eyes looked at the bags on the bed. “I do believe you’ve emptied your drawers and closets. Are you finally giving Bruno Tozzi a chance? He’s been after you for over a year.”

      “Not Bruno. I’ve never been interested in him that way. Actually I’m going to be a guest at Rini Montanari’s villa.” She’d had no choice but to tell her sister the truth.

      At the mention of his name, any goodwill Alessandra had hoped could be resurrected between her and Dea on this visit had vanished. Her sister paled. Rini really had hurt her by not asking her out again. “Are you talking about the one in Naples or Positano?”

      Of course her sister would know all about Rini. She’d danced with him on his friend’s yacht. “I assume Positano.”

      “Is this because you showed him around the property for Papà?”

      “Dea? Please sit down so we can talk.” Alessandra closed the lids on her bags. “He’d been scuba diving with me. It’s a sport we have in common. When he heard about the earthquake, he flew down. Yesterday he came by the castle to invite me to stay with him for a week.”

      “You mean he hasn’t been here all month?”

      “No. He’s been gone for weeks on business. I was surprised to see him again.” So surprised she’d thought she’d been dreaming when he came to her hospital room.

      Dea’s eyes followed her around while she packed her cosmetics. “I was shocked to learn he had business with Papà in the first place.”

      “Let’s agree it was a shock all the way around.” Alessandra was so uncomfortable she could hardly bear it.

      Her sister studied her for a minute. “Be honest with me. Are you going with him because of what happened with Francesco?”

      “No, Dea—not at all! How can you even think that?” Alessandra cried. “Whatever happened is long since buried in the past.” She sank down on the end of the bed. “What do you want me to say?”

      “Have you fallen for him?”

      “I care for him very much.”

      “As much as you did Francesco?”

      “You can’t compare relationships. Francesco was my first boyfriend. I was young. As you reminded me, he ended up being a loser.”

      “Don’t you know why I told you that?”

      Alessandra frowned. “What do you mean?”

      “He wasn’t interested in me. Within a day of his arriving in Rome, he was chatting up another model.”

      “Oh, Dea—I didn’t know that.”

      “I thought Mother would have said something. I’m telling you this to warn you about Rinieri Montanari.”

      Alessandra didn’t want to hear it.

      “On the yacht, his best friend’s father, Leonides Rossano, confided in me that Rinieri was Italy’s most eligible bachelor—as if my best friend, Daphne, and I didn’t already know it. I read between the lines and deduced he’d been a player for years. Alessandra—he might end up breaking your heart after he gets what he wants from Papà.”

      “You’re wrong about that, Dea. He doesn’t want anything from him,” she replied, defending Rini. “He

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