LITMIR.BIZ

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      He stood up, transferring his gaze to Belle. “Buon giorno, Arabella,” he murmured, while his eyes traveled over every inch of her. When he did that, she melted on the spot.

      “Buon giorno,” she responded, sounding too American for words. “Do you mind if I sit in back with her?” During the night Belle had decided that the only safe way to be around Leon was to stay close to his daughter. It was no penance. Belle was already crazy about her.

      Without waiting for an answer, she walked around to the other side and climbed in back. Rufo had already made his place on the floor at the baby’s feet. Belle rubbed his head behind his ears. He licked her hand before she turned to Concetta and fastened her own seat belt.

      “How’s my little sweetie? I love those cute seashells on your top.” As she touched them, the baby smiled and reached out to pull her hair.

      Leon was still looking in from the other side. Could there be such a striking man anywhere else in existence? “Like I said last night, you keep that up at your own risk.”

      “After the pearls, what’s a little hair?” she teased.

      He chuckled. “She’s already got her sights set on your earrings. They’re stunning on you, by the way.”

      “Thank you.” Please don’t keep saying personal things like that to me.

      In seconds he got behind the wheel and drove them away from the estate toward the city. This was the first time since coming to Rimini that Belle was actually able to see it through a tourist’s eyes. Until now her thoughts had been so focused on finding her mother, she’d been pretty much unobservant.

      He drove her along the autostrada and played tour guide. On one side were hundreds of fabulous-looking hotels. On the other were hundreds and hundreds of colorful umbrellas set up three rows deep on the famous twelve-mile-long stretch of beach.

      “It’s a sun lover’s paradise, Leon!”

      “If you don’t mind the invasion of masses of humanity,” he drawled over his shoulder.

      But he didn’t have to worry about that. His private portion of beach was off-limits, and no doubt strictly watched by his security men.

      After a few minutes they climbed a slight elevation where an incredible period residence in an orangey-pink color came into view. “Oh, Leon...”

      “This is the Malatesta palazzo. Our family purchased it in the nineteenth century. It’s of moderate size, but over the years has been restored and transformed. Like many of the elegant patrician villas along this section of the Adriatic, it combines modern technology with old-world charm.” He drove through the gates, past cypress trees and a fantastic maze.

      “It’s breathtaking. When you were little, your friends must have thought they’d died and gone to heaven when you invited them over to play.”

      His eyes gleamed with amusement as he looked at her through the rearview mirror. “I don’t know about that, but Dante and I enjoyed hiding out from the staff. Guests have been known to get lost in there.”

      “I don’t doubt it.”

      They continued on and wound around the fountain to the front entrance. Thrilled to see her mother come out the door and rush over to her side of the car, Belle hurriedly got out to meet her. They hugged for a long time.

      “Now I know last night wasn’t a dream.” Luciana cupped her face. “My dearest girl, do you think you could ever bring yourself to call me Mom? You don’t have to, but—”

      “I wanted to call you Mom last night,” Belle confessed.

      “Then it’s settled. Come on. Let’s get Concetta and go inside.” Belle looked around, to discover Leon had his daughter in his arms. “We’re eating on the terrace,” her mother announced. “I’ve got Concetta’s high chair set up.”

      Rufo ran ahead to where Sullisto stood in the elegant foyer. He sought out Belle with such a warm smile that she had to believe it was a sincere reflection of how he felt about her. It went a long way to dispel some of her fears for her intrusion in their lives.

      She felt Leon’s gaze. When she looked up, his gray eyes seemed to encourage her to embrace what was happening.

      Once she was inside, the palazzo’s sumptuous tapestries and marble floors left her speechless. Belle particularly loved the colonnade with its stained-glass windows. Leon explained that before the destruction in the war, they’d formed part of the chapel.

      After following the passageway, they came out to the terrace, where a veritable feast awaited them. But Belle couldn’t hold back her cry of wonder at the sunken garden below. Grass surrounded a giant black-and-white chessboard. Statues of Roman gods were placed in the odd squares, each depicting one of the twelve months of the year.

      “I’ve never seen anything like it! The whole estate is unreal.” Her gaze unconsciously flew to Leon’s. “To think this was your playground, growing up.”

      His eyes smiled back at her.

      “Come and sit by me, darling. Here are some pictures of your father.”

      Belle did her mother’s bidding. Her hands shook as she studied the half-dozen snapshots. “He looks so young and handsome!” She couldn’t believe she was gazing at her own father.

      “He was both. Keep those photos. I have more.”

      After studying them, Belle put them carefully in her purse. Over the delicious meal, she lost track of time, answering her mother’s questions about life at the orphanage. Then the subject turned to the Petersons.

      Sullisto shook his head. “I can’t understand why you weren’t adopted right off as a baby.”

      “I used to ask the sisters the same thing. They told me that because I was premature, I was very sickly. It seems I took a long time to get well, and was underdeveloped. My speech didn’t come until I was about four. By then, I was too old.”

      “Darling...” Luciana hugged her for a long time before she let Belle go.

      “It’s all right. I finally did get adopted, but I didn’t see love between Nadine and Ben. I guess somewhere deep down he cared for her, enough to go along with my adoption. But I wished I’d been placed in a foster home, so I could have left when things got difficult.”

      “You had no advocate?” her mom asked, sounding horrified.

      “Not after being adopted. But at one point I gathered enough courage to talk to her about it. She said she’d wanted me to feel like I belonged. Nadine had the right instincts, but there was too much wrong in their marriage, and I know for a fact they didn’t consult Cliff. He was so angry, I got out of the house the second I turned eighteen. As you know, they were killed in a car crash later on.”

      Her mother’s eyes had filled with sadness. “Where did you go, darling?”

      “I’d been scanning the classifieds and found a want ad for a roommate. I went to meet three single girls who’d rented part of an old house and could fit one more person. I told them that if they’d give me a month, I’d get a job and move in. Since I needed a cell phone, I applied for work at TCCPI and they hired me. That was my lucky day.”

      “Now she’s a manager,” Leon interjected. He’d just gotten up from the table to walk Concetta around. “In fact, the corporation is taking her in to the head office in New York City in two months.”

      Belle’s head flew back. “You didn’t tell me that earlier. You only said I was going to be promoted.”

      His features sobered. “I overstepped my boundaries when I contacted them, and didn’t want to give away all the surprises in store for you.”

      He’d surprised her again.

      “That’s wonderful!” Luciana exclaimed, but a look of pain had crossed over her face, belying

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