Brides Of Summer

He joined her at the Land Rover. Their silent drive to the castle only took a minute, proof he was surprised she hadn’t stayed in the boat before taking off again. Alessandra had the impression he couldn’t wait to get away from her.

Sure enough, as soon as she’d parked the car, he reached for his backpack and got out. Alessandra followed him inside the foyer of the castle. He looked back at her. “I phoned your father earlier. He’s waiting for me. Thank you for showing me your world. I loved every second of it.”

So did I. Why are you acting like it’s over? Rini—what’s going on?

But he kept her in the dark. Without lingering, he walked toward her father’s office.

With a heart that had fallen to the floor, she went up the staircase to shower and change into clean clothes. Her mother was probably in the day room so she hurried downstairs to talk to her. She would know what was going on with her father and Rini. This was a nightmare.

When she wasn’t there, Alessandra went to the dining room and found it empty. “Hey, Alfredo. Are you looking for Liona?” She picked up the cat. On her way to the kitchen she heard the rotors of the helicopter. Someone must be arriving from the mainland. She kept on walking to the kitchen. No one was in there.

She lowered the cat to his food and water dishes, then she took off for her father’s office. Maybe her mother was in there and she would find the three of them deep in conversation. After hesitating, she knocked on the door, unwilling to stay away any longer. “Scusi, Papà.”

“Come in, piccola.”

She found her father alone. “Where is everyone?”

“Your mother drove Liona to Metaponto for her dentist appointment.” That explained why Alfredo looked lost.

“I—I thought Rini Montanari was still with you,” she stammered.

He sat back in his leather chair. “He was here earlier to tell me that after thinking everything over, he decided that erecting oil derricks on our property would be a scab on the legacy Queen Joanna left to the family.”

Those were the very words Alessandra had used. To hear her father say them brought inexpressible pain.

“He says he’s off to search for another area to drill. After thanking both you and me profusely for our time and hospitality, he called for a helicopter and left.”

Her legs started to buckle. She grabbed the first chair before she fell. “That’s it? No other explanation?”

Her father smiled warmly. “Only to say that you discovered a large head while you were diving yesterday and he presumes it’ll make you famous.”

Except that Rini was the one with the inspiration to know where to dive.

“Oh—one more thing. He told me you’re the most charming, lovely, intelligent woman he ever met and he understood why I wanted you to show him around. I could have told him that about you, but it’s nice he discovered it for himself. As for the oil-drilling proposal, I have to admit I’m glad he withdrew it. Neither your mother or Fulvia were in favor of it.”

“I know.” A boulder had lodged in her throat.

“Fulvia phoned your mother early this morning. We were surprised to learn you’d taken him to see her. It made her very happy to see you while she’s recovering.”

But the visit had turned out to be devastating for Alessandra. Once again her world had been destroyed. This time she knew she’d never be able to put it back together.

Alessandra took a quick breath. “Since the weather kept us from making another dive, I decided to pay her a visit. She was tired, but seems to be getting along fine.”

“She was very impressed with Rinieri’s honesty.”

Honesty? What on earth did that mean?

Feeling ill, she got up from the chair. “I’ve been away from my work too long, so I’d better get busy or my editor will lose his patience. I’ll be in the library if you need me.” She hurried over to give him a kiss on the cheek before leaving the office.

When she reached her desk, she buried her face in her hands and sobbed. Several messages came in on her phone, all from Gino wanting to know if she would be joining them for the afternoon dive. None were from Rini.

Alessandra texted him that she couldn’t make it, then left the castle in the Land Rover and drove to the mainland. After grabbing some food, she drove to the ridge where she’d taken Rini on that first day. The recent downpour had greened up the fields. She walked around, playing back their conversation in her head. Alessandra was convinced that the excuse he’d given her father not to drill wasn’t the real reason he’d backed off.

Deeply troubled, she returned to the castle and got busy on the historical biography she was writing on Queen Joanna. But by Saturday morning she couldn’t stand it any longer. Rini had been cruel not to have contacted her, if only to say goodbye. After what they’d shared scuba diving, she wasn’t about to let him walk away until he’d listened to a few things she had to say.

If this was how he ended every relationship with a woman, no wonder he was still a bachelor. He’d been clever to abort their growing attraction before it burned out of control. Rini had been every bit as hungry for her as she’d been for him when they’d kissed. So why had he done this?

He’d been the one to pursue her, to want to scuba dive with her. There’d been no stopping him getting his way because she’d wanted to be with him so badly, too, and still did. So what had changed everything? Alessandra needed answers and she wasn’t going to let him get away with it.

After telling her parents she’d be home late, she drove the Land Rover to Metaponto and took a commercial flight to Positano. Without her father’s knowledge she’d looked up Rini’s home address on his computer.

She could have gone to the Montanari office in Naples, but figured he’d be home on the weekend. If she walked in on him entertaining another woman, that was too bad. She needed answers.

Three hours later the limo she’d hired wound around the lush vegetation of his property. It stopped in front of a magnificent two-storied, ochre-colored villa, probably built at the turn of the century. Good heavens, the hilltop town above the Amalfi Coast was gorgeous beyond belief!

Alessandra marveled to know that Rini lived in this flower-filled paradise. The exterior was drenched in purple and red bougainvillea, robbing her of breath. So did the view of the sea from such a dizzying height.

A warm midafternoon sun shone down on her as she got out of the back. “Stay here, please,” she said to the driver. She walked past several cars in the courtyard on her way to the front entrance. Alessandra hoped that meant Rini was home.

After using the bell pull, she waited for someone to answer and heard female voices inside. One said, “I’ll get it, Bianca.”

The moment the door opened, Alessandra knew she was looking at Rini’s sister, who was a real blond beauty. Even though their coloring was different, the extraordinary family resemblance brought Rini to mind with a pang.

“Buon pomeriggio, signorina. Can I help you?” She’d answered the door in a bathing suit covered by a short lacy wrap.

Her heart was pounding too hard. “I hope so. I’m here to see Rini.”

She studied Alessandra for a moment. “Aren’t you the famous Diorucci model?”

CHAPTER FIVE

THIS WAS DÉJÀ VU all over again.

“That’s my sister, Dea. I’m Alessandra Caracciolo.”

“Well, you’re both absolutely stunning.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m afraid my brother isn’t here. I’m Valentina Laurito. Was he expecting you?”

“No.” She swallowed hard. “I wanted to surprise him.”

A mischievous smile broke the corners of his sister’s mouth. “So did I. Bianca informed me he went fishing this morning and hasn’t come back yet, but she’s expecting him soon so I stayed.”

Fishing...

While she took in the disappointing news, an older woman appeared in the foyer carrying a darling blond baby boy, the image of his mother. She made the introductions. “Have you come far?”

“I flew in from Metaponto.”

“That’s quite a ways. Won’t you come in and wait with me while I give my son a bottle? We’re out by the swimming pool. Vito loves his Zio Rini and keeps waiting for him to walk out.”

Alessandra knew the feeling well. “If you don’t mind, I’d love to.”

“Tell your driver to come back for you later.”

She did the other woman’s bidding, then walked through Rini’s elegant villa. The patio furniture included tables, chairs and a large swing. Alessandra saw plastic toys in the water. Valentina took the baby from the housekeeper and settled him in his baby swing with a cover to shield his eyes.

“We have extra bathing suits if you’d like to change and take a dip.”

“Thank you, but no.”

“You might like it after your flight.”

“It didn’t take that long. Besides I get in plenty of swimming.” Valentina was so easy to talk to, Alessandra needed to be careful what she said to her. Rini was a private person who wouldn’t appreciate her getting too familiar with his family. Especially not after he’d left the castle permanently.

She found a lounge chair close to the swing to watch the darling baby. In a minute she heard rotors overhead and her pulse leaped. What would Rini think when he found her out here with his family? Maybe she shouldn’t have come, but it was too late now because moments later her gaze darted to the tall, dark figure striding toward them from the other end of the pool wearing jeans and a T-shirt.

“There’s your zio!” Valentina cried.

“Vito—” Rini called to him. The baby turned his head toward his uncle and lifted his arms.

That’s when Rini saw her and his eyes narrowed. “Alessandra,” he murmured.

Without missing a beat he came close and picked up the baby in his arms, kissing him. “What a surprise. Two visitors in one afternoon.”

“Alessandra has flown here from Metaponto, but I can’t persuade her to take a swim.”

“That’s because she scuba dives for the archaeological institute from Catania and probably enjoys a break from swimming.”

Valentina’s head swung toward her. “Rini’s a master diver, too!”

“I know. Your brother was instrumental in helping me make a find the other day. I’m indebted to him.”

“Rini,” his sister virtually blurted with excitement. “You didn’t tell me about that.” Her eyes took in the two of them.

With enviable calm he explained, “While I was looking for new oil fields, I tagged along with Alessandra. She lives on an archaeological treasure.”

“Zio Salvatore called me when he couldn’t find you at the office. You know how upset he gets.”

He played with Vito, avoiding Alessandra’s eyes. “I’m back from Calabria now and got in touch with him.”

“That’s a relief. So how was fishing?”

“Good. Guido caught two trout with the lure I gave him. We ate them for lunch.”

“Lucky you. I’m glad you came home when you did. Vito and I waited as long as we could, and now we’ve got to get back to Ravello. Giovanni will be wondering where we are.” She turned to Alessandra. “It was so nice to meet you.”

“You, too. Your little boy is wonderful.”

“Thank you. I think so, too. I have another son, Ric, but he’s with his birth mother today.” She took the baby from her brother’s arms and disappeared into the villa.

Alessandra was left alone with Rini. Her pulse raced at the way his eyes ignited as he studied her for a moment without saying anything. She was glad she’d worn her white dress with the blue-and-green print, a favorite of hers. For once she’d knocked herself out trying to look beautiful for him. She’d even worn some eye makeup and had spent time on her hair.

“I think you know why I’m here,” she said, answering the question he hadn’t asked. “You didn’t say goodbye.” Her accusation hung in the air.

His hands went to his hips in a male gesture. “If you’ll excuse me for a minute, I’ll be right back.”

“Promise?” she responded. He’d arrived dressed in outdoor gear with a navy crewneck shirt. With that hint of a dark beard on his jaw, she was almost overcome by his male virility. Alessandra had missed him so terribly, it hurt to look at him.

A nerve throbbed at the corner of his compelling mouth. “I swear it.”

He left the patio on a run. She found a chair under the umbrella table and took in the sight of his own private Garden of Eden. So many species of flowers and trees astounded her, as everything looked perfect. All her life she’d lived in a castle surrounded by sand and water. Alessandra loved the isolation, but being here in Rini’s home made her appreciate what she’d been missing.

The fragrance from the roses intoxicated her. She got up and walked around to smell the various varieties. Soon she heard footsteps behind her. When she turned, she discovered that the woman Valentina had introduced her to had come out on the terrace. She pushed a cart of food and drinks to the table. “Rinieri will be right out, signorina.”

“Grazie, Bianca.”

From the corner of her eye she saw a baby sandal left on one of the chairs. She started to retrieve it when Rini came out on the patio dressed in tan trousers and a silky black sport shirt. Freshly shaved, he looked and smelled fabulous.

Alessandra held up the sandal. “Your sister left this in her wake. I’m afraid her fast exit was my fault.”

“You’re wrong.” He took the little sandal and put it on the table. “She couldn’t wait to join her husband. They’re crazy about each other.” Rini held out a chair for her. “Sit down and we’ll eat. One trout apiece wasn’t enough for the appetite I’ve developed.”

“I’m hungry, too. They only served snacks on the plane.”

In a minute they filled up on shrimp salad with penne, dried tomatoes and slices of grilled eggplant that melted in her mouth. Rolls and lemonade with mint leaves made their meal a feast, but clearly Rini was a fish man.

Filled to the brim, she sat back in the chair. “I’m waiting for an explanation.”

He wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin before his gaze fell on her. “All along there’s been something I should have told you about myself, but I never seemed to find the right time.”

“What? That you lead a secret life? That you have a wife hidden somewhere?”

“Nothing like that. After the visit to your aunt’s, I decided that I’d wasted enough of your family’s time and thought it best to leave so you could get on with your dive.”

She shook her head. “You’re a man who was raised with good manners, so your excuse doesn’t wash. Something happened during your private talk with my aunt that put you off your desire to drill on my family’s property. I deserve to know the truth. It’s only fair after providing you the opportunity to talk to her.”

His eyes glittered. “You’re treading on dangerous ground to ask for the truth.”

Her hands gripped the sides of her chair. “Now I know I’m right. As you can see, I’m a grown woman and can take whatever you have to tell me.”

Lines darkened his striking face. “I’m not so sure.”

“Are you afraid I’m too fragile if you tell me a secret about yourself I don’t want to hear?”

He eyed her somberly. “I have no desire to bring hurt to you.”

Bring? Such a cryptic comment brought a pain to her stomach. “What do you mean? In what way?”

“You need to leave it alone, Alessandra.”

Anger sparked her emotions. “I don’t accept that.”

“I’m afraid you’re going to have to.” He sounded so remote, her insides froze.

“In other words you really meant it to be goodbye the other day.”

Rini leaned forward. “I’d hoped I’d made that clear when I left the island the other morning without letting you know my intentions.”

The forbidding CEO of Montanari’s had spoken.

Don’t you dare break down in front of him.

She struggled for breath. “Don’t worry. You’ve made me see the light. You and Francesco aren’t that different after all. After he disappeared from my life, he sent his goodbye in a letter rather than face me. You flew off and left it to my father to do the honors. What is it about some attractive men? They seem to possess every quality except the one most vital.”

A white ring appeared around his lips. She was pleased to see he wasn’t completely impervious to her judgment of him. “Don’t worry. Keep all your secrets! I’m leaving.” She started to get up.

“No, Alessandra—you want the truth of everything, so I’ll tell you. I never planned to, but since you’ve come all this way, I can’t handle seeing you in this kind of pain. No one deserves an explanation more than you do.”

“Go on.”

“Where your aunt is concerned, we only talked business for a moment. The main thrust dealt with you.”

“Me?”

Rini nodded slowly. “She loves you.”

“I love her, too, but what does that have to do with anything?”

“She wanted clarification and asked to know what happened when I met Dea.”

The moment he’d spoken, she stirred in the chair and averted her eyes. “I—I can’t believe she brought up something that was none of her business.” Her voice faltered. “Mother must have said something.” After a long pause she said, “How uncomfortable that had to be for you.”

“Not uncomfortable. I found it refreshing. You’re a lot like her, you know. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was your mother.”

Alessandra’s head lifted. She blinked. “You’re kidding—”

“Not at all. You and your aunt have a sense of fair play I admire very much. It’s clear you both want the best for everyone. I told her nothing happened. Guido’s father asked us to dance with the models he’d introduced us to. I had one dance with Dea, then she left. That was it. After my explanation, your aunt wanted to know my intentions toward you.”

Alessandra shot out of the chair. “She had no right! I don’t see how she could have asked you that when we hardly know each other!”

He stared up at her. “That’s not true, Alessandra. Your aunt told me you’ve never taken a man to meet her before and what we had was something special. Naturally she’s aware you’ve been showing me around for your father.”

“So?”

“She realizes we would have learned a great deal about each other already.”

“Well yes, but—”

“Her concern for both you and Dea is commendable,” he interrupted. “So I had to be brutally honest and tell her that I didn’t feel a connection to her. Since you and I met under the most innocent and extraordinary circumstances, she demanded to know if I felt a connection to you.”

Alessandra paled.

“Don’t you want to know what I said?”

“It’s none of my business,” she whispered.

“That’s not an answer and you know it.”

She turned away.

“I told her that my attraction to you was immediate and has been growing out of control.” Her groan resounded in the air. “You feel it, too. I know you do. Out of loyalty to both her nieces, your aunt vetted me to make sure I wasn’t using you to gain access to the legacy.”

“That’s absurd. I would never have thought that about you.”

“But it’s a mercenary world. She knew how hurt you were years ago and wanted to protect you.”

“So you withdrew the proposal to prove to my family you had no ulterior motive? That’s why you walked away from me?” Her voice rang out.

Instead of answering her, he reached for her and drew her over to the swing, pulling her down on his lap. “Look at me, Alessandra.”

She shook her head. “I’m afraid to.”

“Because you know I want to kiss you. The other morning while we were on the sea floor uncovering the mouth on that head, I was reminded of you. When I kissed you on the boat, I was half out of my mind with desire. My motives are ulterior, but intensely personal.”

“No, Rini. We mustn’t. Not out here where Bianca can see us.”

“I must, bellissima.”

He curved his hand against the side of her face and turned it toward him. Obeying blind need, he covered her trembling mouth with his own. She tried to elude him, but he drove his kisses deeper and deeper until her little cry allowed him the access he craved. Maybe he was dreaming because she slowly began returning his kisses with a heart-stopping hunger that caused him to forget everything except the heavenly woman in his arms.

His hands roved over her back and shoulders while they gave and took pleasure from each other’s mouths. He felt her fingers slide up his neck into his hair. Every touch fed the fire enveloping him.

“Alessandra,” he moaned. “I can’t get enough of you. Do you have any idea how much I want you?”

“I want you, too,” she confessed, covering his face with kisses.

“During the dive I was dying to grasp your hips and pull you into a secret cave where we could make love for months on end.”

“Our wet suits would have presented a problem.”

“But not now.” He eased her down on the swing, where he had the freedom to look at her to his heart’s content while he kissed the living daylights out of her.

Rini had never known this kind of all-consuming desire before. The way she responded to him let him know something earthshaking had happened to her, too. She’d already had one love affair in her life, but it had been a long time ago. He was thankful it hadn’t worked out because he was convinced she’d been reserved for him.

But what if she couldn’t handle what he needed to tell her? He kissed her nose and eyelids. Before things went any further, she deserved to know the whole truth about him. Though terrified of her reaction, he couldn’t stop now.

“You’re the most divine creature this man has ever met. Since your aunt wanted to know my intentions toward you, it’s only fair I tell you something about me first.”

“You don’t have to do this, Rini. You don’t owe me anything. Please. I never dreamed my aunt would get personal with you like that.”

“I’m glad she did. It woke me up to something I’ve been unwilling to face for years.”

Her anxious eyes searched his. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve remained a bachelor for a reason.”

“If you’re allergic to marriage, you’re not the only man. Until my father met Mother, he decided he’d always be single.”

“That hasn’t been my problem. In truth I’ve never gotten to the point in my adult life when I needed to state my intentions. But with you, it has become necessary.”

She lifted a hand to caress his jaw. “Why?”

He kissed her succulent lips. “You’re not just any female I happen to have met. I’m not talking about the fact that you were born titled from both sides of your illustrious families. This is something that affects you as a woman. Don’t you know you’re head and shoulders above any woman I’ve ever known? Your pure honesty demands the same from me.”

“Papà said my aunt was impressed with your honesty.” She shivered. “What honesty is that? If your intention is to frighten me, you’re doing a good job.”

“Frighten might not be the best word.” He sat up and got off the swing. “What I tell you will change the way you view me, but this has to come from me. I’ll understand if you say it’s been nice knowing you before you go your own way.”

“For heaven sakes just tell me!”

Rini had angered her. This was going wrong. “From the time I could remember, I played soccer. By seventeen I was playing on a winning team with my friend Guido. On the day of the championship game, I got injured. At the hospital tests were done and I was told I was infertile. Over the years I’ve undergone tests, but the diagnosis is always the same...”

Her haunted eyes had fastened on him. She didn’t move or cry out, but he saw pain break out on her face.

“Like anyone, I grew up thinking that one day I’d get married and have children. It was something I took for granted. Even after my first diagnosis, I didn’t really believe it. I thought that surely in time the problem would go away and I’d be normal like everyone else. But every year I was tested, I was told that nothing had changed.”

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, sounding agonized.

“So am I, Alessandra, because the diagnosis has impacted my life.”

“So that’s why you left me without saying goodbye? You thought I wouldn’t be able to handle it?”

His lips thinned.

“Of course a woman wants babies with the man she marries. But there are other ways to have children.”

“It’s not the same. The other day when I was telling you about Valentina, you said you couldn’t wait until you could have your own baby. It’s a natural urge to want to procreate.”

“Yes, but—”

“But nothing. I can’t give any woman a baby, so I’ve been living my life with the reputation of being a dedicated bachelor. No one but my doctor, and now you, know I’m infertile.”

“It happens to people, Rini. How tragic that you’ve let it rob you of the joy of life! It kills me that your fear has prevented you from settling down with a woman because you can’t give her what you think she wants.

“I know you’d make a marvelous father, Rini. That’s why there’s adoption. Thousands of couples do it. For you to have lived your life since seventeen with such a dark cloud hanging over your head doesn’t bear thinking about.”

“You’re very sweet, Alessandra, but you’re not in my shoes.” Her incredible reaction was all he could have hoped for and let him know her support would never be in question. His doctor had told him the right woman would be able to handle it.

But there was still something else to keep them apart. All of it stemmed from his conversation with her aunt and her implied warning. Even now he held back, thinking it was better that she believe his infertility presented the biggest problem for them.

Alessandra stared at him. “What you’re saying is that you’re going to let this stand in the way of our having a relationship. If you really mean that, then you need counseling before you deny yourself the greatest joy in life.”

“Therapy won’t help me,” he responded bleakly. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Combined with the conversation I had with your aunt, a relationship with you won’t work.”

“We’re back to my aunt again?”

“She told me some things in confidence I can’t share. Don’t be upset with her. It’s because she loves you.”

“Rini—” she cried out, aghast. But she’d felt him withdraw emotionally from her. It had been a huge mistake to fly here after all.

Alessandra pulled out her cell and called for the limo to return to his house. Once off the phone she got up and walked over to the table to drink the rest of her lemonade. “Please tell the cook the food was delicious. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going outside to wait for my ride.”

Rini moved faster than she did and caught up to her outside the front door of the villa. “Alessandra—”

“It’s all right, Rini. Though your explanation wasn’t the one I expected, I got my answer, so thank you. Please forgive me for barging in here uninvited. I give you my promise it will never happen again.”

When the limo turned into the courtyard, she rushed to get in the backseat on her own. Rini was right there, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of meeting his eyes and closed the door herself. As the limo drove off, Rini’s heart plummeted to his feet.

“Where do you wish to go, signorina?”

“The airport, per favore.”

Alessandra didn’t look back as they turned away.

No more looking back.

Just now she’d wanted to comfort him over his infertility, but she sensed he wouldn’t have been willing to listen to her. For him to have revealed his agony to her had been huge for him. Now that he’d told her the truth, he’d backed away, certain that she—like any other woman—wouldn’t see him as a complete man.

Was that image of being incomplete the reason for his meteoric rise in the business world? Had he worked day and night to compensate for what he saw as an inadequacy? She’d detected the love in his voice when he’d talked about his sister and her babies. Pain pierced her heart to realize that every time Rini eyed his nephew, he was reminded that he could never give a woman a child from his own body.

She’d seen the way he’d kissed and loved Valentina’s baby. The man had been there for her throughout her pregnancy. Yet all that time, he’d been gutted by the knowledge that he’d never be able to look forward to having a baby from his own body. Her heart ached for him.

As for his conversation with her aunt, that was something else again. If he’d been sworn to secrecy, then she wouldn’t be getting an explanation out of him. Alessandra could go to her aunt and demand to know the truth, but it wasn’t her right.

On the flight back to Metaponto, she stared out the window of the plane. Rini Montanari had been an earthshaking interlude. But interlude was all he’d prepared for their association to be and became the operative word in her romance-less life.

* * *

Sunday evening the helicopter dipped lower over Ravello. Rini was late for his brother Carlo’s birthday party, which Valentina and Giovanni were hosting.

For the last three weeks Rini had traveled to four areas of Calabria in Southern Italy, exploring the possibility of developing more oil sites. But he’d been in agony since Alessandra had left his villa and couldn’t concentrate.

Nothing he’d visited turned out to be as promising as the land owned by the Caracciolo family. But he’d written that off. Unfortunately, blotting Alessandra from his heart was another matter entirely. With love in her eyes, she’d reacted to the news that he was infertile as if it was of no consequence to her. She’d assured him it didn’t matter. The way she’d kissed him, as if he was her whole life, he’d believed her.

But her aunt’s fear that a relationship with Alessandra might cause a permanent rift between the twins had prompted him to back away. Fulvia had told him how close the girls had been growing up, how much fun they’d had as children. But everything changed when Alessandra fell in love and then was betrayed by her sister and the man she’d thought she would marry.