She has a point, Grandpa Andrade. If you’re here, do something useful and help Gio find whatever it is he’s looking for.
Julia’s cell phone rang in her purse and she screamed. She scrambled to take it out, dropped it, picked it back up, then screamed again when it rang in her hands.
I am such an idiot.
Caller ID showed a blocked number.
She hesitated, then laughed again as it continued to ring. What do I think, this is a call from the other side? More likely it’s a telemarketer trying to sell me a place in Italy because some cookie I downloaded is announcing my location.
Julia gave herself a mental shake and answered her phone. “Hello?”
“I’m disappointed in you, Julia.”
Another chill went down Julia’s back. Worse than a specter . . . “Mrs. Andrade, what a . . . surprise . . . to hear from you.”
Her hand went protectively to her throat. Although she had done nothing wrong, Julia spun to make sure she was still alone and almost screamed again when she saw Gio standing just behind her. She covered her mouth with one hand.
Mountain climbers shouldn’t be afraid of heights.
And women who run halfway around the world with men they recently met shouldn’t be so jumpy. Be calm. Sophisticated. I’ve got this.
He nodded toward the phone and mouthed, “Who is that?”
Julia froze. Say something. Don’t just stare at him. Her mind raced for a lie or an explanation, but none came. She held the phone out awkwardly, completely at a loss for what to say.
Gio took it and pressed the speakerphone button.
No.
“Are you alone?” his mother asked.
Gio’s eyes narrowed as he recognized his mother’s voice. He looked to Julia for an explanation, but all she could do was shrug. This isn’t good. His mother already doesn’t like me. I’m pretty sure this won’t help. She made a grab for her phone, but Gio held it just out of her reach. She pleaded with her eyes for him to give her the phone, but he nodded for her to answer his mother.
“Are you daft, girl? It’s an easy yes or no question.”
Gio held her eyes, willing her to do the unthinkable. This isn’t right. But what she said to me back in New York wasn’t right, either. Maybe he has the right to know what his mother is up to. “Yes, I’m alone.”
In a cutting tone she said, “I tried to be nice to you, Julia. You should have taken my offer. A smart girl would have. Now you’ll come back to nothing. After I tell Gio about you, he won’t give you the time of day.”
A deep frown settled over Gio’s expression. His eyes were cold and unreadable. Barely above a whisper, Julia said, “There’s nothing to tell.”
“The truth is what I say it is. He won’t believe you over me.”
A deep fury contorted Gio’s features. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that, Mother.”
“Gio.” Her voice jumped an octave as she said his name. Then it quickly became conciliatory. “I’m trying to protect you, that’s all. It’s obvious this girl is only after our money.”
“What’s obvious is that I can no longer believe anything you tell me,” Gio said coldly and hung up.
Julia hugged her stomach. Although a small part of her felt his mother had earned whatever grief her actions had brought her, the scene she’d just witnessed broke her heart. Her love for her own mother, and her sadness as the woman who had raised her so well slipped away, made her want to shake both of them. Call her back. Tell her you love her. Give her a chance to apologize.
Gio stared down at the phone. His hand tightened on it until the case cracked from the pressure. He threw the broken phone over the banister in disgust.
“Oh,” Julia exclaimed involuntarily as she grabbed for it.
He looked back at her.
Julia watched the phone bounce once, then shatter on the floor below. I did tell him that throwing things was a good way to express anger. I just didn’t know he’d start with my stuff. “It’s fine. I mean, who would I need to call anyway, right?”
“I’ll get you another phone.”
Julia looked over her shoulder at him. “It’s not a big deal.”
“I said I’d replace it.”
“Do what you want to do. That’s what you do anyway.”
“Are we actually arguing about your damn phone?”
Julia clung to the railing with both hands. Watching him fight with his mother had made her angry. And feel as helpless as she felt each time she spoke with her own mother. But Gio’s mother wasn’t sick. They didn’t have to do this to each other. They still had time, if they chose to work things out. “Yes, because it didn’t have to happen like this. You should have given the phone back to me when I asked for it.”
“And when she came to me with lies about you? What then?”
“Maybe she wouldn’t have.” When Gio looked at her doubtfully, Julia threw her hands up in the air. “I don’t have all the answers, but I do know that life is short and cruel. If you love her at all, figure out why she’s angry. Appreciate that you have something not everyone does—time to fix things. Do you know what I’d give to have my mother fully back with me for even one day? I’d give anything to sit down with her and know she knew me. And not because my father told her who I was, but because she actually remembered me and our lives together.” Julia stopped and wiped a tear from her cheek. She hadn’t intended to say any of that. “I’m sorry.”
He pulled her to him and simply hugged her. “Don’t be.” He rested his chin on her forehead. After a moment he asked, “What did she mean when she said you should have accepted her offer?”
“Does it matter?” she hedged.
“Yes.”
“Why? The details won’t change what you know.”
“Julia.” He said her name in a tone that meant he wasn’t giving up until she told him everything.
Julia closed her eyes and said, “She offered me two hundred thousand dollars if I went back to Rhode Island instead of coming to the wedding with you.”
He held her back from him and searched her face. “The exact amount you need to save your father’s business.”
“Yes,” Julia said hoarsely. There was a look in his eyes she’d seen before. It filled her with a warmth she fought against.
Don’t start imagining he’s falling in love.
Don’t do that to yourself.
“But you didn’t take it,” he said softly.
Her breath caught in her throat. “I promised I’d come here with you.”
With a groan, he lowered his mouth to hers. He kissed the curve of her neck. He raised his head, his eyes full of desire. For a moment she thought he was going to say something, then his mouth descended on hers, claiming it with an intensity that had her sagging against him with pleasure. His tongue was hot and demanding, encircling hers possessively. His hands sought the zipper of her gown. Their kiss paused just long enough for him to undo it. He held the dress as she stepped out of it, then dropped it over the banister.
He impatiently slid her underwear off and sent them floating down to the foyer below. His mouth was caressing her everywhere: her neck, her shoulders, tickling behind her ear. He lifted her, naked, and balanced her on the banister.
She clutched at his shoulders, out of passion and also a twinge of fear. Until now, she would have said that the most daring place she’d ever had sex was on a secluded beach. Danger heightened the intensity of the experience. She unbuttoned the front of his shirt, desperate to feel more of him.
There was something about being held by him, trusting him to protect her, meeting him in this very physical sense, that brought their lovemaking to an entirely new level. She gave herself to him in that moment. Completely. And she knew she would never want or trust another man as much as she did Gio.
With one arm supporting her back, he slid a hand up her thigh. She shuddered in anticipation. He gently caressed the inside of each of her thighs. Teasing her. She wanted to feel his fingers on her, in her
. Helpless before him, dripping wet with need, she whimpered.
He raised his head and looked down into her eyes. “Do you know what you do to me?”
She closed her eyes and shook her head, unable to speak.
“It has never been like this with anyone else.”
His hand slid over the outside of her wet folds. One finger slid between them and began to rub her clit with a rhythm that had her writhing against him, no longer caring about the floor far below. All that mattered was his touch and how it made her feel.
“Say you’re mine, Julia. Tell me nothing else matters. It’s just you and me and this.”
He thrust a finger deep inside her and she cried out with pleasure. In that moment, she almost said she loved him, but she knew that wasn’t what he wanted to hear. He was taking possession of her body on the most primal level, and he wanted to know she gave it to him willingly.
“I’m yours, Gio.”
He lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist. With his hands on her waist, he turned and took a few long strides until she felt a solid wall against her back. He unbuckled his belt and opened the front of his trousers, then braced her against the wall as he deftly opened a foil wrapper and sheathed himself. His tip teased at the opening of her wet center.
He kissed her deeply while he thrust inside her. She gasped into his mouth. This was no controlled lovemaking. His hands bit into her waist as he held her and pounded again and again. There was pleasure and pain—mixing and building within her with this wild mating. She spread her legs wider for him.
As she spiraled toward an orgasm.
Heat spread through her. She was beyond the ability to speak.
He shuddered against her as he came inside her. They held each other, breathing raggedly. Still inside her, he groaned. “I can’t get enough of you.”
“Is that a bad thing?” Julia asked. Because I feel the same.
He slid her slowly to the ground and stepped back. “It is when I know how wrong I am for you.”
They both froze at the sound of the front door opening below. A female voice asked, “Do you think they’re inside?” Maddy.
Julia looked into Gio’s eyes and held back a nervous giggle. He adjusted his pants, picked his shirt off the floor, and offered it to her. She slipped it on, grateful that it hung down almost to her knees.
A male voice answered her. “I doubt it. Gio swore he’d never return here.” Luke.
“People can change. You didn’t think he’d ever accept the invitation.”
“I was wrong. Looks like I’m wrong again. He’s here.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because those are Julia’s clothes.”
Julia covered her mouth to stop the audible gasp that escaped her. She took a step back against the wall.
“Oh,” Maddy said. Then said again, with more emphasis, “Oh.”
Julia covered her face with her hands in mortification. Gio pulled her back into his arms and kissed her forehead.
In a louder voice, Maddy said, “If you two can hear me, I’m really glad you came. We’re going back now, but I was worried when you didn’t come in with the others. I wanted to make sure you were okay.” She laughed. “It looks like you are. So, come on over to the rehearsal dinner when you’re ready.”
Luke said, “Julia, have I mentioned how good you are for my brother? Don’t let him scare you off.”
Julia held her breath until she heard the door close behind them, Then joked, “Well, I’ve hit a new level of embarrassment.”
Gio looked angry again, and Julia was sorry she’d spoken aloud. She laid one of her hands softly on one of his cheeks. “I don’t care what they think of me, Gio.”
Face tight, eyes burning with an emotion she couldn’t decipher, he growled, “I do. You deserve better than this. Better than me.”
She smiled up at him, wishing she knew what to say to remove some of the sadness in his tone. “I don’t know about that, but I do deserve some of the hors d’oeuvres I saw them serving. I’m starving.”
“After everything, you still want to go?”
She searched his eyes for a moment. “I don’t care about the party. Or the wedding. I care about you. We can leave now if you want, or we can go in there and meet every last damn relative you have. What do you want to do?”
He hugged her to him. “What the hell is someone as nice as you doing with a man like me?”
“You’re not nearly as awful as you think you are, Gio.”
He shook his head and took her hand, leading her down the stairs toward her clothing. “You don’t know me.”
She stopped halfway down the stairs. He turned two stairs below her, which brought them eye to eye. “But I want to.”
He nodded and started leading her across the foyer toward the door.
Julia , still clad only in his shirt, pulled him to a stop. “I should probably get my dress first.”
He looked down at her and a lusty smile spread across his face. “And I’ll need my shirt back.”
She laughed up at him. “We’re already late.”
He kissed the line of her jaw and whispered in her ear, “Then it won’t matter, will it?”
Chapter Eighteen
The sun was dipping over the horizon the second time Gio and Julia approached the large glass mansion. This time Gio didn’t hesitate. Holding Julia’s hand, he walked straight across the lawn, up the stairs, and through the large glass doors. An older man crossed to meet them as soon as they entered.
“Gio, it’s good to see you again.”
Gio didn’t return the compliment. He merely nodded and said, “Julia, this is my uncle, Alessandro.”
His uncle smiled warmly and winked at her. “The Andrades have always had good taste in women.” He looked over his shoulder and waved for his wife to join them. “My own wife is as beautiful today as she was the day I met her. Elise, come meet Gio’s date. Imagine the babies these two would make.”
Elise rushed forward and swatted at her husband. “Don’t mind him. Ever since Maddy gave us a grandchild he has baby on the brain.” She gave Julia a kiss of welcome on both cheeks.
Looking playfully affronted, Alessandro covered his wounded heart with one hand. “Theirs would not be any baby. With my brother gone, Gio is like a son to me. His children would be my grandchildren as much as mine are.”
Julia felt Gio tense beside her and she quickly intervened. “I noticed there is quite a large group here already. Are they all staying in the main house?”
Alessandro looked puzzled by her question, then answered, “Oh, yes, there are plenty of rooms. Or were you asking about the mansion? We didn’t open it for this event. It’s empty anyway. I don’t know if the generator would work after all this time. I’d have to ask Dominic if anyone has maintained it since he’s owned it. Honestly, I don’t have the heart to go see it. Perhaps after Stephan renovates it I will feel differently. It will be nice to have it back in the family.”
Gio’s hand tightened painfully on Julia’s arm. Julia glanced up and cringed at the burning fury she saw in his eyes. Alessandro saw it, too, and a line of concern formed on his forehead.
Elise’s light tone revealed that she had missed the building tension. “I looked for both of you when your brothers arrived, but they said you went for a walk. I can understand wanting to after such a long flight. We’re so happy to have you here. Come, let me introduce you to some of your cousins who were not able to make it to New York this summer.”
Julia whispered as they walked. “You’re hurting my arm, Gio.”
He looked down and instantly released her. “Sorry. I wasn’t aware . . .”
She took his hand in hers and gave it a supportive squeeze. “I know.” His features were set in harsh lines.
As she and Gio followed Alessandro, Julia felt like she’d stepped into a movie. The men were handsomely attired in tuxedos that screamed of money and power. The women were dressed in floor-length gowns and dripping
with diamonds. Julia fingered the prototype necklace she’d worn. The metal was copper instead of gold. The stones were faux.
Did I really think I could network here? Which one of these women would spare a second look at my costume jewelry when they’re wearing enough diamonds to buy and sell a small country?
Julia recognized Nicole from across the room. She was exquisitely dressed in a flowing powder-blue Prada gown and looked perfectly at home amidst the somewhat gaudy display of wealth. After Rena’s informative crash course in the wedding guests, Julia understood why. Nicole had been raised in this world, and her brother was one of the top ten wealthiest men in the world.
Nicole caught Julia watching her and said something to the tall blond man beside her. The man, who had to be Stephan Andrade, looked up and nodded to his fiancée, and they both started walking across the large foyer toward them.
Alessandro hugged Nicole to his side and turned to introduce her to Julia. “Nicole, have you met Gio’s girlfriend?”
If possible, Nicole’s smile grew wider at the label. She leaned in and kissed Julia’s cheeks in greeting. “Yes, I have. Welcome, Julia. I’m so pleased you could make it.”
Stephan shook Gio’s hand. “Thank you for coming.”
“You can thank Madison. She was . . . persuasive,” Gio said with some irony.
Stephan laughed. “That’s being kind. Maddy is too used to getting her way. She means well, though. And it’s impossible for any of us to stay upset with her, so I suppose it’s our fault she has boundary issues.” More seriously, he added, “Whatever brought you, it means a lot to me that you came. Nothing is more important than family.”
Alessandro smacked Gio on the shoulder. “It’s good to have all of us together again.”
Gio made a sound deep in his chest, and Julia tugged on his hand. He looked down at her, and she did her best to send him a telepathic message. Behave. They love you. Julia turned her attention to Nicole and said, “You must be out-of-your-mind excited. What a beautiful location for a wedding. I saw tents going up on the far lawn. Is that where the ceremony will be?”