“You were a teenager?”
“Nineteen,” Kane said with an unabashed smile. “Old enough to appreciate the lessons, but too young to notice her ring.”
“You’re right. You did deserve that punch.”
He folded his arms across his chest and challenged, “Are you trying to tell me all of your choices have been good ones?”
“No,” Gigi said with a chuckle and was surprised at how easily she and Kane had fallen into a comfortable conversation. “You’re right. We all make mistakes. Was that your worst?”
“So far,” Kane said cryptically and excused himself, claiming he needed to make a few phone calls. When he returned they continued to talk, but their topics remained much less personal.
When the pilot requested they prepare for landing, Gigi discovered she didn’t want her time with Kane to end. The first time she’d met him, she’d thought he was arrogant and harsh. At her mother’s house, she’d dismissed him as an overconfident ass. She’d desperately wanted to get away from him.
Now as the plane touched down, Gigi couldn’t deny how good she felt around Kane. Not just because she was attracted to him, but also because he made her laugh. Meeting her family for the first time wasn’t scary with him at her side. He made her feel safe . . . and confused as all hell.
Every time he looked at her, her chest would tighten; her inner muscles would quiver. His voice was as sexy as the rest of him. His brief overview of East Coast weather patterns had her wet and ready for him as if he were whispering indecent proposals into her ear. She craved him in a way that defied logic.
And he’s not even into me.
Or is he?
There were a few times during the flight she’d caught him watching her, and she let herself imagine it was lust she saw in his eyes. Her body would warm deliciously in response, and then he would say something completely impersonal, leaving her to wonder if he’d been looking at her or through her as he thought about something else.
When they’d stood nose to nose in her mother’s parlor, Gigi could have sworn the air had sizzled with mutual sexual attraction, but there’d been no evidence of it since. He’d as much as told her he’d be happy with never seeing her again.
Kane stood when the plane came to a halt and held out his hand to her. “Are you ready?”
She placed her hand in his and joined him, savoring the desire that shot through her, since it might be the last time she felt it. “Not really, but it’s too late to turn back now.”
He frowned as if conflicted about something, then took out a business card and held it out to her. “Take my card.”
Gigi gasped in surprise. Did this mean what she thought it did? Was he saying he would leave it to her to make the first move? She accepted the card with a shaky hand. If she were smart she’d toss it out as she had the one she’d received from the creepy redhead when she was twenty-two. Some numbers were best not called.
But, oh, Kane would be a mistake worth making.
His next words were an embarrassing slap of reality. “It’s my pilot’s number. You’re not trapped here. I’m sure you won’t need the option, but if you do, the plane’s there for you.”
Letting out a long, slow breath, Gigi hoped her face had not revealed any of the rollercoaster she’d just taken herself on. Her only saving grace was she tended not to share her thoughts aloud. She plastered a grateful smile on her face. “Thank you.”
The pilot opened the jet door and lowered the stairs. Kane put out his hand and said, “After you.”
Once clear of the jet door, Gigi saw Gio and Julia standing beside a black limo. Gio’s expression was hidden by sunglasses. Julia’s bright smile competed with the sunshine. Gigi hesitated, gripping the railing tightly with one hand. This is it. They’d either welcome her as she’d always dreamed they would, or reveal an alternate reason they wanted to meet her. Either way, no more hiding.
From behind her, Kane said softly, “You’re stronger than you think, Gigi.”
Gigi nodded. She put a brave smile on her face and slowly made her way toward her eldest brother.
Julia rushed forward, smiling and crying at the same time. She threw her arms around Kane. “You did it. I knew you would.”
Kane said something that Gigi missed as her attention swiveled to Gio. He was intimidatingly tall with stern features. Gigi had only two real memories of him, and they swirled through her: one from the day he threatened her mother and the other from his wedding. She held out her hand to shake his and raised her eyes to his. Please be the man I saw at your wedding.
He took off his sunglasses and looked her over, leaving her standing there with her hand awkwardly held out to him. Gigi lowered it, confused, and took a step back. I knew this was a mistake.
Julia was beside her in an instant. “Gigi, you don’t know how much it means to us that you’re here. You can tell me no, but may I hug you? I am bursting with the need to.”
Numb from Gio’s rejection, Gigi nodded absently. Julia threw her arms around her and practically strangled her in her enthusiasm. When Julia pulled back, she was beaming. It was impossible not to instantly love her for her welcome.
Julia bounded over to her husband. “Just hug her, Gio. I know you want to.”
Gio stepped toward his sister. Gigi held her ground, refusing to retreat again. He pulled her to him for what was the most awkward hug she’d ever received. He was as tense as she was. She drew back and took another look at his face. Was it possible he was nervous, too? She noted a shine to his eyes that he blinked back, and she felt tears fill her own.
Over her head, he said, “Kane, thank you.”
Kane cleared his throat. “You’re welcome.”
Gio released Gigi. “I’ve waited a long time for this day.”
“Me, too,” Gigi whispered. “Me, too.”
Julia chirped in, “I’m sure you both have a lot of catching up to do, but let’s do it at home.” She turned to Kane. “Are you coming for dinner?”
Gigi swung around to see Kane point to a sedan that had just pulled up behind the limo. “Not this time, Julia. I have a lot of work to catch up on, and my ride is here.”
“Tomorrow night?” Julia asked hopefully.
Kane shook his head. “My schedule is packed for the next couple of weeks. But I’ll give you a call.”
Gigi met Kane’s eyes and, for just a moment, she would have sworn she saw sadness there, but she decided she was simply superimposing her desires onto him.
It had been impossible to forget him after meeting him at the wedding.
This time, she wouldn’t even try. She mouthed, “Goodbye.”
He stood there with an expression she couldn’t decipher, then nodded, and strode to his car.
Inside the limo, with Julia happily describing the house she and Gio had purchased outside the city, Gigi turned to watch Kane’s car pull away.
* * *
Kane sat at the desk in his home office and instead of turning his computer on, he poured himself a Scotch and downed it in one gulp. He was pouring himself a second when his cell phone rang. He checked the caller ID. Rena. His sister must have heard he’d returned with Gigi and wanted the scoop.
Shit.
He answered curtly. “I’m working tonight, Rena. What do you want?”
Not one to be easily offended, his tone didn’t ruffle Rena at all. “There’s my sweet brother. Take a minute out of your plan for world domination and let me do something that will surely shock you. I’m calling to tell you how amazing you are. I can’t believe you were able to do what everyone else failed at. You have to tell me how you got Gigi to agree to come back with you.”
Kane downed his second Scotch in one swig. “I’d love to give you the slow-motion replay, but it really wasn’t that exciting. She wants to know her brothers as much as they want to know her. All I did was give her a nudge.”
Rena was quiet for a moment. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Somethi
ng happened. I can hear it in your voice.”
“What you hear is a man who put off several meetings to fly off to Venice only to fly back the next day. I’m happy it all worked out, but I’m tired, and I have things I need to get done before I can go to bed, so I’m irritable. Can we have this conversation tomorrow?”
“If that’s what you want,” Rena said slowly.
“It’s exactly what I want.”
“Hey, one last thing. Julia invited all of us over for dinner tomorrow. Do you want to drive over with us?”
Kane closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. “I’m not going. This week is a busy one for me.”
“What do you mean you’re not going? How many times do we celebrate something like this? Come on, Kane, whatever you’re working on can be put off for one night. You have to come—”
“I said no.” Kane’s tone was harsher than he meant it to be.
“Okay, that’s it. Now I know something’s wrong. You can either tell me or I’m driving over there. Your choice.”
It might have been the alcohol or the fatigue that loosened Kane’s tongue, but he said, “Gigi is Luisella. Or Luisella is Gigi.” He poured himself another drink. “However the fuck you want to say it.”
“Who?” Rena asked, then her voice rose as she remembered the name. “Oh, Luisella. The woman from the wedding.”
“Yeah. Exactly.”
“Are you sure?”
Kane made a pained noise as his answer.
“Oh, that sucks, Kane. Or that’s great. I mean, you found her, but—”
“But I could never do that to Gio.”
“It could work out. Look at Nick and me.”
Kane took another swig of Scotch. “Nick. I nearly killed him when I found out. There are certain things you don’t do to another man. You don’t sleep with his wife, and you don’t fuck his little sister.”
“Are you drinking?” Rena asked.
“Yes, and I’m just getting started.”
“Do you want me to come over?”
“No.”
“I’m calling Dad.” With that Rena hung up.
And Kane let out a very long, string of expletives.
Chapter Eight
‡
Gigi had unpacked her things into a room the size of her apartment in Edinburgh. When Julia had described their new home, she’d left out that it was practically a castle with enough winding hallways to easily get lost. The homes on Slater Island had been impressive, but this was American opulence.
When Gigi had first stepped out of the car and looked at the sheer size of the building, her jaw had dropped. Julia had noticed and said quickly, “It seems like too much house at first, but you’d be surprised how quickly it fills up.”
Gigi had looked around doubtfully. “I can’t imagine.”
“You won’t have to,” Julia had assured her. “You’ll see tomorrow night. I hope you don’t mind, but I invited some of the family over to meet you.”
What could Gigi say to that? She’d thanked Julia and asked to see her room to freshen up. In the mirror of her bedroom, Gigi had given herself a stern talking to. Of course Julia had invited the family to come to meet her. There was nothing wrong with that. She hadn’t come all this way to keep hiding. She eventually had to meet the family, why not over a dinner tomorrow?
Kane’s words echoed in her head. “You’re stronger than you think.” He’s right. I’m not running away this time. I need to do this.
She left her room and headed downstairs to find Julia.
“Gigi, I’d like to speak to you for a moment.” Gio stood at the door of what looked like his study.
“Of course,” Gigi said.
Gio led her to a pair of settees and motioned for her to sit. She did, but he continued to stand. “How is your room?”
“Lovely,” Gigi answered in awkward politeness. She couldn’t help adding, “Huge.”
A small smile pulled at Gio’s lips. “I’m glad. I want you to be comfortable here.”
Is this where I’m supposed to lie and say I am? “Thank you.”
“There are things you need to know, things you would have heard before now if you had been willing to speak with any of us.”
Gigi stood, rising as her temper did. “Don’t speak to me like I’m a child.”
“Sit down,” Gio commanded as if he were indeed addressing one.
Gigi remained standing and squared her shoulders. “No. I’m fine the way I am. Say whatever it is you want me to hear.”
Running a hand through his hair, Gio looked irritated by her defiance. “You don’t have to turn this into a confrontation.”
“Yes, I do. We both know you have an ugly side. I’m just warning you I am not the kind of person who responds well to intimidation or your patronizing tone.”
“An ugly side? What the hell are you talking about?”
Old anger surfaced with memories. For a moment, Gigi was eavesdropping from behind the shutters of the palazzo. What she’d held back for so long spilled out. “I heard you with my mother after our father died. I know what you said to her because I was there. So you can pretend to care about me, but I know you’re not sincere. Why do you really want to meet me, Gio?”
“You were there?” Gio asked, going pale. “I didn’t know. I didn’t even know you existed.”
With a chest tight with anger, Gigi let out what she’d held in for so long. “But if you had, things would have been different? I don’t believe that. My father used to tell me stories about you and your brothers—”
“Your brothers, too,” Gio said tightly.
Gigi continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “He said you would accept me, but that wasn’t what I witnessed. My father warned my mother not to let me contact any of you while Patrice was alive. Mamma thought it was to protect me, but I think he didn’t want to embarrass his real family with me. Is that what this visit is about? Do you want to threaten me, too, if I go public?”
“I don’t care who knows about you.” Gio threw a hand up in the air. “If we’re so embarrassed by you, why are we hosting a dinner for you tomorrow night?”
“I don’t know.” Gigi threw up both of her hands in a similar frustrated gesture.
“Do you mind if I join you?” Julia asked softly from the doorway.
Gio waved his wife in. She went to his side and whispered something into his ear. He nodded and took a seat.
Julia then turned to Gigi and gave her a sympathetic smile. “Why don’t we all sit down?”
In the face of Julia’s sweet voice and calm nature, Gigi felt her anger draining out of her. She took the seat across from Gio. Julia sat beside her husband on the settee. She looked back and forth between them and said lightly, “Let’s start over. Whenever I have a problem with someone I try to begin where we agree. Gio, you want to get to know your sister, don’t you?”
“Why else would I have been trying to contact her for the last five years?” Gio asked gruffly. Julia gave him a look, and he shifted uncomfortably as if he were a child being reprimanded. Gigi would have found it amusing if her stomach wasn’t tied up in so many nervous knots that she was afraid she’d lose her lunch on the expensive rug beneath her feet. Gio looked into his wife’s eyes for a moment, then to Gigi’s utter shock, his expression completely softened. “Yes, more than anything, I want Gigi here and in our lives.”
Gigi’s eyes were still round with surprise when Julia turned to her. “And Gigi, no matter what happened in the past, you’re here because you want to get to know your brothers. Am I right?”
Gigi nodded and shrugged with one shoulder.
Julia took her husband’s hand in hers. “Then that’s where you both start. That’s what’s important. Everything else will sort itself out if you remember why you’re here.” She met Gigi’s eyes. “I’ll let you in on a little secret about your brothers, Gigi. Something they can’t tell you themselves. When you deal with them, it’s best to pretend they were raised by
wolves. Ignore the snarling and snapping. They don’t mean it.”
Gio arched an eyebrow at Julia and challenged, “Wolves?”
Julia looked back at him unapologetically. “Do you want my help or not?”
Gio inclined his head without another word, and Gigi marveled at the hint of humor in his eyes. “Go on.”
Julia turned back to Gigi. “I heard some of what you said as I came in. Gio was wrong that day, but he was wrong for the right reason.” She gave her husband’s hand a supportive squeeze and quickly glanced up to check his expression. It was carefully blank. “I’m not saying anything we haven’t spoken about, Gio. I know it would be nice to rewrite history or simply forget it, but there is still one person who deserves to hear it. She’ll never be one of you until she does.”
Gio took Julia’s hand beneath his and placed it on his thigh as if he garnered some courage by doing so. “Father was right to hide you from my mother. For as long as I can remember, and until the day she died, she was consumed by an anger that knew no boundaries. She had no conscience. She would have turned you against us or destroyed you. I don’t know what I would have done had I known about you the day I went to retrieve father’s body. I’d like to think it would have changed everything, but who knows? My mother had a way of making the world look darker than it was.” He shook his head. “No, it wasn’t all her. I allowed myself to be manipulated. I followed where she led, but it was my choice to do so.”
Julia leaned against Gio’s side and said softly, “That’s a harsher view than I take on what you did. You thought you were protecting your mother.”
“I threatened to take the home away from Leora if she ever spoke of being with my father.” He rubbed his hands over his face, and when he looked back at Gigi his eyes were full of a sadness Gigi understood too well. “I’ll understand if you can’t forgive me, Gigi, but don’t let me be the reason you stay away from the rest of your family. You’ll love Luke as a big brother. Although he may mother-hen you if you let him. He’s flying back from Ohio tomorrow to meet you. I’ve never seen Nick as excited about anything as he was when he heard you were coming for a visit. And Max is flying in from visiting his in-laws in Florida to meet you. You don’t have to stay with us if you don’t want to, but don’t leave. Not because of me.”