Italian Affair Page 8

  Brianna was quiet as they looked around. She stopped in the living room and ran her hand along the back of the deep sofa and stood looking out over the water. Every room had a view of the sea. Comfortable chairs sat by the large windows, and brightly covered shawls and throw rugs graced every piece of furniture. The afternoon sunlight streamed in onto the tiled floor. She slowly pulled open a cupboard door in one of the bedrooms and sighed softly.

  “Oh my God. Look, Tom, all my mother’s things are still here. It’s like an Aladdin’s cave.” She opened doors and cupboards until it seemed to overwhelm her. Her eyes filled with tears.

  “I’m going to wait till I move in to look at the rest. Come on, let’s head back to Lipari,” she said. “It’s a bit much to take in all at once, and there have been enough tears for one day.” She caught Tom’s hand as he passed her the key to lock the door.

  “Tom…”

  He gazed down into her face, her eyes bright but now clear of tears.

  “Yes? What’s wrong?”

  “I’ve been thinking. Look, I’m still getting my head around all this. After we get married—” She stopped and giggled. “Shite, can you believe I said that? I really feel like I am dreaming.”

  “Yes?”

  “You know you’ll have to move in here with me. You said your aunt’s apartment was too small. We’ll have to keep up the appearance of being married so you can’t go finding an apartment. But now I’ve seen it and felt it…there’s no way I’m letting this opportunity go.” She met and held his gaze. “Not because it’s a lovely little villa perched on top of an island in the Mediterranean, but because it was my mother’s.” She grabbed both his hands and looked at him, her eyes wide. “What do you think, Tom? There are two bedrooms. There’s the bus down to Lipari every day, although if it wasn’t for the hills, the villages are close enough to walk between.”

  Tom’s gut clenched. Her brown eyes were bright with happiness. It made sense, and he did need somewhere to live, and if they were going to go through with this marriage, they would have to make it appear real or it would be for nothing. But he wasn’t sure. Things were going way too fast for his liking; even though he’d told the lawyer they’d get married, he hadn’t really expected it would happen.

  “What do you think? Could you agree to live with me for a few months? Could you stand it?” She spoke fast and her words ran together. “I’ll be busy writing my book, and I promise to leave you in peace and give you some space.”

  Looking down at her, a surge of affection rushed through him and he smiled.

  “I think I could stand it, and I am very grateful for the offer.” He reached across and wiped a single tear from her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “After all, you don’t really know me.

  “How about a simple agreement, sealed with a kiss.” He bent his head and briefly pressed his mouth on her trembling lips. He pulled back as a surge of desire headed straight to his groin.

  He turned away before she could glance down and see the effect of that single kiss.

  “You lock up,” he said gruffly. “I’ll wait out here. We’ll go down to Lipari and you can meet my aunt.”

  She looked at him with a knowing glance, and he cursed inwardly as she turned to the door. It was obvious she knew why he’d turned away, even though he’d tried to change the subject.

  It was a shame the island was so small. There was no way they could get a legal agreement drawn up and keep it quiet. They would have to draw up a gentlemen’s agreement. It could jeopardize her inheritance if they got it done on the island. He’d surprised himself when he had told Mr. Antoniolli they had waited before they came to Italy to get married. There was nothing in it for him, but it would solve the problem of his matchmaking aunt. And that was almost payment enough for what he was about to do, for a perfect stranger.

  Chapter Eight

  Brianna’s nerves got the better of her as they waited outside Aunt Carmen’s apartment. She paced up and down the narrow footpath as Tom rang the doorbell a second time.

  “Maybe she’s not home?” she said hopefully.

  “She’s expecting us.” Tom reached out and took her hand. “Come on, she might be down in the office.” A surge of warmth shot up Brianna’s arm at his touch as he pulled her along. She wasn’t used to having a reaction like this when a man touched her casually.

  He wasn’t her usual type, and she pushed her emotions aside and tried to think logically. She was obviously a bit fragile with all the family stuff happening.

  That’s all it was.

  They walked down a narrow path at the side of the building and walked along a short wharf back to the office. An elderly woman in a bright-pink dress had her arms around a woman sitting at the desk. As they entered the room, the younger woman stood and pointed at Tom.

  “I am not going to work in theeze job.”

  She picked up her elegant leather bag and slung it over her shoulder, and walked across to Brianna. Dressed in what appeared to be a designer suit and four-inch heels, she towered over Brianna, who was still dressed in her shorts, spaghetti-strap shirt, and sturdy walking boots.

  “Pah, she looks like ze boy anyway. You will be sorry you didn’t marry me. You could have had a real woman.”

  Brianna’s heart plummeted and she looked from Tom to the elderly woman in confusion. Tom already had a girlfriend here? He hadn’t even mentioned her. At least the house was signed over, but they still had to go through with the marriage before it was final. And from his conversation earlier, she knew Tom was having second thoughts—and now she knew why.

  “Tom?”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll explain later. Helena just quit her job.” His face was flushed and she could see the pulse beating in his cheek. She pulled her hand out of his and turned away.

  “Brianna, this is my Aunt Carmen.”

  The old woman enfolded her in a close hug and Brianna blinked to clear the tears pricking behind her eyelids

  “I am very happy to meet you, Aunt Carmen. May I call you that?” She rushed on, not sure what she was trying to prove, but it was a way to get Tom’s intentions out in the open.

  “Are you able to delay your trip? I would love you to stay for our wedding.”

  …

  Tom sat in the work yard of the marina looking out across the small harbor, watching Matteo, the young laborer, sand down the hull of a hire boat. Apart from the recently departed secretary, there were no other employees.

  “Shit,” he muttered. “Double shit.”

  Aunt Carmen had spent the better part of the afternoon showing him through the office and the overflowing boxes that comprised her financial records. When he asked if she had a computer, she had simply shaken her head and pointed to the boxes and handwritten ledgers on the table. The record-keeping of the business was in such a mess that it would take him weeks to sort it out. If he’d known how bad it was, he would never have bought the business. In fact, he probably would never have come to Italy. For a moment he wished he was back in his organized office at the university with his own apartment to go home to.

  He’d had no idea that the business records were in such an archaic state. The information her accountant had sent over to him had seemed to indicate there was some sort of computer system in place. But no, it was all handwritten. He would buy a computer and hire a new secretary who would enter data until at least this year’s records were in some sort of system.

  “Shit,” he said again.

  That was, if there were any records. There didn’t appear to be any activity. It seemed the hire boat business had died along with Uncle Renzo last year. All he had was a couple of old boats and one workman. No tourist trade, no hire boats, no day trips.

  His aunt had been delighted to meet Brianna and had agreed to delay her departure until after the wedding. He certainly didn’t want to upset her with questions about the marina; he’d just have to get on with it the best he could.

  God, he had so much on his mind.

 
The look on Brianna’s face when Helena had been so rude to her was something he couldn’t shake from his mind. He’d have to explain to her later he didn’t even know the woman. She’d made it sound as though they’d practically been engaged.

  How did every part of his life get so complicated in a few short days?

  He looked down at the cell phone in his hand. There were a couple of calls he had to make. Or maybe he’d just call Nick? He stared at his phone, wondering what the hell he was going to tell his family. They’d think he’d gone mad.

  “Okay…deep breath. Which one?”

  He shook his head. He was going bonkers sitting here talking to himself. Choosing the easy option, he punched in the speed dial for Nick.

  After a long silence, the international connection clicked through and he waited for Nick to pick up, hoping at the same time he wouldn’t. He thought he was crazy, and he knew his brother would give it to him. Perspiration trickled into his eyes, and he used the back of his hand to wipe his brow. He remembered how Brianna had soaked his shirt with her tears when she’d seen her mother’s villa.

  I’m doing the right thing.

  “Tomas.” Nick’s voice replaced the buzzing ringtone. “You there, bro?”

  “Hello, Nick.”

  “How’s la dolce vita? With all those gorgeous Italian girls Aunt Carmen has surely introduced you to already.”

  Tom looked out over the marina at the colored sails fluttering in the breeze and the two small skiffs racing each other across the harbor. The hulls of the small craft slapped on top of the waves, and the call of the spectators on the shore encouraged them to go faster.

  “Great, all good. I got here in one piece and Aunt Carmen is as delightful as ever, although I have my work cut out with the business. Her accountant was less than honest in his outline of the financial system.”

  “It’ll do you good to get some Italian sun and relax away from your computer for a change.”

  “Ah, Nick…”

  “What’s up?”

  “Ah…”

  “What’s the matter? Is everything okay?”

  Tom paused and a frisson of excitement tingled down his spine and he cleared his throat. “I rang to see if you and Lissy were settled in to your new jobs in Auckland…er…and to tell you I’m getting married tomorrow.”

  For a full minute, there was silence, and Tom looked at the screen thinking the connection had dropped and was about to press end and redial when Nick’s voice roared through the phone.

  “Are you taking the piss out of me? What do you mean you’re getting married? And I thought I heard you say tomorrow!” Tom could hear Lissy in the background.

  “Long story, Nick. It’s all good. I’ll send you an e-mail when I get my Internet connection all sorted. The service is unreliable over here. Do me a favor, tell Mama I have some news, and tell everyone I’ll call in a couple of days. I’ll try and get Aunt Carmen to hold off ringing Mama, but I know what they’re like. I didn’t want her ringing before I got a chance to call. I’ll talk to you in a few days. Okay?”

  He spoke over Nick as his brother continued to protest. “Ciao. Give my love to Lissy.”

  His phone rang almost as soon as he disconnected the call.

  “What the f—. All right, Lis… Okay, I’ll calm down.” Nick’s voice roared through the phone. “Tom, I swear if you don’t tell me what’s going on, I’ll jump a plane and come there. What do you mean you’re getting married? Are you kidding me?”

  “Calm down. It’s all aboveboard. I’m helping out a friend out with a legal issue. She has to be married for an inheritance and I’m helping out, but keep that quiet. That’s between you and me. According to the lawyer, there’s already a bit of bad blood between the families and I don’t want it to get around.”

  Nick’s curse came down the phone, and Tom held it away, but the deep tones of his brother’s voice came through even with the phone held away from his ear.

  “What friend? You don’t have any friends.”

  “Thanks, mate. I’ll remember that one.”

  “Oh, Christ, Tom, you know what I mean. You don’t have any friends in Italy.”

  “It’s all right. We sealed an agreement this morning and it’s only for a few months.”

  He closed his eyes as Nick continued questioning him and remembered the feel of Brianna’s open lips beneath his as they had sealed the agreement. Her lips had been soft against his and had clung for a few seconds longer than he’d intended.

  “Five minutes you’ve been away from home. Tom…you are such a soft touch…haven’t you learned anything yet? You think you are going to get bloody married just to help out some stranger on the make? Mate, she saw you coming.”

  Hot anger burned up from his stomach. He was sick of being the responsible brother.

  “Don’t treat me like a fool.” His voice was cold and it seemed to get through to his brother straightaway.

  “Oh for God’s sake. Be careful. Don’t go getting yourself into anything messy.”

  Tom smiled to himself. “Don’t worry, mate. It’s not messy,” he said as his temper cooled. “I’ll call you in a couple of days, but first can you please tell Mama what’s happening in case Aunt Carmen decides to ring her. She’s going to witness the ceremony.”

  He ended the call and leaned back against the wall before glancing at the time on his phone. It was almost time to meet Brianna at the small café. He grinned to himself and shook his head. She was hopeless. Her cell phone charger had disappeared and she couldn’t charge her phone, so she was going to e-mail the news of her inheritance to her family in Scotland from the public computer in the small café in the square. Only about the inheritance—she’d decided not to tell them about the marriage until it was all over. “The less family involved the better,” she’d said.

  It was shame he’d had to tell his family, but he knew Aunt Carmen wouldn’t be able to keep a secret, and he couldn’t tell her the truth in case it got back to the lawyer or Brianna’s grandfather.

  …

  Brianna stood outside the café and watched Tom walk across the cobblestoned square toward her. Much to her surprise, he was late. She’d finished e-mailing the family and knew there would be a flurry of e-mails in return when they found out she was in Italy, but she’d told them no details. It was now late in the afternoon and the village center was deserted, the only sound the gushing of the water directed by Neptune in the fountain. She’d been waiting for Tom for over half an hour and was starting to wonder if he’d changed his mind. Ever since she’d met Aunt Carmen and the woman who was upset that she was marrying Tom, her mind had been in turmoil. And now she had to meet with her grandfather.

  She squared her shoulders and bit down on her lip. This was going to be difficult.

  Her grandfather. A flesh-and-blood relative.

  It was so hard to believe. The strange old man in the lawyer’s office had unnerved her, and her stomach churned. Thank goodness Tom was coming also, so there could be no misunderstanding if her grandfather couldn’t understand her English.

  Tom stood beside one of the outside tables and waited for her to join him. She smiled at him when he pulled the chair out for her. He’d had his wee sulk on the plane when he’d thought she was psychoanalyzing him, but the moodiness had left him since they’d arrived on the island.

  The light breeze from the harbor blew his damp hair into disarray and she smiled. He was looking more relaxed every day. The formal suit he had worn to the lawyer’s office this morning had been replaced by snug-fitting jeans and a tight black T-shirt, and he looked like an Italian local with his dark hair and olive skin.

  “You’re looking very casual.” She tipped her head to the side.

  “I’ve been out on the water on the Jet Ski. I’ve started on the list. One down, ten to go. Sorry I’m a bit late, but after I came back in, Matteo wanted to show me the hire boats that need repairing. He wants to teach me how to do it and then we’ll be able to hire them out aga
in.”

  She shook her head, unable to picture it.

  “Don’t look so skeptical. I’m not totally a businessman. I can sand and fix a few little boats. And I can’t face that office yet. And you know what? I’ve crossed two things off the list.”

  She smothered a laugh. Most of the boats in the harbor and dotted around the shoreline were not so little. “What’s the second thing you’ve crossed off?”

  “I haven’t made a list since I got here.”

  Brianna sat back and looked at Tom, and a funny feeling filled her chest. He was so damned attractive. If they didn’t have all this hassle hanging over them, she would be tempted. But no, it would complicate matters too much. Which reminded her, they still had to come up with an agreement. She stifled a giggle—maybe they could put a sex clause in it.

  They ordered their drinks and sat silent while the tourists disembarking from the afternoon ferry filled up the square.

  “It is a beautiful place. And off the beaten tourist track. I’d never heard of Lipari until I received the letter from Mr.…I mean Signore Antoniolli.” Tom sipped his coffee and looked at her intently. “I have to get my head around this language if I’m going to stay here for a while.”

  “Do you think you’ll stay for long?”

  She shrugged. “Depends how it all pans out, I suppose. I know I’ve got the house, but it all rests on what happens with my…grandfather. I would really love to settle here for a while.”

  “Are you ready to meet him?”

  “As much as I’ll ever be, I suppose. I’m still trying to get used to having a real grandfather, like a blood relative.” She sighed. “Just tell me a wee bit more about what the lawyer said.”

  “He said your grandfather was only happy for you to have the house once he assured him we were getting married on the island…and soon. I think he may be doubtful about whether we are genuine or if we are just getting married for you to get your inheritance.”