Chapter Seventeen
It was a few minutes before three on Friday morning when they arrived at the private airfield. “Oh, hell no,” Gio said as his town car pulled onto the tarmac next to his plane and he saw the outline of three men standing next to a stretch limo talking. “I told Rena to hire a second plane for them.”
Julia leaned over him to look out the window. The move tightened the material of her slacks over the curve of her ass in the most tempting way. As adorable as she looked in them, he’d spent the ride over imagining taking them off her in the seclusion of the plane. “Who are they?” she asked.
“My brothers. They’ll have to find their own damn plane.”
“Won’t they think it’s strange that we don’t want them to come with us?”
Gio raised his eyebrows and Julia turned an adorable shade of pink. “I don’t care.”
Julia said softly, “I’d like to meet them.”
Gio swore beneath his breath. He still wasn’t sure how he felt about Julia, but he knew damn well how he felt about sharing a six-hour flight with her and his brothers. He was about to explain to her why his way was the only way when he looked into her blue eyes and lost his resolve. “Nick will probably make a pass at you,” he warned. “Even if I threaten to kill him for it.”
“I’ll laugh it off.”
“Luke will bore you with details of his last surgery.”
Julia turned so she was straddling Gio’s lap, facing him. “I have the perfect game face for boring stories. Watch.” She smiled at him and widened her eyes as if fascinated in what he was saying. “I look them straight in the eye and daydream away. It works every time.”
Gio shook his head, losing the battle against her charm. “I’ll have to remember that expression the next time I’m telling you something.”
“I probably shouldn’t have shared that,” Julia said with a guilty grin, then peered out the window again. “What about your third brother?”
“Max? He’s a wild card. I’m surprised he’s here at all. He’s not big on family events.”
“They sound nice.”
Giving in to the temptation of having her poised above him, he slid his hand between her legs and enjoyed watching her eyes half close with pleasure. “Not as nice as flying over alone would be.”
Julia gave him a deep kiss, then murmured, “How about if I promise to make it up to you on the island? We’ll sneak off somewhere during the reception. There has to be some private corner on it.”
He savored the feel of her lips against his and considered her proposal.
She kissed him quickly and moved playfully away from him. “Unless you’re not interested.”
“Oh, I’m interested.” He reached for her, but before he made contact the door of his town car opened.
Nick greeted them first. He bent to inspect the contents of the vehicle, then straightened and turned to speak to the brothers who stood behind him. “Luke was right. Gio brought a date. So, why couldn’t I bring mine?”
Luke’s sarcasm was thick. “You didn’t know her name.”
“It’s a long flight. We would have figured it out.”
Gio stepped out of the vehicle and faced the trio. He momentarily blocked the door behind him. “I wasn’t aware we were traveling together.”
Luke nodded. “I had Rena cancel our plane. It doesn’t make sense for us to go separately.”
His youngest brother, Max, came over and clapped a hand in greeting on Gio’s shoulder. “Don’t be cross with Luke. He clings to the possibility of reuniting the family.”
Countering his brother, Nick asked, “But not you, Max? Why are you here if you don’t care how it turns out?”
Max smiled. “I’ve run the odds in my head of one of you getting into a serious altercation on the island, and the probability is high.”
Luke looked at him and raised one doubtful eyebrow. “And you’re coming to make sure that doesn’t happen?”
“Hell no, I don’t want to miss it,” Max said with a wicked grin only the youngest child could master.
Gio let out an audible sigh. “This isn’t going to work.” He half turned to climb back into his car, but Luke stopped him with a hand on his arm.
“Don’t go, Gio. I wasn’t screwing with you. I think it’s important that we arrive together.”
Gio looked back and forth between Julia’s expectant expression and Luke’s earnest one. He put his hand out to Julia, helping her out of the car. “This is Julia Bennett. She was raised in a nice family. Can we be on our best behavior for the next six hours?”
Nick leaned in and whistled appreciatively. “Is she the one who worked in the security department? She is hot. No wonder you broke your rule to date her. But seriously, am I the only one who recognizes a pattern at Cogent? Have you seen the new IT girl? She can fix my laptop anytime.”
The group collectively held its breath as Gio’s temper rose. His grip on Julia’s hand tightened. To his surprise, Julia stepped forward and offered her other hand to Nick. “That’s funny. A little inappropriate for the first time you meet me, but flattering if I overlook that last part.”
Max laughed out loud. “I am definitely glad I decided to come.”
Nick shook Julia’s hand, then looked over at Gio. “You finally found a girl with a personality. Hallelujah. Watch out, though. She may give you one. I hear they’re catching.”
Max laughed again. “Are you going to let him get away with that, Gio?”
The trouble with his decision to cut the darker emotions out of his life was how it had left Gio feeling empty. He wanted to be hopeful like Luke, or laugh along with Max, but he couldn’t. He and Nick had something in common. They were both broken in their own way. Instead of rising to Max’s bait, Gio looked at his watch and said, “We told them we’d be there for tonight’s party. We should get going.” He motioned for his driver to put their bags on the plane.
The small Embraer Legacy business jet taxied down the private runway. All five of them sat in one main area, facing each other. Julia was more interested in looking out the window than at the luxurious details of the multimillion dollar aircraft. She took Gio’s hand in hers. “I love flying. I haven’t visited many places, but the ones I’ve seen have all been amazing. So flying, to me, means an adventure is beginning. Thank you for letting me come with you.”
Her innocent enthusiasm pulled at a part of Gio he’d long considered dead. He leaned down and nuzzled her neck before he realized what he was doing. When he saw Nick’s mouth drop open in shock, Gio raised his head and glared at all of his brothers.
After a moment of awkward silence, Luke said, “If you mess this up, Gio, you deserve to grow old alone.”
Gio shook his head in denial. “We’re not . . .” He almost said serious, but he looked down into Julia’s trusting blue eyes and bit off the rest of his sentence.
I told her I’m not capable of love, but she doesn’t believe that, does she?
One of us is wrong.
* * *
Watching the Andrade brothers talk was more fascinating than any in-flight movie could have been. They all had dark hair, near-black eyes, and light olive skin. It was easy to tell they were brothers, but they were also very different. Julia studied each of them intently and listened with her heart.
Gio dressed in a classic style. Although all four were over six feet, Gio was the most intimidating of them. His features were harsher and his face most prone to frowning. He seemed to fill more space on the plane, and when he spoke his tone held a rigid authority. He was a walking ball of tension. Like a soldier asked to stand guard through the night, he never relaxed. Who are you protecting, Gio? What are you so afraid people will find out?
Nick had boyish good looks that he cultivated with expensive international flair. He belonged on a cover of GQ, with a drink in one hand, a woman on his arm, and a cocky expression on his face. Still, he shared a sad character trait with Gio: When he smiled, it didn’t reach his eyes. Do you know why Gio isn’t happy? Is that what keeps you together but apart? Every once in a while, Nick would look at Gio with anger burning in his eyes, even as he kept his tone light and joking. What is it you can’t forgive him for?
Luke was every bit as striking in his good looks as his older brothers, but he dressed to play it down. He wore jeans and a polo shirt. He was the peacemaker of the family. Gio had said he was a doctor, and Julia could see why it was his calling. He listened when his brothers spoke, and his love for them was evident in everything he said to them. He seemed excited about attending the wedding in a way that none of his brothers were. He doesn’t know.
Max had a bit of all of them in him. He was tough around the edges like Gio. He dressed to impress with expensive clothing tailored to fit him, and every now and then he would poke fun at one of his brothers in a way that was almost playful. Gio had nailed him when he’d called him a wild card. Julia didn’t know what his motivation for coming was, but she didn’t believe that it was the same as he’d said. He didn’t appear to have ill feelings toward any of them. If he knows, he’d never tell. Gio said Max owned and developed casinos around the world. She could see that. He plays his cards close to his chest.
None of them mentioned their mother. Having met her, Julia wasn’t surprised, but still, she thought it was sad they were heading off to a large family event and not one had suggested she should be there.
Before she thought it through, she asked aloud, “Where’s your father?”
All conversation died. Although he didn’t look happy about it, Gio bent toward her and explained quietly. “My father passed away years ago.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. The wedding we’re going to is for the son of one of his brothers?”
“Yes, my father was the oldest of three. The youngest of them, Victor Andrade, had one son—Stephan.”
“And Maddy?”
Luke jumped in. “Maddy is Uncle Alessandro’s daughter. She’s married to an amazing French chef. If he offers to cook you anything—I mean anything—just say yes.”
“I had the . . .” Julia stopped and decided to be less than completely honest, “pleasure of meeting Maddy. She was unexpectedly . . . welcoming.”
“Maddy is certainly a character.” Luke laughed, then grew more serious. “She keeps me up to date with that side of the family. They’ve had a rough time the last few years. That’s one of the reasons she’s determined to mend the rift in the family.”
Gio released his seat belt and stretched his legs out before him. “Don’t build this up into something it isn’t, Luke. I, for one, have no intention of seeing any of them again after this weekend.”
Nick left his seat to pour himself a Scotch from a crystal decanter.
Max leaned forward and asked, “Weren’t you and Stephan close at one time?”
“No,” Gio answered succinctly. “Nick was. He and Stephan toured the global party circuit together, both believing the tedious idea of working belonged to the generation who had created the family business. Stephan outgrew that phase.”
Nick downed his glass in one shot and poured himself another. “We can’t all be you, Gio. The perfect son. The perfect businessman. Completely lacking in conscience.”
Gio stood slowly, his muscles flexing angrily as he did. “Stop drinking now, Nick, before you make a fool of yourself.”
Nick downed the second glass defiantly. “Or what? What would you do?”
Gio walked over and took the crystal decanter from the counter. As calmly as if he were merely picking up something he’d dropped, he smashed the container on the corner of the bar, then dropped the ragged top to the carpeted floor with the rest of the shattered glass and alcohol. In a controlled, cool voice he said, “Whatever is necessary to protect the family.”
Nick leaned down just as calmly, opened a door of the cabinet, took out another bottle, and placed it next to his glass. “There are at least ten more in there. How many will you break? Which one will convince you what I do is none of your goddamn business?”
Luke was out of his seat and between them. “Nick, enough.”
Nick turned on Luke angrily. “How far would he have to go for you to judge him? If he threw me from the plane, would you justify even that? Or would you finally find the balls to confront him?”
Max leaned over to Julia and said, “Which one do you think would actually get ejected from the plane if it came to that? My money is on Luke. It’s always the one in the cross fire that gets nailed.”
Gio ignored his youngest brother’s comment and said, “Go ahead and drink yourself into a stupor, Nick. Make a fool of yourself in front of everyone. Just stay the hell away from me while you do it.”
Nick looked over at Julia and opened his mouth to say something more, but Luke took him by the arm and guided him away from the bar to the small kitchen area near the front of the plane. “Come on, let’s make coffee. I don’t care if you want it, I need some.”
Max raised an eyebrow at his oldest brother. “That was extreme, Gio. You couldn’t have made your point without making the entire plane smell like a distillery?”
“I went exactly as far as I had to,” Gio said coldly. He turned and walked to the other side of the plane where their bags were stored.
Watching the exchange between the brothers was heartbreaking for Julia. She wanted to yell for them to stop, but she sensed they had reached this place many times before. In such a case, it was more important to understand the cause than to treat the symptom. “Are they always like this?”
Max nodded. “I’m actually surprised they made it halfway across the Atlantic before they lost it. And they wonder why I’d rather work on the holidays. Gio and Nick are like oil and water. Or gunpowder and a match. However you describe it, you don’t want to stand between them. One day, one of them is going to snap.”
“Were they always like that?” Julia asked, watching Gio take his laptop from one of his bags. He’s going to escape to where he is successful—work.
Max shrugged. “I don’t remember them fighting like this before our father died. Maybe they did, and I was too young to see it.”
“How did your father die?”
“He was working in Venice. Don’t ask me what an oil company CEO needs to do in a sinking city, but that’s the story. A heart attack, I think. We don’t talk about it. Gio brought him back to the U.S., buried him, took over the company, and has looked exactly that miserable ever since.”
“Did Nick go with him?” Julia had to ask. She didn’t want to picture Gio collecting his father’s remains alone.
Max watched Gio walking back to sit with them and lowered his voice. “I don’t know.”
Gio returned to his seat and placed his computer on his lap, but he didn’t open it. Julia reached over and took one of his hands in hers, giving it a supportive squeeze. He looked down at her, his eyes dark with suppressed emotions.
The more Julia learned about the man beside her, the more her heart opened to him. Although the four brothers were confined in a small aircraft together, the distance between them was clear. More than anything, she wished she knew how to reach past whatever had separated them.
She looked across at Max and said, “I’m an only child, but I always dreamed of having brothers or sisters. You’re all lucky to have one another.”
Gio’s hand tightened on hers. “You can say that after what you witnessed a few minutes ago?”
Julia looked up at him with her heart in her eyes. “Being part of a family is a messy business, but it’s worth it. A good friend of mine comes from a huge family, and the stories she tells would make your hair curl. Someone is always fighting with someone else. Sometimes the reasons are funny, other times sad. But when one of them is in need, they’re there for each other. I imagine you and your brothers are the same.”
“Gio, you really should have told her more about us. It’s going to be depressing watching her lower her opinion of large families as she gets to know us.” Max stood and walked away to join his brothers, who were sitting around a smaller table near the plane’s galley.
In the quiet following Max’s departure, Julia said, “Gio, your brothers . . .”
Gio broke contact with her and opened his laptop. “I don’t want to discuss it,” he said dismissively and started typing as if Julia no longer sat beside him.
The temptation to slam the laptop closed on his fingers was strong. She was itching to tell him how rude he was being, but there was a hint of something in his expression that made her hold her tongue. He wasn’t trying to hurt her; he was hiding. The strong man beside her was lost when it came to overcoming whatever had happened to his family, and he dealt with it by withdrawing.
Julia slid her arm beneath his and hugged it. He looked up from his laptop with a scowl on his face. Still, Julia didn’t let go. She held his eyes and continued to hug his arm to her. You don’t fool me, Gio. I know you’re upset. I’m here if you need me.
His expression softened. He leaned over and kissed her forehead, then seemed as surprised by his action as she was. He cleared his throat and said, “You should try to sleep. It’ll be a long day if you don’t.”
She hid a smile and laid her head on his shoulder. She didn’t know what the trip held for either of them, but in that moment, she was glad she’d agreed to go.
* * *
The even rhythm of Julia’s breath as she slept was calming. Gio placed his laptop on the floor beside him and closed his eyes. Nothing about Julia made sense. Every time she spoke he was reminded of how very different they were. At first, he’d thought he was drawn to her for purely sexual reasons. But having her curled up against him, supporting him even without fully understanding the situation, filled him with a warm feeling he couldn’t deny.
Part of him wanted to push her away and list the reasons they didn’t belong together. Part of him wanted to hold her close and tell her that nothing in his life had ever felt so right.
I don’t want this.
Any of this.
Not her.
Not a weekend with relatives.
None of this.
Life is better when it’s uncomplicated.
In control.
The exact opposite of how it had been for him since he’d met Julia.
He turned his head and looked down at her sleeping profile. His breath caught in his throat. I shouldn’t have brought her. I need a clear head to navigate the weekend.
His three brothers returned to their seats across from him. Luke handed him a cup of steaming black coffee. He accepted it with a nod.
With Julia asleep at his side, he sipped his coffee and studied his brothers. Neither Nick nor Max would meet his eyes. Luke gave him a sympathetic smile.
What did Julia say about family? It’s messy?
What are they waiting for me to say?
Whatever I say will be wrong.
It always is.
He glanced down at Julia again. What would she do if our situations were reversed? She’d blurt out an apology. She wouldn’t dress it up with excuses or worry about the possible backlash. She’d dive right in.
Gio looked across at Nick and said, “I went too far earlier. What you do is your business.”
Nick propped an ankle on top of his knee, leaned back, and asked nonchalantly, “Are you actually apologizing?”
Gio straightened, inadvertently waking Julia. She sat up, rubbed her eyes, and looked back and forth between them as if trying to remember where she was. She smiled up at Gio and—he couldn’t help it—he smiled back.
Luke raised a hand to catch the attention of the flight attendant. “Julia, would you like a coffee?”
She shook her head. “Maybe a snack, though?”
Luke called the attendant over. Julia and all four brothers put in a request for a light fare of sandwiches and finger foods.
In the quiet after the attendant’s departure, Julia asked, “How much longer until we arrive?”
Gio checked his watch. “Two hours at the most.”
“Do you want to watch a movie?” Julia asked.
There was a unanimous shake of heads.
“Play a game?” she asked cheerfully.
Although Gio shook his head, Max leaned forward in his seat. “What kind of game?”
Luke pointed a thumb at his younger brother with a knowing smile. “Max is a professional gambler, so don’t make it poker. We gave up trying to beat him back when all we had to lose was our allowance.”
Julia’s eyes rounded. “A professional gambler? What an interesting job.”
Max shrugged. “It is. Everything in life is a gamble. For a while I lived solely off my poker winnings. However, now I build casinos around the world. So, Gio can finally admit to knowing me again.”
Gio tensed at Max’s comment. “Your profession never bothered me.”
“Really?” Max asked, unconvinced.
Nick said in mock sympathy, “Don’t feel bad, Max. He’s ashamed of all of us.”
Luke interjected, “Nick, can we make it to the island without another scene?”
Normally, Gio would have ended the conversation before it went further. He regularly told himself he didn’t care what others thought, but this time he didn’t lie to himself. “I’m proud of all of my brothers,” Gio said, more harshly than he’d intended.
“Even me?” Nick pushed.
Gio answered without hesitation. “I may not agree with the choices you’ve made lately, Nick, but I understand why you make them.”
Nothing in his life matched the rush of emotion he felt in response to Julia’s light squeeze of his arm in approval.
Nick opened his mouth to say something, then closed it with a snap. Max looked like he wanted to say something more but decided against it.
Luke clapped his hands and said, “So, how about that game, Julia?”
She turned shyly to Gio. “It was a silly idea. We don’t have to.”
Although he usually viewed games as a waste of time, time was exactly what they had to fill, and he’d take anything that would distract from more excruciatingly awkward conversations. “We could use a game about now. What did you have in mind?”
Julia reached down into her bag and took out a small pile of index cards. “Rena thought I should know who I’m going to meet on the island. She made these index cards for me. One side has a name written on it. The other side has clues on how to recognize that person. We could see who is best at guessing the person from the description.”
Cocking his head to the side, Luke asked, “Rena did that for you? Interesting.”
Julia held the stack of cards to her chest for a moment. “She thinks I might be able to make a connection at the wedding.”
Nick looked at Max and shrugged. “Okay, I’ll bite. A connection for what?”
Julia instinctively brought a hand to her necklace, and she flashed a brave smile at Gio’s three brothers. “I moved to New York to try to sell my jewelry designs. So far, nothing, but I’m not giving up. I’m hoping to find an investor.”
Nick nodded toward Gio. “I’d say you’ve already met one.”
Julia winked at Gio and said, “No, I’m just with him for the sex.”
Max choked on the sip of coffee he’d just taken. Nick’s mouth fell open, and Luke shook his head.
Gio’s eyes flew to Julia’s in surprise.
Julia burst into laughter. “You should see your faces. No wonder you fight so much. You’re all way too serious.” She composed herself, folded her hands in mock contriteness, and said with just a trace of humor, “Even my dad would have laughed at that joke.”
Gio looked down at Julia, half coughed, then chuckled.
Julia’s eyes were brimming with laughter, threatening to erupt again. She waved her hands in a plea for him to stop. “Don’t laugh, Gio, because I shouldn’t when I’m still trying to make a good impression.”
“You have,” Max said and joined in their laughter. “I didn’t think anything could shock Nick, but I believe he’s speechless.”
Nick said, “I’m just trying to figure out how Gio ended up with a woman who is actually fun.”
Julia smiled. “I may have scrambled his brains the first time I met him. I hit him with that lamp pretty hard.”
Luke said, “I believe it was physicist Joseph Henry who said, Great discoveries only take root in minds well prepared to receive them. He needed some scrambling.”
“Funny, Luke,” Gio said gruffly, raising a hand to his temple as he remembered that blow. “It could have killed me.”
Conversation was halted while the attendant set trays of food on a table between them. Once by themselves again, Max said, “I want to know why you hit him with a lamp.”
Julia blushed. “I thought he was breaking into Rena’s desk . . .” As she retold the story, Gio noticed his brothers were genuinely interested, and relaxing for the first time since they’d entered the plane. Julia had a gift when it came to breaking down barriers. As they joked together, Gio was reminded of how he and his brothers had interacted when they were younger. Julia had given him a glimpse of the past, and he wasn’t sure what to do with the way it made him feel.
The next two hours flew by. Conversation flowed easily, and Julia kept the mood light by periodically reading a new index card to the group. They took turns using the small bedroom in the back of the plane as a dressing room, slowly transforming from casual to party-ready.
When Julia returned to the main part of the plane dressed in a floor-length navy gown, Gio couldn’t take his eyes off her. She’d styled her hair in a loose bun that made a man want to reach out and release those barely contained curls. The dress fit her snuggly and emphasized her curves so deliciously that had they been alone she wouldn’t have kept it on for long.
She caught him looking at her, and the smile she gave him knocked what was left of his sanity out of him. In that instant, he didn’t care about anything but having her again. By the way a blush spread up her cheeks, he knew she’d guessed his thoughts.
The pilot’s voice interrupted and requested everyone fasten their seat belts for the final approach to Isola Santos.
Gio tensed instinctively as he was slammed back into reality. He looked out the side window and caught his first glimpse of the island. The enormous glass-and-chrome building Dominic Corisi had built still dominated a good fourth of the island. The sight of it made him angrier than he’d expected it to.
Julia was also looking out the window. She turned and asked, “That’s the island? Wow, that is quite a compound. Did your family build that?”
“No,” Gio said, hearing the disgust in his own voice. He leaned over her, and as the plane circled before landing, he pointed to a much smaller, stone mansion on the other side of the island. “That’s the Andrade mansion.”
Luke looked out the window beside him. “It’s been in the family for hundreds of years.”
Julia innocently continued on with a painful line of questioning. “So, what is the large glass compound? Are they leasing land to a university or something?”
Max looked at Gio cautiously. “Uncle Victor sold the island when he hit financial difficulties. The new owner built that glass shrine to himself.”
“Mother offered to buy the island, but Dominic Corisi outbid us,” Gio said bitterly.
“Your mother?” Julia asked, then looked as if she regretted saying it out loud.
“Surprised that we have one?”
“No,” Julia said, wide-eyed. “Of course you have a mother. I’m sure she’s very nice, too. She couldn’t make it today?”
Max was the first to answer. “She never got along with our uncles. She came from old money and our father came from . . . let’s just say . . . less-refined stock.”
Nick defended his father’s family. “The Andrades had money. Perhaps not at the Stanfield level, but enough that they summered on their private island each year. And this generation has more than made up for whatever they didn’t have before.”
Julia interjected, “So, we’re not talking about the completely unacceptable type who would have to work year round. Thank God.”
All four brothers turned to look at her. Julia merely raised her eyebrows and waited. Luke laughed and turned to Gio. “I do believe your girlfriend is just what this family needs.”
Julia gave them each a cheeky smile that removed the sting from her words. “Just calling it like I see it.”
Gio watched his brothers melt before her charm. I keep telling myself what Julia and I have is nothing more than a physical attraction. She doesn’t belong here. But what if I’m wrong?
His stomach twisted painfully at the thought.
Blissfully unaware, Julia looked out the window again and said, “So, the new owner is letting your cousin get married on your old island. That’s nice.”
Max shook his head. “Stephan is marrying the sister of the man who bought the island. Corisi intends to return the island to Stephan as a wedding present. So, it looks like it’s back in the family.”
“Not our family,” Gio said harshly. He regretted voicing those words as soon as they were out. In a heartbeat his brothers’ expressions closed, and tension once again crackled in the air. Julia reached out and took his hand in hers.
The tires of the plane touched and bounced on the island runway.
After descending the stairs, he paused. Julia’s eyes were round with wonder as she took in the manicured grounds, the visible security everywhere, and the party that was spilling out of the glass building and onto the lawn in front of it. In the middle of a group of adults, dressed in formal gowns and tuxedos, children chased each other, their laughter ringing out above the music of a live band.
The level of joy bubbling out of the house filled Gio with intense and conflicting emotions, holding him immobile even as his brothers began walking toward the house.
Julia tugged on his hand until he looked down at her again. She went up on her tiptoes and whispered, “What are you thinking?”
He studied the monstrosity of glass and chrome with disgust. “Only someone with a complete lack of appreciation for the beauty and history of the island would have built such an atrocity.” He shared his thoughts aloud. “I want to throw a hundred rocks through those glass windows.”
Julia made a funny grimace. “That wouldn’t be my first choice of how to start the evening.”
His breath came quicker as adrenaline rushed through his veins. He smiled down at her. “I’m angry. Furious, in fact. I haven’t felt like this in years.”
Julia’s eyes widened again. “And that’s a good thing?”
He tried to find the words to explain it but couldn’t. “Yes, I believe it is.” He’d held it in so long it had made him numb to everything else. Suddenly, he felt more alive than he had in years. Like he could finally breathe.
“Come on.” Instead of heading toward the party, he led Julia toward a path leading to the other side of the island.
“Where are we going?” Julia asked as she lengthened her strides to keep up with him.
“There’s something I want to show you.”
The island was small enough that she didn’t have to wonder about their destination for long. A ten-minute brisk walk brought them to the steps of the building he thought he’d never see again. “This was my father’s house.”
“Is it locked?” she asked.
He lifted a pulled a loose stone from the foundation of the house, took out a key, and said, “Not for long.”
“Are you sure we can go inside?”
He spared her a quick look before swinging the door open. The home’s classic Mediterranean style gave it a timeless quality. Its white walls, accented with intricate tile work, could easily have been the result of a renovation, but they were original to the home.
Gio led Julia down the hall, into what had once been the study. What little furniture remained in the room was covered with white cloths, making the room seem abandoned and oddly preserved at the same time. He stood there, feeling as if he had one foot in the present and one in the past. “I always thought this house would one day belong to me. It has been passed down from the oldest son to the oldest son for generations.” He walked over to the mantel of a large fireplace and ran his hand across the dusty marble. “When my father died and it didn’t come to me, I was furious. The sale of it was a final slap in the face.” He walked to a bookcase and took down a book that had been left behind. “I was twenty-five. I’d been struggling for a year to fill my father’s shoes at Cogent. I didn’t confront my uncles. Instead, I put all my energy into what I could change, and that was the profitability of my family’s company.” He turned to Julia and said, “I should have fought for this place. I should have made it mine.”
Their eyes met and Julia’s heart thudded in her chest. She shook her head. He was finally opening up to her. She wanted to tell him how much it meant to her, but she knew he needed to be left uninterrupted.
He left her side to search the remaining items on the surrounding shelves. He ran a hand over the molding.
“What are you looking for?” Julia couldn’t contain her curiosity.
“Something that probably isn’t here,” Gio said as he continued pulling old books from the shelves and flipping through them.
“What?”
He walked to where a desk had once been and looked around the room. “The truth.”
Julia followed Gio out of the library and into each of the downstairs rooms. Not much had been left behind. Every item of value must have been removed before the sale.
Gio flipped a switch in one of the closets, but the area remained dark. Not that there was anything inside to be illuminated. Speaking more to himself than to her, Gio said, “The two houses must run on separate generators.” He ran his hand along the intricate wood paneling, absently caressing the house. “I remember reading an interview with Corisi after he bought the island. He planned to knock this house down. He considered it old ruins.”
Gio walked back into the main hall, and Julia followed him. She knew Gio was far away in his thoughts, and that was okay with her. What did he mean when he said he was looking for the truth?
They walked up one side of a double curved stairway that led off the foyer. At the top, Julia let herself imagine filling the space below with people and laughter. “This must have been an incredible place to entertain.”
“It has ten bedrooms. When I was a child, they were always full. My father said it was the same when he was young. Andrades have been born here. Some have even died here. My grandfather passed away in his sleep right here in the house, surrounded by his family.”
“I can see why you wouldn’t want it to be knocked down.” Julia could only imagine Gio’s bond to the house. The home and factory she was fighting for had only been in their family for one generation. To lose something that was so linked to your family’s history must have been devastating. “Did your mother also love this place?” It was hard for Julia to imagine her letting it go if she had.
“My mother refused to step inside it.”
Interesting.
Gio walked ahead of her into one of the rooms. She lingered in the upper hallway, running her hand along the areas where slightly darker patches of wallpaper revealed where paintings had once hung. Family paintings? Famous Italian artists? What would they have displayed?
What could anyone hate about this beautiful house?
Was it because Gio’s grandfather died here?
Julia turned from the wall, realizing she had no idea where Gio had gone. She hugged herself as a sudden chill went up her back.
It would take more than that to keep me away.
Ghosts aren’t real.
I mean, not the ones that move things around and scare people.
Her father would have argued that the universe was full of an infinite number of things the human mind could not comprehend. Julia smiled as she remembered her mother’s rebuttal to that theory. “Show me the proof. Things fall. Lights flicker. To me, that’s not evidence of a ghost. Is every spirit a klutz that can only make a mess? You want me to believe in one? Show me a ghost that washes dishes or folds my laundry. Then I’ll believe.”
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?”