Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 118245 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 591(@200wpm)___ 473(@250wpm)___ 394(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118245 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 591(@200wpm)___ 473(@250wpm)___ 394(@300wpm)
There wasn’t a chance in hell I would tell her what had just happened between Matteo and me. That was a secret I would take to the grave, but I needed to warn her I had been found out.
Realizing I had already wasted too much time, I quickly dried my hair and dug around in her suitcase until I found the makeup bag again. Adding some blush to bring some color to my ashen cheeks, I also put a little concealer under my eyes to hopefully mask that I had been crying. I finished with a swipe of mascara and some tinted ChapStick from my purse before racing out of the room and down the stairs.
I crossed the exterior courtyard in time to see Matteo approach.
My heart lurched at the thought of what could have been.
He was just so strong and capable and intelligent. True, he was also domineering, arrogant, and far too confident, which I was sure came from being a freaking walking god among men with a godlike fortune to match, but still … it was equally obvious that he was also funny and sweet and caring.
Although I couldn’t trust my current rising feelings for him since they were easily influenced by the unusual stressful circumstances, I suspected if things had been different, given time I could have easily fallen in love with him.
I laughed mournfully at myself.
Could have? How about already did fall in love with him?
As he got closer, his smile turned into a frown.
Before I could stop him, his arm wrapped around my waist, and he pulled me against the hard strength of his chest. His hand pushed into my still slightly damp curls at the nape of my neck. “Are you okay? Was I too rough with you earlier?”
My gaze shot to the left and right. “Not so loud! People will hear!”
He chuckled. “I promise you. Fucking my beautiful fiancée in the middle of the afternoon is the least scandalous thing my family could possibly hear.” He pushed a lock of my hair behind my ear. “In fact, we may have to try harder to raise some eyebrows or my cousins are going to consider us boring.”
I bit my lip. “Matteo, about the whole fiancée thing.”
CHAPTER 34
ELLA
He turned, pulling me with him. “Later. Let’s go get some food.”
He led me into the massive stables next to the villa, which apparently housed both horses and cars. No one could consider themselves an Italian and know nothing about cars. Which was why I was shocked to see him casually lead me over to a shiny, black, vintage Alfa Romeo 6C 2500.
He opened the passenger-side door and let me in.
As I slid down onto the buttery soft leather seats, I noticed the key was already in the ignition.
When Matteo got in behind the steering wheel, I asked, “You just keep the keys in a six-hundred-thousand-euro Alfa Romeo?”
Was this what it was like having insane amounts of family money?
I meant, my father definitely had some wealth, not that he shared much of it with his daughters, but I had grown up around what most would consider comfortable luxury. That being said, I didn’t grow up around anyone treating a mint condition, vintage Alfa Romeo as if it were a crappy Fiat Argenta with the keys just casually dangling from the ignition for anyone to steal.
He glanced over at me. “You like cars?”
I shrugged one shoulder. “More like I know cars.”
“Did you want to drive?”
My eyes widened at even the thought of getting behind the wheel of such an expensive antique car. I shook my head. “No way!”
He laughed as he started the ignition. “Maybe on the way home after a few Amarena Spritzes for courage.”
My head twisted sharply. How did he know that was my favorite drink? Father didn’t really approve of women drinking, so it wasn’t often that I could indulge.
I asked Matteo as much.
His mouth lifted at one corner. “You’d be surprised how much I know about you, Antonella.”
For the rest of the ride into Cavalieri, I remained silent. Staring out at the valley below as we descended from the winery to the base of the mountain. The whole time trying to decide if what he had just said was meant to comfort or threaten me.
After slowing down to navigate the narrow cobblestone streets of the ancient medieval city, another testament to the wealth and power of the Cavalieri legacy, he pulled into a reserved space just off the piazza.
When he opened my car door, he held his hand out palm up to help me alight. The warmth of his fingers wrapping around my own sent a spark of uneasy awareness straight to the pit of my stomach.
Matteo gestured with his head. “That is the headquarters for our other family business, Cavalieri Enterprises. And over there is Enzo’s place, where I’ve been staying while I help at the office.”