The Vineyards of Calanetti

Saying “I do” under the Tuscan sun…

Deep in the Tuscan countryside nestles the picturesque village of Monte Calanetti. Famed for its world-renowned vineyards, the village is also home to the crumbling but beautiful Palazzo di Comparino. Empty for months, rumors of a new owner are spreading like wildfire … and that’s before the village is chosen as the setting for the royal wedding of the year!

It’s going to be a roller coaster of a year, but will wedding bells ring out in Monte Calanetti for anyone else?

Find out in this fabulously heartwarming, uplifting and thrillingly romantic new eight-book continuity from the Mills & Boon® Cherish™ series!

A Bride for the Italian Boss by Susan Meier

Return of the Italian Tycoon by Jennifer Faye

Reunited by a Baby Secret by Michelle Douglas

Soldier, Hero … Husband? by Cara Colter

His Lost-and-Found Bride by Scarlet Wilson

The Best Man & the Wedding Planner by Teresa Carpenter

His Princess of Convenience by Rebecca Winters

Saved by the CEO by Barbara Wallace

Return of the Italian Tycoon

Jennifer Faye

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Award-winning author JENNIFER FAYE pens fun, heartwarming romances. Jennifer has won the RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award, is a Top Pick author and has been nominated for numerous awards. Now living her dream, she resides with her patient husband, one amazing daughter (the other remarkable daughter is off chasing her own dreams) and two spoiled cats. She’d love to hear from you via her website, www.jenniferfaye.com.

To Michelle Styles, an amazing friend, who taught me so much, including that the important part of writing was what I decided to do after the dreaded “R”. Thank you!

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

“CAN I SMELL YOU?”

Kayla Hill’s fingers struck the wrong keys on her computer. Surely she hadn’t heard her boss correctly—her very serious, very handsome boss. “Excuse me. What did you say?”

Angelo Amatucci’s tanned face creased with lines as though he were deep in thought. “Are you wearing perfume?”

“Uh...yes, I am.”

“Good. That will be helpful. May I have a smell?”

Helpful? With what? She gave up on answering an email and turned her full attention to her boss, who moved to stand next to her. What in the world had prompted him to ask such a question? Was her perfume bothering him? She sure hoped not. She wore it all the time. If he didn’t like it or was allergic to it, she thought he’d have mentioned it before now.

Kayla craned her neck, allowing her gaze to travel up over his fit body, all six-foot-plus of muscle, until she met his inquisitive eyes. “I’m sorry but I...I don’t understand.”

“I just finished speaking with Victoria Van Holsen, owner of Moonshadows Cosmetics. She has decided that her latest fragrance campaign, even though she painstakingly approved it each step of the way, just won’t do.”

“She doesn’t want it?” Kayla failed to keep the astonishment out of her voice.

A muscle in his jaw twitched. “She insists we present her with a totally new proposal.”

“But this is a Christmas campaign. Everything should be finalized, considering it’s already March.” Then, realizing that she was speaking to a man with far more experience, she pressed her lips together, silencing her rambling thoughts.

“Now that information about her competitor’s upcoming holiday campaign has been leaked, she wants something more noteworthy—something that will go viral.”

“I thought the campaign was unique. I really like it.” Kayla truly meant it. She wasn’t trying to butter up her boss—that was just an unexpected bonus.

“The fact of the matter is, Victoria Van Holsen is a household name and one of our most important clients. Our duty is to keep her happy.”

It was the company’s motto—the client’s needs come first. No matter what. And if Kayla was ever going to rise up the chain from her temporary detour as the personal assistant to the CEO of Amatucci & Associates Advertising to her dream job as an ad executive on Madison Avenue, she could never forget that the clients were always right. It didn’t matter how unreasonable or outrageous their requests might be at times, keeping them happy was of the utmost importance.

“How can I help?”

“Stand up.”

His face was devoid of emotion, giving no hint of his thoughts.

She did as he asked. Her heart fluttered as he circled her. When he stopped behind her and leaned in close, an army of goose bumps rose on her skin. Her eyes drifted closed as a gentle sigh slipped across her lips. Angelo Amatucci truly did want an up close and personal whiff of her perfume.

He didn’t so much as touch a single hair on her, but she could sense him near her neck. Her pulse raced. If this most unusual request had come from anyone else, she’d swear they were hitting on her. But as Mr. Amatucci stepped to the front of her, his indifferent expression hadn’t changed. Her frantic heart rate dipped back to normal.

There had never been any attempt on his part to flirt with her. Though his actions at times could be quite unpredictable, they were always ingenuous. She deduced that his sudden curiosity about her perfume had something to do with the Van Holsen account. But what could he be thinking? Because there was no way she was wearing a Moonshadows fragrance. One ounce of the stuff would set her back an entire paycheck.

“It seems to have faded away.” A frown tugged at his lips.

“Perhaps this will be better.” She pulled up the sleeve of her blue suit jacket and the pink blouse beneath it before holding out her wrist to him. “Try this.”

His hand was warm and his fingers gentle as he lifted her hand to his face. Her heart resumed its frantic tap dancing in her chest. Tip-tap. Tip-tap. She wished it wouldn’t do that. He was, after all, her boss—the man who held her career aspirations in the palm of his very powerful hand. A man who was much too serious for her.

Still, she couldn’t dismiss that his short dark wavy hair with a few silver strands at the temples framed a very handsome, chiseled face. His dark brown eyes closed as he inhaled the fragrance, and she noticed his dark lashes as they swept down, hiding his mesmerizing eyes. It was a wonder some woman hadn’t snatched him up—not that Kayla had any thoughts in that direction.

She had narrowly escaped the bondage of marriage to a really nice guy, who even came with her Mom’s and Dad’s stamp of approval. Though the breakup had been hard, it had been the right decision for both of them. Steven had wanted a traditional wife who was content to cook, clean and raise a large family. Not that there was anything wrong with that vision. It just wasn’t what she envisioned for her future. She wanted to get out of Nowhereville, USA, and find her future in New York City.

When Mr. Amatucci released her arm, she could still feel warmth where his fingers had once been. Her pulse continued to race. She didn’t know why she was having this reaction. She wasn’t about to jeopardize her rising career for some ridiculous crush on her boss, especially when it was perfectly obvious that he didn’t feel a thing for her.

His gaze met hers. “Is that the only perfume you wear?”

She nodded. “It’s my favorite.”

“Could I convince you to wear another fragrance?”

He was using her as a test market? Interesting. She could tell him what he wanted to hear, but how would that help him develop a new marketing strategy? She decided to take her chances and give him honest answers.

“Why would I change when I’ve been using this same perfume for years?”

He rubbed his neck as she’d seen him do numerous times in the past when he was contemplating new ideas for big accounts. And the Van Holsen account was a very big account. The fact that the client had the money to toss aside a fully formulated ad campaign and start over from scratch was proof of their deep pockets.

Mr. Amatucci’s gaze was still on her, but she couldn’t tell if he was lost in thought. “How long have you worn that fragrance?”

“Since I was a teenager.” She remembered picking out the flower-shaped bottle from a department store counter. It was right before her first ever school dance. She’d worn it for every special occasion since, including her first date with Steven. And then there was her high school graduation followed by her college commencement. She’d worn it for all the big moments in her life. Even the day she’d packed her bags and moved to New York City in search of her dreams.

“Talk to me.” Mr. Amatucci’s voice cut through her memories. “What were you thinking about just now?”

She glanced hesitantly at him. In all of the weeks she’d worked as his PA, they’d never ventured into a conversation that was the slightest bit personal. Their talks had always centered around business. Now, he’d probably think she was silly or sentimental or both.

“I was thinking about all the times in my life when I wore this perfume.”

“And?”

“And I wore it for every major event. My first date. My first kiss. My—” A sharp look from him silenced her.

“So your attachment to the fragrance goes beyond the scent itself. It is a sentimental attachment, right?”

She shrugged. “I guess so.”

She’d never thought of it that way. In fact, she’d never given her perfume this much thought. If the bottle got low, she put it on her shopping list, but that’s as far as her thoughts ever went.

“So if our client doesn’t want to go with a sparkly, feel-fabulous-when-you-wear-this campaign, we can try a more glamorous sentimental approach. Thanks to you, we now have a new strategy.”

She loved watching creativity in action. And she loved being a part of the creative process. “Glad I could help.”

He started to walk away, then he paused and turned back. “You were just promoted to a copywriter position before you took this temporary assignment as my PA, right?”

She nodded. What better way to get noticed than to work directly for one of the biggest names in the advertising industry.

“Good. You aren’t done with this project. I want you to dig into those memories and write out some ideas—”

“But don’t you have a creative team for this account?” She wanted to kick herself for blurting out her thoughts.

Mr. Amatucci sent her a narrowed look. His cool, professional tone remained unchanged. “Are you saying you aren’t interested in working on the project?”

Before she could find the words to express her enthusiasm, his phone rang and he turned away. She struggled to contain her excitement. This was her big opening and she fully intended to make the most of it.

This was going to work out perfectly.

A smile tugged at Kayla lips. She’d finally made it. Though people thought she’d made a big mistake by taking a step backward to assume a temporary position as Mr. Amatucci’s PA, it was actually working out just as she’d envisioned.

She’d gone after what she wanted and she’d gotten it. Well, not exactly, but she was well on her way to making her dreams a reality. With a little more patience and a lot of hard work, she’d become an account executive on New York’s famous Madison Avenue in the exclusive advertising agency of Amatucci & Associates.

Her fingers glided over the keyboard of her computer as she completed the email to the creative department about another of their Christmas campaigns. Sure it was only March, but in the marketing world, they were working months into the future. And with a late-season snowstorm swirling about outside, it seemed sort of fitting to be working on a holiday project.

She glanced off to the side of her computer monitor, noticing her boss holding the phone to his ear as he faced a wall of windows overlooking downtown Manhattan. Being on the twenty-third floor, they normally had a great view of the city, but not today. What she wouldn’t give to be someplace sunny—far, far away from the snow. After months of frigid temperatures and icy sidewalks, she was most definitely ready for springtime.

“Have you started that list?” Mr. Amatucci’s piercing brown gaze met hers.

Um—she’d been lost in her thoughts and hadn’t even realized he’d wrapped up his phone call. Her gaze moved from his tanned face to her monitor. “Not yet. I need to finish one more email. It shouldn’t take me long. I think your ideas for the account are spot-on. Just wait until the client lays her eyes on the mock-ups.”

Then, realizing she was rambling, she pressed her lips firmly together. There was just something about being around him that filled her with nervous energy. And his long stretches of silence had her rushing to fill in the silent gaps.

Mr. Amatucci looked as though he was about to say something, but his phone rang again. All eyes moved to his desk. The ringtone was different. It must be his private line. In all the time she’d been working for him, it had never rung.

It rang again and yet all he did was stare at the phone.

“Do you want me to get it?” Kayla offered, not sure what the problem was or why Mr. Amatucci was hesitant. “I really don’t mind.”

“I’ve got it.” He reached over and snatched up the receiver. “Nico, what’s the matter?”

Well, that was certainly a strange greeting. Who picked up the phone expecting something to be wrong? Then, realizing that she was staring—not to mention eavesdropping—she turned her attention back to the notes she’d been rewording into an email. She glanced up to see Mr. Amatucci had turned his back to her. He once again faced the windows and spoke softly. Though the words were no longer distinguishable, the steely edge of his voice was still obvious.

She looked at the paper on her desk, her gaze darting over it to find where she’d left off. She didn’t want to sit here with her hands idle. No, that definitely wouldn’t look good for her.

She was sending along some of Mr. Amatucci’s thoughts about the mock-up of an ad campaign for a new client—a very demanding client. The account was huge. It would go global—like most of the other accounts her boss personally handled. Each of his clients expected Mr. Amatucci’s world to revolve around them and their accounts. He took their calls, no matter the time—day or night. Through it all, he maintained his cool. To say Angelo was a workaholic was being modest.

As a result, he ran the most sought-after advertising agency in the country—if not the world. Stepping off the elevator, clients and staff were immediately greeted by local artists’ work and fresh flowers. The receptionist was bright and cheerful without being annoying. Appointments were kept timely. The quality of the work was exemplary. All of it culminated in Amatucci & Associates being so popular that they had to turn away business.

“Cosa! Nico, no!” Mr. Amatucci’s hand waved about as he talked.

Her boss’s agitated voice rose with each word uttered. Kayla’s fingers paused as her attention zeroed in on the man who never raised his voice—until now. He was practically yelling. But she could only make out bits and pieces. His words were a mix of English and Italian with a thick accent.

“Nico, are you sure?”

Had someone died? And who was Nico? She hadn’t heard Mr. Amatucci mention anyone with that name, but then again, this call was on his private line. It was highly doubtful that it had anything to do with business. And she knew exactly nothing about his personal life—sometimes she wondered if he even had one.

“Marianna can’t be pregnant!” The shouts spiraled off into Italian.

Pregnant? Was he the father? The questions came hard and fast. There was a little voice in the back of her mind that told her she should excuse herself and give him some privacy, but she was riveted to her chair. No one would ever believe that this smooth, icy-cool man was capable of such heated volatility. She blinked, making sure she hadn’t fallen asleep and was having some bizarre dream. But when her eyes opened, her boss was standing across the room with his hand slicing through the air as he spoke Italian.

The paramount question was: Who was Marianna?

* * *

Angelo Amatucci tightened his grip on the phone until his fingers hurt. This had to be some sort of nightmare and soon he’d wake up. Could it be he’d been working a bit too much lately? Perhaps he should listen to the hints from his business associates to take a break from the frantic pace. That would explain why just moments ago when he’d been examining Ms. Hill’s perfume—a scent he found quite inviting—that he’d been tempted to smooth his thumb along the silky skin of her wrist—

“Angelo, are you listening to me?” Tones of blatant concern laced Nico’s voice, demanding Angelo’s full attention. “What are we going to do?”

Nico was his younger brother by four years, and though their opinions differed on almost everything, the one area where they presented a unified front was their little sister, Marianna—who wasn’t so little anymore.

“There has to be another answer to this. You must have misunderstood. Marianna can’t be pregnant. She’s not even in a serious relationship.”

“I know what I heard.”

“Tell me again.”

“I wanted her to taste the wine from the vineyard. I think it’s the best we’ve ever produced. Just wait until you try some—”

“Nico, tell me about Marianna.”

“Yes, well, she has looked awfully pale and out of sorts since she returned home after her year of traveling. I thought she’d done too much partying—”

“Accidenti! She wasn’t supposed to waste the year partying.” Unable to stand still a moment longer, Angelo started to pace again. When his gaze met the wide-eyed stare of Ms. Hill, she glanced down at her desk. He made a point of turning his back to her and lowering his voice. “She was sent to Australia to work on the vineyards there and get more experience in order to help you. If I’d have known she planned for it to be a year of partying, I’d have sent for her. I could have put her to work at the office.”

Nico sighed. “Not everyone is like you, big brother. We aren’t all driven to spend every last moment of our lives working.”

“And you didn’t do anything about her being sick?”

“What was I supposed to do? I asked if she needed anything. She said no, that it was some sort of flu bug. What else was I supposed to do?”

Angelo’s hand waved around as he flew off in a string of Italian rants. Taking a calming breath, he stopped in front of the windows and stared blindly at the snow. “And it took her confessing she was pregnant for you to figure it out?”

“Like you would have figured it out sooner? What do either of us know about pregnant women...unless there’s something you haven’t told me?”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Angelo had no intention of getting married and having a family. Not now. Not ever.

“She didn’t have any choice but to come clean when I offered her some wine. She knew she couldn’t drink it. Hard to believe that you and I will be uncles this time next year.”

“Don’t tell me you’re happy about this development?”

“I’m not. But what do you want me to do?”

“Find out the father’s name for starters.”

“I tried. She’s being closemouthed. All she said was that she couldn’t drink the wine because she’s eight weeks pregnant. Then she started to cry and took off for her room.”

“Didn’t you follow? How could you have just let her get away without saying more?”

“How could I? I sure don’t see you here trying to deal with an emotional pregnant woman.”

How had things spun so totally out of control? Angelo’s entire body tensed. And more importantly, how did he fix them? How did he help his sister from so far away?

Angelo raked his fingers through his hair. “She has to tell you more. How are we supposed to help if we don’t even know which man is the father. She isn’t exactly the sort to stay in a relationship for long.”

“Trust me. I’ve tried repeatedly to get his name from her. Maybe she’ll tell you.”

That wasn’t a conversation Angelo wanted to have over the phone. It had to be in person. But he was in the middle of overseeing a number of important projects. Now was not the time for him to leave New York. But what choice did he have? This was his baby sister—the little girl he remembered so clearly running around with a smile on her face and her hair in braids.

But a lot of time had passed since he’d left Italy. Would she open up to him? The fact his leaving hadn’t been his idea didn’t seem to carry much weight with his siblings, who were left behind to deal with their dysfunctional parents. Though he dearly missed his siblings, he didn’t miss the constant barrage of high-strung emotions of his parent’s arguments and then their inevitable reunions—a constant circle of epic turmoil.

Maybe the trouble Marianna had got herself into was some sort of rebellion. With their parents now living in Milan, there was only Nico at home to cope with their sister. And to Nico’s credit, he never complained about the enormous responsibility leveled solely on his shoulders.

Now that their parents had moved on, Angelo didn’t have any legitimate excuse to stay away. But every time the subject of his visiting Monte Calanetti surfaced, he pleaded he had too much work to do. It was the truth—mostly. Perhaps he should have tried harder to make more time for his siblings.

Stricken with guilt, anger and a bunch of emotions that Angelo couldn’t even name, he couldn’t think straight. As the oldest brother, he was supposed to look out for his brother and sister. Instead, he’d focused all of his time and energy on creating a thriving, wildly successful company.

In the process, he’d failed their wayward and headstrong sister.

And now her future would forever be altered.

He owed it to Marianna to do what he could to fix things. But how could he do that when he was so far away?

CHAPTER TWO

THIS ISN’T GOOD. Not good at all.

Kayla pressed Save on the computer. She needed to give Mr. Amatucci some space. She reached for her wallet to go buy a—a—a cocoa. Yes, that would suit the weather outside perfectly.

She got to her feet when her boss slammed down the phone. He raked his fingers through his short hair and glanced at her. “Sorry about that. Where were we?”

The weariness in his voice tugged at her sympathies. “Um...well, I thought that I’d go get some um...cocoa—”

“The Van Holsen account. We were talking about how we need to put a rush on it.”

“Um...sure.” She sat back down.

Kayla wasn’t sure how to act. She’d never before witnessed her boss seriously lose it. And who exactly was Marianna? Was it possible Mr. Amatucci really did have a life outside this office—one nobody knew about? The thought had her fighting back a frown. Why should it bother her to think that her boss might have fathered a baby with this woman? It wasn’t as if they were anything more than employee and employer.

Mr. Amatucci stepped up to her desk. “I’ll need to go over this with you tomorrow afternoon.”

“Tomorrow?”

She knew that he asked for the impossible at times and this happened to be one of those times. He’d caught her totally off guard. It’d take time to think out innovative ideas for the new campaign platform. And she had an important meeting that night, but there was no way she was telling her boss about that.

Mr. Amatucci arched a brow at her. “Is that going to be a problem?”

“Uh...no. No problem.” She would not let this opportunity pass her by. “I’ll just finish up what I was working on, and I’ll get started.”

He paused as though considering her answer. “On second thought, it’d be best to go over your ideas first thing in the morning.”

“The morning?”

His gaze narrowed in on her, and she wished that her thoughts would quit slipping across her tongue and out her mouth. It certainly wasn’t helping this situation. She was here to impress him with her capabilities, not to annoy him when he was obviously already in a bad mood.

“Ms. Hill, you seem to be repeating what I say. Is there some sort of problem I should be aware of?”

She hated that he always called her Ms. Hill. Couldn’t he be like everyone else in the office and call her Kayla? But then again, she was talking about Angelo Amatucci—he was unlike anyone she’d ever known.

He was the first man to set her stomach aquiver without so much as touching her. She’d been so aware of his mouth being just a breath away from her neck as he’d sniffed her perfume. The memory was still fresh in her mind. Was it so wrong that she hadn’t wanted that moment to end?

Of course it was. She swallowed hard. He was her boss, not just some guy she’d met at a friend’s place. There could never be anything serious between them—not that he’d ever even noticed her as a desirable woman.

“Ms. Hill?”

“No, there won’t be a...uh...problem.” Who was she kidding? This was going to be a big problem, but she’d work it out—somehow—some way.

Her gaze moved to the windows and the darkening sky. With it only nearing the lunch hour, it shouldn’t be so dark, which could only mean that they were going to get pounded with more snow. The thought of getting stuck at the office turned her nervous stomach nauseous.

Snow. Snow. Go away.

He gazed at her. “I didn’t mean to snap at you—”

“I understand. You’ve got a lot on your mind.”

“Thank you.”

His gaze continued to hold hers. The dark depths of his eyes held a mystery—the story of the real man behind the designer suits and the Rolex watches. She had to admit that she was quite curious about him—more than any employee had a right to about her very handsome, very single boss. And that odd phone call only made her all the more curious. Maybe he wasn’t as single as she’d presumed. The jagged thought lodged in her throat.

Mr. Amatucci’s steady gaze met hers. “You’re sure you’re up for this project?”

She pressed her lips together, no longer trusting her mouth, and nodded. She’d have to reschedule tonight’s meeting for the fund-raiser.

“Good. If you need help, feel free to ask one of the other PAs to take over some of your other work. The Van Holsen account is now your priority.”

He gathered his tablet computer and headed for the door. “I’ve got a meeting. I’ll be back later.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got this.”

Without a backward glance, he strode out of the room, looking like the calm, cool, collected Angelo Amatucci that everyone respected and admired for his creative foresight. But how he was able to shut down his emotions so quickly was totally beyond her.

What was she going to do about her meeting tonight? It didn’t help that she’d been the one to set it up. Somehow she’d been put in charge of the Inner City League after-school program fund-raiser. The program was in a serious financial bind. ICL was a great organization that kept at-risk kids off the streets after school while their parents were still at work.

Kayla had been volunteering for the past year. Helping others was how her parents had raised her. They had always been generous with their spare time and money—not that they had much of either. Kayla may have hightailed it out of Paradise, Pennsylvania, as soon as she could, but there was still a lot of Paradise in her. And she’d swear that she got more back from the kids and the other volunteers than she ever gave to any of them. For a girl who was used to living in a small town of friends, it was a comfort to have such a friendly group to keep her from feeling isolated in such a large city of strangers.

There was no way she could reschedule tonight’s meeting. They were running out of time until the charity concert and there was still so much to plan. Somehow she had to make this all work out. She couldn’t let down the kids nor could she let down her boss. The thought of Angelo Amatucci counting on her felt good.

Not only was he easy on the eyes, but she really enjoyed working with him, even if he was a bit stiff and withdrawn most of the time. But now that she’d witnessed him emotionally charged, she couldn’t help but wonder what it’d be like to get up close and personal with him.

* * *

Angelo shook his head.

Marianna pregnant! Impossible.

Okay, so it wasn’t impossible, but why had she been acting so irresponsible? It wasn’t as if she was married or even considering it. She changed romantic interests faster than he changed ties—never getting too serious—until now. Nico didn’t even know the father’s name. What was up with that?

“What do you think, Mr. Amatucci?”

He glanced up at his youngest and most promising account executive. This was a meeting to discuss the campaign for a new sports car that was going to be revealed later that year. The car was quite nice and was sure to create a buzz of attention.

But for the life of him, Angelo couldn’t keep his mind wrapped around business—no matter how important the account. His head was in Italy at the village of Monte Calanetti—where he should be dealing with his sister’s life-changing event.

Angelo glanced down at the presentation on his digital tablet and then back at the account executive. “I think you still have work to do. This presentation is flat. It isn’t innovative enough. There’s nothing here to sway a twentysomething consumer to take out a sizable loan on top of their college debt in order to have this car. I want the ‘must have’ factor. The part that says if I have this car all of my friends will be envious. This isn’t just a car—this is a status symbol. Do you understand?”

Mike glanced down and then back at Angelo. “But this is what the client asked for.”

“And it’s your job to push the envelope and give the client something more to consider—to want.” Maybe he’d been too quick in his determination that Mike was going to be an asset to Amatucci & Associates—unlike Kayla, who was constantly proving she was an independent thinker. “Try again.”

Mike’s mouth started to open but out of the corner of Angelo’s eye he could see the copywriter give a quick shake of his head. Mike glanced back at Angelo. He nodded his agreement.

“Good. I expect to see something new in forty-eight hours.”

Again the man’s mouth opened but nothing came out. His lips pressed together, and he nodded. Now if only Angelo could handle his little sister in the same no-nonsense manner. He liked when things were easy and uncomplicated.

But now, with time to cool down, he realized that his only course of action was to return home—to return to Italy. His gut knotted as he thought of the expectations that he’d failed to fulfill. Back in Monte Calanetti he wasn’t viewed as someone successful—someone influential. Back home he was Giovanni’s son—the son who’d fled his family and their way of life, unlike his younger brother who took great pride in their heritage.

With the meeting concluded, Angelo made his way back to his office. With the decision made to leave first thing in the morning, he had to figure out how to handle his current workload. His clients would never accept having their accounts turned over to anyone else. They paid top dollar for one-on-one attention, and they would accept nothing less.

In order for him to stay on top of everything while traveling abroad, he needed someone who was good in a crisis, levelheaded and an independent worker. Kayla’s beautiful face immediately sprang to mind. Could she be the answer?

He hesitated. She did have a habit of being a bit too chatty at times. But this was an emergency. Allowances would have to be made.

More importantly, he was impressed with her work ethic and her attention to details. She was hungry and eager—two elements that would serve her well. And best of all, she had an easy way with people—something that might come in handy on this trip.

He stopped next to her desk. “Ms. Hill.” She glanced up. Her green eyes widened. How had he missed their striking shade of jade until now? He cleared his throat, focusing back on the business at hand. “How’s the Van Holsen account coming?”

Color pinked her cheeks. “Mr. Amatucci, I...I haven’t gotten to it yet. The phone has been ringing and I’ve been sending out information for some other accounts.”

She looked worried as though she’d done something wrong. For the first time, Angelo wondered if everyone who worked for him was intimidated by him. He didn’t like the thought of Ms. Hill being uncomfortable around him. He knew he wasn’t an easy man to get to know, but he didn’t like the thought of striking fear in the hearts of his employees.

“Relax. That’s fine. Besides you’ll have plenty of time to brainstorm on the flight.”

“Excuse me. The flight?”

Since when did he speak without thinking it through first? It had to be this mess with Marianna. It had him off-kilter. “Something urgent has come up. I need to travel to Italy. And I need a competent person to accompany me.”

“Me?” Excitement lit up her whole face. Before today, he’d never noticed that behind those black-rimmed reading glasses were not only mesmerizing green eyes but also a beautiful face—not that he was interested in her, or anyone. Ms. Hill clasped her hands together. “I’ve never been to Italy. I’d love it.”

“Good. That’s what I was hoping you’d say.” But suddenly he wasn’t sure spending so much time alone with her was such a good idea, especially now that he’d noticed the unique color of her mesmerizing eyes and her intoxicating scent. He swallowed hard. But it was too late to back out now. “You need to understand this trip will be business only, not a holiday.”

“Understood.”

“If you go, you’ll need to be committed to your work 24/7. We can’t afford to miss any deadlines. Is that acceptable?”

She hesitated and, for a moment, he worried that she would back out.

But then Ms. Hill’s head bobbed. “I can do it.”

“Make sure you are ready to go first thing in the morning.”

“As in tomorrow morning?”

He nodded. “And expect to be gone for at least a week—maybe two.” Her mouth gaped and her eyes widened. It was obvious that he’d caught her off guard. But she wasn’t the only one to be surprised today—by so many things.

When he’d approved her transfer to be his temporary PA, he’d made it perfectly clear that he demanded 100 percent focus and commitment from his employees. It was that extra push and attention to detail that put Amatucci & Associates head and shoulders above the competition.

If you wanted to be the best, you had to give it your all. And that is what he expected from all of his employees, even if it meant dropping family, hobbies and extracurricular activities in order to focus on the job. What he was asking of Kayla was no different than he’d ask of anyone.

When she didn’t jump to accept his offer, he had no patience to wait for an answer. “That won’t be a problem, will it?”

From the little he knew about his assistant, she didn’t have a family. At least not in the city. And he hadn’t seen or heard any hints of a man in her life. Maybe she was more like him than he’d originally thought.

Or was there something else bothering her? Was it the incident with the perfume? Perhaps that hadn’t been one of his better moves. He was used to following his instincts when it came to his creative process, but there was something about his assistant that had him leaning a little closer to her slender neck and, for the briefest second, he’d forgotten the reason. His mind had spiraled in a totally inappropriate direction. That wouldn’t happen again. He’d see to it.

After all, she wasn’t his type. Her nondescript business suits, the way she pulled back her hair and the way she hid her luminous green eyes behind a pair of black-rimmed glasses gave off a very prim, old-fashioned persona. So why was he letting one unexplainable moment bother him?

“I could make arrangements to go, but I have so much work to do on the Van Holsen account—”

“If that’s your only objection, then don’t worry. The account can wait one day. In fact, take the rest of the day off. I expect to see you at the airport at 6:00 a.m.. Unless you’d like me to pick you up on the way.”

“Uh, no.” She shook her head vehemently. “I’ll find my own way there.”

He felt a bit obligated. He was, after all, asking her to drop everything on a moment’s notice to help him out. He needed to make a concerted effort to be a little friendlier. “Are you sure? It’s really no problem to swing by your place.”

“You don’t even know where I live.”

“True. But since you’re going out of your way to help me, I wouldn’t mind going out of my way for you.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it.” She smiled, easing the stress lines from around her mouth.

Angelo found his attention straying to her kissable lips coated with a shimmery light pink gloss. Okay, so not every aspect of her was prim and proper. A fantasy of her pulling off her glasses and letting down her hair played in his mind. Realizing the direction of his wayward thoughts, he halted them.

With effort, his gaze rose over the light splattering of freckles on her pert nose to her intense green eyes. How had he failed to notice her beauty up until today? Had he been that absorbed in his work that he’d failed to see what was standing right in front of him?

He cleared his throat. “I’ll pick you up at say five-thirty?”

“Mr. Amatucci—”

“If we’re going to travel together, we should at least be on a first name basis. Please, call me Angelo.” Now where in the world had that come from? He made a point of keeping his distance from his employees. But then again, he was taking her home with him, where she would meet his family, and that broke all of his professional rules. He reconciled himself with the fact that Kayla’s time working for him was limited—soon his regular PA would be back. So maybe he could afford to bend the rules a bit.

“And please call me Kayla.” She smiled again, and this time it reached her eyes, making them sparkle like fine jewels.

“We’re going to my home in Italy. It’s a small village in the Tuscany countryside—Monte Calanetti.”

“I’m afraid I’ve never heard of it, but then again, I’ve never had the opportunity to travel abroad. Is it big? The village that is?”

He shook his head. “The last time I saw it— granted it has been quite a while—but it was as if time had passed it by. It is rather small and quaint. It is entirely a different world from New York City. Now, are you still interested in going?”

She hesitated and he worried that he’d have to come up with an alternate plan. As of right now, he didn’t have one. He needed someone who was familiar with his accounts and wouldn’t need a bunch of hand-holding. Kayla was his only viable option. He wasn’t one to beg, but at this particular moment he was giving it serious consideration.

Her dimpled chin tilted up. “Yes, I am. It sounds like it’ll be a great adventure.”

“I don’t know about that. The reason I’m going there isn’t exactly pleasant, but then again, that isn’t for you to worry about. You need to go home and pack.”

“Okay. But what should I plan on wearing for the trip? Business attire?”

“Definitely something more casual. There won’t be any business meetings, so use your best judgment.” He had no doubt her casual attire was as dull and drab as her suits. Not that it mattered to him what she wore so long as she was ready to work.

Kayla gathered her things, and then paused. “Before I leave, should I make plane reservations?”

He shook his head. “No need. We’ll take my private jet.”

Her pink lips formed an O but nothing came out. And for a moment, he let himself wonder what it’d be like to kiss those full, tempting lips. Not that he would, but he could imagine that one kiss just wouldn’t be enough. Something told him that lurking beneath that proper and congenial surface was a passionate woman—

Again, he drew his thoughts up short. The last thing he needed was to notice her feminine qualities. He wasn’t about to mix business with pleasure. No way.

CHAPTER THREE

FLUFFY CLOUDS FLOATED past the jet’s windows.

They’d soon be touching down in Italy.

A giddy excitement bubbled up in Kayla’s chest as she glanced across the aisle at Mr. Amatucci—er—Angelo. She still had a problem remembering to call him by his given name after referring to him as Mr. Amatucci for so long. Being on a first-name basis left her feeling unsettled—not exactly sure how to act around him. If anything, Angelo was even more quiet and reserved than before. Had he sensed her attraction to him?

Impossible. She hadn’t said or done anything to betray herself. She smoothed a hand over her gray skirt. She was worrying for nothing.

Just act normal.

She glanced at her boss. “Do you know how long until we arrive?”

Angelo turned in his leather seat to look at her. “What did you say?”

“I was wondering how long we have until we land in Italy.”

“Not much longer.” His dark gaze dipped to the pen and paper in her lap. “Are you working?”

“I am.” Her body tensed as she read over her scribbled notes for the Van Holsen account. She didn’t have anything innovative enough to measure up to the Amatucci standard. “I thought this would be a good time to flesh out some ideas.”

“And you like doing it longhand?”

“I think better that way.” She’d never really taken the time to consider her creative process, but yes, now that she thought about it, she did always start with pen and paper. She didn’t move to the computer until she had a fully functioning idea.

“Is that for the Van Holsen account?”

“Yes, I’ve been doing what you suggested and going with a nostalgic appeal.”

“Good. Can I see what you’ve come up with so far?”

She glanced down at all of her scribbles and half thoughts. And then her eyes caught sight of his name scrolled out in cursive. Her heart clenched. What in the world?

She must have done it while she’d been deep in thought. Immediately, her pen started crossing it out. The last thing she needed was for her boss to think she had a crush on him. That would be the end of her career.

“I...I don’t exactly have anything solid yet.” She was going to have to be careful in the future of what she wrote down just in case Mr. Curious decided to peer over her shoulder.

“I could help you. Let me see what you have.” He held out his hand.

She really didn’t want to hand over her notepad, but what choice did she have if she wanted to stay in his good graces? She glanced down at the scratched-out spot and squinted. She could still see his name—all fourteen letters. But that was because she knew it was there. She ran the pen over it a few more times.

With great hesitation, she handed over the legal pad. Angelo’s acute gaze skimmed over the page. Her palms grew moist. He took his time reading, but he paused as he reached the bottom. That was where she’d vigorously scratched out his name, almost wearing a hole in the page.

“I’m guessing that you’ve ruled out this idea?” He gestured to the blob of ink.

“Most definitely. It wouldn’t have worked.”

“Are you sure? Maybe you should tell me what it was, and then we can see if there’s any value in pursuing it?” He sent her an expectant look.

“Honestly, it’s not worth the effort. I was totally off the mark with it.” A man like Angelo, who could have a gorgeous model or movie star on each arm, would never be interested in someone as plain and boring as herself.

He let the subject go and turned back to her notes while she sat there realizing just how “off the mark” her imagination had wandered. No way was she going down that romantic path again, even if it was paved with rose petals. All it’d do was lead her into making a commitment—having a family—everything she’d left behind in Paradise. She wanted to be different—she wanted to be professionally successful. She needed to show everyone back in her hometown that she’d made her dreams come true.

And then Angelo’s gaze lifted to meet hers. She should glance away but the intensity of his gaze held her captive. Her heart raced. He didn’t say anything, which was just as well, because she doubted she could have strung two words together. Had he figured out what she’d scribbled on the page? Please, not that. But then again, he didn’t look upset. Instead, he looked like—like what? The breath hitched in her throat. Was he interested in her?

He glanced away and shook his head. “Sorry about that. Something you wrote down gave me an idea for the campaign, but then it slipped away.”

Silly girl. What made her think he’d ever look at her that way? And why would she want him to? It’d be the beginning of the end of her rising career—her dream.

Get a grip, Kayla.

“No problem.” She held out her hand, willing it not to shake. “If you let me have the pad back, I’ll work on getting my thoughts more organized. Maybe we can discuss them as soon as we get situated in Italy.” She wasn’t quite sure where their accommodations would be since Angelo had personally handled the travel arrangements, but she was certain they would be nice.

“Sounds good. Just because we’re out of town doesn’t mean we should fall behind on our work. I don’t plan to be here long—just long enough to take care of some personal business. If we’re lucky, perhaps I can wrap it up in a day or two.”

What had happened to a week—maybe two? Disappointment assailed her. But it would be for the best. After all, it’d get her home sooner to make sure the ICL fund-raiser was moving along without too many snags. But she still couldn’t shake the disappointment.

* * *

He’d missed this.

Angelo maneuvered the low-slung sports car over the windy roads of the Tuscany hillside toward his home in Monte Calanetti. He was grateful to be behind the wheel. It helped to center his thoughts. On the plane, he’d noticed his assistant in the most unexpected way. With her peaches-and-cream complexion, he’d been tempted to reach out and caress her smooth skin. But it was her green, almost-jade eyes that sparkled and hinted at so much more depth to the woman than he already knew—or would expect to know. The last thing he needed to do was get distracted by his assistant.

Actually, now that he’d noticed her—really noticed her—it was getting harder and harder to keep his mind on business around her. Perhaps bringing her on this trip wasn’t his best decision, after all, but it was a necessity. He needed her help. He assured himself that, in the end, it would all work out as long as he stayed focused on the business at hand.

Thankfully, Kayla was just temporary help until his assistant returned from maternity leave. Then life would get back to normal. As far as he was concerned, that wouldn’t be soon enough.

“This is wonderful.”

The sound of Kayla’s excited voice drew him out of his thoughts. He took his eyes off the roadway for just a moment to investigate what she found so fascinating, but he only saw vegetation. “Sorry. I missed it.”

“No, you didn’t. It’s this. The long grass and the trees lining the roadway. It’s beautiful.”

What? The woman had never been outside of the city? He supposed that was possible. He honestly didn’t know much about her other than her excellent work ethic. That, in and of itself, would normally be enough for him, but since they were traveling together, what would it hurt to know a little more?

“Is this your first time outside New York City?”

“I’m not a native New Yorker.”

They had something else in common. Still, after all of those years living in New York, it was home to him now. He thrived on the constant energy that flowed through the city. He couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. “Where does your family live?”

He could feel her curious gaze on him, but he didn’t turn to her. “They live in a small town in Pennsylvania.”

“So you really didn’t move all that far from home.”

“That’s not what my parents think.”

He glanced at her and saw she’d pressed her lips together in a firm line. Something told him that she hadn’t meant to share that bit of information. But why? What else was she holding back?

“Your parents aren’t crazy about the big-city life?”

There was a moment of hesitation as though she were trying to figure out how to answer him. “It’s not New York so much as the fact that I’m not in Paradise anymore. They had my whole life planned out for me, but I rejected it.”

“You must have had one of those chopper mothers I’ve heard about.”

Kayla laughed. The sound was melodious and endearing. In that moment, he realized that he’d never heard her laugh before. He really liked it and hoped she’d do it more often, but for the life of him, he had no idea what he’d said to cause such a reaction.

“Do you mean a helicopter mom?”

He shrugged. “I guess. I knew it was something like that.”

“My mom wasn’t too bad. I know friends that had mothers who were much more controlling. But my mom is pretty good.”

Wait. Something wasn’t adding up. He pulled to a stop at an intersection. If he went straight ahead, it’d lead them up the hill to the village. But if he veered to the right, it’d take them to Nico’s boutique vineyard—their childhood home.

Checking the rearview mirror and finding no traffic behind them, he paused and turned to her. “So if your mother is so great, why did you flee to the big city?”

Kayla shifted in her seat as though she were uncomfortable—or was it that he was digging too deep into personal territory? He knew what that was like—wanting to keep a firm lid on the past. But he couldn’t help himself. There was just something about Kayla that intrigued him—and it went much deeper than her beauty. He was genuinely interested in her as a person.

Her voice was soft when she spoke, and he strained to hear. “I didn’t live up to my parents’ expectations.”

That was so hard to believe. He was a very particular employer, and Kayla lived up to and in some areas exceeded his expectations. “Do they know what a wonderful job you’ve done at Amatucci & Associates?”

Her gaze widened. “You really think so?”

Angelo didn’t realize he’d kept his approval of her work under wraps. Then again, he wasn’t the sort of man to go on about someone’s performance. Yet, in this moment, something told him that Kayla really needed to hear his evaluation of her performance.

“I think you’ve done an excellent job—”

“You do?” She smiled brightly and practically bounced in her seat before clasping her hands together.

“I do—”

A horn beeped behind them.

The interruption was a welcome one. This conversation was getting a little too emotional for his comfort. He thought for a moment that in her glee she might throw her arms around him. He didn’t do hugs—no way—and certainly not with an employee. He couldn’t—wouldn’t—let the lines between them blur.

Angelo eased the car forward, focusing once again on the road and his destination. He urged himself to ignore the funny feeling Kayla’s obvious excitement had given him. He trained his thoughts on the scene he’d be walking into at the vineyard. His fingers tightened on the black leather steering wheel.

On second thought, maybe he should have dropped Kayla off at the hotel before venturing out here. But he hadn’t exactly been thinking straight—not since Nico had dropped the bombshell that their little sister was about to have a baby. Angelo was about to become an uncle. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He’d worked so hard to distance himself from his family—from his emotionally charged parents and their chaotic marriage. But now that they’d moved, what excuse did he have to stay away from his birthplace—the home of his brother and sister?

“Is this the way to the village?” Kayla sat up a little straighter.

“No, this is the way to my brother’s vineyard.”

“Oh, how exciting. I’ve never visited a vineyard. I can’t wait to see it. I bet it’s beautiful like those magazine photos. Will we be staying there?”

“No.” Angelo’s tone was brusquer than he’d intended, but her endless chatter combined with his pending reunion had him on edge.

He chanced a glance her way and found her eyes had widened in surprise. He couldn’t blame her, but how did he explain his family dynamics to her? Then again, why did he feel a need to explain his family at all?

“It’ll be best if we stay at a hotel in the village. I’m not sure if the internet at the vineyard has been updated.” There, that sounded like a valid reason for them to have some space between him and his siblings.

“Oh, I hadn’t thought about that. I know the Van Holsen account needs to be updated as soon as possible. I already contacted the art department and let them know that a whole new strategy will be coming their way.”

“Good. I want everything to move ahead without delay.”

Whether he liked it or not, he’d been right to bring Kayla along on this trip. She was efficient and quite good at her job. Now, if only he could be just as professional and keep his mind from meandering into dangerous territory. However, the more time he spent around her, the more he found himself being anything but professional.

CHAPTER FOUR

THE CAR TURNED to the right and lurched forward. Kayla grabbed for the door handle. She had no idea that the vineyard would be so far out in the country, but then again, this was her first trip to Italy. In fact, other than one business trip to Canada, this was her first expedition out of the country.

“Welcome to Calanetti Vineyard.”

Kayla glanced around, taking in the neat lines of grapevines. “Does all of this belong to your brother?”

“No. His vineyard is just a small portion of this land, but he produces some of the highest quality wine in the country.”

“And you grew up here?”

“I did.” Angelo pulled the car to a stop in front of a two-story villa. The home featured earth tones that blended in well with the land. “My brother will be expecting us. I phoned him from the airport.”

As if on cue, the front door of the villa swung open and a man stepped out. Kayla did a double take—it was like looking at a slightly younger version of Angelo. The man approached the car wearing an easy smile. His eyes were dark brown like his brother’s, but there was an easiness in them. They were quite unlike Angelo’s dark and mysterious eyes.

When Nico opened the car door for her and held out his hand, she accepted his offer. Then she noticed the biggest difference of all. Instead of her stomach quivering with nervous energy in response to Nico’s touch, she had no reaction at all. What did that mean? How could two men who looked so much alike have her reacting in such opposite ways?

It had to be that Angelo was her boss. That must be it. There was simply no other reasonable explanation for the electric charge that Angelo gave her every time she felt his gaze on her or when their fingers brushed as they passed papers back and forth.

“Benvenuta.” Nico’s voice carried a thick, warm Italian accent. When she sent him a puzzled look, he smiled. “Scusi. Welcome.”

She smiled back, immediately liking Angelo’s brother. “I’m so glad to be here.”

“My brother doesn’t bring many visitors home. In fact, you are the first. You must be special—”

“Nico, this is my assistant.” Angelo frowned at his sibling.

Nico’s dark brows rose and then a knowing smile pulled at his lips. “I hope my brother doesn’t work you too hard while you’re in Italy. There’s so much to see. I’d love to give you a tour of the vineyard—”

“She doesn’t have time for that stuff. She’s here to work.” Any hint of the easiness Angelo had displayed in the car was gone—hidden behind an impenetrable wall. “Now where is Marianna?”

“I don’t know.”

“What? Didn’t you tell her that I was on my way?”

“I did.” Nico folded his arms over his broad chest and lifted his chin. “I think that’s the reason she left so early this morning without even bothering to grab a bite to eat. I haven’t seen her since, but then again, I haven’t looked for her, either.”

“You let her walk away—?”

“What did you want me to do? Lock her in her room?”

“Maybe if you’d have done that a while ago, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

Nico’s arms lowered and his shoulders straightened. “You’re blaming me for this?”

Angelo’s body visibly tensed. “Yes...no. If only I’d have known something was wrong, I could have...”

“Could have what?”

Kayla’s gaze darted between the two men who glared at each other. It was time to do something and fast. “This certainly is a beautiful place you have here.” She acted as though she were totally oblivious to the torrent of undercurrents. “Angelo told me you produce some of the finest wine in Italy.”

At last, the brothers quit glaring at each other. Nico turned to her. “My brother got that much right. I’d be happy if you’d sample some while you’re here.”

“I’d be honored.”

This palpable tension certainly wasn’t what she’d been expecting for a family reunion, but then again, after overhearing the heated conversation when Nico had phoned the office, she shouldn’t be too surprised. She turned her attention to her always-in-control boss, who looked as though he was about to lose his cool edge and have a meltdown. Intriguing. There was definitely a lot more to him than what she’d witnessed so far.

“I should have come back before now.” There was a weary, pained toned to Angelo’s voice. “I let the past keep me away.”

Nico turned back to his sibling. “What happened to you was a long time ago. It wasn’t right, but a lot has changed since then. You no longer have an excuse to stay away.”

“But I still have a company to run. I don’t have time to drop everything and travel halfway around the globe to check up on things. As far as I knew, everything was all right.”

“Maybe if you didn’t work all the time and bothered to call occasionally, you’d know how things were going around here.”

Questions crowded into Kayla’s mind—questions that were absolutely none of her business. But that didn’t stop her from wondering what had happened to drive Angelo away from his family. He obviously loved them or he wouldn’t have let his cool composure slide. And what caused him to keep his emotions under lock and key in the first place?

Angelo raked his fingers through his hair. “Maybe I should have called more.”

“Yes, you should have.”

The thud of a door slamming shut punctuated Nico’s words. Kayla hesitantly glanced off in the distance as a young woman marched toward them. Her brown hair was wild and curly as it fluttered in the breeze. Her lips pressed into a firm line and her eyes narrowed in on the two men. This must be Marianna.

“Enough!” The woman came to a stop between Angelo and Nico. “You two are being ridiculous. Anytime you both want to quit with the overprotective-brother routine, we can talk.”

Though she was at least a foot shorter than her brothers, Marianna certainly didn’t hesitate to step between them. Something told Kayla that little sister wasn’t a shrinking violet with these two as her brothers. She’d definitely have to be strong-willed. Silently Kayla cheered her on.

Angelo’s broad chest puffed up before he sighed. When he spoke, his voice was much gentler. “Marianna, if only I’d known—”

“Stop.” The young woman pressed her hands to her hips and pulled back her slender shoulders. “Neither of you are to blame for my choices.”

Angelo’s brows drew together in a formidable line. “But—”

“I’m not done.” Her shoulders remained ramrod straight. “I’m a grown woman, if you hadn’t noticed. But then again, you’ve been off in the States and missed the fact that I’ve grown up. Maybe if you’d spent more time here, you’d have realized this.”

Kayla’s heart went out to Angelo. He’d obviously made mistakes where his family was concerned, and they weren’t shy about calling him out on it. In his eyes, she could see pain and regret. Beneath his hard, protective shell lurked a vulnerable man.

Angelo’s stance eased and his head lowered. “I know I should have been here for you—”

“No. This isn’t what I want.” Marianna shook her head, sending her hair flying. “I don’t need you feeling guilty. I need you to understand that I can make my own decisions.”

“See, I told you,” Nico piped in. “Trying to deal with her isn’t as easy as it sounds.”

Angelo turned to his brother. “Maybe if you’d have told me sooner—”

Nico’s dark brows drew together in a formidable line. “Told you—I tried calling you but I always got your voice mail. And you didn’t call back.”

“I...I was getting around to it.”

Nico shook his head in disbelief. “I’m glad to know where I fit on your list of priorities.”

“You don’t understand.” Angelo rubbed the back of his neck. “You don’t know what it’s like to have a lot of people relying on you to produce cutting-edge promotions and other people looking to you for a paycheck. It’s not as easy as it sounds to run a successful company.”

Nico expelled a disgusted sigh. “And you think turning this place into a renowned boutique vineyard has been easy? Yet I still found time to call you.”

“Your message never said it was important.”

“Stop!” Marianna pushed Angelo back. “You aren’t helping anything by coming here and fighting with Nico.”

Angelo took a deep breath and blew it out. “I know I wasn’t here when you needed me, but I’m here now. Let me help.”

Kayla watched all of this in utter amazement. She never would have guessed her boss was capable of such a wide range of emotions. So then why did he strive at the office for such an unflappable persona? What was she missing?

Kayla was about to introduce herself to Marianna, when the young woman stared up at Angelo and said, “And I wish you weren’t here now. Not like this. Not with all of the fighting.” When Angelo’s brows rose and his mouth opened but nothing came out, Marianna added, “I don’t want to play referee.” Her hand moved protectively to her still-flat stomach. “It isn’t good for the baby.”

Angelo and Nico looked at each other as though neither had considered how their fighting would stress their sister—their pregnant sister.

Marianna moved to look at both of her brothers. “I’m fully capable of taking care of myself.”

Nico rolled his eyes. Angelo crossed his arms but refrained from saying anything.

“I hope you’ll both give me some space.”

Angelo’s brows rose. “But first, we want to know the name of the father.”

“That’s none of your business.”

Nico stepped forward. “It is our business if he thinks he’s going to get our sister pregnant and then just walk away.”

Marianna’s face filled with color.

Angelo pressed his hands to his sides. “We deserve the right to speak to this guy. He needs to know that we expect him to step up and do his part—”

“And I expect you both to mind your own business.” Marianna started for the house.

Enough was enough. The time had come to make a hasty exit. It was obvious that Marianna was in over her head and that her brothers were only making the situation worse.

When Angelo turned to follow his sister, Kayla moved swiftly in front of him. “I’m not feeling so good.” It wasn’t totally a lie—her stomach was in knots watching the Amatucci siblings squabble. “Could you take me to the hotel?”

Angelo’s worried gaze moved from her to his sister to her. “Sure.” He turned to Nico. “We need to talk more.”

“I figured as much.”

“I’ll be back after we get settled.”

Nico shrugged. “I’ll be here. I can’t speak for Marianna.”

“I don’t think she needs anyone to speak for her. She certainly does have a mind of her own. Even if it gets her in trouble.”

“She always was strong-willed. I think she’s a lot like Mama.”

“Agreed.”

At last the two had something they agreed on—their little sister’s character. And now that things were on a good note, it was definitely time to say goodbye.

Kayla cleared her throat, hoping to gain Angelo’s attention. When he didn’t turn her way, she proceeded to say, “Angelo, are you ready to go?”

She’d have rather had a tour of the vineyard and stretched her legs, but not under these strained circumstances. She couldn’t help but wonder if it was the situation with their sister that had them at odds or if they had a history of not getting along.

Angelo glanced her way. “It was a long trip. I suppose you would like to lie down for a bit.”

“That would be nice.” She turned to Nico, who was still eyeing his brother with obvious agitation. “It was so nice to meet you. I hope that we’ll see each other again.”

“I suppose that’ll depend on my brother and whether he trusts you with me—”

“Nico. Enough.” Angelo’s voice held an obvious note of warning. “We’ll be staying at the Hotel Villa Bellezza. If Marianna cools down, phone me.”

Angelo quietly followed her to the car and opened the door for her. “I’m sorry you had to witness that.”

“Don’t be.” She searched for words of comfort. “Families are messy. It’s what happens when people love each other. And I saw a lot of love back there.”

“You did?”

“Most definitely.” She stepped past him and got in the car.

She’d never met anyone who could get under her boss’s skin like Nico. The man appeared to have needling his big brother down to a fine art. There was so much more to the polished, successful businessman standing next to her than she’d ever imagined. And she was anxious to know more.

CHAPTER FIVE

KAYLA GRIPPED THE armrest tightly.

The line of cypress trees was no more than a blur as Angelo accelerated away from the vineyard. He didn’t say a word as they zigzagged through the valley before starting their ascent up a hillside. The vegetation was so green and lush that she couldn’t imagine there was a village, much less a five-star hotel, within miles of here.

“I need to apologize.” Angelo’s voice broke the awkward silence. “I didn’t mean to have you witness our family drama.”

“It’s okay. I know how families can be.” She couldn’t help but want to know more about him and his family. “Your parents, do they live around here?”

He shook his head, keeping his eyes on the road. “They left the vineyard to us kids and moved to Milan. It was best for everyone.”

Kayla wasn’t sure what to say to that. Obviously there wasn’t a close relationship between him and his parents. Did she even want to know why? It’d just move them further from boss and employee and into a new relationship—one that she didn’t want to examine too closely.

Angelo downshifted for a curve. “I know that you come from a close-knit family, so it’d be hard for you to understand a family that functions better apart than together.”

Kayla was surprised that he kept talking about his private life when she hadn’t even asked him anything. It was as if these thoughts were pent up inside him, and he needed to get them out if he was to have any peace.

She searched frantically for words of comfort. “Every family is different. Not better. Not worse. Just different.”

“But this is my fault.” His palm smacked the steering wheel. “I shouldn’t have left for New York to go to college. I should have found a way to stay here. Marianna was so young when I left, and my parents—well, they were so consumed with each other that they didn’t have time to worry about anyone else.”

“I’m sure they did their best.”

He shook his head. “You don’t know my parents. They are the most passionate people I know. And not in a good way. One minute they love each other and the next they are getting divorced. That’s the end. They never want to see each other again. To say our childhoods were unstable is putting it mildly.”

Kayla struggled to keep her mouth from gaping open. Her parents were the most mild-mannered couple. Their voices were rarely raised to each other, and they still gazed lovingly at each other like a couple of starstruck teenagers. Kayla knew they wanted her to experience the same sort of love and happiness. That’s why she didn’t hold it against them for trying to guide her life. It’s just that she was different. There was so much more to life than love, marriage and babies. And she wanted to experience all of it.

Angelo cleared his throat, but his voice still rumbled with emotion. “I just couldn’t take any more of their fighting and making up. It was so unnerving to never know if my parents were passionately in love or on the verge of calling their divorce attorneys. And there was no way I could take Nico with me—not that he’d have gone. He has this unbreakable tie to the vineyard—to the village. He never would have done what I did. And maybe he’s right. Maybe if I’d stayed then Marianna wouldn’t be alone and having a baby.”

“It’s not your fault.” Kayla resisted the urge to reach out to him. “Your sister is a grown woman. She has to be allowed to make her own choices. Right or wrong. You couldn’t have prevented this.”

“But maybe if I’d been here, she’d have felt like she still had a family that loves her. Then she wouldn’t have taken off on this trip of hers only to let some smooth-talking guy take advantage of her.” Angelo’s body noticeably stiffened.

“I’m fairly certain that no one could take advantage of your sister. She seems quite strong, like her brothers. She just needs some time to sort things out.”

He sighed. “I’m sure she’s plenty confused. And I suppose Nico and I did nothing to help by arguing. It’s just that every time my brother and I get together, we disagree. We are very different. That’s why I reserved us a suite at the hotel. I knew staying at the vineyard would just lead to more drama, and that’s the last thing any of us need.”

“But you two didn’t argue at the end.”

“That’s because we both agree that Marianna needs both of us—whether she likes it or not.”

“Good. Maybe you can build on that.”

“Perhaps.”

She decided that enough had been said for now on that subject. Angelo needed time to calm down. “Is the hotel far from here?”

“No. It’s just at the rise of the hill.” His voice had returned to its normal reserved, unemotional tone.

“Really. I never would have guessed. I can’t wait to see the village.” But if Angelo was serious about this being a productive trip, she wasn’t sure that she’d get to see much of Italy. The thought dampened her mood. “Do you think I’ll have some time to look around the village?”

He glanced at her before turning back to the road. “There really isn’t much to see.”

She’d beg to differ with him. Everything about Italy was special for this American girl. This was the biggest adventure of her life. How could he think this place was anything but special?

“I...I’ve never been here before. I was just hoping to sneak in some sightseeing.”

“As long as you get your work done, I don’t care what you do with your free time.”

Oh, good!

As the car climbed the hill, Angelo pulled to the side for an older truck that was barreling toward them. Once back on the road, the car’s tire dropped into a rut and bounced Kayla. The seat belt restrained her, but her bare thigh brushed against his hand as it gripped the gearshift. Heat raced up her leg, under her skirt and set her whole body tingling.

“Sorry about that.” He quickly moved his hand back to the steering wheel.

Had he noticed their touch? Had it affected him, too? Was that why he’d moved his hand? Or was she just being ridiculous? Definitely being ridiculous. She knew when men were interested in her, and Angelo certainly wasn’t. A frown pulled at her lips.

So why then did it bother her? Sure, he was the most handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on. But, he was her boss—the key to her career. She wouldn’t—she couldn’t—let some ridiculous crush get in her way after everything she’d sacrificed to get here.

Time to think about something else.

“I didn’t have time to do any research before we left New York. What should I see while I’m here?”

He shrugged. “Honestly, there’s nothing special about Monte Calanetti. It’s just small and old.”

“I’m used to small towns. I grew up in one. And there’s always something special about them.”

He glanced her way and his dark brow rose. “What was special about your town?”

“A number of things.” She wasn’t sure that she wanted to delve into this subject with him. She’d finally got past her homesickness. The way she’d done that was by not thinking of her hometown and what made it special.

“Such as?”

She shook her head. “Never mind.”

Before he could question her more, she spotted what she thought was the edge of Monte Calanetti. “Are we here?”

“We are.”

She stared out the windshield, not exactly sure what to expect. There was a tall wall. As they eased past it she found rustic buildings of earth tones similar in color to Nico’s villa. People stopped and glanced their way as though trying to figure out if they should know them.

As more and more people turned to stare, Kayla couldn’t hold back her curiosity any longer. “Why are they staring?”

He shrugged. “It must be the car.”

“The car?”

“Yeah, you know because it’s a sports car. They probably don’t see many around here.”

“Oh.” She glanced over at him. Was he sitting up a little straighter? And was his chin tilted just a little higher? Interesting. “The village looks quite intriguing. And small enough to explore on foot.”

Angelo didn’t say anything. He just kept driving. And sadly he didn’t offer her a guided tour. She forced herself not to frown. Then again, why should he bend over backward for her? She was, after all, merely an employee. They weren’t even friends. Though little by little, she was getting to know Angelo better and better. In fact, she’d learned more about him in the past forty-eight hours than she had in the past two months while working as his assistant.

The car slowed as they eased through a wrought iron gate and up the short paved drive to a two-story building. The outside was plain but there was an elegance in its simplicity. Beneath a black awning, a bronze plaque off to the side of the front door read: Hotel Villa Bellezza. The place looked old but well kept. It reminded her of maybe a duke’s grand house. She couldn’t wait to check out the inside.

A young man in a black uniform rushed outside and opened her door for her. He smiled at her before his gaze moved to Angelo. The smile dimmed. She had the feeling that the young man had jumped to the wrong conclusion—that she and Angelo were a couple, here for a romantic tryst. Nothing could be further from the truth. But for the first time, she imagined what it might be like if Angelo were to look at her as a woman—a woman he desired. The thought rolled around in her mind at a dizzying pace.

Angelo moved to her side and spoke softly in her ear. “Are you okay?”

His voice drew her from her thoughts. She swallowed and hoped she succeeded in composing herself. “Yes.”

“Are you sure? You’re a little pale.”

She patted his arm, not a good move as her fingertips tingled where they made contact. “I’m fine. Honest.”

Or she would be, once she quit fantasizing about her boss. He obviously wasn’t attracted to her. He saw her as nothing more than his temporary assistant, and that’s the way it’d have to remain if she hoped to convince him of her talents.

While Angelo took care of registering them, she took in her surroundings. The modest exterior had not prepared her for the beauty of the interior. The floor was gleaming marble while the walls and ceiling were masterpieces of art with ornate parquet. Kayla had to force her mouth to remain closed instead of gaping open. She’d never stayed anywhere so fancy.

She couldn’t even imagine how much this visit would cost Angelo. And the fact that he could afford to stay in a place such as this without even batting an eye impressed her. They sure didn’t have anything like this back in Paradise. Wait until she told her mother and father about this.

CHAPTER SIX

THERE WAS NO time for fun and games.

Angelo didn’t get to the top of his profession by taking time off. Now that they were settled into their suite and Kayla had rested for a bit, they needed to get back to work. As he waited for her to join him, he couldn’t help but wonder what she made of his clash with his brother. He shouldn’t have taken her to the vineyard. What had he been thinking?

Yet on the car ride here, she hadn’t seemed to judge him. Instead, she’d acted as though she cared. It was as if she understood him. Her reaction surprised him. He wasn’t used to letting people into his personal life. But from the moment he’d asked her to join him on this trip, the lines between personal and professional had become irrevocably blurred.

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