To Win His Heart

When she heard the expletive that came out of him, she winced.

“Doesn’t that wild Duchess brain of yours ever shut down for one second?”

“It can’t when I know we’re out of gas.”

“Someone will come by eventually.”

“To this deserted place? What if we run out of food first?”

“You saw Giovanni’s fishing gear. You can catch us our meals. If that doesn’t appeal, you could always swim to Elba for help.”

Olivia blinked. “How far away is it?”

“It might take you an hour.”

An hour—

“If it’s too much of a challenge—”

“I’ll do it if I have to, but first I think we should try to flag down a passing boat. I know—we’ll set off another flare to get their attention.”

“I’m afraid I used the only one left to help you see what you were doing.”

“I already knew what I was doing! You should have saved it for an emergency,” she grumbled.

A taunting laugh escaped his throat. “That from the woman who stole out of Vernazza without a map, compass, or a clue as to what you were doing.”

“I got us this far didn’t I?”

“You don’t really want me to answer that question, do you?”

She turned on her other side and pounded her pillow.

“Look on the bright side, mademoiselle. Tomorrow you can hunt for buried treasure. Your Riviera trip doesn’t have to be a complete loss.”

“The Count of Monte Cristo already found it.” She fumed. “Besides, I saw the movie, and it was filmed in the Maltese Islands.”

“I’ve been there on the Piccione.”

She lifted her head, alert because he’d offered something without her having to pry it out of him. “When?”

“Several years ago.”

Olivia tried to sit up all the way, but her head bumped the ceiling of the cabin. She lay back down again. “You and Fabio must go back a long way.”

“The Piccione was Max’s boat before he gave it to Fabio.”

Gave it— She bumped her head again. “He must have had a good reason to part with anything so fabulous.”

“The best of reasons

. Fabio and his whole family fished for a living. His parents, their fishing boat, everything was lost at sea during a violent storm. Max was close friends with him growing up. Knowing he had a pregnant wife and two brothers to support, he let him have the boat to establish a charter business.”

Olivia’s throat closed up with raw emotion. Did Greer know that piece of information about her remarkable husband?

“By your silence, I realize that kind of generosity is anathema to you. It may surprise you even more to learn that Fabio has paid Max back every lire for it through hard work.”

Luc’s stinging barbs found their mark, but she’d promised herself she wouldn’t rise to the bait.