Immersed in emotion it was long minutes later that Cesare raised his proud head and Milly saw through a daze of glorious happiness that they had gained an avid audience and she blushed to the roots of her hair as her stunningly handsome future husband gave the throng a wide grin then folded an arm around her shoulders and drew her to the waiting car, leaving the driver to retrieve her abandoned luggage .
A rapid string of instructions issued from lips that still echoed that grin. The moment the driver was behind the wheel and as the car was put in motion Cesare was already extracting a slim mobile from an inner pocket speaking rapidly in Italian his free hand clasping hers possessively.
The moment he finished she asked, 'Are we both going to London'?' strange of plan. My pilot is now getting ready to fly us to Florence. We are going home to break our news to Nonna. And if I have to tie her down to stop her from launching into wedding arrangements then I will! My PA will handle my London meeting. From now on where you are I will be during all the days of our wonderful future together.' His arm hooked around her shoulder drawing her closer and she snuggled into him as he explained over the past few weeks I have been away from you and every moment was a torment. But it was a necessary evil if I was to make sure that everything was in place making sure the more-than-able heads of the various enterprises knew of my plans . '
‘Plans'?' she murmured her eyes limpid as he placed a tantalizing kiss on the corner of her mouth.
‘To be with you. To spend the majority of my time with you and any future family we might have.'
This time the kiss was full-blown and so spectacular that Milly was totally disorientated when they reached the private airstrip where the company jet was waiting.
Immediately after take-off Cesare reached for her hand and slipped the emerald back where it belonged saying huskily,
‘It would be a shame to put it into a Christmas cracker! I much prefer to see it on your finger. ' Blushing over the cheap jibe she'd thrown at him, she was further modified when he lifted her hand to his lips and tenderly kissed each fingertip in turn and pronounced 6 It is a family heirloom one of many. I will delight in seeing you shine in glittering diamonds rubies as red as wine and more emeralds than you can possibly imagine.'
She wriggled in her seat as it really hit her that he must be one of the wealthiest men in Christendom. She faced him squarely and told him staunchly, ‘I only want you.'
'You have me. Body, heart and soul.' He settled her back into the curve of his arm. ‘But a little extra won't come amiss mi amore. And talking of extras I made a few phone calls this morning back at the hotel while you were dressing. I have arranged for your sister to take up a vacant receptionist's post in the New York Saracino complex. My agent will contact her with flight tickets and further instructions. And before you get one tiny doubt about why I should be so magnanimous when she deserves to be damned to hell, I did this for you, not for her. I knew you would be happier, with a little
long-distance help she could make a more hopeful future for herself away from that seedy place. I know you care for her and would worry about her-and more than any thing, I want you to be happy.
You are so loving and generous in your nature that you'll probably forgive her for what she's done-which is something I will never do, even should I live to be a thousand years old' he declared extravagantly.
‘So don't even begin to think that I arranged this for her out of anything but a desire to put your mind at rest.'
‘Oh, I don't. I truly don't' she assured him, smothering a giggle at his vehement protestations loving him all the more for his generosity towards a woman who had brought him nothing but trouble.
‘But-' she shot upright so that she could see his beloved face ‘I did have one nasty moment-even before Jilly told me those poisoned lies.'
'And that was'?' 'When we arrived at where she's living. I felt as if you'd gone away from me. That you'd had it in mind that I'd set out to deceive you, pretend I was my twin and it had hit you that we were tarred with the same brush. Bad blood.'
'Never! Never think that-! absolutely forbid it' He hooked a finger beneath her chin, his eyes scorching hers. ‘For the first time in my life I was scared witless. Terrified that she would say or do something to come between us. I knew how you valued the bond you have with your twin how you went against every natural inclination within you to try to protect her from me and what at that time you would have seen as my unfair accusations and threats of the courts. I was deeply afraid that somehow she would persuade you to stand beside her against me ' he confessed rawly.
‘I can face any disaster with courage. But not that. I had not gone away from you, as you feared. I was simply afraid.'
‘Cesarel' she managed shakily. That this wonderful man should love her so much and that what he had most feared had almost come about because it had taken her a good hour to work things out think logically, shook her to the core. She coiled her ar
ms around his neck her voice a thread as she whispered, ‘Kiss me.'
And he obliged with all the dedication and enthusiasm in the world.
Just over a year later Milly tucked baby Carlo into his muslin draped cradle while Maria, the comfortable nurse-maid Cesare had insisted they bring along to their villa in Amalfi drew the nursery blinds .
Milly smiled besottedly down at her son. At three months old he was already showing signs of developing into a carbon copy of the devastatingly handsome strong-willed father who adored him.
She couldn't be happier! Wonderful was too tame a word to describe life with her sexy, masterful yet achingly tender husband .
Nonna had welcomed her into the family with genuine joy and had become even more sprightly since the birth of her first great-grandson and the only small cloud-a tiny one-in her life had dispersed when a couple of months ago Jilly had written out of the blue expressing her deep regrets for the lies she had told confessing everything.
That Cesare had never been interested in her and that sheer spite and malice that he had fallen for Milly had motivated her lies. She apologized profusely for her behaviour and concluded with her own happy announcement. She had recently married Teddy Myerburg, the third, a really great guy. Jilly was sorry not to have invited her but felt it would be too soon for her sister to forgive her though she hoped that day might come.
Passing the letter to Cesare to read, she'd watched his jaw tighten, then left him to it and studied the photograph enclosed with the letter. Jilly, wearing a plain white sheath dress looked fantastic. And smug. Her groom was portly and balding and looked immensely proud. But not as proud as Cesare had he had most feared had almost come about because it had taken her a good hour to work things out think logically, shook her to the core. She coiled her arms around his neck her voice a thread as she whispered, ‘Kiss me.'
And he obliged with all the dedication and enthusiasm in the world. ‘when and if fortune blesses us and that happens.' He gave her that wicked grin that told her that it wouldn't be for the want of trying.
But if she never came face to face with her twin again that would be OK. Just knowing she was happy, had someone to care for her was enough.
Bestowing one last loving look on her beautiful sleeping son, she left the nursery, meeting Cesare on his way there. Clad in wet swimming briefs his hard male physique spangled with water droplets he was enough to turn her knees to jelly.