Swept Away by the Venetian Millionaire

“Oh...uh... I’m not sure if—”

Vito interjected. “I’m sure the lady is too busy to drop her whole itinerary simply to dally around with us.”

Leo wasn’t having it. “I insist,” Leo declared as he led her toward the back room where she’d collapsed on the sofa to sober up less than twenty-four hours ago. “I’m anxious to hear all about this fall of yours and exactly how my gallant cousin came to your rescue. Surprisingly, he’s failed to mention any of it to me.”

Maya found herself at a loss for words. She really hadn’t seen this coming. But she had to think of something, some way to get out of this lunch invitation. Because if Leo wasn’t aware of the murderous glare Vito was casting at him, she certainly hadn’t missed it.

Vito Rameri clearly did not want her here.

* * *

If they’d been alone, Vito would not have hesitated to give his cousin a good, hard smack. In fact, he was planning all the ways he would deliver it as soon as he got the opportunity. The man was too nosy for his own good. He could give Nonna a run for her money when it came to busybody meddling.

It was bad enough that Maya had shown up here in the first place. She had no idea how hard Vito had been working to forget she even existed. How desperately he’d tried to put those few short hours they’d spent together in his rearview mirror so that he could continue moving forward with the steady existence he’d worked so hard to create for himself since losing Marina. He’d been foolish to mistake a fleeting bout of artistic inspiration for anything more. Her sorrow had called to him that day as he’d sat watching her from the café. There was nothing more to it than that.

But now he’d have to somehow endure a meal where she sat across from him, where he’d be required to look at her expressive face and notice again her flawless bone structure and features. After he’d tried so hard all these hours to forget.

“So, tell me about this fall you suffered, bella,” Leo said as they sat. Vito focused on pulling out the food and serving plates. The steaming aroma of fresh pasta and fine Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano wafted through the air as he did so. Normally the enticing scents would be enough to make his mouth water. But today all he could focus on was the delicate flowery scent of lilac and rose from whatever perfume she was wearing. A heady mixture that seemed to be fogging his brain.

Maya ducked her head before answering. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather not discuss it. It wasn’t one of my finest moments.”

Vito wanted to tell her she had nothing to be embarrassed about. But he could only guess what type of conversation that might lead to. He decided it was better to not say anything at all. Just get through this unexpected meal as best he could.

“Understandable,” Leo assured her. “I’m just glad you’re all right. And that my cousin here was able to help.”

He had to change the subject. “The sketch is yours if you want it,” Vito said, handing her a plate of hot pasta.

She seemed taken aback; her hand shook as she took the food. “But I couldn’t do that. After all, it’s an original Rameri.”

So she’d done some checking up on him. Her knowledge of his exact identity was new, he had no doubt. She’d had no clue who he was yesterday.

“That may be, but it belongs to you more than me. It’s only right that you should have it.”

“But why would you do such a thing?”

He shrugged. “You weren’t a paid model, more of an inspiration.”

She gasped. Now why had he gone and said that? It opened up a whole new slew of avenues she probably wanted to examine. And he had absolutely no desire to do any such thing.

Vito felt off, out of his element around this woman. It didn’t help matters that his cousin sat watching the two of them interact as if he were a scientist observing a lab experiment. Yeah, Leo definitely had a nice hard whack coming his way as soon as Maya left.

“That’s more than generous. I would never have been able to afford any kind of original art under normal circumstances.”

“It’s only a sketch,” Vito repeated.

“Nevertheless. It is indeed quite a generous gesture,” Leo said, giving him a questioning glance and causing Vito’s anger with him to spike even higher.