The Italian's Unexpected Heir

“Do you want to continue this back at the hotel?” His deep voice was thick and rich like the tiramisu dessert they’d indulged in at the dinner before the awards ceremony.

When her gaze met his, she saw desire burning in his eyes. Her insecurities were temporarily subdued. Her insides melted. Her core quivered with its own desire.

She didn’t trust herself to speak. Instead, she lifted up on her tiptoes once more and pressed her lips to his. She deepened the kiss, opening her mouth to him, showing him that she didn’t want this most exciting, most romantic night to end. In fact, this was just the beginning.

And then she pulled back. She laced her fingers with his and then started walking in the direction of their hotel. His thumb moved over the back of her hand. His roughened skin from working with his hands all day made his touch feel a little different, a little more exciting. Everything about Enzo was exciting.

The quick walk passed in silence. And then they came to a stop in front of the first hotel room they came to. It happened to be hers. Her heart raced as anticipation pumped through her veins. At last, she was going to find out what all her friends were talking about when they mentioned their boyfriends and got that dreamy look in their eyes. Not that Enzo was her boyfriend. She wasn’t sure what to call him because friend didn’t begin to cover their increasingly complex relationship.

She turned to him and asked, “You haven’t changed your mind, have you?”

Both of his dark brows rose high on his forehead. Had she said something wrong? Doubts circled in her mind. Her head lowered. His silence increased her rising anxiety. She worried her bottom lip. She’d done this all wrong—

He placed a finger beneath her chin and lifted until their gazes met. “Why would you think I’ve changed my mind? You’re the most beautiful, most amazing woman I’ve ever met. I just can’t believe you want me, too.”

“I do.” Her voice was so soft that she wasn’t sure she’d actually vocalized the words, but there was a look of acknowledgment on his face.

How could he not know all this time that she’d wanted him? She thought it was written all over her face every time she looked at him. It must be obvious she was utterly and totally inexperienced. She couldn’t help but wonder why he’d want to make love to her when she didn’t know what she was doing. She thought of asking him, but her mouth was dry and her mind was having trouble communicating with her mouth.

But luckily this time, she didn’t have to do anything because it was Enzo who leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. His kiss, though gentle enough, was full of desire. It whipped up her pulse and stirred her own embers of desire.

Tonight she would become a woman in every sense of the word. And her friends would no longer be able to hold anything over her head. Tonight she would find out all about lovemaking with the most amazing man in the world.

CHAPTER ONE

Tuscany, six weeks later

HE HAD A SECRET.

A secret he’d shoved to the far recesses of his mind.

A secret he’d held on to for too long.

Enzo paced back and forth across the spacious balcony. A frown pulled at his face as a stress headache settled in his forehead and wrapped around his head, tightening like a vise.

He’d known for many years that one of the Bartolini siblings wasn’t a true Bartolini by blood. His chest tightened just like it did every time he replayed the tumultuous events in his mind. The reason he’d never said anything—never admitted the painful truth—was that he thought he was the illegitimate sibling.

He raked his fingers through his hair as he blew out a breath. He’d totally made a mess of things. And after everything that had happened with his mother’s journal and the reading of his parents’ will, he still hadn’t gotten his act together.

His mistakes continued to mount. Even though it had been weeks since the Paris trip, Enzo was still kicking himself for letting things get out of control with Sylvie. And rightly so. Sylvie had been a virgin. A virgin. The word echoed in his mind.

She should have saved that special moment for someone whom she loved. The evening should have included flowers and champagne as well as a bunch of other romantic platitudes.

Guilt settled on his shoulders like a big soggy cloak. Instead, the evening had been all about him and the vineyard. It should have been about her and how special she is. How had he missed all of this? He’d searched his memory, trying to recall if she’d told him that she was a virgin. But he was certain she hadn’t mentioned it.

And yet, their night of passion had happened and now he could barely face her. He felt like she was expecting something from him. And yet, he didn’t have anything to offer her. His life was a mess.

And to top it off, tomorrow was his birthday.

Nothing about this week felt festive. And that was fine by him. He wasn’t in any mood to celebrate his birthday or anything else.

Enzo stood on the balcony of his family’s grand estate, which had recently been remodeled into a boutique hotel. It was hard to believe that it had been less than a year since his parents stood in this very place. Now they were gone and with them went his illusion of the family he’d been a part of.

Since their deaths, the changes were falling like dominoes, one right after the next. Nothing was like it had been. Everyone was making life-changing decisions. And now it was his turn.

It should have been the biggest decision of his life. And yet, it felt predestined. The decision should have taken time—lots of time. It would have been surprising to make a momentous decision like this so quickly. However, this decision had been made for him before he even knew there was a question.

One evening was all it’d taken to change everything. That wasn’t much time at all in the grand scheme of things. However, he’d drug his heels about making it official.