The Italian's Unexpected Heir

“You know you can trust me. It’s not my secret to tell. But for your own sake, you need to tell them.”

“I... I have to go.”

“Stay.” She approached him. “We don’t have to talk.”

The thought of spending the night getting lost in her sweet, addictive kisses was so very tempting. Every fiber of his body longed to reach out to her and draw her close. But he knew if he did that, he’d never let her go.

And that wouldn’t be fair to Sylvie—sweet Sylvie, who believed in true love, happily-ever-afters and the goodness in people. But he could be none of those things to her.

His gaze automatically moved to her lips. Why did it seem like such a natural thing to kiss her good-night? Perhaps it was the same reason he’d entrusted her with his most deeply held secret.

But he just couldn’t complicate matters even further. Not after he’d just told her the reason they shouldn’t be together. He wasn’t a person she could count on because he let down the people he loved.

He raised his gaze to meet hers. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Disappointment—or was that pain?—showed in her eyes. In a blink it was hidden behind a blank stare. She didn’t say anything as he turned and walked away.

With each step he felt as though he was doing the wrong thing. Sylvie might be the best thing that ever happened to him, but he wasn’t the best for her.

CHAPTER NINE

THE DAY COULDN’T have been more beautiful.

The sun was bright. The blue skies were clear. And the air was warm.

But the mood in the car was anything but bright and cheery. The shadows under Enzo’s eyes said that he hadn’t gotten much sleep, if any. She’d at least drifted off for a few hours but her stomach wasn’t feeling the best. She wrote it off as motion sickness. It would soon pass.

After a quiet car ride, they arrived in Florence. Without much sleep, espresso was very tempting. When Enzo repeatedly offered to get her some, her stomach still wasn’t up for it.

On her phone, Sylvie did a search of stores in Florence. “There are a lot of shops we can check for decorations.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

She started reading off the directions. When she looked up, she noticed he’d turned in the opposite direction. “The shops are the other way.”

“This is just a little detour.”

“But we have to get back to the vineyard and finish setting up.”

“Relax. We have time. And you did say you’ve never taken time to look around the city.”

It was true. Since she’d moved from Patazonia, she hadn’t spent much time in Florence. Sadly, the few times she’d visited this beautiful and historically rich city, she’d been here to do wedding business and so still hadn’t seen much. She’d dreamed of one day taking the time to visit some of the city’s sights, but there was always a meeting to attend, a need to rush back to the estate and never enough time to just relax and be a tourist.

The fact he was taking a detour this morning was something she’d wanted for a long time. So why was she fighting it? Why didn’t she just let go of her worries and enjoy the day—wherever it led them?

Enzo parked the car. Sylvie stepped out and lifted her face to the morning sun. It warmed her skin and energized her. This was going to be a good day after all. This tour of Florence with Enzo as her guide would be priceless.

“Where are we going to start?” Excitement pumped through her veins.

“This way.” He gestured over his shoulder. “I hope you wore your walking shoes.”

“I did.” She never imagined she would be touring Florence, but she’d dressed to do some serious shopping and that involved a lot of walking.

The people of Florence shared friendly smiles and greetings. They made Sylvie feel as though she fit right in. Enzo started off by telling her that he wasn’t a professional tour guide so he wouldn’t be able to answer all her questions about the city, but he would do his best. She had no doubt that he was the perfect person to show her the sights.

“Unless you want to take a professionally guided tour,” he said. “I’m not sure what time slots are available. Whatever it is, we can make it work. I don’t want you to miss out on anything.”

Sylvie placed a hand on his forearm. “Stop. I would like you to do the tour, if you’re still willing.”