A Deal for the Di Sione Ring (The Billionaire's Legacy 7)

CHAPTER TEN

EVERYTHING FELT DIFFERENT after Mina’s earth-shattering night with Nate. The world seemed to come into a bright, intense focus as they toured the island with the resort manager and viewed the enhancements that had been recently made, all of it so much more vividly real to her than it had been before. As if Nate had awoken part of her sensory being she’d never tapped into before. Hadn’t even known existed.

The extent to which she hadn’t been living was thrown into stark relief. Anger at herself for allowing it to happen, for allowing her mother to rule her life, became a thankfulness that she had finally taken control of her destiny. It made her determined to seize every moment and relish it.

Another disconcerting reality came to light during those heady two days in the Maldives. She was falling for Nate. Hard. Something she’d said she wouldn’t do. She tried to tell herself it must be part of the knight in shining armor fantasy she’d built around him. For what he’d given her—the precious freedom to pursue her life on her own initiative. But she worried it was much, much more than that.

And how unwise was that? she thought as they flew across the world to New York—her new home. To allow herself to fall for a man who had no interest in a permanent relationship with anyone. Who would run in the opposite direction if he knew her feelings.

She stole a glance at her husband as he frowned over a report in the seat beside her. She wasn’t even sure how it had happened. Perhaps it had been when he’d claimed her innocence with such achingly tender care. When she’d seen in his dark eyes an equally emotional response to what she’d been feeling. As if what they shared was as rare and monumental as it seemed.

And perhaps that was just in her imagination.

She gave her head a shake and picked up her steaming mug of what you could barely call coffee. To try and convince herself Nate had feelings for her would be making an even bigger mistake than she’d already made. Better to bury whatever infatuation she’d developed deep and use her mental energy to fortify herself for her introduction to New York.

Already the tabloids had caught wind of her and Nate’s nuptials. It seemed one of the employees at the Grand Hong Kong had given a reporter a scoop on the real-estate magnate’s new marital status. The reporter had dug a bit into Mina’s aborted vows in Palermo and had dubbed her “Nate’s stunning runaway Sicilian bride.”

Her stomach rolled. She had the social skills to assume the role of Nate’s high-society wife, but she had a feeling her level of sophistication would prove woefully inadequate when it came to the circles he traveled in. And then there was the coming challenge of proving herself in her new marketing role...

She gave an inward shiver. She’d never been to America. Had never visited the intimidating city of New York she knew only from movies. It seemed full of slickly dressed businesspeople who talked fast and had extremely dry senses of humor.

What would they make of her?

“Stop fretting,” Nate murmured. “Or I will be forced to find a way to divert you.”

The glitter in his heavy-lidded gaze brought every cell in her body to instant attention. “I’m not fretting.” His brow lifted. “Ebbene, I am,” she conceded. “What if my coworkers don’t like me? What if your friends, the press, don’t like me?”

His gaze softened. “They will love you because you have an innate charm that will win everyone over, Mina. And you are talented. Be yourself and you’ll be fine.”

She held that close to her heart as they landed at a small private airfield in New Jersey and climbed into the car that was waiting for them. Nate made a phone call to his grandfather to see if they could drop by and show him the ring before the workweek started. When he ended the call, his face was dark.

“He hasn’t been well this week.”

Her heart squeezed. “Should we go another time?”

“A short visit is fine. He’s anxious to see the ring.”

Traffic was thick on the highway, slowing to almost a crawl. Mina took the ring out of her purse and studied the beautiful, priceless sapphire.

“You said the Fountain Ring was once Giovanni’s? Why did he have to sell it?”

>

“He came to America from Italy following the Second World War with only the clothes on his back. He needed to sell it to make his start here.”

She turned the ring over. “It has an inscription on the inside. I saw it in Pasquale’s office. ‘Mistress of my heart—BA.’”

He frowned and took it from her. “Those aren’t Giovanni’s initials.”

She thought about it. “Perhaps they aren’t initials. Perhaps it’s some sort of a message to a lover?”

* * *

Nate thought about that as they made the rest of the slow trip to Long Island. Had Giovanni had a lover he’d left behind in Italy? It fit to some extent with the items his siblings had recovered, all of them precious mementos you might give to a lover.

Or perhaps they had nothing to do with an old love affair and were all distinct, separate memories his grandfather had for different times and places of his life?

Giovanni had been married to his wife, Maria, for almost twenty-five years, happy enough from what he’d discerned. But his grandfather was a mystery. Had always been. He had a feeling there was a lot more to know about the legendary shipping tycoon than what he’d revealed.