The Temporary Mrs. Marchetti

Alice touched the track of dampness leaking from his eyes. ‘I wish I’d been able to meet them. I’m sure they were wonderful people who loved you so much. They would be thrilled you’re embracing life at last. I’m sure of it.’

Cristiano brushed her hair back with his hand. ‘I’ve been thinking about what we can do together. You could have your wedding spa as a feature of my hotel. Here in London but also in Italy and France and Greece. You could have your own franchise. It will be something to build together.’

Alice held his face in her hands and kissed him. ‘You are making all my dreams come true. I would love that. It would be so wonderful to do it together just like your grandparents and parents did.’

He kissed her soundly, only breaking away to gaze down at her with a look of such devotion it made Alice’s eyes tear up again.

‘We’ve only got a week to pull off this wedding,’ he said. ‘Do you think we can do it?’

She stroked his lean jaw, and looked lovingly into his eyes. ‘Together we can do anything.’

One year later...

Alice smiled at Cristiano as he came in from bringing in their bags from the car. They were spending their first wedding anniversary at his grandmother’s villa where they came every few months to relax and recharge. Yes, relax. That word she used not to have in her vocabulary.

Her beauty spa at Cristiano’s Chelsea hotel had finally opened a few weeks ago to great fanfare and she had recently appointed Meghan as her business manager and it was working a t

reat. It meant Alice could have the occasional week off without worrying about her clients not receiving the attention she prided herself on giving them.

And because she intended to take even more time off in a few months’ time.

Alice took Cristiano by the hand and led him to the walnut table in the sitting room where the family photos were arranged. Whenever they came back to the villa they stood there and quietly acknowledged his family. Their wedding photo was next to his parents’ and grandparents’ wedding photos, creating a sense of continuity she knew gave him great comfort. It gave her great comfort too to see him so happy and settled after so much heartache. She hadn’t told him yet, but soon there would be photos of the next generation of the Marchetti family.

‘I have something to tell you, darling,’ Alice said, squeezing his hand in excitement. ‘I wanted to wait until we got here so the rest of the family could hear it as well.’

Cristiano’s dark brown eyes misted. ‘You’re...pregnant?’

‘I did a test this morning. I’ve been bursting to tell you but then I thought how lovely it would be for you to hear about it here amongst those who loved you so deeply.’

He gathered her close, kissing her tenderly and then holding her with such gentleness she had trouble keeping her own tears in check.

‘How far along?’ he said. ‘Are you okay? Not sick? Feeling faint? Shouldn’t you be resting? What about work—?’

Alice put a fingertip to his mouth to stall his speech. ‘Meghan is going to cover me while I take maternity leave. And I feel fantastic...well, apart from a tiny bit of squeamishness. I’m six weeks pregnant according to my calculations. It must have been the weekend of the opening of your hotel and my spa.’ She gave him a twinkling look. ‘I seem to remember we had a lot of fun together that weekend.’

Cristiano cupped her face in his hands, his own eyes gleaming. ‘I didn’t know the meaning of the word until I met you. You’ve made me so happy, cara.’

Alice smiled and drew his head back down so her lips were within reach of his. ‘We make each other happy, which is what your nonna recognised right from the start. I can’t imagine how miserable I would be now if it hadn’t been for her meddling.’

Cristiano grinned. ‘Wise woman, my nonna. She knew there was only one woman in the world for me.’

He brushed her mouth with his. Once. Twice. Three times.

‘You.’

* * * * *

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT

The Sicilian’s Defiant Virgin

by Susan Stephens

CHAPTER ONE

‘CHE? BUON DIO!’

Nothing could be worse than his younger brother’s funeral. Until Luca Tebaldi’s father hit him with a fresh disaster.