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To Win His Heart

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She laughed. “Wouldn’t you hate it if I said yes, thereby proving that I’m the ultimate groupie who was out for everything I could get from your brother, and did!”

His silvery eyes had narrowed to slits. “Why are you here?”

“What?” Her expressive brows lifted in question. “Not even a ‘won’t you come in and make yourself comfortable’?”

“You’re not an invited guest.”

“Not even when we’re related through marriage?”

He stiffened. “Whatever it is you have to say, make it fast. I’m in a hurry.”

“Is that why you were cursing on your way to the door?” she taunted him with relish. “If you don’t have the time to be civil to me right now, I’ll be happy to wait.”

If looks could kill… “Then you’ll have a long one because I’m on my way out and don’t know when I’ll be back.”

“That’s no problem. I’ll go with you and keep you company. As you can see, I brought my suitcase with me so I’m ready to travel.”

He rubbed his chest in a motion he probably wasn’t aware of. The fact that his first cousin Max was married to her sister was undoubtedly the only reason he hadn’t slammed the door in her face yet.

“What’s this all about?” Talk about a forbidding tone—

Standing her ground she said, “The trip my sisters and I never went on of course! The trip you and your cousins ruined for us. The trip that cost us over twenty thousand dollars after the bills we incurred by being forced to buy new bikes to try to get away from you.

“Shall I count the ways you destroyed the dream?” Her fingers started to tick everything off. “First, Max had us detained by the police in Genoa the second we got off the plane, then he stalked us while we walked around Portofino.

“After that, he inveigled you and Nic to take over as the crew aboard the Piccione. At that point the three of you sabotaged our itinerary, stole the family pendants our parents gave us on our sixteenth birthday, threw us in jail, prevented us from boarding a plane home and then forced us to show up at your family’s villa to help draw out the real jewel thief.

“The thief you didn’t catch by the way!” she mocked. “All this because you thought we’d stolen an identical pendant from the palace, which we didn’t!”

Her fists went to her waist, drawing his piercing gaze to the curves beneath the leaf green cotton dress molding her body. “You were totally unfair to us, and now I’m here to collect. Since Max is on his honeymoon, and Nic left for London after the wedding, that leaves you to pay up.

“You owe me, Luc! So I’ve arrived to inform you that you’re taking me for a ten-day trip on the Piccione before I go back to New York.”

He shifted his weight, a sign his leg was probably bothering him. “You make a compelling case, but I don’t buy any of it. Why don’t you try telling me the truth for a change. What’s the real reason you’ve come to my home on a Sunday night, uninvited? Where’s Cesar?”

“I haven’t a clue. Well, that’s not exactly true. The last time I saw him, he was at the winner’s podium kissing one beautiful groupie after another, having the time of his life.”

For just a moment she thought she saw a shadow cross over his face, but maybe it was a light plane passing overhead, hiding the rays of a setting sun for a moment. Then he smirked. “What’s the matter? Couldn’t you take the competition?”

“That question doesn’t deserve an answer. The truth is, I had other things on my mind. Remember the Husband Fund?”

“What about it?” he practically snapped.

“I’m afraid I may have hooked the wrong playboy without meaning to, and I need an out.”

“Which playboy would that be? There’ve been so many.” His insulting remark was meant to sting. Well, she would sting him back!

“Cesar,” she admitted.

Luc eyed her with disdain. “I don’t see him anywhere around. Now you’ll have to excuse me.” He started to close the door.

“Last night he said something about buying me an engagement ring after the race.”

She’d purposely slipped in that last tidbit before he could shut her out completely. Olivia was a hundred percent sure Cesar had been joking, but Luc didn’t know that.

“I left Monza as soon as it was over and came straight here.”

To her satisfaction she didn’t hear the click that would have severed all contact. The door opened wider again. A stillness had stolen over Luc.



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