“I hope you’re right,” Nicoletta said. “I don’t want Stefano to ban me from practicing. I don’t intend to be a liability to you in any way, Taviano. I know I can learn. Mariko and Emmanuelle are assets to you. You said yourself that there are way too few riders.”
He nodded. “Unfortunately, that’s true. We’re stretched pretty thin. So few children. That’s part of the reason Eloisa and the older riders are so upset with our generation of riders. They want us to be old-school in our thinking and accept arranged marriages, produce children and train them immediately. I can understand that way of thinking, but it’s difficult to agree with them.”
“You’re thinking of Emmanuelle.”
He nodded and added honey and jam to his cheese. “She’s in love with Valentino Saldi. The problem with a Ferraro falling in love is they only do it once if it’s the real thing. Emme has indicated to Stefano she’s willing to accept an arranged marriage. I don’t want that for her. Neither does Stefano. As head of our family, he has to make that happen.”
Nicoletta took several pieces of the fruit. Taviano noted which were her favorites. She was definitely fond of the dragon fruit. She did eat some of the cheese and honey, but far more of the fruit.
“Is Val really that bad? Could you talk to him?”
“I’d like to beat him to a bloody pulp,” Taviano said, meaning it. Just the thought of the hell the man had put his sister through stirred the rage in him. “When she was just sixteen, he seduced her. It wasn’t right. It was deliberate. His father ordered him to seduce her so that he could get information on our family from her. All along he was seeing other women. She caught him, and even heard him telling another woman who had confronted him about his relationship with Emmanuelle that he had no feelings for her whatsoever. It broke her heart.”
Nicoletta looked up from where she’d been choosing a spiced nut, her dark eyes suddenly blazing. “Are you kidding me? And none of you have beaten the crap out of him?”
“Vittorio did,” Taviano said. “Although not nearly as badly as he deserved. It’s saying something that Emmanuelle didn’t try to stop him, either. Normally, she would have been the first to defend Val. She hasn’t spoken to him in two years. She’s refused, and I know Val’s tried to contact her several times. She’s left the country a few times, and I think it was because he was pushing pretty hard to see her. I think she’s afraid to hear whatever he has to say, even if it’s an apology.”
Nicoletta nodded. “I can understand that. Women forgive men they love way too easily. It’s a failing most of us share.”
He sent her a quick grin. “It’s a trait you all need to have because men tend to screw up a lot. I’ll need you to have that particular characteristic running deep, tesoro.”
“I think it will have to be the other way around, Taviano.” She sampled the passion fruit and then more of the dragon fruit. “This is so good.”
“I had it brought in this morning for you.”
She went very still. “You didn’t.”
“Of course, I did. I know you love fruit.” He studied her face. She was just that little bit too still. “What’s wrong, piccola?”
“You. You’re so thoughtful. You really do love me. I don’t know what to do with that. With you. All this time …” She trailed off. Nicoletta pressed her lips together and then her lashes swept up so her gaze met his. “You’re the most amazing man. I realize I’m very lucky.”
He couldn’t help smiling. “You just remember that when I screw up big-time, or Eloisa makes you crazy. Or Stefano does. And we all will.”
Her smile was slow in coming, but when it did, it lit up her face and reached her eyes. His gut settled. She had him tied up in knots, and he hadn’t even realized it. He didn’t like her upset.
“Tell me about your cousins in New York. Emmanuelle and Francesca were talking about them a few weeks back when I was over playing with Crispino. I met Salvatore briefly, or I should say, I saw him. He was just leaving Stefano’s when I arrived. He looked very intimidating. And sad. I don’t know why I thought he was sad, but I did.”
“Salvatore, like Emmanuelle, has resigned himself to an arranged marriage. So many women throw themselves at men like us and they resort to all kinds of underhanded schemes to try to trick us into marriage. He wanted to find a woman to love him for who he is, not because he’s wealthy, or a rider. That just doesn’t happen so easily when you’re a Ferraro and your picture is splashed across the world in every magazine there is.”