You’re getting a leg up in your career, she reminded herself, even if the thought of getting her big break because of her “romantic” connections and not her talent tied her up in knots.You get to stay here.In a seaside Italian mansion.
The intermittent changes of her travels had helped keep her mind off what was waiting for her at the end of her journey. Until now, that is, as the magnificent three-story mansion came into sharper view. The exterior was painted a seashell pink, so soft it was almost white, yet it glowed like a jewel as the last rays of the setting sun bathed it with an ethereal light. Balconies dotted the top two floors, and it looked like the right side of the mansion boasted a much larger balcony overlooking the sea. Columns covered in ivy provided privacy.
Pride surged past her trepidation. Antonio had shared how he wanted to make a career out of traveling. As much as she’d missed him when he’d traveled with his mom and brothers, she knew those had been some of the happiest times of his life.
The car pulled around the circular drive and stopped. On one side stood a three-tiered stone fountain, bone-dry and surrounded by an empty garden bed. Not what she had expected to see, but based on the articles Kess had texted her, the hotel was scheduled to open next month. On the other side, stone steps rose up to a double set of glass doors.
Scrolling through the stories had also confirmed what Antonio had said. The four articles Kess had sent gossiped about Adrian’s recent wedding, Alejandro’s upcoming nuptials, or speculated on Antonio’s mystery girlfriend. The few snippets about the actual hotel quickly deviated to rumors like where Alejandro and Calandra would spend their honeymoon.
She swallowed hard. She had never once envied the scrutiny the Cabrera family lived under. Now, entering into this arrangement with Antonio, she was inviting the same kind of examination into her own life.
Despite her complicated relationship with her aunt and uncle, she’d texted them. Told them the lie of how she’d reconnected with Antonio unexpectedly in Rome and they were going to spend a couple weeks together catching up. As overbearing as they’d been, she still loved them. They deserved to hear at least something from her instead of seeing it in the news.
Their response had been surprisingly mundane. Her aunt had wished her a good time. Her uncle had simply said he liked Antonio and was glad they had reconnected. No third degree. No background checks like the poor boy she’d gone on two dates with in college who had angrily broken things off with her in the hallway of their dormitory when he’d learned a private detective had been calling around asking questions about him.
Was it possible they were finally letting go? Trusting her to make her own decisions? The thought of having finally earned their trust, overcoming their fears with her own smart decision-making, had been cathartic.
The limo stopped and the driver got out, moving around to open the door for her like she was a queen. Her courage evaporated. The tightness in her chest returned and twisted even further as she sucked in a shuddering breath. This was supposed to be fun, a harmless pretense and brief sojourn into luxury.
Instead, as the driver helped her out of the back seat, the sound of the limo door closing echoed in her mind with the clanging of a prison gate slamming shut. Before she could crawl back into the limo, the doors of the hotel swung open to reveal Antonio.
He walked down the steps, confidence rolling off his broad shoulders that had somehow been stuffed into a deceptively simple white T-shirt that probably cost the same as one of the evening gowns she’d put together last week.
His fingers closed over hers and she bit back a sigh at how wonderful his skin felt on hers, warm and firm. She looked up at him, prepared to say hello...and nearly yelped when he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him.
“Welcome,tesoro,” he said as he kissed her temple.
Oh, no...oh, no...oh, no. What had she done? How could she possibly have agreed to this?
“Tesoro?”she managed to croak.
“It means ‘darling’in Italian.”
Luckily, she had put her arms around his torso in response to being hauled against him because her knees went weak at hearing his words.
“Good thing Kess isn’t here.”
He frowned. “Why?”
“She’d make something out of our deal. Kess was convinced you were attracted to me when we were talking by the fountain. Which is ridiculous,” she babbled. “I know you weren’t, but she’s a die-hard romantic and wants to believe that everyone is going to find love—”
Antonio put a finger to her lips. “Anna. It’s going to be okay.”
The urge to nip the pad of his finger pressed to her mouth was too tempting. She turned her head away. Between the naughty images that had run through her mind last night and her sexy dreams, she had a darker side that craved much more than a kiss on the forehead from Antonio Cabrera.
Deep breath. Okay, she was insanely attracted to him. But she wasn’t going to do what Kess had suggested. Business. This was a business arrangement.
“I appreciate everything you’re doing, Antonio.”
“You just don’t think it’s going to work?”
“Um...”
Antonio leaned down, his beard scraping gently against her cheek. She closed her eyes and inhaled. A mistake, as the intoxicatingly masculine scent of his cologne filled her.
“On the beach below is a photographer with a long-range lens. He’s been hiding down there for nearly an hour and, I’m guessing, right now is busy clicking away.”
Anna started to rear back, but Antonio kept her locked against his body.