She watched Ryan walking away. Her head and heart were screaming at her to run after him. Stop him. But her feet remained frozen in place. This man had hidden the truth from her. They barely knew one another. There was no way she'd let herself get swallowed up in another relationship. Not now, not when she was so close to freedom she could taste it.
What the hell was wrong with him? This was supposed to be fun. Easy. This was supposed to be all about money and sex, goddamn it. She wrapped her arms around herself as a shiver wracked her body and the hollow feeling threatened to swallow her whole.
* * * *
"You're an idiot" became Ryan's mantra for the rest of the night. What had he been thinking?
He hadn't, that was the short answer.
That little episode out on the gazebo was starting to feel like a drug-induced hallucination. Looking back on it, it was like watching a bad movie and he couldn't even recognize himself. Who was that guy? Surely not Ryan, the confident bartender who'd been raised to believe love and marriage and happily ever afters were a thing of fairy tales. He was not a romantic. Why would he be, when his family had the tendency to twist anything even resembling love into something toxic? Yet....it had happened. He'd gotten swept away like a teenage girl swooning over her first crush.
He flopped down on his bed with a groan. This was ridiculous. Lucia was offering a no-strings-attached fling. As if that wasn't enough, the woman was giving him millions of dollars on top of that. He should be overjoyed. He should be thanking his lucky stars. And instead...he'd blown it.
Even now, an hour and several glasses of wine later, he couldn't figure out what had happened. What supernatural force had taken control of his body and turned him into a needy, girly wuss? It was humiliating to remember the look on her face, that wary, trapped look. Like he'd suggested they move in together and start a family rather than just, you know...dinner.
He should go to her, explain the situation.
And say what? Sorry, I freaked you out, it's just...I've never been in love before.
Love. Jesus, is that what this was? If so, love sucked. He hadn't expected this to happen. Ever. He’d been fairly certain his family situation had acted as a sort of vaccine against this particular disease. But, if he had ever harbored even the tiniest hope of finding love for himself, he certainly wouldn't have imagined falling for someone who didn't love him back.
Wasn't love supposed to be all magic and happiness and pleasure? Maybe this was something else. It sure as hell didn't feel good.
Maybe he had a weird strain of the flu.
While he pondered that thought, there was a knock on his door. Ryan flew to his feet with an excitement that was alarming.
Lucia. She'd had a change of heart. She's come to clear the air and tell him she feels the same way. That she is wildly, crazily, stupidly in love.
He opened the door with a little too much oomph and with a wide, triumphant smile. That was quickly erased when he saw the scowling face before him.
Daniel.
"What do you want?"
Daniel's frown deepened.
Oh for the love of God....did he really expect a warm welcome after the way he'd been sending him lethal glares all day long? Besides it was nearly midnight, what the hell—
"Is everything okay? Is Lucia all right?"
Daniel pushed him aside and entered the room as if he owned the place. "She's fine....for now."
Oh no. Ryan’s stomach plummeted. Something was wrong with Lucia.
"What does that mean?" Fear made his tone harsher than ever and his hands clenched into fists as he fought the urge to shake it out of him. "What is wrong with Lucia?"
Daniel turned to face him and thrust his tablet in his face. "As if you don't know."
The screen showed a gossip website that was entirely in Italian. He scanned the pictures, the headlines. He didn’t have to read Italian to get the gist. His heart sank into his stomach.
“Oh bloody hell.”
He was dimly aware of Daniel lecturing him as he scrolled through the site. It just got worse and worse as he went, until there at the bottom of the page was a picture of Lucia in her flimsy black dress standing next to him….in front of Elvis.
They were all grinning like drunken idiots. Even Elvis.
“How did they—”
“Find out?” Daniel finished. “You tell me.”
A buzzing in his ears made it hard to hear. He tried to focus on the words before him but no amount of staring made the words make sense. “What does it say?”
Daniel was silent for so long that he finally pulled his gaze from the tablet to look at the man standing before him, fuming with anger. “It says everything,” Daniel said. “The whole story of Lucia’s mother, her father abandoning them.” Daniel’s fists clenched at his sides and the next words came out through gritted teeth. “The headline says it’s the tell-all story of Italy’s leading family.”
Ryan froze in the face of Daniel’s wrath. Daniel thought he was responsible for this. Lucia would think he had done this. All for revenge.
“I didn’t…this isn’t…” Ryan stopped and took a deep breath. “I didn’t do this.”
Daniel’s smirk was mocking and entirely humorless. “Really? Because if you wanted to get to me through those I love, you’ve succeeded.”
Ryan shook his head. “That wasn’t my plan. I just wanted—”
“Revenge, I know, Holly told me. Well played. You managed to fool Holly, Jack, and Lucia into thinking you changed your ways. That you actually gave a damn about Lucia.”
“I did. I mean, I do.” The anxiety he’d been wallowing in for the past few hours grew to outright terror. He could lose her for good—if he’d ever had her to begin with.
He turned to the door. “I have to find Lucia. I have to explain.”
Before he could open the door, Daniel reached past him and held a hand against the door to keep it shut. “That’s not going to happen.”
* * * *
She was an idiot. All through the restless night, that was the phrase running on repeat through her brain, even in her dreams when she would occasionally drift off. Idiot, idiot, idiot.
Ryan was the kindest, sweetest, not to mention hottest, man she’d ever met. More than that, he got her. He seemed to understand her passion for her work, her sense of humor, her need to strike out on her own…unlike anyone she’d ever met. And she’d driven him away.
Shoving aside the covers, she leapt out of bed. That was it. Enough moping. She had to talk to Ryan. Not just talk—she had to apologize. What kind of weirdo got freaked out because her husband—or lover, or boyfriend, or whatever Ran was—offered to cook her dinner?
She’d overreacted, that much was obvious. Being home, back under her grandfather’s thumb, under the watchful eyes of her aunts and uncles and Daniel and Ivy….she’d instantly felt like the spoiled girl she’d always been. The bird in a gilded cage. The girl she’d been when she’d left this place months ago.
But she wasn’t that girl anymore. She was an independent woman and Ryan loved her for it.
He loved her.
All of the air left her lungs as the enormity of that statement hit her. That was it. She had to talk to him. She threw a sweater over her pajamas while she brushed her teeth. With one hand, she twisted her long hair into a low bun.
She gave herself one quick glance in the mirror and nearly laughed aloud. Not the sexiest way to show up in her husband’s doorway but there would be time for lingerie and sexy dresses later. She had to talk to him now. The idea of spending any more time away from him and letting him think she didn’t care—it was unbearable.
She was halfway down the hall that led to Ryan’s room when her grandfather’s voice stopped her. “Lucia, I need to talk to you.”
“Not now, Grandpa, I have to talk to Ryan.”
There was a silence as she reached his door, which was ajar. She poked her head in and found it empty. Huh. She hadn�
�t figured Ryan to be an early riser. He had the whole bartender-night owl vibe going on.
She retraced her steps, back to her grandfather’s study where he sat behind his desk, as he did every morning, sipping his coffee and reading the newspaper. To find him here as if she’d never left. As if they’d never fought. It was oddly comforting. Like no matter what happened, he would always be here for her.
Her heart squeezed with an unexpected wave of emotion. But that was the thing. Not everything was the same. And here, now, she saw that. Her grandfather looked older than ever as he peered at her over his coffee mug, those all-seeing eyes were crinkled up in a way she knew well. He was worried about her. Like usual.
Giving in to the wave of nostalgia and love, she rushed toward him and threw her arms around his neck.
He laughed and hugged her back. “What is this for?”
She pulled back and shook her head. “I’ve just missed you, that’s all.”
He patted her cheek the way he’d always done since she was a little girl. “I missed you too, mi principessa.”
For the first time in a long time, she didn’t mind the nickname. Ryan had done that. So all he had done was listen but that simple act—listening, no, not listening, hearing—that had been enough to heal. She had to remember to thank him for that.
Speaking of….
“Grandpa, have you seen Ryan? I need to talk to him.”
The worried frown turned to an ominous scowl. “Have a seat, Lucia.”
Uh oh. Lucia didn’t move. “What is it?”
“Ryan is not here.”
Dread filled Lucia’s senses. She’d done it. She’d driven him away. “What do you mean, he’s not here? Where did he go?”
She had a dim, distant hope he would say Ryan had run out to the shop to get some milk but that hope was dashed quickly.
“He’s back in the States. Daniel flew him to New York last night.”
Lucia was stunned into speechlessness for several moments as a flood of questions raced through her mind. “Why?”
Her grandfather gestured for her to take a seat and she did so in a daze. How could he leave like that? Why wouldn’t he give her a chance to explain?
He glanced at his laptop and then back to her. “The local tabloids have run an article about you.”
Lucia blinked at him for a moment. How did that matter? For a moment she struggled to see the correlation. Then understanding dawned and she held out her hand. “Show me.” It wasn’t a request.
Her grandfather handed her his laptop which was already on the ghastly tabloid site. Lucia read through it quickly, her brain unable to keep up with all she was reading. It was a load of garbage, all of it. It hardly even sounded like her life.
Abandoned by her father, orphaned with her mother’s death. It made it sound like…like she’d been alone. When in reality she had known more love in her lifetime thanks to her grandfather and extended family than most people were ever lucky enough to experience. From the little she’d heard of Ryan’s family, it was safe to say his family bond didn’t even come close even though his mother was alive and he’d been lucky enough to know his father.
The rest of it…the stuff about her breakup with Marco, her marriage to Ryan. It all sounded so sordid and dramatic, like something out of a soap opera. It sounded….well, it sounded ridiculous.
She looked up to see her grandfather watching her with concern but, truth be told—she didn’t feel all that traumatized. In fact, she found herself battling a ridiculous urge to laugh. But Grandpa looked so worried…
“Are you all right?” she asked. After all, the details about her mother’s mistakes….it had to have been hard for him to read. To relive.
His brows furrowed in confusion. “Of course I’m all right, it’s you I’m worried about.”
She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “Oh, thank goodness.”
They stared at one another for a moment before Lucia cracked a smile of relief. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
He leaned forward over the desk. “I must admit, I didn’t think you’d take this so well.”
Lucia sighed as she handed the laptop back. “I’m not thrilled that my life is splashed on the front page of the tabloids but it’s not the first time our family is in the spotlight and I’m certain it won’t be the last.”
Her grandfather took the computer from her and snapped it shut. “That’s true but…that’s not what I was referring to.”
“You mean that stuff about my mom?”
His whole body stiffened at the mention of her mother. Had it always been that way? How had she never noticed? Leaning forward, she wrapped her hand around his. “Grandpa, I may not have known my mother but I know you. You were a good father to her. She was lucky to have you.”
She hurried on before he could stop her.
“And so am I.” She looked down at their hands. “I know I hurt you when I left. You must have thought I was following in my mother’s footsteps. But I wasn’t, I promise. I wasn’t trying to hurt you, I just wanted a chance to stand on my own two feet. I want to make you proud.”
Her grandfather placed his other hand on top of hers and she saw tears brimming in his eyes. “Lucia, I have always been proud of you—every day you have been alive, I have been proud to call you my little girl.” He stopped and raised his brows as if he’d just discovered something surprising. “But you’re not a little girl any longer, are you?”
She had to smile at that. “No, Grandpa, I’m not a little girl. But I’m still your granddaughter, thank God.”
He laughed and leaned back in his chair, letting go of her hands. “Even though you’re not my little girl, I still want to protect you.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you from this….” He waved his hand with a look of disgust. “This husband of yours.”
Ryan. For a few moments there she’d actually forgotten he’d left her. The pain came back with full force. God, how had she let it get to this point? “I can’t believe he left without giving me a chance to explain…to apologize.”
Her grandfather’s eyes crinkled in confusion. “What do you need to explain? And why on earth would you need to apologize?”
Lucia sighed. “Because I said some things last night….” She rubbed at her eyes. It was painful to even think about the way she’d pushed him away.
“What kind of things?”
She looked up then, having almost forgotten her grandfather was still there with her. “It doesn’t matter. Clearly I hurt him if he left in the middle of the night.”
Her grandfather steepled his fingers in front of him on the desk in a gesture she knew well. He was thinking.
“He didn’t leave because of something you said,” he said slowly, as though talking to a young child. Or an idiot. “He left because we made him.”
“What?” Lucy shot up out of her chair. “Why? And who’s we?”
“Daniel and myself.” Her grandfather shrugged. “Well, mainly Daniel.”
“Why?” she asked again. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her brain was a jumble of competing thoughts.
His eyes narrowed and he leaned forward. She had the feeling he was waiting for her to figure it out. But it wasn’t until he made a vague gesture toward the laptop that all of the pieces clicked into place.
“You think….” she started. “You think Ryan leaked this story?”
Her grandfather’s expression was grim. “Daniel told me Ryan had issues with him. The boy took a job under a false name just to get close to him.”
Lucia stared at her grandfather. She understood the logic. In fact, she was surprised she hadn’t leapt to that conclusion herself.
“He outright admitted to Jack and Holly that he intended to use his relationship with you to hurt Daniel.”
“Yes, but that was before….” Lucy stopped, the rest of the words caught in her throat. How could she explain? Her grandfath
er’s reasoning made sense. She could see how this looked to him and the others. But….they were wrong. There was no doubt in her mind.
“Before what?”
Lucia shook her head, at a loss for words. “That was before we really knew one another and before…before he chose to put me before his family and their vendetta. That was before I knew that…”
To Lucia’s surprise and horror, tears started to pool in her eyes at the overwhelming emotions that flooded through her
“Before you knew what?”
Lucia’s next words came out with a wail. “Before I knew that I’m in love with my husband.”
Chapter 13
The last plane ride was awkward, but this….well, this was sheer hell.
Ryan didn’t want to talk and he’d assumed Daniel would give him the same silent treatment he’d been giving him since the day he’d married Lucia. Had that only been four days ago? Less than a week and it was over. He’d managed to ruin the closest thing to a real relationship he’d ever had. And he hadn’t even done anything!
Except scare away the woman he loved.
He let his head fall into his hands at the memory. If only he could go back and do it all over again. If only he’d had the chance to talk to her one more time, explain everything. He needed to make this right.
But he couldn’t even wallow in his regrets and “if onlys” because he’d been wrong about Daniel. Daniel apparently turned into something of a chatty Cathy in the face of Ryan’s misery.
“I can understand your hatred of me,” he was saying as he flipped through documents in a manila folder. He didn’t even bother to look up so Ryan found himself staring at the top of Daniel’s head as he multitasked. Only Daniel Gladwell could get work done while giving a lecture.
“I’m so glad you understand.” Ryan didn’t even bother to hide his contempt. Why bother when Daniel and, more importantly, Lucia, thought he was responsible for that horrid exposé. And why wouldn’t they? His guilty conscience was still gnawing at him. He’d set this in motion by going along with his family’s stupid plans. All because of their hatred for this man. A man who, at this moment at least, was easy to hate since he was the one forcibly taking him away from the woman he loved.
The Accidental Elopement Page 17
