“Yeah. She would.” Ally studied her nails again. “So, back to Rachel. She’s really not your type. Why her?”
Not his type? “I assume you’ve checked her out online by now. Figured out she’s a respected attorney. And you saw for yourself she’s beautiful and more kind that I would have been had a person spoken that way about me. What’s not ‘my type’ about that?”
Ally sighed. “I don’t know. But she’s not blonde. They’ve all been blonde. And she doesn’t fawn all over you like the others you’ve dated. And until the other day, you’ve never showered her with gifts like you do Lance or even Stella. Which you’ve got to stop doing, or I swear I’m going to hide all your money. But seriously, why wouldn’t you give the woman you’re supposed to be in love with gifts?”
He smiled. “She’s a lot like you. She told me to knock off the presents after the second necklace. And I’m glad I did. Because now I know she’s not with me for my money.”
Ally narrowed her eyes. “Could just be a very smart ploy. But the weirdest part is that she seems so . . . normal. I mean, let’s just address the elephant in the room. If she hadn’t gotten pregnant, would you still be with her?”
“We would have never broken up if she hadn’t gotten pregnant. But once apart, I realized I missed having her and my kids in my life.”
“Are you sure you aren’t just being nice, as usual? You have to admit, you’re pretty much a sucker for anyone with a sob story. How many times have I stopped you from getting taken advantage of?”
“Plenty.” Ally should be a private investigator. She should be the one finding dirt on his father. She was that good. “Has it ever occurred to you that I ask you to look into things for me so I don’t get taken advantage of? Because I trust you?”
“So why didn’t you ask me to look into Rachel? I thought we agreed it was my job to keep the people around you honest.”
That must be the source of her anger. That he didn’t include her for the first time. “You’ve done an amazing job protecting me. But I knew Rachel was special right away, and I wanted her all to myself, outside of public scrutiny. And I didn’t want to risk her finding out I’d investigated her. It’d show a lack of trust on my part.”
Ally looked away. “That’s a great way to get taken advantage of, Marcello. When she screws you over, don’t come crying to me.” The hurt in her tone touched his heart.
“You act as if I’ve stopped trusting you, Ally.”
She shrugged again. “It’s your life. Do what you want.”
He took her balled-up hands in his. “Bella, one day you are going to meet a man, and your heart will know he’s the one. And when you introduce him to me, I won’t like him. Because no man is good enough for you. But I will promise to give him a fair chance to earn my favor. Can you do the same for me? With Rachel. Please?”
She closed her eyes and huffed out a breath. After a few moments, she looked at him and nodded, but when her bottom lip quivered, it nearly killed him. Then her eyes filled with tears she desperately tried to blink away. It was a stab to his chest.
“I’m sorry if I hurt you, Ally. It wasn’t intentional.”
“I’m sorry too.” Ally threw her arms around his neck and hugged him, melting what remained of his heart.
Ally had become a surrogate for the children he’d vowed he’d never have. He loved her as much as the twins. “You’re still welcome to join us tonight. You’ll like Rachel, if you’ll just give her a chance.”
“Oh my God. Seriously?” Ally cuffed the back of his head and drew away. “Like I want to tag along on your little date? Hard pass.” She stood and wiped her eyes dry. “Besides, I already have a date.”
“With surfer boy? The one with all the hair and teeth?” That kid was trouble. He could feel it.
“His name is Eric.” Ally smiled. “And I like his long hair and big smile. He’s hot. See you.”
“Behave.” He didn’t want to think about Ally on a date with a “hot” guy.
“You too.” Ally stopped in the doorway and looked over her shoulder. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” She disappeared down the hallway with a mischievous chuckle.
Unfortunately, he’d already made sure that was going to be the case. But he’d keep up the no-sex rule with Rachel as long as he could. Hopefully, by starting over and just dating, they’d get back the steps they’d skipped, and they’d move forward toward number six in her love plan.
Chapter Nine
Messing with a strong woman is always a mistake.
Rachel marveled at the sparkling moonlight shimmering off the ocean. The waves slammed against the sandy shore just below the restaurant Marcello had chosen for their date. It was supposed to be THE PLACE to be seen, and boy, were they being seen. The packed restaurant had a long line waiting to get in. She’d felt guilty when they were whisked past all the people waiting patiently and shown to their table overlooking the ocean.
The thin gold ropes that separated their section from the rest of the restaurant wouldn’t hold back anyone serious about invading their privacy, but so far, all had been peaceful. The other two couples nearby were television actors.
“I can never get over how beautiful it is in California, Marcello.”
Seated beside her in their booth, he turned his gaze to her. “I can’t get over how beautiful you are, amore. I’m the luckiest man in the world right now. More wine?”
“No, thank you.” She laid her hand over the rim of the glass. “You have a heavy hand when pouring. I learned my lesson on the plane earlier.” She leaned closer and whispered, “Besides, I’m the lucky one here. Who’ll need her wits about her if she’s going to seduce her handsome date later.”
“That dress is doing the job just fine.” He poured another glass of wine for himself, then his gaze wandered the front of her dress. His angle from above probably gave him a fine peek. “You’re pushing me to my limits, Rachel.”
“Then my plan is working. What’s good here?” She picked up her menu that had no prices.
“I have no idea. I’ve never been here. But you can never go wrong with lobster or steak, sì?” He took a long drink from his glass.
Rachel laid her menu down. “You’ve never been to the hottest celebrity hangout in LA?”
He shook his head. “I spend most of my time hiding from the press, not looking for them. It was great Stella could get this private table for us on such short notice.”
“It was.” She perused the menu again, deciding on a crab-and-avocado salad. It was so nice to be out on a relaxing date for the first time with Marcello, but Trent’s words kept niggling in the back of her brain. They needed to figure out how to make their relationship work, for the kids’ sakes too. “Want to do our homework while we wait for our food?”
The waiter arrived before Marcello could answer. “Excuse me, but I have a bottle of champagne for you, compliments of the owner. We’re so glad you’ve finally joined us, Mr. Romano. Have you decided?”
The waiter poured them each a glass as he listened to their orders without taking a single note. It’d be interesting to see if the order came back right, the waiter was so obviously awed by Marcello.
After the server moved on, Marcello took her hand in his. “I’d be happy to do homework, especially if it means getting a better score on your love scale. Where are we now? Three or four?”
She wasn’t sure where they were, but she was definitely moving in the right direction after spending the day with him. She’d forgotten what it’d been like to just be with him. To sit with a handsome man over dinner who listened to her every word. And whose face had lit up like the sun when he’d seen her in her new dress. The massage and hair and makeup hadn’t hurt either. “We have to answer some stage three questions.”
He frowned. “Only three? Out of six?”
“If we get the first three right, Trent says the rest falls into place easier. So, we’re supposed to tell each other how we’d like to be treated.” She turned and faced him more squarely.
“I, for one, would like you to make love to me tonight. It’d definitely push me up to a four.”
He chuckled. “I don’t think that’s what Trent had in mind.”
“Probably not. But it’d be nice.” She kissed him. “You can go first. Do I do things that hurt you? Annoy you? Or do you have expectations for our relationship that I’m not meeting?”
Marcello’s brow furrowed as if he were deep in thought. “Most everything is fine. I know you’re trying to fix the things that aren’t, so I don’t want to say.”
“That I’m having trouble trusting you?”
He nodded. “That, and you’re holding your heart back from me. I’m not sure what else I can do to prove how much I love you, bella.”
That sent a sharp pang to said heart. “You don’t have to do another thing to prove your love, Marcello. It’s not you. It’s me. I’m afraid of the life you live. Afraid of the lack of privacy, and the demands your job will put on our family. I want a real marriage. Not a man I see once or twice a month.”
He nodded in understanding. “All things I can make better. I’ll tell Lance to cut back my schedule.”
Easier said than done.
Her heart began to pound with dread, but she needed to take the risk she’d avoided so far and tell him everything. “It’s not just that. If things don’t work out, I don’t know if my heart can take you leaving me again like you did before.” There. She’d said it. The thing that held her back the most.
He winced. “I’m sorry. That was me being a coward. I think you’d understand better if I could tell you the whole story, but I can promise it won’t happen again.”
A coward? What had he been afraid of? “Telling me your secret and letting me help you might go a long way to helping me trust my feelings for you.”
He lifted her chin with his knuckle. “So you do have strong feelings for me?”
Tears burned her eyes. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. Won’t you let me help you? So there won’t be any secrets between us?”
His expression grew determined. “I’m going to meet with someone tomorrow and hopefully put an end to things. Make the problem go away. If that doesn’t work, then I’ll ask for your help. Okay?”
“Thank you.” Relief washed through her. Maybe they could clear up the secrets and move forward.
The waiter showed up with their food. They must’ve moved their order up in front of everyone else’s. Marcello thanked the man, and then they both dug in.
She asked, “So there’s nothing else that bugs you about me?”
“Well, there is one more thing.” He laid his fork down and stared into her eyes. “Your obsession with sex. I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep you satisfied.” His big grin made her laugh.
“Says Mr. Insatiable. Except when he makes up silly no-sex rules.” She ate another bite of her salad, happy he’d eased the tension between them. “It’s been a long year, though.”
Still pinning her with his stare, he whispered, “For me too, Rachel.”
“Are you telling me you haven’t slept with anyone else either? We were broken up. You’d have every right.” He could have a willing woman with the snap of his fingers.
He shrugged, then took another bite of his steak. “When you’ve had the best, it’s hard to settle for less.”
“Okay, that just moved me up to a five.” She reached out and squeezed his hand. That he’d had no desire to sleep with anyone else went a long way in overcoming her doubts.
A different waiter approached them. “Excuse me, Mr. Romano, but there’s a young lady named Brittany here who would like an autograph. Would you mind?” The waiter slipped a piece of paper and a pen beside Marcello, then pointed to a cute teenager. She and her parents smiled in anticipation.
Marcello’s eyes cut to hers, silently asking permission. He’d promised there’d be no interruptions tolerated for the entirety of their date. But it was clear from his pleading expression he wanted to do it.
“Go. Take a selfie with her too.” Who could refuse a cute kid?
“Thank you, Rachel.” Marcello quickly crossed the room to chat with the girl and her parents.
She finished her salad as one selfie turned into eight more from the tables surrounding the family. She might as well get used to eating alone. Marcello was too polite to turn anyone down. His kindness was one of the things she admired most about him.
A guy slipped into the booth next to her, startling her. “You must be Rachel. We’d heard Marcello was here on a date.”
“I’m sorry. Who are you?” Probably the press. She scooped up her purse and started to slide out of the booth, but he grabbed her arm to stop her.
The guy leaned closer as three more men crowded around her table. All of them took pictures of her with cameras and phones. “What’s your last name? Are you from around here?”
What was going on? And where was Marcello?
Rachel tugged her arm from the man’s grasp. “No comment.”
Another man said, “Come on. Don’t be like that. We’re just after your story. How long have you been dating Marcello, Rachel?”
She tried to leave, but when she got to the end of the booth, none of the men would move. “Excuse me, please.” She started forward again, but the group had grown even larger. They stood their ground, taking pictures. She searched for some help but couldn’t see around the men. Looked like she was going to have to take care of it herself.
She dug for her salvation inside her purse. “I’m asking politely, one last time, for you to move out of my way, gentlemen.”
Ignoring her plea, all the men shouted out rapid-fire questions at her. So, she lifted her can of pepper spray. It was probably five years old and didn’t even work. But they wouldn’t know that. “Move!”
The biggest guy trapping her in the booth laughed. “Calm down, lady. You don’t have to shoot. We’ll move.”
“Thank you.” She slid her legs out and stood, but a massive wall of bodies still stood between her and the front door. She pushed her way through the best she could. She made eye contact with their waiter, who tried to break through the men surrounding her, but he got pushed away too.
“Where ya from, sweetheart? How long have you known Marcello? Who designed your dress? Love the shoes.” The questions and the flashes in her face overwhelmed her. Where the hell was Marcello? Were they mobbing him at the same time too? Maybe the driver, Dave, would help if she could make it outside. Marcello said he doubled as muscle.
She kept moving slowly forward, yanking her arms and shoulders from hands that tried to slow her progress. Waitstaff shouted and tried to break things up but were ineffective against the determined press. Would she ever get to the front door?
When someone tried to take her purse while another grabbed her shoulder, she panicked. Holding up her can, she yelled, “Back off. All of you!”
A ring of men with their hands lifted took a step back. When someone wrapped a hand around her arm and tugged hard from behind, she’d had enough. “I said, back off!” She swung around so fast, her finger set off the spray.
Marcello screamed out in agony, covered his face, and dropped to the floor.
The next morning, Marcello blinked his eyes open in bed. His face, eyes, and hands still felt slightly sunburned. But what hurt worse were the memories of Rachel manhandled by the press at the restaurant. It wasn’t going to help convince her that his life was one she wanted to share.
Merda! He should have made sure Stella had the press under control. She’d promised they wouldn’t bother them. That they were used to celebrities at that restaurant and knew to behave. That was the last time he left the house with his family and no security by their side the whole time. He wouldn’t blame Rachel if she’d snuck home during the night.
He slowly moved his head to see if she was still in bed beside him, relieved to see her studying him.
Rachel grimaced. “Good morning. How do you feel?”
“I’m fine.” The guilt linger
ing in her eyes killed him. He needed to cheer her up. “Remember our homework last night? You asked if you did things that bug me? Blasting me with pepper spray is definitely going on that list.”
Rachel closed her eyes and moaned. “Can you just punch me in the arm or something to pay me back for hurting you? Please?”
Punch her? “I’d take another blast to the face before I’d ever lay a hand on you. Please don’t give it another thought, amore.”
“That’s not going to be easy.” She held up her phone. “Did you see the wonderful impression I made? The media are calling me ‘Quick-Draw Rachel.’”
He accepted the phone. “It could be worse.”
“Really?” She leaned closer and scrolled through more pictures. “Look at this one. I looked so possessed, they titled it Demon Girlfriend.”
He studied the picture. “You don’t look possessed. You looked consumed with guilt as I writhed in pain.”
“Because I was! Look at this side-by-side shot. You’re smiling with an adorable kid, and I’m in full-on spray mode, blasting everyone’s hero. Your fans on social media are questioning your judgment for being with me.”
“Well, after last night, I might be wavering a bit too.” He smiled so she knew he was kidding.
She poked him in the ribs. “It’s not funny, Marcello.” Rachel rolled on top of him. “I’m so sorry I hurt you. What can I do to make you feel better? I hated seeing you in pain, babe.”
Babe? Rachel didn’t use terms of endearment. Ever. Maybe getting sprayed had been a good thing. “You being here makes me feel better. Thank you for not packing up and leaving last night. That had to be frightening for you.”
She shrugged. “A little.”
“I’ve decided we’ll have security by our sides from now on. Especially if the kids are with us. I’ve learned my lesson.”
“Okay. That’d make me feel a ton better. But are you sure you want to still have the party tonight? With all the press Stella said she invited? We can easily say you’re still recovering and cancel.”
He shook his head. “I want the party. I’m going to tell Stella to dress you like a princess tonight so the press can see how you really are. And I’m going to make a statement this morning condemning their behavior last night. I won’t tolerate another incident like that.”
Truly A Match (Rocky Mountain Matchmaker Book 4) Page 10
