by Joy, Melita
Leilani looked blankly waiting to try to make sense of the information given to her while Renato continued to sit silently watching her. His eyes focused on her like a jungle cat on its prey, moments before capture.
“Take a look at this,” Savino instructed. “This report is a log of the Maserati’s trips, and it clearly shows the times, routes and even the speeds the vehicle was traveling,” he stated. “If you notice the log shows that the car went from the airport straight to Pontelandolo without detour,” pausing to see if she was following him then brought up another report. “Now this is a log for the aircraft he was traveling in, it indicates his flight was direct from London to Rome. Both reports combined demonstrate that Renato went straight from the airport to you,” he presented the facts.
“I’ll see you to the door,” Renato headed for the front door leaving his chief of security to follow him.
Savino picked up his belongings and on the way out quietly advocated for his boss, “Renato is an honourable man. You shouldn’t be so quick to believe the media B.S.,” he tipped his head and exited the room.
Leilani had been so sure, but it was obvious now that her assurances were baseless. She hadn’t shown her husband a moment of trust, eager to believe the discrediting information without hesitation. Sorry wouldn’t cut it, but she didn’t know what else she could do or say.
“I’m sorry,” she muttered as soon as he walked into the room.
He just raised his hand to prevent her from saying anything further. “I can’t expect your trust, that much is obvious,” he interjected. “However, this is the last time I will take these measures to prove my innocence. This marriage is final; I will not issue you a divorce or let you leave. I would, however, prefer to have as normal a relationship as possible,” he bit out.
“I don’t know what to say. I wanted that too,” she apologized.
“You say that but at the first sign of adversity you ran,” he accused.
“There’s nothing I can say to right this,” she admitted. “I wish we could rewind and do it again,” hindsight was always a wonderful clarifier.
“Then let’s do just that. I don’t want to spend our time bickering,” he stood up, and she took his lead, walking into each other’s arms they made amends in the best way they knew. His kisses removed any lingering speckles of doubt. He lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his slim waist gripping him while his long strides took them into their room. He lowered her long enough to remove her ocean green, silk and lace bikini bottoms from under her skirt. In one sweeping motion, he relieved himself of his pants and undergarment. Semi-naked, he lifted her back into his arms and guided her slowly over the tip of his swollen shaft.
Leilani clamped her legs around him, gripped his broad shoulders and deepened their kiss. His strength unwavering he raised and lowered her in a steady motion while never removing his mouth from hers. The lead to a mutual crescendo was almost torturous in its intensity. They both groaned aloud as their bodies heated and convulsed.
Renato held onto Leilani until their breathing quietened, and a regular pace resumed. Lowering her gently, he ran a hand through his hair. “You are going to think I have no finesse at all in the bedroom,” he said half smiling.
“I think you are an incredible lover,” she said with sincerity.
“Yes, but it’s not my intention to keep taking you with little to no foreplay. On too many occasions I’ve already taken you as though my only desire is my climax,” he self-loathed. “When we make love it feels so good, whether I ejaculate or not I couldn’t care less as long as I bring you pleasure,” he meant the words. He’d never been a selfish lover yet the goal post was always there. With his wife, her pleasure intensified his feelings, unlike anyone he’d ever been with before, those women who were now faceless to him.
He didn’t like to admit it, but her lack of trust in him had done more than hurt his pride. Her opinion of him mattered. Feelings for his surprising little butterfly were emerging, and he wasn’t ready to face the possibility of what that meant. He’d been subject to Vittorio’s game, giving in and agreeing to marry the man’s daughter, but Renato executed things in his way. Renato gained control offering Leilani the option of friendship within the bounds of their marriage to make it bearable for the lifetime commitment they were entering, and it seemed that she had no issues with this. Leilani barely trusted him. It was Renato that was developing an emotional tie, and he’d sever it quickly before she realised she was in the power seat. He’d never given his heart to another, and she would be no exception.
“I don’t want you to feel like you have to control yourself though,” she stated. “When you take me like that it’s primal, instinctual and to know that you are just moved by feeling it turns me on. It makes me feel empowered, and I like that feeling a lot,” she admitted smiling.
“Is that just so,” he slapped her bare bottom playfully, with just enough of a sting that she yelped in surprise before he took her possessively into the circle of his arms. “Who is empowered now hmm.” He held her tightly lifting her feet off the ground before pinning her to the wall. Renato slid south and did with his mouth what he should have done from the start of their lovemaking.
Leilani sat at the edge of the pool, kicking her feet gently in the refreshing water. With her sunnies on and a cute turquoise and white geometrically designed bikini flattering her growing tan, she indulged in reading her long-time favourite book, Gone with the Wind on her e-reader. Distractedly she kept thinking of her husband. The past couple of weeks had been perfect. They’d managed to get past the issue of Camilla and thank goodness she no longer had to worry about the woman having anything to do with her or Renato.
Their lovemaking was a highlight of each morning and night and sometimes at other times of the day. His appetite quite insatiable but his control was tighter than ever. He hadn’t taken her in a heated moment since the day of the argument about his assistant. Not that she had anything to complain about he was utterly incredible, he knew just how to torture, tease and bring her to heights that she had no chance of ever achieving on her own.
It’s just that she wished she had the spontaneous Renato from time to time; she was still to figure out how to elicit that from him again. Realising that the book was futile, she switched off her reader. Leilani swung her feet onto the dry ground and walked to the sun lounger. Towelling off, she headed into the house. Renato was working from home today; maybe she would be able to tempt him into some naughty fun, and why not she thought to herself, her recent gym usage had made her more confident than ever. She would walk in with the towel on and do a little dance for him. She giggled to herself; it was time to take back that control and help Renato lose some of his.
She padded quietly down the hallway; she didn’t have music so she would have to hum even though she was fairly sure she was tone deaf she plucked up the courage to just go with it. She would wait just outside the door for a moment to ensure that he didn’t have someone in there with him. Her face flushed just thinking about the embarrassment of gyrating in front of someone other than her husband.
As she neared the door, she overheard Renato talking and hearing no response to his question she safely assumed he was on the phone. She debated herself on whether she should just saunter in and start a slow belly dancing motion while he was on the phone or wait for him to be completely free of distraction.
“Vittorio are you positive?” he sounded alarmed, and there was silence while her father responded.
“Mio dio, of course, I’m angry. You pushed me into marriage; I all but forced Leilani into becoming my wife and now you are telling me it was all for nothing,” he was shouting into the phone.
Leilani’s blood iced up. She had wanted Renato to lose control, but this scene was not what she’d imagined. She stood rooted to the spot desperate to hear.
“Why did the results take this long to come in?” He fumed, and there was further silence before Renato yelled into the phone with an entirely und
erstandable Italian expletive. “You tell her. I’m not doing your dirty work this time,” and Leilani heard him throw his phone, the sound of it crashing possibly from the wall to the floor.
Filled with dread, she walked in, “Renato?” she questioned.
“Leilani,” he looked hesitant, unsure how much she’d heard of the conversation probably. “Is everything alright,” he was caught off guard.
“Don’t play games with me. You asked me to trust you. I just heard most of the conversation you had with Vittorio,” when he didn’t respond she asked directly, “What’s going on Renato, the truth please.”
Standing up he walked over to her, “Take a seat and we’ll talk,” he insisted.
“Renato, just tell me now. You are worrying me,” what on earth was so bad that he needed her to sit down as though she were to be told of the death of a loved one.
“There is no easy way to say this. Vittorio is not your biological father,” he stated.
She gripped the nearby chair, “That can’t be,” she disagreed.
“Sit down before you fall,” he guided her to the chair and sat facing her. He took her hands in his; they felt numb and cold as though the blood in her veins had stopped pumping.
“Shortly after you arrived Vittorio organised a DNA test,” he began to explain.
“But I didn’t give permission for a test to be done,” it was the only thing that sprang to mind. Deceit and more lies had there been a moment of truth.
“He was ninety-nine percent certain you were his daughter, but he still needed the indisputable proof that only a laboratory could provide. He had me take some DNA samples from you to send in for testing,” he admitted.
Leilani just stared at him; he wanted trust, but he deserved none.
“I thought it best that you didn’t know. We had no reason to believe that it wouldn’t come back anything other than a positive match and telling you would just feed your insecurities even further,” he defended. “The start of our marriage was to be hard enough Leilani; I was trying to do right by you,” he further justified.
“You didn’t give a rats about me,” she bit back. “You did what you always, Vittorio’s bidding. You are nothing more than his pawn, and the pair of you are deceitful liars, and I wish I’d never had the misfortune to come into contact with either of you. I heard your conversation Renato, and you are right. If Vittorio is not my father, then there is absolutely no reason you should have married me. So, guess what, we can divorce and end this sham.” She ran out of the room and to her bedroom heading straight for the bathroom. Wretching, into the toilet bowl, she sank to her knees.
Her life was a mess. Leilani rose to her feet only to find that Renato was hovering behind her. “I just want to help,” he stated, passing her a wash cloth to wipe her mouth.
“I don’t need your help,” but she took the offering. “Can’t you just leave me be,” she was hurting so badly and she just needed to be on her own.
“I don’t want to leave. I want to be right here seeing you through this. Leilani I want to stay married to you. I know it’s probably not the best time to say it but I,” she cut him off with her fury.
“You wouldn’t have to be here seeing me through any of this if you and Vittorio hadn’t played God. Stop play acting, I don’t need your concern or pity Renato after all it’s not the first time I’ve been discarded,” she declared. Self-pity was rising inside of her. Finding out that the man who raised you wasn’t your father had cut her into pieces, to learn that Vittorio was also not her biological parent was just a cruel joke. Not that she had grown any particular fondness for the man, but she had thought that she had found her place. Only to have it ripped out from her before she could barely build a new foundation. It truly was soul destroying.
To hear her husband’s words that he’d had no need to marry her, it cut her even more. She felt the salty droplets splashing on her arms and realised that the dam had broken. Renato tried to embrace her, but she stepped back rejecting his offer.
Renato’s heart was tearing, she didn’t deserve any of this and Leilani was right. His actions had been despicable, and he couldn’t blame her for being repulsed by him. When she looked up at him with those vacant, destitute eyes, he knew that she’d hit rock bottom emotionally, and he couldn’t bear the damage he’d caused. His heart broke with hers, and he knew he had to let her go.
“You need space, take it. I’ll have a car, and a jet made available to you. Keep the credit cards, use them and please don’t argue,” he turned away from her not wanting her to mistake his anguish for pity. “Can I call you to check on you?” he asked for permission.
“Is there any point?” she asked bleakly.
“Yes, I still care for you regardless of what you think,” his voice gentle as though he were talking to a skittish colt. “Will you go home to your parents?”
“There is nothing there for me either. I’ve alienated my mother by marrying you. I barely had a relationship with my stepdad, however, whatever was there has been completely obliterated by now. I don’t know where I’ll go but if you wouldn’t mind I’d like to leave today,” her tone lacked emotion; she sounded flat and tired.
“I’ll instruct the driver to take you somewhere peaceful for tonight and when you are ready, whether it is tomorrow or in a few days you can instruct the driver to take you wherever you feel. He will be at your disposal.”
Renato made the arrangements and had one of the staff pack some of her belongings. Seated in the back of the luxury vehicle she didn’t look back. To do so would have only hurt her more, if that were at all possible. Leilani didn’t need to set eyes on him one last time to know that as he facilitated her departure she left him in possession of her breaking heart.
CHAPTER seventeen
Renato watched as he allowed the car to take Leilani away from him. Her words were true; he and Vittorio had manipulated and forced her into a marriage to suit their purpose, neither showing her any care or respect. It was no wonder that she was desperate to get away from him now. Renato needed to fix things, he may not love the woman, but he was not soulless. He’d broken her with his callous actions, and it was up to him to make it right. Maybe then she would come back to him.
He’d grown used to having her with him, sharing breakfast and their lovemaking. He berated himself for his thoughts, maybe he truly was just a ruthless, selfish person only thinking of his needs. Renato was worried about her. The vacant, desolate look was the most concerning. She was defeated. He’d seen it in her eyes, and that damage was his fault pure and simple.
Entering Vittorio’s apartment he confronted the man, “What have we done?”
Vittorio was sitting alone in the sitting room facing the window, “She lied to me.”
Renato wasn’t sure if the old man was talking to him or himself, “What are you talking about?” he asked.
“My Rosa. I’d have done anything for that woman. Even after she left I kept helping her and all these years she was scamming me,” he breathed.
It was difficult to discern whether Vittorio was angered or in awe of Rosa’s duplicity. “How is this even possible, in a town this small surely you would have known if Rosa were seeing someone else?” he questioned.
“I think it’s about time we got to the bottom of this son, don’t you?”
He had to agree and took note of the fact that he was once again titled son. In all the confusion of Leilani’s birthright, it had been a while since Vittorio had acknowledged him as his. He waited as Vittorio made the arrangements.
Leilani asked the driver to take her out of the city. The driver had asked her if she preferred a country town or another city area. She’d responded that she didn’t mind a crowd, just as long as it wasn’t anywhere near Rome. The driver nodded his head obviously noticing her pathetic state, “Don’t worry about a thing. You will be feeling as good as new soon enough, I have the perfect place for you to stay,” he reassured her.
She thanked him politely and looked
out the window mindlessly, not hearing the soft music playing in the car or the sounds of the traffic. She was numb, and she didn’t know how to reconnect with herself and the world. They stopped at the airport and if Leilani was surprised she didn’t show it. Instead, she allowed herself to be ushered to a private jet where she was taken on a short journey to Venice. After landing Leilani was taken by private boat to her hotel, the Belmond Hotel Cipriani.
The hotel was stunning and under normal circumstances Leilani would have been awed by the magic of this building sitting on the tip of the exclusive Guidecca Island. Thankfully she was taken to her room fairly quickly though it was no ordinary room. She would be staying in the Palladio Suite. It was opulently furnished with local artefacts and Murano glass if she wasn’t mistaken. Plump, overstuffed furniture and the most incredible views of the lagoon from both her bedroom and the living room. The floor to ceiling windows gave the illusion that her room was afloat in the water, isolated off a coast with a small city across the expanse in the distance.
Not knowing what to do she explored the rooms quietly, even the marble spa bathroom had water views. She made her way out onto her private terrace and slipping out of her strappy sandals popped a toe into the water of the oversized dipping pool. Perfectly heated. It was a shame she didn’t have her swimmers with her.
She checked her luggage and found nothing suitable, even though she was here by herself she wasn’t sure if any hotel staff would walk in on her. Leilani phoned reception and asked if there was a swimwear shop nearby as she’d like to take a dip in the plunge pool.
Leilani was advised to stay right where she was and within ten minutes an assortment of swimwear was gifted to her. “How did you even know what size to bring up?” this kind of service was beyond expectation.
“Your husband has given us all your details that we might need to ensure your stay with us is completely relaxing and undisturbed,” she was told by the serene woman. “Is there anything else that we can do to make your stay more comfortable?” the woman asked solicitously.
