Claimed for the Italian's Revenge

by Natalie Rivers

  He opened his laptop computer and clicked open a news channel website.

  Claudia watched, confused at first, but she quickly realised what she was seeing.

  ‘This is a news clip of Primo Vasile and Francesca Hazelton being arrested at Turin airport and taken into police custody,’ Marco said, as if he needed to be sure she understood.

  ‘But…’ Claudia turned to him uncertainly.

  ‘The police received compelling evidence against them,’ Marco said. ‘And the news crew were also tipped off about it. I doubt it has made international news channels, but I wanted you to be able to see proof of what has happened.’

  ‘But I thought you wanted to be there, to let him know it was you who brought him down,’ Claudia said, leaning forward to click on the video clip again. She couldn’t quite believe what she was seeing.

  Marco let her watch it through once more, then closed the laptop.

  ‘Yes, I wanted to be there to humiliate him, as he humiliated my father. To let him know I was the one responsible for his destruction.’

  He broke off and took a shuddering breath, appalled to think that for his whole adult life he had been driven by the need to seek vicious revenge on Vasile. But although Claudia had suffered too, she had no desire for retaliation. She didn’t wish to see them suffer in return. There wasn’t a vindictive bone in her body.

  That thought had haunted him all night. And it had shamed him.

  He turned to her urgently, catching her eye to really emphasise what he was about to say.

  ‘I thought that being there in person to bring down Vasile was the thing that mattered to me most. But I found out I was wrong.’

  ‘How? What changed your mind?’ Claudia asked

  ‘You.’

  ‘Me?’ Claudia frowned at him. ‘You mean you gave it up for me? You’ve worked towards that moment for years.’

  ‘It was meaningless,’ Marco said. ‘Compared to how I feel about you, it was utterly meaningless.’

  She looked at him, hardly daring to breathe. Or to hope.

  ‘I achieved what I set out to do. I deceived you. I made you care for me. And I think I broke your heart,’ Marco said. ‘But I also broke my own.’

  He stood up and strode to the window and Claudia realised he was in the grip of very powerful emotions. She waited quietly, trying not to let the glimmer of hope that was building inside her grow too strong too soon. He’d said he’d broken his own heart. But she wouldn’t let herself think about what that might mean.

  ‘When Bianca first told me you were her new friend I was suspicious,’ Marco continued. ‘But when I met you I was overwhelmed.’

  ‘I was overwhelmed by you too,’ Claudia said, remembering how she’d been so impressed by him, so in awe of his incredible good looks and so flattered by his attention.

  ‘You were beautiful, charming and wonderfully enthusiastic about life,’ Marco said. ‘I fell in love with you immediately.’

  Claudia gasped, then covered her mouth with her hand, looking up at him with wide startled eyes. He’d said he’d fallen in love with her. But he’d used the past tense—he was talking about what happened more than four years ago.

  ‘I know what you’re thinking,’ Marco said, gazing down at her shocked face. She looked so pale and vulnerable that he wanted to wrap her in his arms and protect her from the world.

  The unbearable knowledge that he was the one she needed protection from lashed at him viciously, ripping through him—making his heart bleed in an agony of guilt-ridden sorrow.

  ‘What?’ she asked, her voice shaking.

  ‘If I loved you—how could I have treated you so badly?’

  He’d asked himself that question a million times since their terrible argument the night before. He hadn’t been able to get it out of his mind. He truly must be a terrible person. A man as despicable as Primo Vasile.

  ‘You were right when you said my hatred of Vasile blinded me,’ he continued doggedly. ‘That’s why I never challenged you about our mutual connection to him. I told myself I was waiting to see what you’d do, to see if you’d reveal any involvement with him. The truth was I enjoyed your company too much to do anything that might make me lose you.’

  He paused and drew in a long shaky breath.

  ‘I wish you’d asked me about it.’ Claudia gazed up into his haunted eyes. His suffering was drawn on every plane and angle of his face, and her heart contracted with the need to comfort him somehow. But she instinctively understood that he needed to complete his confession.

  ‘So do I,’ Marco said, pacing across to the window and back again.

  ‘I still can’t believe that all along you thought I knew what Primo did to your family,’ she said. ‘That you thought I was hiding that knowledge from you for some reason.’

  ‘That’s because you have a kind, pure heart,’ Marco said, raking his hands in agitation through his already dishevelled hair. ‘I know now that you would never be capable of such deception—but, as you said last night, I judged you by my own despicable standards.’

  ‘Your family had been destroyed by Primo,’ Claudia said, desperate to ease his pain. ‘No wonder you were cautious.’

  ‘I wasn’t cautious. I was obsessed,’ Marco said. ‘I told myself I was giving you the benefit of the doubt. But I realise now that my hatred of your family was so strong that I was just waiting for you to trip up.’

  He stopped pacing and looked down at her, making eye contact.

  ‘I’d fallen in love with you—that’s why it hurt me so much when I thought you had betrayed me,’ he said.

  ‘So you wanted to hurt me in return.’ Claudia’s voice was so quiet she could hardly hear it herself.

  ‘I feel so ashamed,’ he said, suddenly dropping down to his knees in front of her and taking her hands in his. ‘How could I want to hurt the person I love?’

  Claudia gazed into his eyes and saw they were clouded by a miasma of guilt and pain. But beneath that misery, she could see a glimmer of something else.

  No, it was more than a glimmer. It was a warm bright glow and it was shining directly into her soul.

  It was love. He loved her.

  ‘I can never forgive myself for hurting you so badly,’ Marco said.

  ‘You must forgive yourself,’ Claudia said, squeezing his large powerful hands with her own. ‘Because I forgive you.’

  ‘Why?’ he asked. ‘How can you? After every awful thing I’ve said and done?’

  ‘Because I love you.’

  She smiled, feeling the words sparkle in the air between them like a spell. It felt so good to say it—it was the truth from the very bottom of her heart—and at that moment she knew everything would be all right.

  ‘But I broke your heart.’

  From the bemused frown on Marco’s face, she could tell he needed more convincing. She lifted her hand and smoothed it tenderly across the lines that creased his forehead.

  ‘It isn’t broken any more—feel it beating.’ She took his hand and pressed it over her left breast. ‘And with every beat my happiness is growing—my love for you is growing’

  ‘You still want to be with me?’ His voice was incredulous, but she could finally hear a tentative note of joy.

  ‘Of course—I love you.’

  ‘I love you.’ He said the words solemnly, looking deep into her eyes, as if he still didn’t think she would believe him.

  ‘I’ve always loved you,’ she said. ‘I thought we were soul mates—I’ve never met anyone who understands me like you do.’

  ‘But look how I used that understanding,’ he said, a pang of guilt echoing through his voice.

  ‘Shh,’ she said, pressing her index finger lightly over his lips. They felt warm and vital under her fingertip. ‘We don’t need to think about it ever again. Primo and Francesca are going to prison—they’re out of our lives for good.’

  ‘That news clip I showed you was recorded hours ago,’ Marco said. ‘They were arrested hours ago—but I
felt nothing. In the end it meant nothing compared to my feelings for you.’

  ‘Does Primo know he was arrested because of you?’ she asked. Despite her conviction that they needed to put the past behind them, there were still one or two more things that needed to be said.

  ‘No, I don’t think so. And I don’t care any more,’ Marco replied, suddenly moving up to sit beside her on the sofa. ‘When it comes to trial I may have to give evidence, but I don’t care if he never knows it was me.’

  ‘What will happen about the stolen money?’ she asked. ‘Will the people still lose their pensions?’

  He cupped her face in his hands and leant forward to kiss her lips with aching tenderness.

  ‘You are such a wonderful, kind person,’ he murmured. ‘Even with everything that’s going on, you are thinking about other people. Don’t worry. They will be all right. When all of Vasile’s assets are seized, there will be enough money.’

  ‘I’m glad,’ Claudia said. ‘I hated thinking about letting all those people down so badly.’

  ‘You are an angel,’ Marco said, kissing her again. ‘Your goodness has freed me from my soul-destroying obsession to avenge my family. I love you more than I can ever say.’

  Claudia slipped her arms around him and held him tight, watching the Christmas tree lights splinter into a kaleidoscope of colours reflected in the tears of happiness that suddenly filled her eyes.

  She clung to him, never wanting to let him go, basking in the certain knowledge that he felt the same way.

  ‘There’s something else I need to tell you,’ Marco said. ‘I’ve sent a top antique restorer to the house in Piedmont. Your father’s desk has been repaired. Only someone with an expert eye would be able to tell it had been damaged.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Claudia said, deeply touched by his thoughtfulness.

  ‘It was the least I could do,’ Marco replied quietly.

  They were silent for a moment and Claudia looked around the room, noticing the decorations properly for the first time.

  ‘You’ve brought Christmas to us early,’ she murmured. Then she saw a delicious looking array of food had been set up on the side table—bright tropical fruit and Caribbean delicacies. ‘And what’s that wonderful smell?’

  ‘Spiced rum punch,’ he said. ‘It seemed more suitable for the Caribbean than mulled wine.’

  ‘For breakfast?’ she said laughing.

  ‘I wasn’t thinking straight.’ He smiled, looking almost bashful—if that was possible for such a heart-stoppingly gorgeous specimen of masculine perfection. ‘There’s plain juice if you prefer—or I can call for anything else you’d like.’

  ‘No—’ she laughed ‘—I want rum punch. We’re celebrating.’

  ‘There’s one more thing,’ Marco said. ‘I’d be honoured if you’d come to Turin to spend Christmas with me for real. We’d be near your father—but also, I know someone who has missed your friendship for four years.’

  ‘Bianca?’ Claudia asked quietly. ‘But doesn’t she think terrible things about me?’

  ‘No,’ Marco said. ‘Hard as it will be for you to believe me, I never poisoned her against you. I was still trying to protect her. She knew we’d been involved, and out of respect for my feelings she let your friendship drop. Being on the other side of the Atlantic helped that.’

  ‘I’ve missed her too,’ Claudia said. ‘It would be really wonderful to rekindle our friendship.’

  A sudden joyful smile lit up Marco’s face and he sprang to his feet, carrying Claudia with him in his enthusiasm.

  ‘I love you so much!’ he exclaimed, hugging her so energetically that her feet lifted off the floor.

  Claudia laughed and clung happily to him, gasping with delight as he suddenly lifted her higher and spun her round and round, laughing with her in his happiness.

  At last they came to rest next to the Christmas tree, and Claudia found herself looking with delight at the decorations—the branches were adorned with gorgeous glazed ceramic shapes and the cutest Christmas motifs and figures, made entirely from whole nutmegs, cinnamon sticks and other spices she didn’t immediately recognise.

  ‘They’re all crafted locally,’ Marco said.

  ‘It’s beautiful,’ Claudia breathed, leaning close to the tree. ‘And it smells like Christmas too. I love the scent of spices.’

  ‘This is the Caribbean!’ Marco exclaimed. ‘A tropical paradise. I’ll take you to places where the air is saturated with spice and every breath fills your lungs with the natural perfumes of exotic flowers.’

  ‘That sounds amazing,’ Claudia said, hugging him close once more. ‘But I don’t need to go anywhere to feel like that. Just being with you makes me feel like I’m in paradise.’

  He hugged her back, wrapping his strong powerful arms around her in a way that made her forget everything but how wonderful it was to be held by him. Eventually they sank back down on to the sofa and he brought her a glass of rum punch.

  She sipped the potent brew, unable to take her eyes off Marco’s face, hardly able to believe how happy she felt. The beautiful glow of love filled her and the fiery heat of passion was starting to flow through her veins as she looked deep into his sultry eyes.

  She lifted her hand and brushed her fingers through his black hair.

  It was still stiff with salt from his swim the previous day and she realised he’d been too distraught to think about washing it.

  ‘You need to shower and shave,’ she said, smoothing her hand against his stubbled jaw line.

  ‘Come with me,’ he said. ‘I need you with me.’

  She knew he was talking about more than the shower. He needed her for the rest of their lives.

  ‘Always,’ she said. ‘I’ll love you always. And I’ll be with you for ever.’

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-2403-6

  CLAIMED FOR THE ITALIAN’S REVENGE

  First North American Publication 2008.

  Copyright © 2008 by Natalie Rivers.

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

  ® and TM are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.

  www.eHarlequin.com

  Table of Contents

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE Four years later ‘MARRY you!’ Claudia Hazelton gasped, too startled to mask her appalled reaction to the shocking proposal she’d just received. She set her cup down on her saucer with a clatter. ‘You’re not really asking me to marry you, are you?’She was suddenly shaking like a leaf and her heart was pounding horribly, but she held her head high and forced herself to look straight across the beautifully laid table at the Ritz Hotel, into the face of the fifty-year-old man who had just proposed to her.His name was Primo Vasile. He was her stepmother’s cousin and her father’s business partner. But, despite her family’s connection to him, he had always made her skin crawl. There was no way in a million years she would ever consider marrying him.‘I’m not asking you,’ Vasile said quietly, a nauseatingly smug expression on his smooth Italian face, ‘I’m telling you. Or would you rather see your father face a criminal investigation and then go to prison for embezzlement of the comp

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO CLAUDIA
ran until she could run no more. Then she kept on walking, trying not to dwell on the complicated mess her life had suddenly become. Soon she’d have to face up to it—she had to travel to the Caribbean to marry Primo Vasile. But now, for just a couple of minutes, she needed to blot it out of her mind.She wouldn’t think about the appalling scene at the Ritz, when Vasile and her stepmother had blackmailed her. And she definitely wouldn’t think about her encounter with Marco De Luca. It was far too distressing.Instead, she found herself heading automatically towards the offices of the magazine she worked for, writing reviews of new digital cameras. She’d always intended to pop into work that evening to pick up a new model she was testing—and there was no reason to change her plan. She needed to cling on to normality—that way everything else didn’t seem so bad.That was how she had got through the last few months when her father, Hector, had become terribly ill. She’d vis

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE A SLOW, sensual smile spread across Marco’s face as he watched Claudia’s reaction to him stripping off.A misty veil of steam surrounded her, softening her features in an utterly alluring way, but that didn’t hide the flash of pure desire that lit her golden eyes, or the rapid rise and fall of her breast as she started breathing even more quickly than she had been a moment before.He knew that it wouldn’t take much to shatter her control. If he pulled her roughly into his arms, giving free rein to the passion that was surging through his body, it would only be a matter of moments before she surrendered to him and to her own growing desire.But simply making love to Claudia was not his ultimate goal. He wanted to make her trust him, as he had trusted her before she’d betrayed him. And he wanted to make her desperate for him—physically. Sexually.‘I’ve missed you,’ he said, taking her face in his large, warm hands and kissing her quickly on the mouth.A powerful feeling ripped t

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR CLAUDIA took a deep breath and walked purposefully through to the bathroom. She didn’t want to talk to Marco. Maybe, if she looked busy, he’d leave her alone.She picked up the digital camera, which was lying on the floor near the door, gathered her wet clothes together and carried them through to the washing machine in the kitchen. Then she collected her laptop computer case from the bedroom and sat down at the kitchen table, looking at the camera.Despite the battering it had taken at the beach, it didn’t look to be in too bad shape. At the very least, she hoped the memory card would have survived—then she could transfer her photos on to the laptop and get on with writing her review.At that moment it seemed much easier to focus on her job than to think about the night ahead.‘I need a drink.’ Marco’s voice right behind her made her jump. She wished he’d stop doing his cat impersonation, stalking silently round the cottage. ‘And something to eat—I suddenly feel ravenous.’The