The Ultimate Romance Box (6 Bestselling Romance Novels)

by Eckhart, Lorhainne

  "Back then, Romeo and I thought we were invincible, cara."

  He led her back towards the houses and along a path by the edge of the sea. They passed through a metal gateway with two entwined hearts above. "Now we will walk the Via dell' Amore, Lover's Lane."

  He put his arm around her waist and cuddled her close as they strolled. The views were fantastic, the steep rocky cliffs hollowed out by a succession of small coves. Above them the cliff was home to plants and flowers while at the top she caught glimpses of vineyards and olive groves. The soothing sound of the sea accompanied them, reminding Maria of Porthale. After a time they came to a place where the path cut through the cliff face. One wall was decorated with romantic graffiti, heartfelt words left by decades of lovers. On the other side, the Mediterranean was visible through arches cut in the rock.

  Dino smiled and pointed at a strange sight. In the center of one of the arches was a statue of a kissing couple with a bench below. On either side, the railings were adorned with padlocks of every shape and size. "What on earth is that about?" Maria asked.

  "The padlocks symbolize eternal love and commitment. Boys and girls from Riomaggiore and the next village, Manarola, have met here for decades. Couples come to attach padlocks to show their love is forever." He pulled a brass padlock from his jacket pocket with their names written on it. Maria gave a soft gasp at the significance.

  "Maria, amore mio." He drew her down on the loveseat beside him. "I know I did not start this well, walking out and leaving you without a goodbye, but please believe that you mean everything to me. To prove this, I attach this padlock here." He snapped the metal device in amongst the mass of others and tossed the key into the sea. "Now our love is locked in forever and can never be undone."

  Oblivious to the other people walking past, Dino pulled her onto his lap and kissed her. Then he pressed his lips to her ear and whispered: "I love you, Maria. Will you marry me?"

  Warm and languorous in his arms, it took her a moment for his words to register. Joy filled her. He loved her! Then the rest of what he'd said sank in.

  She trembled inside with a potent mix of excitement and trepidation. She loved Dino and wanted to be with him more than anything in the world, but if she married him he would expect her to follow him wherever he went. "I thought you had to go away again?"

  "I do, but only for a few weeks until I finish my concert tour. If we get engaged now, our families can organize the wedding. You will come to America with me as my wife." He pulled her close, kissed her. "I do not want to be parted from you for months and months while I am filming. Please say yes."

  She clung to the front of his shirt as memories of her last night in Austria crashed back. "Will we have to live with the film crew people?"

  "Do not worry about the details, cara. We will decide everything later."

  All the blood seemed to drain out of her head and she heard her pulse beating in her ears. "I don't want to be left with people I don't know."

  Dino's hopeful expression faded and tiny lines appeared between his elegant dark eyebrows. "What is the matter?"

  Maria didn't want to tell him about Austria. She hadn't even told her parents. Chris was the only person who knew her shameful secret. "I love you." She kissed him to prove the point. The last thing she wanted was to hurt his feelings. "I want to marry you and spend my life with you, but..."

  He cupped her cheek in his palm and examined her face. "But you are not happy about traveling, is that it?"

  She nodded.

  "What is it, cara? You can tell me."

  Love meant sharing, being honest. If they were to get married, she had to trust him. Maria curled against him, pressing her cheek to his shoulder. "I'm probably being silly. Just because it happened once doesn't mean it'll happen again."

  "What happened?"

  "When I worked at the chalet at the ski resort, Tom and the other ski instructors were always joking around. You know what men are like when they get together and have too much to drink. One night they started playing strip poker with some women they'd picked up, so I went to bed. In the middle of the night three of the guys came to my room—"

  A harsh Italian word burst from Dino's lips. "Did they hurt you?"

  Tears filled Maria's eyes as an echo of the powerless terror rushed through her. They'd tugged her bedcovers off and held her down. "I screamed. A German woman came to help. She was the only female ski instructor. She hit them with a ski pole until they backed off and left me alone."

  "Your boyfriend, where was he?" Dino asked, his voice tight with anger.

  "I found out later he was drunk, passed out on the sofa."

  "Maria, amore." Dino hugged her so tightly she could hardly draw breath and pressed his lips to her hair. "I will take care of you. Never would I let anything like that happen to you. If you are frightened to travel, we will stay in England. The movie does not matter."

  Relief rushed through her, soothing the panic. "Thank you, Dino. Thank you." She framed his face between her hands and kissed him.

  When she broke away to grab a breath, he touched a finger to her chin and angled her face up, gazing into her eyes. "You are all right now, amore? I do not want you to worry about anything."

  "Mostly it doesn't bother me. It's just the thought of living somewhere else, with people I don't know."

  Holding her with one arm, Dino dug in his pocket and pulled out a ring. "Before Mamma left for La Spezia, I told her I would ask you to marry me. She gave me this ring. It was her grandmother's. She wants you to have it. But if you want a new ring, cara, then tell me."

  He held out a beautiful gold ring set with a square-cut emerald flanked by four diamonds. "It's lovely, Dino. How sweet of your mum. This is perfect." He slipped it on her third finger and kissed her hand.

  "It fits so well. It was meant for you, I think." He hugged her tightly. "I am afraid Mamma cannot keep a secret. My family, they will all be waiting to celebrate with us."

  "What would you have done if I'd said no?"

  "I knew you could not refuse me." He attempted an arrogant lift of his eyebrows but spoiled it by grinning.

  Maria giggled, her heart so light with happiness she was sure if she jumped off Dino's cliff right now the wind would carry her up with his dreams. Dino stood and pulled her to her feet. "Come, let us go and share our good news and drink lots of Roberto's expensive champagne."

  Gripping Dino's hand, Maria hugged his side as they wandered back along the coast path. He stopped to kiss her and they chatted and laughed. Inside Maria trembled with joy and anticipation. A few weeks ago it had seemed as though her dreams were dead, but now they were all coming true. Dino had agreed to settle in England! Now she just had to persuade him to buy a guesthouse similar to the Crow's Nest for her to run, somewhere happy to raise their children.

  Back at the harbor, Dino's family had returned from La Spezia and were waiting for them outside, enjoying the sun. The men leaned against the wall chatting, while Carlotta and Giuliana played with the children. Giuliana leaped to her feet the moment she saw Dino and Maria and skipped towards them, grinning. "You said, yes? Please say you said yes?"

  "I did."

  Giuliana squealed and grabbed Maria's hand to examine the ring. "This is so wonderful. I have another sister. Tonight we will get drunk and celebrate."

  "Not too much drinking," Dino said, dropping a kiss on his sister's forehead. "Maria has to fly home tomorrow. She doesn't want a headache."

  "Spoilsport!" Giuliana batted Dino's shoulder and linked her arm through Maria's. "Come and see Mamma." Maria was congratulated by the gaggle of women who crowded around her to see the ring while Dino's brothers slapped him on the back and hugged him.

  Mrs. Rossellini appeared in the doorway and opened her arms to Maria. She allowed herself to be drawn into a warm hug. Dino's mother spoke to her in Italian, tears shining in her eyes. Giuliana translated. "Mamma says she is delighted to welcome you into our family and she knows you will take good care of her litt
le boy and make him happy."

  "Thank you. I'll certainly do my best." Funny how that had been her first inclination when Dino arrived at the Crow's Nest, to take care of him and make him happy. Although back then, she had never dreamed she would be doing it for the rest of her life. She smiled to herself, remembering how much Dino enjoyed her cooking, and how she loved looking after him. But as Rob popped the cork on a bottle of champagne and sloshed bubbly into her glass, an unsettling question crept into her mind. Would Dino really be happy living in a guesthouse? After all, that wasn't his dream but hers.

  A trail of excited boys and girls scooted around her legs and she laughed, letting her doubts slip away. Maria couldn't wait to have children. She was certain Dino would make a wonderful father.

  Dino came to her side, slipped an arm around her waist, and kissed her. "My family is so happy, amore. They already love you as much as I do. Now you will have to learn Italian so you can talk to your mother-in-law." He tapped the end of her nose and she giggled, light-headed from happiness and champagne.

  "I must call Mum and Dad. Tell them the good news." With a smile, Maria wandered away from the merry group, pulled her mobile phone from her pocket and dialed. It was Chris who answered.

  "Oh, Mari, that's fantastic news," Chris burst out the moment Maria mentioned marriage. "I know you'll be happy. Dino's such a great guy and so smokin' hot. Tina will be jealous. I'm jealous! You'll make beautiful babies."

  "I hope so."

  "Oh, my God, you'll get to go to Hollywood with him!" Chris gave a little squeal. "You lucky, lucky thing."

  For some reason Maria stumbled over her response. "Um, I-I don't think that's going to happen now."

  "Oh, no! Why? Did the movie people drop him? Poor Dino. He was so excited about the movie. He must be devastated." Maria swallowed, taken aback by Chris's tirade. She ought to explain it was Dino's decision and he hadn't been dropped, but it was difficult to think how to describe the reason over the phone.

  "Can I speak to Mum?"

  A moment later her mother came on the line. "I'm so happy for you, darling," she said. Maria heard the smile in her voice. "I was obviously wrong about him." Her mother's approval lifted a huge weight off her shoulders.

  "I do love him, Mum. I know you were worried, but he's willing to make changes in his life so I'm happy." Maria discussed her plans for the next few weeks and how she felt bad about leaving her new job so soon. Then her mum passed the phone back to Chris.

  "Drink lots of champagne, enjoy your yummy Italian, then come home and give me all the juicy deets." Chris giggled. "Oh, and remember to tell Dino that I'm really sorry the movie fell through. He's so talented and gorgeous he's bound to be asked to star in something even better. See you tomorrow."

  Maria dropped her phone back in her pocket and bit her lip. She was relieved by her mum's reaction to her news, but unsettled by the way Chris made such a big deal about Dino losing the movie.

  She glanced back at the happy family group celebrating in the sun and the neighbors who had come out to congratulate Dino. He chatted and laughed, sipping champagne. What would his family say when they found out he planned to give up the Pavarotti movie? It had been one of the main topics of conversation. All his relatives had sounded excited. And whenever Dino spoke about the movie he positively glowed with enthusiasm.

  ***

  Maria slept badly that night. She tossed and turned, Chris's words plaguing her like ants under her skin. She woke at dawn to the sound of men talking outside and lay in the semi-darkness, listening to the musical lilt of the deep Italian voices.

  When she realized sleep had fled, she climbed from bed and pulled open the shutters. Dino's brother Marco worked underneath her window, preparing one of the boats for launching. He looked so much like Dino, even had the same mannerisms. If Dino hadn't been determined to sing, this would have been his life. And she would never have met him.

  Her gaze was drawn up the hill to what she thought of as Dino's cliff. At the sight of a lone figure striding up the coast path, her breath caught with a sense of déjà vu. Even from this distance she recognized Dino. He halted in the spot where he had jumped into the sea with his friend as a boy and stared out to sea.

  Maria clutched the edges of the shutters. What was Dino doing walking alone this early? Was something troubling him? She dressed quickly, only stopping to brush her teeth and run a comb through her hair before slipping quietly downstairs and out the front door.

  Marco had his back to her as she darted past. She hurried up the cliff path, her pulse racing as much with worry as from the incline.

  By the time she approached Dino the sun was higher, gleaming off his black hair as if every strand was polished. Her breath caught as she stared at his darkly handsome profile but her heart pinched. Dino stood so still, his gaze fixed in the distance, his usual aura of energy and enthusiasm strangely muted. Was he having second thoughts about their marriage?

  "Dino," she said tentatively. Uncertainty flashed through her when, lost in his thoughts, he didn't respond. He was normally so vital and attentive. She hadn't seen him like this since he first arrived in Cornwall. For some reason he was hurting. She ached inside at the thought it might be connected to her. "Dino," Maria repeated, moving closer so he had to notice her.

  His head whipped around, startled, and for an instant she caught the sadness in his eyes before he smiled. "Maria, what are you doing up so early?" He extended his arm and she went to him. His large, warm hand swallowed hers and he lifted it to his lips and kissed her fingers.

  "Voices outside woke me. Then I looked up here and saw you."

  He turned back to stare out to sea. "I needed some time alone before I leave."

  Maria leaned against Dino's side and he wrapped his arm around her waist. "What are you thinking?" she asked.

  "Ah, now we are engaged you want to know my secrets do you, cara?" He flashed her a wry smile.

  "Not if you don't want to tell me."

  He sucked in a breath. Then he raised his hand and opened his fingers as if releasing something fragile into the wind. He whispered some Italian words and then fell silent for a few moments. "There, it is done."

  "What is?"

  "I have let go of my childhood dreams. Now I dream only of being with you, cara, of our life together." He turned to smile at her, but a hint of sadness lingered around his eyes and tore at her heart.

  "You don't need to forget your dreams, Dino."

  "I have chosen to be with you instead."

  "I don't expect you to give up everything you've worked so hard for." Even as the words left her mouth, she knew she lied. This was exactly what she'd asked of him. If he gave up traveling and lived in England, it was impossible for his career to flourish. The first time she'd seen him, seen the hollow sadness in his eyes, she'd promised herself she would make him feel better, take care of him. But somewhere along the way she had forgotten that promise, forgotten Dino's feelings.

  A rush of shame raised goose bumps on Maria's arms. Whenever she considered Dino's career, she thought of it as a nuisance that hindered them being together because it interfered with her vision of the life she wanted. She had only paid lip service to the fact that by singing he fulfilled his hopes and dreams. She stared over the rocky cliff where Dino had risked life and limb trying to fly and realized that the daring little boy had succeeded. Dino had flown up among the stars, to the peak of his profession, achieved what few men ever would. Yet he was willing to give it up for her.

  "I don't know what I've done to deserve you," she said, remorse tightening her throat. She loved him. She wanted him to be happy, to have the rewards he'd worked so hard for.

  His arm tightened around her. "You only need to be yourself, amore. That is enough."

  But it wasn't nearly enough. If she clipped his wings, she didn't deserve his love and devotion.

  "Is playing Pavarotti really such a big honor?"

  His gaze grew unfocused, a hint of longing on his face. "I
would lie if I said otherwise. It is a tenor's dream to be chosen to portray such an icon."

  "I want you to do the movie, Dino. If it's such a big deal, you can't give it up for me."

  He stepped back from the cliff, turned to face her. "No. I will not leave you behind again."

  "Then I'll come with you, darling Dino."

  "But you will worry. You won't be happy."

  In that moment she decided it was time to put her fears behind her. She'd been hanging on to the past for too long. No wonder her mum had been overprotective of her when she'd clung to home like a child. "As long as I'm with you, that's all that matters. I love you."

  "Ah, Maria, your words make my heart sing." He pulled her close and kissed her so softly and tenderly it brought tears to her eyes.

  "I promise you," he whispered, "Where ever in the world we go, I will always keep you safe."

  And she knew he would.

  Epilogue

  Maria hugged her mother on the front step of the Crow's Nest, tears in her eyes.

  "You'll have a wonderful time in America, love, and you'll see us again soon." Her mum stroked strands of hair back behind her ear, tenderly.

  "I know. I am happy." And she was, even though tears ran down her cheeks. She wiped them away with the side of her hand and smiled. "It's just that I'll miss you and the Nest." She still couldn't believe the guesthouse had been sold, that next time she came home her mum and dad would be living somewhere else. A little part of her heart belonged to the Crow's Nest. She would never forget her happy childhood, or the magical four weeks she'd spent here with Dino.

  She glanced over at her new husband. He was chatting with her dad, a little apart from the rest of the family group who were enjoying the sunshine as they gathered to see her and Dino off.

  After Dino's final few tour dates, they'd been married in Riomaggiore. Dino had far too many relatives for them all to travel to England. Since then she and Dino had been on a honeymoon in the Maldives. They'd come home to a reception for her family, so those who hadn't made it across to Italy could celebrate with them. This was their final family event at the Crow's Nest. In two days her parents would move out and the new owners would take possession.