“Sweetie, he’s trying to get you under the umbrella where he identifies family. No one, and I mean no one lives in the mansion who isn’t family or staff. Ezio told me they don’t bring lovers to live here.”
“B-but Romy brought Sonya, and they weren’t married.”
“They have a son. She was family.”
Shakarri’s words blew her away, and Solette began to think about all Cason had said. “He gets so mad at me when I start asking about his health, as if he doesn’t want me to think about myself as his nurse.”
“Yeah, because you’re not staff, and he refuses to let you think about yourself in those terms. Granted, I think he needs to make himself plainer with words. But you can’t convince me Cason doesn’t love you. It’s so easy to see.”
“I wish I could see it.”
“You mean you wish you could trust your heart to accept it. You see it, my friend. All the time.”
Chapter 15
Cason tapped the airline tickets in his palm and thought about the trip he had planned. Would she accept it? She was so stubborn and so independent that she wouldn’t let him buy her anything. He’d give his right arm just to be able to do something for her and take care of her in some way. Otherwise, what the heck was his money for?
He paced the bedroom for a few minutes and then tucked the tickets back inside a drawer. Maybe later. A craving came over him to look into those big brown eyes, and he searched the house for her. She wasn’t in the usual places like one of the kids’ rooms visiting with Shakarri or the family room. He scanned the library and bypassed the offices on the first floor. Then he recalled how she loved the outdoors, but it was a rainy day. Well, couldn’t hurt to look.
Cason stopped at the glass doors leading to the back gardens. There she was, standing in the rain, her hair plastered to her head and her clothes drenched. He went to look for a towel and grabbed an umbrella from the stand near the front door. Out in the garden, he raised the umbrella and put it in her hand. Then he used the towel to wipe her head and her face, careful not to be too rough.
Solette stood still, letting him work. When he was done, he wrapped the towel around her shoulders and drew her to his chest, relieving her of the umbrella at the same time.
“What are you doing?” he said.
She made a small sound, and he leaned back to look into her face. Her eyes were wide, full of shock.
“What?” he repeated.
“N-n-n-nothing.”
“You’re shivering, little mouse. Come on.” He held her close while they went inside, and he insisted she sit down so he could make a hot drink. After opening one of the cabinets, he stood there rubbing his jaw. “I think Clara has changed the kitchen around.”
Solette laughed and sneezed. “You just don’t know how to make tea.”
He glared at her. “Upstairs to change those clothes, and if you fight me on it, I’ll change them.”
She rolled her eyes but stood. “If I let you change my clothes, I won’t get any on.”
“That’s not a bad problem to have.”
“Says you.”
She left the kitchen, and he wandered around, wondering where the ingredients were. Maybe Clara really did move things. He wasn’t in the kitchen that often and certainly didn’t need to help himself to anything.
As if she sensed his struggle, Clara appeared, and Cason sighed in relief. “Clara, I need tea for Solette and maybe a snack. Don’t make it too perfectly because I want her to think I did it.”
“Ovviamente, Signore Cason. Un panino?”
“No, a pastry or cake. She likes sweets a lot, but she doesn’t like bread much.” Cason knew this to be true about Solette from spending so much time at her place. He waited around until Clara had gathered everything and then carried it up to the bedroom he shared with Solette when she came to stay. As he went, he considered how to convince her to move in permanently.
He held the tray in one hand while opening the bedroom door and made a noise of disappointment. “You’re already dressed.”
She eyed him over her shoulder as she pinched another button closed on her blouse. “I know you, sir. I wasn’t going to tempt you in the middle of the day.”
“The middle of the day is the best time.” He set the tray down and pulled her hand away as she was about to take the cup of tea. After he tucked her into his embrace, he pushed her head onto his shoulder.
She resisted for a moment and then snuggled close, and he aligned their bodies together.
“You’re right where I want you,” he said. Always.
She moaned. “It is a nice place to be.”
“Move in, Solette.”
She writhed against him, but he held on, crushing her to his chest. A sigh escaped her, and she smacked his arm. “You win. You always do because you use your strength against me.”
He grinned above her head. “I win? You mean you’ll move—”
“No.”
He released her, almost too abruptly and went to take a seat in a chair he’d used often back when he holed up in his room and wouldn’t come out. Now he threw one leg over the arm and let it hang negligently. While he prided himself that he could make such a move now, he also knew he couldn’t go on doing it forever. He would always suffer some level of pain, but he could handle it.
Solette finished dressing, moving about the room. He noticed in annoyance when she began gathering her clothing and stuffing it the bag she had brought to his house. His anger rose. She intended to go back home that night, and he also knew there wasn’t any sense in him asking her to stay.
Why? Doesn’t she feel…?
He grumbled under his breath. Solette walked over and leaned down to kiss his lips. “Thanks for the tea. I’m going to go chat with Shakarri really quick.”
He let her go, but his mood was black. As soon as Solette shut the door, it opened again, and Romy stood in the entrance. His oldest brother cringed and held up his hands in defense.
“I sense dark matter coming at me,” Romy said in jest.
Cason grumbled. “Don’t try to be funny, fratello. I’m not in the mood.”
Romy shut the door and leaned against it with his arms folded over his chest. “Want to tell big brother about it?”
“No.”
“Come on. You always feel better when you share.”
Cason ground his teeth, and Romy chuckled then grew serious.
“All right. I won’t tease you, but talk to me, Cason. You’ve been far happier with Solette. Every time I see the two of you together, I am thankful for how she’s given Ezio and me our fratellino back. I will love her forever for that.”
Cason slammed a fist on the arm of the chair and suffered for it. He suppressed a wince so Romy wouldn’t worry. “Then tell me how to convince her to move in. I don’t understand why she denies me. I know how she feels about me.”
“How does she feel?”
Cason blinked at him. “She loves me of course.”
Romy’s mouth fell open. “Wow, I never expected you to say that. I mean, I figured she does, but for you to admit it to me is unbelievable.”
Cason shrugged. “I don’t know why you’re confused. You know as well as anyone how I spent my time seducing women, and when it comes to work, no one can read our clients better than I can. Why wouldn’t I recognize Solette’s feelings for me?”
Romy listened in silence as he often did, but that didn’t stop the awkwardness that came over Cason. He was usually honest but went about it in a roundabout way, a way that left anyone he dealt with in little doubt as to how he felt. He stood and walked to the window to look out.
“I watch her, and I know what pleases her. I make sure to give her everything she wants. At least, everything she’ll allow me to give her.” He rubbed his painful fist, wanting to pound something again. “She won’t let me give her gifts or money, but in other ways I’m sure I please her.”
“No lack of confidence there,” Romy said, and Cason looked around to see if his
brother was being sarcastic. He wasn’t. “One thing you haven’t told me, Cason.”
“What’s that?”
“She loves you, right?”
“Yes.”
“Do you love her?”
Cason’s throat dried. His shoulders felt stiff, and he faced the window again. “Yes.”
“Do you? Or is it lust? Are you okay with her loving you while you’re just enjoying the physical benefits of being with her? I warned you before, she’s not the kind of woman you want to play around with.”
He clenched his jaw. “I’d give both my legs and my right arm for her. Love her? Fratello, I couldn’t breathe if she’s not there.”
“Then you know what you have to do.”
Cason whirled on him. “What? I’ve done all I know. What else is there?”
Romy grinned and shook his head. “I can’t believe you can be this dense and know people so well, Cason. You’ve spent so much time ‘working’ people that you are at a loss to close the real deal and as to what it takes to get there. I bet it never even entered your mind.”
Cason glared at him. “If it had, I wouldn’t be this frustrated.”
Romy held up his first finger. “One, you tell her you love her. Say exactly what you just told me—the arms, legs, breath, everything. Two, you ask her to be your wife. Nothing short of marriage will make Solette give into you, and it’s not because she wants our money, but because that’s the number one thing a woman like her needs.”
“To be cared for, to be protected.” Cason sank dumbfounded into his chair. His brother was right. Marriage to Solette had never entered his mind. Telling her he loved her didn’t either. Not because he didn’t want her to be his wife, but because he was still thinking he was the man who said he would never marry. Somewhere along the line he’d changed his way of thinking. He never thought that if marriage was what his little mouse needed from him, he would give it to her in a heartbeat.
What a fool he was. He’d thought showing her his love was far more important than saying it. In fact, he had assumed demonstrating the depth of his feelings was the exact same thing.
“How could I not see it?”
“Because you’ve never told a woman you love her. It would have been the height of poor judgment when all you wanted was to get them into bed.”
“Solette is different!”
Romy held up his hands. “I know and you do, but she doesn’t. She’s convinced you want her, and maybe she thinks you love her. Anyone who speaks with her can see there are still insecurities there. Maybe from something she suffered in the past.”
Cason had never told his brothers all he knew about Solette’s relationship with her son’s father and about her dad. They probably knew about the dad because all the brothers received the reports when they did background checks, if they cared to read them. Cason hadn’t wanted Ezio and Romy to pity her or think less of Solette, so he hadn’t discussed her with them. Romy of course was very perceptive.
“So, what are you going to do, fratellino?”
Cason grinned. The weight hanging on his shoulders faded away. “I’m going make her mine in every way possible, especially in name!”
Chapter 16
“Thanks so much for getting out of the house with me, Solette.” Shakarri folded one leg over the other and rocked her foot. Solette found it funny how Shakarri had spoken to her shoes rather than to Solette. She had learned early on that Shakarri was obsessed with heels, and she wore them even throughout her pregnancy. “Aren’t these shoes amazing? They make my feet look so slim.”
Solette grinned. “Sure, but my feet hurt like a beast. You ran me all over the world shopping.”
Shakarri picked up her coffee cup and sipped the steaming brew that let off a strong whiff of hazelnut. Solette had ordered a cola light on the ice and a salad, but she had only picked out the meat. Today, she wasn’t feeling it because her mind was so full.
All around them, the café overflowed with people, chatting and drinking coffee. Solette wondered that no one had to work in the middle of the day. She’d taken off the morning herself because she wanted to talk again with Shakarri.
“Aw, don’t tell me you’re like Sonya,” Shakarri moaned. “I can’t get her to shop with me to save my life. I took her once, and she left after the first store. Can you imagine that? I don’t get that woman.”
Solette laughed. “I can feel her pain, but I do like to shop. Regardless, there’re not many people in the world that can keep up with you.”
Shakarri rolled her eyes and waved her hand. “You’re exaggerating.”
“I wish.”
“All right, so let’s get down to business. I know the real reason you said yes to coming out with me today.”
Nerves assaulted Solette, and she clenched her hands in her lap. They got loose of their own accord and started waving about. She was a mess of excitement, although she tried her best to get a grip. “I saw it.”
Shakarri’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. “Saw what?”
“His…love.” Solette felt like she would faint. “You were so right, Shakarri. I saw it in his eyes. I hardly want to believe it. I’m scared to accept it. It just seems so impossible, but I know I’m not crazy. Cason loves me.”
Her head spun, and she put a hand up to her forehead and shut her eyes. Saying the words out loud felt like too much to bear. Fear gripped her heart and threatened to squeeze the life out of it. At the same time, she wanted to dance on the table. Cason Sartori loved her. Not Bambi. Not any other woman.
As Solette thought back to all the times she had seen him talking to other women and she showed up, he almost ran over the women to get to her. She’d thought it was her own illusion, but it was true. Lately, Cason didn’t spend even a single night away from her, although she was pretty sure he hated her place. Cason loved the mansion.
But not more than me.
Her heart swelled.
“I see all these emotions in your face, Solette,” Shakarri said. “Share, girl. Tell me what happened. I’m all curious.”
Solette started to tell her, getting into the details when she sensed someone watching her. She didn’t usually pay attention to this sense because a bodyguard was always watching. One got used to having eyes following every movement. It came with the territory of being involved with a member of the Sartori household. Then again, she was pretty sure the Sartoris didn’t hire bodyguards for every lover that happened along. She was special.
The feeling of having someone watching felt different, and she paused in her story to scan the café. A man in a gray pinstripe suit with a pastel purple shirt and matching tie sat two tables away from them. With slicked back hair and dark beady eyes, he came off a bit oily to her. She judged him to be of Latino descent with his smooth brown skin tone. He was handsome if not for the shady feel to him.
A gaze that appeared almost black met hers, and he grinned and winked. Out of courtesy, she offered a small noncommittal smile and looked away. From the corner of her eyes, she saw that he leaned across to his friend and indicated her and Shakarri. Solette groaned when they stood.
“Solette, you stopped midsentence,” Shakarri said. “What happened next?”
“Hang on. I think we’re about to have company.”
“Who…? Oh.” Shakarri noticed the men heading over. “Don’t even worry about it. I’ve got this.”
Shakarri made a hand signal, and Solette knew it was for the bodyguards. They weren’t to interfere. They could disobey that order if they deemed trouble warranted it. Vico, her bodyguard, and Dean, Shakarri’s guy, didn’t move. Still, she could sense every muscle in their bodies tensed for action.
The man in the pinstripes stopped beside Solette and leaned over her with an inviting smile on his face. “Hello, I noticed you from across the room, and your beauty drew me over.”
She blinked at him, knowing she wasn’t all that.
“And you,” the other man said to Shakarri. “What’s your name?” Solette sa
w him as a nondescript white man. Nothing about him stood out, except maybe his boldness to approach Shakarri.
Her friend held up the fat diamond on her hand and wiggled her fingers. “I’m married, guys, and she will be soon. I appreciate you coming over though. I feel so special.”
“What’s a ring got to do with anything, honey?” the man nearer to Shakarri said. “I bet your man doesn’t please you the way I could. Let’s have a little fun.”
Shakarri snorted. Solette suspected she was going to lead the man on for a while before shooting him down so hard he bounced. She wasn’t so harsh, and when her pursuer started trying to seduce her again, she decided to let him down quickly and gently.
The man stooped and tucked a fist beneath his chin as he stared up at her as if she were a goddess. Rather than flatter her, he made her feel uncomfortable. “How about we get dinner and see where things go after that?”
“I have someone I’m seeing, and I care about him very much. I’m sorry, but I’m not going to cheat on him.”
The man reached a hand out toward her, but she shook her head. He paused.
“Don’t do that, please. You’ll get into trouble, and I don’t want to see you hurt.”
His eyes glittered with excitement, and she sighed. The man took her words as a challenge.”
“I won’t hurt you, sweetheart. I’m a gentle lover. But you’ve got to understand, you are so beautiful, I have to at least touch your hand. You can allow that, right?”
She wanted to gag. Why couldn’t he take a hint? She didn’t usually have a bunch of guys coming at her, but when they did, she knew how to get her point across when she wasn’t interested. This man seemed determined not to hear.
Solette stood and gathered her things. “Listen, I’m not interested, okay?”
He frowned and stood too. “So I’m not good enough for you. Is that it?”
There was no more talking to him, and she was starting to feel trapped. What she wanted to do was go call Cason and ask him about meeting her for dinner somewhere so they could talk. He had gone back to work with his brothers, but according to him, he didn’t pull nearly as many hours as he used to. He’d told her a lot of his duties previously were schmoozing clients over dinner. She hoped he could move things around for her tonight.
Reaching His Heart Page 11
