Riana’s attention was pulled back to Allan when he tugged her hand. He smiled down at her and leaned down to steal a kiss. He looked relaxed, unlike when he first introduced her to Von. But she still wondered why Allan had assigned Von to her in the first place. He was the high-risk target, she was a nobody, so why hire Von for her and not for himself?
Riana held on to the hope that Allan might just have stronger feelings for her than what he’d admitted to at this point. More than what he felt for just a girlfriend. She felt her chest tickle with hope as she discretely stroked her belly. Oh, how she hoped. Not for her but for their baby as well. The prospects of being a happy family like the one he obviously came from, a family so unlike her own, was like a dream she didn’t mind staying up all night every night, watching the sky and looking out for a shooting star to wish on.
She loved her family—well, what it used to be before her mother died and her brother went back home—but most of her life she’d always wondered if things would have been better if they’d had a father who had loved them and their mother.
But she wasn’t going to wallow in self-pity now. She was going to enjoy Venice with Allan and pray the trip ended exactly as she hoped—in a complete family.
Allan, calling Venice his most favorite place in the world, proved himself an indispensable tour guide. First they walked the Rialto Bridge past San Croce and San Polo. The ‘tour guide’, who adamantly insisted he knew where he was going, took them through narrow alleys that opened up to little squares where they would find restaurants and shops. Of course he’d say that was where he intended on taking Riana. She believed him until she saw Von pointing out directions to Allan when they thought she was busy chatting with the shop owners.
Allan then led them across the Academia Bridge to get to Piazza San Marco—the place he had intended to take her before he’d gotten them lost. They saw the bell tower Campanile, the church Basilica San Marco, and the Palazzo Ducale, better known as Doge’s Palace. They took the lift up the Campanile. It had such a great view, but it also wreaked havoc on Riana’s insides. Looking down from such a great height made her feel nauseated, so after a few quick pictures Allan quickly took her down.
She felt bad for making them leave the bell tower soon, but Allan was so understanding and tender that Riana had almost, almost, told him about the baby. The Basilica San Marco did seem like the best place to give him the news—no one curses in a church—but she forgot completely about that when she saw the magnificent mosaics around the church. Not for the first time, the no-taking-pictures rule really depressed her. She couldn’t believe she couldn’t leave with this memory documented on her camera.
Allan began kissing her in front of each mosaic to cheer her up. She believed his intentions until she noticed Von. The delinquent had her bodyguard discreetly taking pictures of them in front of the mosaics. Riana was even more amused by the fact that the two of them were having fun breaking the rules. She was worried they would get caught and thrown out before she saw the Pala d’Oro and the horse of St. Mark, but they didn’t, and managed to get pictures of those, too.
They stopped at a trattorio when the weather was too hot for Riana. She needed to stay hydrated and rested for the baby’s sake. She knew Allan found that weird considering he was always the one who would insist on stopping to rest because Riana was like an energizer bunny. She knew he also found it weird that Riana, for the first time since they stepped in Italy, didn’t finish all the food on her plate.
Riana wasn’t sure what she was going to say as an explanation until he asked if she had recovered from the food poisoning. She quickly said no and felt horrible when she saw the guilty look on Allan’s face. He then disappeared for a while, announcing he had a surprise for her to make up for poisoning her, which only made her feel worse. Von sat with her for the hour he was gone and from the looks he gave her and the questions he kept asking, Riana knew he knew her little secret. But there was no way in hell she was going to confirm it.
He’d ordered several bottles of water and bought her a straw hat just in time for Allan’s return. He had that silly boyish smile on his face that made Riana suspicious of him and his plans but she didn’t ask because as much as she begged, it was clear he was never going to tell what he was up to.
Her favorite part of the tour was when they got onto the gondolas. Riana hoped the ride would be like those in the movies where the gondolier would sing a romantic tune and every time they would pass under a bridge someone would shower them with roses as they kissed. As soon as she had the thought, she sighed disappointedly, knowing that only happened in movies.
The gondolier helped them in and handed her a bouquet of red roses. Once they were settled, he pushed off the wall and turned on his little radio. A sweet and romantic tune played, which the gondolier accompanied with his beautiful, tenor voice that deserved to be on an opera stage and not on a river. Riana was so touch by Allan’s surprise she began to tear up.
Allan just laughed and began to kiss her in between his short, off key performance of lyrics she didn’t understand but knew what they meant by the look in Allan’s eyes as he sang them to her. That was the moment she knew Allan felt more for her than he would a girlfriend. He loved her, and like the good doctor said, he just didn’t want to admit it yet.
He held her close as they rode the gondola down the river, enjoying their private performance by the gondolier, and Riana thought it couldn’t get better than this. She was proved wrong when they passed under a bridge and a rain of roses greeted them on the other side.
She fell asleep in his arms trying to remember if she ever felt as happy as she was in that moment in Allan’s arms.
* * * *
Allan leaned against the doorframe and watched Riana as she cooked in their hotel kitchen. She was humming and swaying to a tune he recognized. It was the same one the gondolier sang.
Being with her in the gondola, made him feel…he wasn’t sure the emotion had a name because he’d never felt it before. All he knew was it was pure magic.
It put a kink in his plans when she fell asleep but he understood. She was still feeling sick. Carrying her weightless body back to the hotel did make him worry, though…just until she woke up hungry and she devoured a plate of chicken saltimbocca and an entire pizza. He was glad she was getting her appetite back.
He continued to watch her, and eventually joined in, as she spun on her heels, curtsied, and did a few steps of the waltz and began humming another tune, reminding him of their dinner with Mr. Torino.
He had loved holding her in his arms as they moved to the gentle music, lost in their own little bubble. Everyone and everything else just seemed to fade away. That happened often when he was holding her, having her body pressed against him, feeling her in him and around him, completely consuming him, taking all focus from his surroundings and keeping it on her.
She was a drug and he was he was dangerously addicted to her.
He smiled. She’d actually driven him to drinking every time she would smile and laugh while she danced with Dante and Tony. He rolled his eyes at the name Mr. Torino had insisted Riana refer to him by when they were taking a turn around the dining room. The old man was right to tell him to stay on his toes. Tony had flirted with Riana all night.
It was a good thing she found it cute.
That reminded him. She had refused to drink the wine Mr. Torino had offered her. Early on during dinner, he noticed she randomly touched her glass, lifting it to her lips only to set it down without drinking. She was putting up a pretense. He hadn’t understood why. Until Dante had pointed out that Allan had poisoned her.
Riana had given Dante ammunition to tease him with that confession.
Allan and Dante’s relationship had begun as a business one but had quickly grown into a friendship he had every intention of maintaining, even when Allan went back to the States.
He had noticed she was relieved to have someone save her from his questioning, but Allan knew that reaction
was for some other reason. He had tried to get her to tell him but Riana was tight lipped about it, just like she was about her other secrets.
But, as Allan watched Riana sing and sway in the kitchen, he knew it didn’t matter. Allan could already feel the dread settling in at what he was about to do.
“Riana, I need to talk to you,” he started, his hands getting clammy all of a sudden. He’d never been nervous about anything, not even when billions were at stake.
“About what?” she responded distractedly, lifting the skillet off the cooker for a moment before placing it back over the heat.
Allan eyed the potential weapon warily. Maybe doing this while she is holding a hot skillet isn’t such a good idea. He should just spit it out and get it over with.
“Tomorrow will be your last day in Venice.”
She stilled, her back going ramrod rigid. Allan took a cautious step back before the significance of the action hit him. He had never stepped back from a confrontation, ever. After doing this so many times before—sending women home after the fun was over and enduring their emotions with fleeting attention—he was now wary of the ramifications with Riana. She was the sweetest person he had ever met and he didn’t want to hurt her.
He watched her turn off the burner and then she turned around to face him. She watched him, with her brows drawn together in silence for a long while.
“Why?”
Why? Allan wanted to laugh from the frustration. There were a number of reasons why.
One reason was that Junior had threatened to kill her, but Allan wasn’t about to tell her that and frighten her. Second, her time with him was over and she needed to get back to her life, but that sounded like he was dismissing her like she was nothing more than his mistress who’d began to bore him. And though he’d done it countless of times, Riana meant too much to him for him to insult her that way.
But the most important reason as to why he needed her gone was because he’d changed his mind. He didn’t want to admit feeling that for her, especially after the death threats against her. He wouldn’t allow her to get hurt because of him. So he was letting her go.
“Does it have anything to do with Von?” she pushed.
She was finally going to question him about Von. He wasn’t willing to answer her.
“Riana, you have to get back to school.”
She shrugged turning her head down and spoke softly. “I’m not ready to leave yet.”
Allan sighed. “Riana…”
She stepped around him and walked past him to the stairs leading to the deck. “Could we please talk about this some other time?”
Allan followed close behind her until she stopped at the coffee table with her back to him. “Riana…”
She turned around to face him. “You asked me to stay two months more than the agreed two weeks. Why do you want me to leave now?” she yelled in accusation.
Damn! This was exactly what he didn’t want to happen. “Your school has already begun—”
She cut him off. “It started two weeks ago and you didn’t mind then!”
Allan brushed his hand over his face and exhaled loudly. “You are not making this easy, Riana.”
A horrified expression claimed her face. He groaned, knowing already what she was imagining. “Riana, I didn’t mean—”
“I’ll go pack.”
When she tried to rush past him, he wrapped his arm around her waist to prevent her escape and pulled her back against his chest. She tried to struggle out of his hold, so he held her tighter.
“I can’t keep you here like you are nothing more than my mistress. You have dreams, a career you are working toward that you are so passionate about. Go back to New York and start school. When I’m finished here, I’ll follow. It won’t take more than a month.”
“A month!” she whined.
Allan chuckled, rocking her softly from side to side. That whine said it all. He was relieved she was beginning to see reason.
He kissed her neck. “It’s just a month, I promise.”
She turned around in his arms and pressed her hands flat on his chest. “I know, I just…” she stopped speaking lowering her head.
“Riana.” He was about to tease her when he felt her shoulders shake. “Riana!” Concerned, he placed his fingers under her chin and pushed her head up. Her eyes were closed and tears ran down her cheeks to her lips hidden in her mouth and trembling chin. “Honey, what’s wrong?”
She shook her head. “I just…I…”
He hugged her and she pressed her face to his chest, her arms around his torso as tight as a vice. Damn! He didn’t want her to cry. Tears had never moved him, but hers did and he felt like a cad every time he made her cry.
He rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head. “Riana, come on…”
“I love you, Allan!”
Allan froze. Her confession was followed by a stiff silence, except for the sounds of the sea and the gulls.
The setting was perfect, romantic even, if he had any intention of admit to his feelings and confess them as she had just done. He knew she had fallen for him and the usual protocol for this kind of complication was…
He let go of her and stepped away. “I’m going to the upper deck. You should go pack.”
He heard her quick intake of breath as more tears spilled. “Go pack,” she whispered in a deadpan voice. “I tell you I love you and you respond with ‘go pack’?”
Allan remained silent. There was nothing he could say that would salvage this moment. Anything that came out of his mouth would only make things worse.
He turned around to leave. He had gotten as far as the railing before he felt something hit his back, making him arch forward in pain with a hiss. Allan looked down at the offensive object and cursed loudly. “My iPad! Of all the stuff in this room you choose my iPad? I have work on it!”
She chortled bitterly throwing her hands up. “Of course, the only thing you love—your damn work!”
He picked it up and cursed again when he saw the broken screen. “I’m not going to discuss this!”
“Why would you? You are a damn coward!”
Allan’s head pushed forward, not quite sure he had that right. Did she really call him a coward?
“Excuse me?” he growled through clenched teeth.
“I know you love me, maybe not as madly as I love you, but why don’t you just admit to what you feel!” she cried in despair, all the anger drained out of her.
He felt his heart thud hard at her demand. If she only knew that love was the reason he was sending her home.
Allan sucked in a breath and turned away from her moving to the upper deck.
“Allan!” she screamed.
He turned around forcefully tossing the broken iPad across the room and watched as it slid under the couch behind her. “What the hell do you want from me?”
She stomped her foot and yelled, “For you to love me back!”
Allan felt his heart thud harder in his chest. He saw his shock mirrored on Riana’s face as her hand shot up to cover her mouth. She hadn’t meant to say that, he could see that, but it was too late for her to take it back. The damage had been done.
“I’m taking the yacht to dock. I need to speak to Vittorio.”
“Allan!” she cried taking a step toward him and he took a step back.
Allan closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, wishing he could take all this back. “This was supposed to be fun. A vacation. Nothing more than a two week affair in Venice.”
She sniffed, then whispered, “You turned it into a ten week romantic getaway with your girlfriend in Italy.”
He could hear the accusation in her voice. He deserved it. It was his fault.
He cleared his throat and faced her. Then he spoke in a cool, stale tone he reserved for business owners when he was kicking them out of their companies. “I know that and it was my mistake. Forgive me.”
He quickly turned around and left, ignoring Riana’s muffled cries
. His heart ached listening to her sobs. Against his better judgment, he stopped at the third step and looked back at her. She was on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest, rocking back and forth as she cried.
Allan felt his throat sting, a huge lump of regret lodged tightly in it. He wanted to go to her, take her in his arms and take back what he said as he begged her for forgiveness. But he couldn’t do that. He needed to keep her safe and alive and far away from Anthony.
Allan scoffed at himself with disgust. He was really going to use that as a cover for his lack of balls.
God, she was right. I’m a fucking coward!
And to drive the point home, he ran up the steps to the wheel of the yacht. He needed to get some distance from her. He needed to get to shore fast before he did something stupid like…tell her he fell in love with her the moment he saw her crying in The Ritz hallway. And he’d only grown more in love with her with each passing day they shared.
Shit! He punched the wheel, cutting his knuckles. He was a fucking bastard! Why didn’t he just leave her alone? He should have just walked away from her right from the start.
Venice was supposed to be their revenge against Steve and Theresa. It had only turned out to be a complete nightmare.
* * * *
Riana shoved her things into the suitcase. She’d thought about leaving everything he’d bought her, but decided against it. When, not if, he decided to get another bedmate to keep him company, there was no way she was going to let her wear the stuff Allan had bought for her. Each piece held a wonderful memory for her. And despite Allan being such a bastard, she was going to treasure each and every memory and someday tell it to their child.
Riana rested her hand on her belly and permitted herself two minutes to cry. She fell onto the bed and sobbed for the end of a love affair, for the unrequited love, for the future that would never be, and for the child who may never have an active father in its life.
Her Venice Affair (The Albury Affairs) Page 16
