Harlequin Romance April 2015 Box Set

by Michelle Douglas, Jessica Gilmore, Jennifer Faye

  “And,” Dante piped up, “I’m sure my brother can give you lots of help. He has great taste. Isn’t that right, Stefano?”

  All eyes turned to him. Stefano struggled not to choke on his own tongue. They wanted him to help with the wedding preparations? Were they serious? “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  That response only succeeded in gaining him yet another round of frowns. He swallowed hard while keeping his chin high. He knew he was fighting a losing battle, but he just wasn’t ready to concede to picking out flowers and whatever else went into a wedding.

  Dante walked over and clapped him on the shoulder. “This experience will do you good. Maybe it’ll give you some new ideas for your wine-tasting events.”

  Stefano resisted the urge to roll his eyes. His brother was really digging deep to come up with ideas of why he should waste his time planning some froufrou event. But he knew better than to vocalize his thoughts. He had no doubt that Jules and Lizzie would pounce on him like two lionesses going after fresh meat. Inwardly, he cringed at the thought.

  “And what do you expect me to do about work at the vineyard while I’m out planning your nuptials?”

  “I’m sure Papa won’t mind taking over the vineyard in your absence.”

  “That’s the second time you’ve said that. What do you know that I don’t?”

  “He’s hinted that he’s feeling a bit left out. Ever since Gianna’s accident...well, um, you’ve been doing more and more of the work.”

  “And he told you this?” Then it all clicked into place. He recalled how Dante and their father had repaired their strained relationship. Their father must have confided his true feelings to Dante.

  “All I’m saying is that you don’t have to worry about the vineyard—it’ll be handled. And I’m sure you don’t want Jules to have to rely on public transportation when time is so vital.”

  Didn’t his brother understand that it wasn’t just the work? Planning a wedding would bring back unwanted memories. Thinking of Gianna still brought with it a truckload of guilt. If he hadn’t married her and if he hadn’t been expecting a life like the one his mother and father shared—a traditional lifestyle with the man working in the fields and the wife at home tending to the children—then maybe they wouldn’t have started fighting. Maybe then she wouldn’t have torn off in an angry huff that stormy night...

  “I know Stefano won’t let us down,” Dante said confidently. “He’s always there when the family needs him.”

  No, he wasn’t. Otherwise he’d have been there for Gianna. But that was beside the point right now.

  And so was how he felt about his brother tempting fate with this wedding. The only truly important thing now was that his brother was counting on him and he couldn’t let him down. It’d been a long time since Dante had asked him for anything.

  “Yeah, I’ll help. As long as Papa is okay with the plan.”

  Dante smiled broadly. “Good. I’ll call him as soon as we’re done talking here.”

  Stefano couldn’t believe he was going to help plan a wedding. Surely they didn’t expect him to do more than drive Jules around. Even that would be a challenge. Though she was not his type, he couldn’t deny her beauty. And those short skirts that she wore that showed off her toned legs were such a distraction. Jules’s clothes were nothing like Gianna would have worn, no matter how modern his wife wanted to be. And what amazed him most was now that he’d gotten over the shock of Jules’s trendy wardrobe, he was really starting to like the way she dressed.

  But her makeup still made him pause. He wished she wouldn’t apply it so heavily. He thought she was beautiful, but to be honest, it was hard to tell with all the makeup. And it taunted him, making him long to wipe it away and get to the real woman beneath it all.

  * * *

  The dresses were done. Check.

  Well, not exactly. They were picked out, which in Jules’s opinion was the hardest part of any wedding. Lizzie had her heart set on a stunning full-length oyster-colored gown. The fitted bodice was hand-beaded with crystal embellishments. The sweetheart neckline accentuated Lizzie’s long neck, and the asymmetrical pleating that draped up over her waist was to die for. Jules thought it was absolutely perfect—befitting Cinderella herself.

  For herself, they’d agreed on a knee-length strapless dress. The part she liked the best was the color: jazzberry jam. A black sash set off the whole dress and tied at the side. And they both agreed on a pair of black strappy sandals to go with it.

  That was one thing she admired about her sister. Lizzie wasn’t afraid of making decisions and going for it. She knew what she liked, and she didn’t waver after her decision was made. Jules wished she was more like her. But maybe there was hope for her. Lately she’d noticed that she was more willing to make a decision without any input, and it felt good.

  Armed with a wedding guide, a day planner and a credit card, Jules was ready to get to work. She glanced over at Stefano as he navigated his way through the congested streets of Rome.

  “Is traffic always like this?” she asked.

  “Like what?”

  “So busy.”

  “Not always, but we’ve hit the morning commute. I told you we should have waited a bit before coming to the city.”

  She shifted uncomfortably in the leather seat. “I thought you were just putting me off because you didn’t want to come with me.”

  “Why would you think that? I agreed to help, didn’t I?”

  She glanced down at her black-and-white plaid miniskirt. It was the tamest thing she owned. For the first time she felt out of place. The truth was she used her clothes as a defense mechanism. If people were busy talking about the length of her hemline, they weren’t noticing how the heavy makeup camouflaged her facial scars.

  But right now she wondered what it would be like to let down her guard and dress like everyone else—like Lizzie. It would definitely be different. Maybe it’d make Stefano less hesitant to escort her around Rome. It was a thought. One she’d take into consideration. She just wasn’t so sure that she was ready to let down her tightly held defenses just yet.

  “I...I just know that your brother gave you a healthy shove into agreeing to this.”

  “Here’s a lesson in DeFiore men. When we don’t want to do something, we don’t do it. And nothing and no one will change our minds.”

  She took in his serious expression. Maybe she was reading too much into his reluctance to leave the vineyard that morning. Perhaps she should have believed him when he’d said he didn’t want to get stuck with the morning commuters.

  But she still found herself thinking of visiting a boutique or two while they were shopping. She couldn’t afford off-the-rack fashions. Unlike her sister, who shopped at secondhand stores, Jules found most of her stuff at the back of stores on the clearance racks. When your tastes were a bit eclectic, it made discount shopping a lot easier. But that would have to wait. She had other, more important, business to deal with first.

  “I was just going over the wedding checklist, and we might just pull this off.”

  “Might?” He chanced a quick glance her way.

  “Well, yes. It’s going to be a lot of work, but we already have the venue and the dresses, and Lizzie found a place online that will print her invitations and mail them for her. Those will go out this week. Let’s see. What else is there?” Her gaze skimmed down over the master list. “Lizzie mentioned something about you being able to supply tables and chairs.”

  Stefano nodded. “We have plenty we keep on hand for large events at the winery.”

  “Great.” One more thing checked off her long list. “Are we almost at the next florist?”

  “Yes, it’s right ahead.” Stefano braked for a traffic light. “I still don’t know what you didn’t like about the last florist.”

 
She turned a narrowed gaze his way. “They were trying to pawn their overstock on us. They wanted to make an easy sale, and I don’t want that. Lizzie and Dante deserve more than that. Lizzie and I don’t exactly come from a traditional background. And now that she’s found her Prince Charming, she—they—deserve to have a perfect day. And if that takes you and I driving all around this city to find the right florist, then that’s what we’ll do.”

  “I didn’t know you were that invested in this wedding.”

  “There’s a lot about me that you don’t know.”

  “I’m listening if you want to tell me.”

  For a moment, she was tempted to let down her guard and open up to him about the loss of her mother and the string of foster homes. But what would that accomplish? Nothing. She had to stay focused. “This isn’t about me. It’s about Lizzie and Dante.”

  The traffic surged forward, and Stefano followed. “It doesn’t look like there’s any parking. I’ll drop you off. You have my cell number, right?”

  “Yes, but aren’t you coming in?”

  “The last time you were in and out so fast that I’d just walked up in time to hold the door as you stormed out—”

  “I wasn’t that bad. Was I?”

  A smile tugged at his lips. “Let’s just say that everyone knew you weren’t a satisfied customer.”

  “But what if these people don’t speak English? You have to come with me. After all, you told your brother that you would help with everything. You don’t want to go back on your word, do you?” Jules reached down and grabbed her oversize purse, which contained pictures of the dresses and color swatches. Without waiting for his response, she added, “I’ll see you inside.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  WHAT IN THE world had his brother gotten him into?

  Stefano’s feet felt weighted down as he made his way to the florist. The last thing he needed to be doing was escorting Jules around. She made him think things and feel things he shouldn’t. And when she looked at him with those big green eyes, his common sense took a hike. His raging hormones took charge and left him longing to steal a kiss. A long, passionate one.

  He was in so much trouble.

  He half hoped Jules would already be waiting for him on the sidewalk. They could head back to the villa, and he could lose himself in his work. It’d keep his mind from straying back to Jules’s sultry lips or tempting butterfly. He inwardly groaned.

  And no matter what Dante said about his father wanting to get more involved with the business side of things, Stefano had made a lot of changes since his father had last run DeFiore Winery. Stefano was certain he’d have questions.

  When Stefano neared the front of the shop, he peered in the big showroom window. Colorful blooms in various arrangements stared back at him, and he saw no sign of Jules making a hasty exit. Could it be that this place lived up to her high standards?

  He sighed in relief. Once they placed a quick order, they’d be back on the road. Maybe this day wasn’t going to be a complete waste of time after all.

  A little bell above the door chimed as he entered the shop. He was surprised to find so many people inside. There were men with bouquets of long-stemmed red roses. Others had arrangements of pink carnations. And yet another man had a bouquet of lilies, some sort of bright green pom-poms, brilliant pink roses and tiny deep purple flowers. And then there were a cluster of young women pointing at the cooler cases that held a wide array of flowers in black buckets. He couldn’t help but wonder if this place was always this busy. Perhaps he’d gone into the wrong business.

  He found Jules at the back of the shop, studying a cooler case of flowers he didn’t recognize. “Did you find what you need?”

  “I think so.”

  “Good.” This had gone even easier than he’d imagined. “Ready to go?”

  “Go? Are you kidding?” When she looked at him with those big green eyes, he could feel himself melting. “I haven’t even talked with a salesperson yet.”

  “You haven’t? What have you been doing?” It wasn’t until the words were out of his mouth that he realized how they sounded.

  She frowned. “You might get things done by pushing to the front of the line, but there are those of us who believe in waiting our turn.”

  His head lowered. She was right. “I just didn’t realize there’d be such a demand for flowers.” Well, he wasn’t going to do any good just standing there taking up space. “It looks like it’s going to be a while. I’ve got some things to do. I’ll be back—”

  “You’re leaving me?”

  The way she said it made him feel as though he was shirking his duties as best man. “I was just trying to make good use of the time. I don’t know a dandelion from a carnation.”

  “You can help me pick out some flowers. Lizzie told me the main flower she wants in her bouquet is a dahlia. If possible it should have a yellow center with deep pink tips. She said they have a sentimental meaning for her and Dante.” Jules shrugged her slender shoulders. “I see that they have some here, so it shouldn’t be too much of a problem to get them to order more. I hope.”

  “Great. It sounds like you have the flowers all figured out.” He turned toward the door, feeling extremely uncomfortable as a grandmotherly woman gave him a smile and a nod as though she thought that Jules and he were...were a couple. “I’ll just wait outside.”

  Jules reached out and caught his arm. “Not so fast. I still need some other flowers to complement the bouquet. I thought about baby’s breath, but everyone uses that. Lizzie needs something different. Something that will make the colors in the bouquet pop. You know this whole thing will be on television. Well, not the whole thing, but highlights of the wedding. And it just has to be perfect.”

  Stefano stifled a groan as Jules pulled him around to look at the variety of flowers. Though she mainly wore black and white, she appeared to have a fondness for other colors, too. Interesting.

  “I’m sorry it took me a bit to get to you two.” The saleswoman was an older lady who spoke perfect English with an Italian accent. “With summer here, romance is in the air.”

  “It certainly is.” Jules smiled broadly. “We’re here to order flowers for a wedding.”

  Stefano was caught off guard by the ease of her smile and the twinkle in her eyes. Was it possible that Jules was a closet romantic? She certainly seemed to know enough about this stuff.

  The woman’s face lit up. “What do you have in mind?”

  Jules turned to him and asked if he’d hold her purse. He quickly scanned the area. Relieved to find no male witnesses, he reached out for the very large black leather purse. He was shocked by its weight. What did she carry in there? Barbells?

  He watched as Jules opened her wedding planner and flipped to a page with colorful pictures, but before he could focus in on the images, she lifted the notebook out of his view. Whether it was intentional or not, he didn’t know and he wasn’t about to ask. He didn’t need her thinking that he was interested in any of it. He was doing his duty as best man. Nothing more.

  The saleswoman produced various stems of tiny flowers from white to pink to deep purple. In the beginning, Jules would turn to consult him. He generally shrugged and said they were nice. After he kept repeating the same response, she gave up asking for his input, which was fine with him.

  “Don’t worry, honey.” The woman patted Jules’s arm. “If it were up to most men, they’d pick some wildflowers from the side of the road as a wedding bouquet. That’s why you have me.”

  “Thank you so much. I really appreciate all of your help. And I know it’s short notice, but the wedding is next month. Will we be able to get the flowers in time for the ceremony?”

  “Let me check.” The woman pulled out a day planner and Jules read off the date. “Non c’è problema. You two are such a cute couple.” The
woman beamed at them.

  Without warning, Jules leaned over, wrapped her hands around his arm and leaned her head against his shoulder. His body stiffened. What was she doing? He would have asked, but his heart in his throat kept him from breathing, much less speaking.

  “You really think so?” Jules lifted her chin and smiled broadly up at him.

  “Oh, definitely. Just wait until you have children. They’ll be real darlings.”

  “Hmm...I hadn’t thought about it.”

  Jules gave him a quick once-over as though inspecting his physical attributes to see if he would make good father material—a father to their children. When her gaze met his, her lips lifted into a smile that lit up her eyes. His jaw tightened. She was having fun at his expense. But what bothered him the most was he could easily envision a little girl with Jules’s big green eyes—his daughter. He stopped his thoughts from meandering down that dangerous path.

  What in the world was going on? He and Jules were barely even friends, much less planning a life together. That was not going to happen.

  Jules pulled away. Although he should have felt relieved, he found himself missing her touch. It killed him to admit even to himself, but he’d enjoyed the softness of her hands pressing against his bare arm. The warmth of her gaze was powerful stuff. A man could get swept away and forget all about logic. He’d have to be careful around this one. He wasn’t going to fall in love again. No way. The price was too high.

  The saleswoman continued to beam at them. “Don’t you two worry about flowers for your big day. As soon as I looked at you I knew there was a love connection. You’ll make a wonderful bride and groom.”

  Stefano cleared his throat, at last feeling as though he’d regained his ability to speak—he must clear up this misunderstanding. He couldn’t continue to play along with Jules’s game any longer.

  “We aren’t together.” His voice came out gruff.

  Both women turned to him with startled looks. It had to be from the tone of his voice because there was no way that Jules was surprised by his admission. It wasn’t as if she even liked him.