Forbidden Count

by Victoria Pinder

  In sports, he worked harder when there was a game. He thrived on defeating whoever tried to race against him. And the only people better on skateboards were a few professionals.

  Sheena was a prize worth earning. He sat straighter as he thought about what he could do to earn her heart. “Win what I want?”

  Stefano waved for the check. “I know you haven’t ever had to try for much in your life, but this is your challenge. You either win her heart or you continue to run.”

  A million ideas collided in his head. Flowers. Chocolates. Declaring his intentions. Buying her art. A honeymoon trip. All floated in his mind as possibilities. Perhaps he’d come home with flowers and start there. “Win her heart… Stefano, thanks for meeting me.”

  Stefano paid for the drinks. They both stood as he asked, “Do you want a ride home?”

  Yes. But first he needed to put his plan in action so he followed his friend and picked up his board at the front door. “No, but I’ll take a ride to the village near my home. I’ll start with something small and work my way up.”

  “Then let’s get out of here.” Stefano opened the door.

  Stefano’s black town car waited, the driver quickly getting out to open the rear passenger door and take them down the mountain. Now he had a plan. He’d do everything he could to prove to Sheena he was the better man and she’d be happier, if she loved him.

  Chapter 17

  Sheena glanced at herself in the hallway mirror. Today she wore a knee-length cotton light-blue dress with specks of white like she was ready for ice and snow. She needed to talk to Matteo about trust.

  It was impossible to ignore the fast beat of her heart. Matteo’s words about love haunted her. She was grateful that the servants had let her know Matteo was inside his old bedroom, and sleeping.

  Without waiting another second, she opened the door and let herself in. She stopped when she saw the bouquet of roses scattered all over the floor.

  The sound of the shower meant Matteo was inside the bathroom. Sheena went down on her hands and knees and picked up the flowers.

  The red petals were beautiful, even half dead, and the sweet aroma of the flowers almost drowned out the bite of alcohol her nose detected in this room.

  The shower turned off as she gathered the last stem. She stood and held them as the bathroom door flung open.

  Matteo wore a white towel around his waist and water dripped off his muscular frame.

  Adrenaline coursed through her as well as the wish he’d kiss her, again and again.

  Yesterday she’d messed everything up, but today was a new day. Hopefully they could start over, without their emotions being so intense.

  He stepped out of the bathroom and she held the stems like they were her shield as she said, “I stayed up waiting for you last night.”

  He held a hair brush but stared at her and the flowers. “I didn’t know.”

  He fixed his hair and her hair stood on its ends in awareness of him. She needed to tell him to never leave her again. Last night she’d tossed and turned and wished he was there to hold her.

  She let out a sigh and said, “I must have fallen asleep.”

  “I was very late.” He put his hair brush down. “I hope you slept well.”

  That was nice but impossible. Jitters raced through her as she walked closer to him and brushed her hand against his damp, muscular arm. “Where were you?”

  She shook her head. It was the wrong approach to push him right now. Their last conversation had echoed in her mind—she’d had no answer to his question on love. Her fingers trembled and she pulled back from him. “Never mind.”

  He took the roses from her hand and placed them on the bureau. “I bought you flowers, but I was a big mess last night.”

  If only she could breathe right now. Then maybe she’d think straight. She pushed her hair behind her ear. It was so important to find the right words, but she pursed her lips and said, “The room smells like alcohol.”

  He reached into the closet and pulled out a pair of pants. “I had a few on an empty stomach after exercising.”

  “That’s not healthy.” She inwardly yelled at herself. Why had she sounded like a harpy? This wasn’t good. She needed to change this questioning fast and somehow get this back to last night and his question about love.

  He picked up the house phone near the dresser. “I’m ordering breakfast. Would you care to join me?”

  Maybe a change of venue from the room he’d run to and away from her was the best option. Neutral ground might clear her head on how to steer the conversation toward love. She picked up the flowers on the bureau to bring with her. “Yes. I would.”

  He gave her that smile of his that made her pause. “Meet me downstairs in fifteen minutes?”

  She nodded and headed toward the door, smelling the roses in her hand. She wished she’d had the right approach this morning. She turned as he grabbed a polo shirt from the dresser. “Matteo?”

  She hugged the flowers to her chest and saw a glimmer in his brown eyes. “Yes?”

  She took a breath and held still as she said, “I didn’t like sleeping alone. I wanted you there.”

  He flinched. Sheena waited for him to cross the room, but he didn’t. He held his shirt and nodded at her as he said, “We’ll talk soon. Let me get ready and meet you downstairs.”

  Right. Fair. Her face was hot but she clutched the roses and headed downstairs. In the sitting room she grabbed an empty vase when a staff member walked in.

  Every room already had fresh flowers that decorated the corners. She handed over the vase and roses. “Please have these arranged and sent to my room.”

  The woman took the flowers and Sheena’s arms felt empty. It was like she’d handed over her baby to a stranger which was silly. She glanced out the window and saw the perfectly cut green grass and the olive trees that went as far as the eye could see. In a short time, this had become her home.

  Her dress had a pocket that vibrated with her cell phone. She headed toward the informal dining hall in the family quarters and answered her best friend. “Hey, Chelsea.”

  Chelsea’s bubbly laughter showed her excitement as she said, “Sheena, Cassidy and I are going shopping. Alex wants to return to our vineyard tonight. Can you join us?”

  Any other time, but not now. She hadn’t talked to Matteo about anything real. She pressed her palm to her neck. “I don’t want to go out today.”

  “Because of Charles?” Chelsea asked.

  She let out a sigh and closed her eyes, stopping in her tracks. “Partly. I want to fix things with Matteo.”

  “Are things broken that you need to fix them?”

  Sheena’s eyes flew open and her heart raced. Broken? As in her heart? Maybe. All the jitters she’d had returned as she felt heat rise in her cheeks. “Yes and no. I just need to figure a few things out.”

  Chelsea said, “Like that you love him?”

  And if that was even remotely true, she’d been a stupid fool. He’d asked her, and she hadn’t answered, afraid to take a chance. Sheena cringed at the memory. “I… was afraid of the whole love thing you now believe in wholeheartedly.”

  Chelsea sucked in her breath, like she always did when she tried not to talk. Sheena knew the slight sound and could imagine the action as Chelsea said, “Because of Charles.”

  Heat flushed her face so much she knew she was bright scarlet. “I know that’s stupid.”

  “It is,” Chelsea said. “Though my mom might have reacted even worse than you when she met him at your party.”

  “I was so busy. Did something happen to your mother I didn’t catch at the party?”

  “No. My sister took her out fast so you’d have never noticed.”

  Chelsea’s mom was a former model but that didn’t really matter. Thankfully Sheena’s father was steadfast and dependable even if he sometimes flared with a temper in his kitchen as he demanded perfection in every dish.

  Sheena wondered if her expectations on love weren
’t matching the whispering in her heart. And if she didn’t listen to herself she wasn’t being very smart. Footsteps echoed outside the dining room. “Chelsea, we’ll talk soon. I have to go.”

  “Of course.” Chelsea hung up. The door flung open.

  Matteo, with his dark brown eyes, strode into the room. Sun shone through the windows making the area warm and bright without the need of lamps. She pushed her phone back in her pocket and smoothed her hair. He clasped her nervous hands as he asked, “Who was on the phone?”

  “Chelsea.” She glanced up at him. She’d been so afraid of what another man had done in her past that she hadn’t given Matteo a fair chance in the present.

  Sheena needed to choose love and not be afraid to try again.

  Matteo’s easy laugh and how he made her body ache for him were things no one else had ever done half as well. He smiled at her with so much charm as he said, “Friends are like family sometimes. Stefano found me on my skateboard last night.”

  He took her arm and guided her to sit at the oval dining room table that held eight people. She had a bounce in her step. At least he’d been skateboarding and not at some party surrounded by people with loose morals. He held her chair for her and she asked, “So you were drinking with Stefano?”

  “Not to excess, but the whiskey hit worse because I’d raced up the mountain and hadn’t eaten anything all day.”

  When slightly intoxicated people showed up at her father’s restaurant, he’d trained her and his staff to ensure they had carbs to eat almost immediately and usually grabbed her father’s garlic breads. She reached across the table and handed him a chocolate chip muffin. “Try this.”

  He put it on his plate and pinched off a piece. “Sheena… thanks.” He ate the small bite of the muffin and then poured them both coffee. She took the mug from him and he stared at her hand and said, “Can I ask you a question?”

  Her heart stilled as she nodded. What did he have to say? She was the one that had blocked the love conversation. She wasn’t sure how to bring it up again. “Sure. What’s going on, Matteo?”

  He scooped eggs onto her plate and then took some for himself. He handed her the pepper only, as if he’d remembered her preferences. “Why did you say yes to marry me when I asked?”

  He hadn’t known Patrice had left him, and she’d imagined herself his savior—to get him out of the church without humiliation. She hadn’t thought he’d ask her instead but when he did, she’d had a purpose.

  Had she loved him, even then? That was silly. She stared at his regal chin. “Because I had no reason to say no. You were bride-less and in need. I’ve always liked you.”

  “Describe ‘like.’” He reached for the croissants, adding one to both their plates. The way he’d said like made her cautious.

  How to answer? If she wasn’t afraid of being in love anymore, then she needed to tell him everything. “You made my years at boarding school where my family was well off, but not rich or titled, tolerable.”

  He shook his head. “That was a long time ago. I’ve turned into a man since then.”

  Her cheeks flushed. “And when we were planning your… our wedding, you were still the sweet and kind guy I’d liked then. I couldn’t let you lose everything, not if I could help.”

  He leaned closer and though he didn’t touch her, she felt his body heat. “Why would you help me and throw away your life like that?”

  Huh? She reached for his hand. “It wasn’t throwing away my life. I found my life when I married you. I’ve been training for it since I can remember. Even as an adult, I was still practicing to be your countess.”

  He didn’t pull away. He didn’t blink. “So, it was my title you wanted?”

  What? Her entire body was rigid and she shook her head fast. “No… in that moment, it was you.”

  He squeezed her hand. “Sheena, I have to warn you.”

  Oh no. He wanted a divorce. She wasn’t sure what she wanted, but she wanted him with her, as they’d promised. “Warn me?”

  He kissed the back of her hand. “Yes. I realized yesterday that I am knee-deep in love with you, so I need you to be prepared. I overreacted because I was jealous, but I do trust you, with everything I have.”

  Wait. Wow. He loved her? She ached to tell him that she loved him too. The words were there and yet…. She wasn’t afraid, but this wasn’t something she could just blurt out. She took a breath and asked, “Prepared?”

  He stared at her like he meant every word as he said, “I intend to prove to you that you can trust your heart with me. I will win your affection.”

  Every part of her body trembled. It was time to tell him. Her heart beat wildly in her chest and she asked, “Win?”

  He reached over and traced her face like he was mesmerizing her in this moment. “Yes, but know now that I won’t share you.”

  “I don’t want to be shared.”

  A small laugh escaped his throat and made his Adam’s apple bounce as he said, “Well, that’s good. It’s a start.”

  “Matteo, you don’t have to do anything.” She lowered her lashes. She needed a moment to think and breathe.

  Her heart whispered she already loved him. If he wasn’t going to just leave her again then she had time to listen to her heart and be sure.

  How to form the words?

  He kissed the tips of her fingers and let her go. “But I do. I want us to be happy.”

  He finished his muffin, and then ate his eggs like everything was normal.

  Sheena’s body was aware of each movement he made. She needed to listen to her heart, and not let her past stop her from having faith in love.

  Chapter 18

  Sheena returned to their bedroom to get her work computer. With relief, she noticed that Matteo’s clothes were now hanging in the closet.

  Tears threatened to form in her eyes, but luckily he’d not see her misty-eyed gaze.

  It would be for the best if they never separated again. Her night alone had made her feelings obvious—she loved him fully and completely. Matteo had her heart and now she had to tell him.

  Waiting was wrong as her love for him grew each second.

  As she picked up her laptop, the door opened behind her. She twirled, clutching her computer, until she saw Matteo’s sexy smile that made her melt. “Are you ready, Sheena?”

  Sale figures weren’t going anywhere and her assistant was trustworthy to handle anything pressing. She put her laptop down. “Yes. What’s going on?”

  He held open his palm like she was to take his hand. “I need you to trust me.”

  She did, and a spark raced up her arm at their contact. She met his gaze. “I do, but where are we off to?”

  “Fiji.” He tugged her toward the hall.

  Sheena dug her heels to the floor and tugged his arm to stop while she asked, “What?”

  He gave her a small wink. “Fiji, just the two of us.”

  A honeymoon. With Matteo. Her body filled with light. “When do we leave?”

  “Tonight.”

  She pulled him back to the bedroom, wanting more details. “I’ll pack a bathing suit.”

  “We’ll get you whatever you need.”

  Still. She led him back to the room. He followed and she closed the door. Once she heard the click of the lock, she inhaled to her toes. She squeezed his palm. “Matteo, I’m excited for our honeymoon, but there is something we need to talk about first.”

  “Trust? Here. I added a provision to our contract.”

  Her gaze narrowed but she read his note to his lawyers that his wife was free to spend whatever she wished without consulting him on a dime.

  Her heart beat quickened as she put the paper on a night stand. His gaze narrowed, like he half wanted to hear what she had to say and half didn’t. Maybe it was all in her head, though, as she was the one who had waffled. “This is sweet, but I need to say something.”

  “I’m here.”

  She framed his face with her hands. Her heart jittered though h
e’d told her how he felt already. This was all her. Tears formed in her eyes as she said, “I love you. I don’t want you to run away again or for you to ever sleep in another room.”

  He flinched but then his smile grew into a huge grin as he asked, “You love me already? Are you sure?”

  She nodded. He needed to believe her because she meant every word. Her cheeks were wet with tears. “I’ve loved you for a while. I just needed to be sure and listen to my heart. I didn’t want to just say it back. I think I’ve loved you since the first time I ever said love—do you remember? It sounded so strange because I never thought it was possible.”

  He pulled her closer into a hug. “So what changed?”

  Goodness, she should have just told him right away. Silence created questions. She got a tissue from the box on the nightstand and wiped her cheeks, swallowing more tears back. “You’re amazing and I was a stupid fool. I never loved Charles half as much as I love you now. Loving you is as exciting as learning to skateboard with you and I knew you’d catch me. There is no comparison. You have my heart.”

  His lips met hers.

  She practically evaporated. Matteo’s kiss sent her into heaven itself. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on unable to think of anything else.

  A slight bang echoed in her mind, but she ignored it and moaned to continue the kiss. Don’t stop.

  He complied and his hard lips on hers sent shockwaves of desire coursing through her.

  Another bang sounded and this time she blinked and looked toward the door. Someone was knocking.

  It took him the same nanosecond to realize what was happening. He straightened his shoulders and opened the door.

  She checked to ensure her dress was still straight but she heard a maid tell Matteo as she stepped into view, “My Lord. My Lady. You have guests.”

  “Who?” he asked.

  The maid didn’t look up as she said, “Lady Chelsea. Lady Sky and the Lord and Lady of Normanni.”