by Leanne Banks
“You shouldn’t be surprised,” Damien said. “The Medici men are overachievers in every area.”
Emma leaned her head against his shoulder. “So true. I’m sure you’ve noticed that about Michael,” she said to Bella.
“Fishing, fishing,” Michael said under his breath as he slid his hand behind Bella’s back and led her into the den. “Forgive my lovely sister-in-law. She may look sweet and demure, but she slayed the dragon known as Damien. Does anyone else want to wash up? There are three more bathrooms on this floor.”
Moments later, the group took their seats at Michael’s beautiful antique dining room table. Gary served the meal while Michael and his brothers caught up on their business activities.
Afterward, Gary served her cake for dessert.
“Delicious,” Emma said. “You must give me your recipe.”
“Me, too,” Nicole said.
“So, you found a woman who can cook,” Rafe said.
“It’s news to me,” Michael said, meeting Bella’s gaze. “But I shouldn’t be surprised. She’s a multitalented woman.”
“She worked for a charitable organization overseas for a year, is a licensed esthetician, and—”
Embarrassed by the attention, Bella stood and interrupted. “Does anyone want anything else?”
“More cake,” Joel said, his face covered in chocolate.
Nicole laughed. “Maybe tomorrow. Bedtime, now.”
“Mom,” he protested.
“May I read him a bedtime story?” Emma asked.
“I’m sure he would love that,” Nicole said then glanced at Bella. “Would you like to join us?”
“Sure, thank you,” Bella said and watched as Nicole and Emma cuddled Joel. Emma read a story, then Bella read another before the boy fell asleep.
“Only a two-story night. He must have been tired from all the excitement,” Nicole whispered as they left the room.
“Between Damien and Rafe playing with him, I’m surprised he didn’t fall asleep during the meal,” Emma said.
“Joel was very well-behaved during dinner for being so tired,” Bella said. “Would the two of you like to go to the den or the keeping room?”
“Keeping room?” Emma echoed. “What’s that?”
“A cozy little room off the kitchen with a fireplace. I suspect the men have taken over the den and are watching a game,” Nicole said. “I vote for the keeping room. I noticed Damien really seemed to enjoy Joel. Rafe wondered if the two of you are getting interested in having a child of your own.”
“He used to say never, then he progressed to maybe. Lately he says later.” Emma smiled as Bella led the two women toward the kitchen. “I’m perfectly happy taking our time. I’m happier than I ever dreamed possible with Damien.” She turned to Bella and sank into an upholstered chair. “What about Michael? How does he feel about children?”
Bella blinked. “Children?” She shook her head. “I wouldn’t know. We haven’t discussed them, but I know he’s happy to be an uncle.”
Nicole nodded. “How is Michael doing, really?” she asked. “Rafe has been concerned about him.”
“So has Damien,” Emma said.
“Really,” Bella said, surprise racing through her. “His businesses are doing well and in terms of his health, he works out every morning.”
“Yes, but—” Nicole hesitated and sighed. “He’s really struggling with the investigation about Leo.”
Bella nodded, but she wasn’t sure what Nicole was talking about.
“Damien says the latest news from the private investigator really shook him up,” Emma said.
What news? Bella wanted to ask, but felt foolish for not knowing. “Michael is a strong man,” she said. “I can’t imagine anything defeating him.”
“I just hate that he continues to torture himself about this. I almost wonder if it would be easier if Leo were pronounced—”
“Don’t say that,” Nicole said. “Rafe suffers, too. And now knowing that Leo survived the train crash and could have been raised by an abusive man—” Nicole shuddered. “I pray every night that he will be found whole and healthy.”
“And ready to reunite with his brothers,” Emma said.
“Exactly,” Nicole agreed. Silence hovered over the women for a long moment. “I’m glad Michael is doing well. From the way he looks at you, I’m sure you’re part of the reason.”
Bella wasn’t at all sure of that. “Hmm. Would either of you like something to drink? Coffee? Tea?”
“I’d love some hot tea,” Emma said.
Bella rose. “Let me get it for you,” she murmured and went into the kitchen. Her stomach twisted with agitation as she put the water on and pulled some packets of tea from the cupboard. Why hadn’t Michael discussed something so important to him with her? The logical side of her brain immediately came to his defense.
They were having an affair where he dictated the rules. He was completely within his rights to keep the matter about his missing brother private.
After the way he’d insisted that she reveal her painful story about Stephen, though, it didn’t seem fair at all. Bella felt like a fool. Why hadn’t he told her about the latest developments in the search for Leo? Perhaps because she wasn’t truly important.
The knowledge stung. It shouldn’t, but it did. She pulled two cups and saucers from the cabinet.
“I can take care of this,” Gary said.
She shook her head. “No. I’ve got it. It’s just tea.”
“I insist,” Gary said, pulling out a tray and cream from the refrigerator. “It is my job.”
Stepping back, she smiled although she was still distracted. “Thanks. It’s for the two women in the keeping room. I’m going to step out for a breath of fresh air. I’ll be back in just a moment.”
Bella scooted out the back door and took a deep breath of the chilly winter air. Closing her eyes, she tried to clear her head. She felt hurt and offended. She took another deep breath and wrapped her arms around her waist.
“Too many Medicis for you?” Michael asked, sliding his arm around her back. “Can’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Wondering when he’d joined her, she glanced up at him. “You did warn me.”
“Did someone offend you?”
“Hmm,” she said and swallowed a wry chuckle. “I guess if anyone offended me, it was me.”
His body stiffened. “You? How?”
“It’s more about what happened before your family even arrived,” she said.
“Is the guessing game necessary or do you want to tell me what this is about?”
“I could say the same about guessing games,” she said. “Why didn’t you tell me the latest news about Leonardo?”
His face immediately turned dark. “What about Leonardo?”
“The fact that he survived the train crash,” she said. “You found that out the night you were sitting in the dark by the fire, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did,” he said and moved away from her. “You need to understand that there are some subjects that are off limits.”
“To me,” she said, angry at herself because this just underscored the fact that she was temporary.
His expression closed up as tight as Fort Knox. “I won’t allow this subject to contaminate my time with you. That’s my final word.”
Eleven
T hat night was the first time she shared a bed with Michael and they didn’t make love. She lay staring up at the ceiling, torn between anger at herself and him. Why should he be the one to call the shots?
Because he was financing her aunt’s business.
It seemed, however, that he’d changed the rules when he’d said he wanted her to come to him. Add in the meeting with his family and she didn’t know what was going on.
“You’re a complicated, difficult man,” she said because she knew he was still awake.
“I’m neither,” he said. “I’m ordinary.”
She laughed. “That’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever said.”
“I am,” he insisted. “I have basic needs. Food, water, sex.”
She rolled her eyes. “Along with control, wealth, and a few other things you probably don’t realize.”
He rolled over and pulled her against him. “Such as?”
She wanted to say love, but she wouldn’t. “Compassion, affection, understanding.”
He shrugged, but slid his fingers through her hair. “Like I said before, there’s a difference between need and want.”
“So, maybe you want those things,” she said, feeling herself sink under the spell of his dark eyes. “There are other things you want, but you’d never admit it.”
“Never is a long time,” he told her and pulled her on top of him.
Her quarrel with him grew less important with his hard body beneath hers. “Well, it’s difficult for me to imagine…”
Sliding his hand behind the nape of her neck, he pulled her mouth against his. “No need to imagine,” he said. “I’m here now and so are you.”
He seduced her with his sure, magic hands and seductive velvet voice, making her forget her reservations, making her forget that she wanted more than his passion and his body. He took her up and over the top, again and again, and somewhere in that dark night, something changed in her heart….
The next morning, Gary prepared a splendid breakfast and the Medicis enjoyed a rare sunny morning in a private neighborhood park. The three Medici men played ball with Joel, carrying the little boy like a football and making him laugh until he was weak.
Michael lifted his nephew onto his shoulders and carried him around so he could be taller than anyone else.
“That’s good father material,” Nicole hinted broadly.
The comment made her stomach feel as if she were going up on the down elevator. “I’m sure he’ll be a great father when he’s ready,” Bella said, then tried to change the subject. “When did you say your due date is?”
Soon enough, Rafe checked his watch and announced that it was time to leave. “This has been fun, but some of us have to work tomorrow,” he announced.
“And I need a round of pool with Rafe,” Damien said. “He’s been impossible since I let him beat me.”
“Let me?” Rafe said. “You wish.”
“We’ll see,” Damien said.
“Sounds like a challenge to me,” Michael said with a secret smile.
“If you came down to South Beach, you could put yourself in the running.”
“I’m busy with more important things than billiards at the moment.”
“Afraid of getting beat?” Rafe asked.
“You can’t goad me,” Michael said. “I really do have better things to do.”
“Damn.” Rafe turned serious. “Are you talking about Leo? You shouldn’t let this eat at you so much.”
Bella’s heart stopped and she stared at Michael.
Michael’s gaze turned hard. “I can handle it.”
Rafe lifted his brow and shook his head. “Okay.” He glanced at Bella. “It was nice meeting you, Bella. Good luck dealing with my brother. He can be ornery as hell, but underneath, way underneath, he’s a good guy.”
The next day, Michael arrived home at dinnertime. Bella was working late, so he went through the mail. When he saw a package from Italy, his gut clenched. Curious if this was from his mysterious Aunt Emilia, he quickly opened it. Photographs spilled out.
He held them up and was taken back in time to his childhood. He saw the four wide-eyed faces of him and his brothers dressed in their Sunday best. His gaze wandered to Leo’s face and he felt the sting of loss. He wondered how long a person could mourn. Forever, it seemed.
He looked at another photo of a baby held in his father’s arms like a football while a toddler craned to see the infant. He turned the photo over and saw a notation scrawled on it. Baby Michael with brother Leonardo.
Less than a year younger than Leo, he’d tormented his brother by following him everywhere. He’d been so excited to join his father to ride the train to the baseball game. It would have been his first. He’d even rubbed it in a little to Leo because Leo wanted to go so badly. But Leo had already attended a game with Dad, so it was Michael’s turn to go. Until he’d raided the cookie jar before dinner and his parents had decided his discipline would be not going to the game.
To this day, he couldn’t eat a cookie without feeling sick to his stomach. His father had died in the train crash and his brother had been missing forever.
His stomach twisting with a guilt that wouldn’t pass, he found a short note behind the photos. Dear Michael, I wanted you to have these photographs your father sent me so many years ago. I am so glad that you and your brothers have found each other and are keeping your family bond alive. Do not ever give up on each other. Love Emilia.
Michael stared at the note and photos, fighting a warring combination of sweet memories and nauseating loss. A day didn’t pass when he failed to think of Leo, but seeing this underscored his need for resolution.
Unwilling to discuss this with his brothers, Michael called his investigator. “Have you made any progress?” he asked, not bothering to keep the impatience from his voice.
“These things take time,” the investigator said.
“You’ve been saying that for months,” Michael said.
“Look, I believe your brother may have survived the crash. I believe he was taken in by a woman who couldn’t have children.”
“Names, what are their names?”
“She went by a different name than her husband, and apparently her husband went by several different names.”
Michael frowned. “Several names. He must’ve been a criminal.”
“Some records indicate he’d been charged with petty theft. When I checked three of the names, I got a bunch of complaints about grifting. Some that involved a boy.”
Michael closed his eyes. “What was the boy’s name?”
“Depends,” Carson said. “John, George, but no Leo. The complaints that included a mention of the boy stopped when your brother would have been about fifteen.”
“Do you think he died?” he asked. “Or was killed?”
“Either of those could have happened, but there’s another possibility. He could have disappeared and changed his identity.”
“I want a written report of everything you’ve found. Is the woman who kept him still alive?”
“No, and I’m not too sure about the man, either. I’m still working that end of the lead, but I have to pursue others, too.”
“Okay,” Michael said with a sigh. “Keep me posted.”
The rainy day matched Bella’s mood. Since it was slow that morning at the spa, she urged Charlotte to get out and take a break while Bella manned the reception desk. It took some arm-twisting, but Charlotte finally agreed.
With no customers in sight, Bella sipped a latte as she tried to distract herself by reading the paper. She was still angry with herself for expecting Michael to share more of himself with her. When he’d decided to introduce her to his family, she’d let her guard down. She should remember that he viewed her as temporary and she should always, always do the same.
Under the downtown community section, a short article caught her eye. The article reported how a fire had destroyed a community center, the same one where she and Michael had worked that Saturday. An anonymous donor had stepped up to pay for a new center to be built.
Her heart skipped over itself and suspicion raced through her. A warm, lovely kind of suspicion. Anonymous donor. She’d just bet she knew who that was.
Bella sighed. How was she supposed to tell herself that she shouldn’t care about Michael when he did these kinds of things? Just when she thought he was too hard and remote, he did something to turn her opinion of him upside down.
Michael heard the side door open. “Hello?” Bella called. “Anybody home? Anybody want a hot dog with mustard and chili and greasy French fries just because it’s Monday and it’s raining?”
; She walked into the den still wearing a yellow slicker and carting a paper bag and what he would guess were two milk shakes.
He chuckled. “Sounds good. Gary may not like it, though. He thinks you’re going to put him out of a job.”
She shook her head. “Ridiculous. I can make a few things, but he’s the professional. Where do you want to eat?”
“In here,” he said. “What kind of milk shake did you get me?”
She tossed him a sideways glance. “How do you know I got one for you? I may have gotten both of them for me.”
He grinned. “I guess I’ll just have to see if I can negotiate one from you.”
“It’s possible,” she said, pulling off her jacket. “I hope you like chocolate.”
“I do,” he said. She made the room brighter, somehow.
“Okay, then, if you answer this question honestly, I will give you a chocolate shake,” she said and unpacked the bags, giving him two hot dogs while she took one.
“Depends on the question,” he said, joining her at the table.
She nodded. “During one of my breaks today, I was reading the newspaper.” She lifted a French fry to his lips and he ate it.
“And?”
“Well, you remember that community center we were painting, the one that blew up?”
“Yes,” he said and took a bite out of one of the hot dogs. “This is really good.”
She shot him a conspiratorial smile. “I agree. Back to the newspaper. There was an article about how the community center is going to be torn down and a new one is going to be built in its place.”
“That’s good,” he said, continuing to eat his meal.
“An anonymous donor has made this possible,” she said, regarding him with deep suspicion. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about this donor, would you?”
“I suspect if the donor is anonymous then he—” He swallowed another bite. “Or she prefers to remain anonymous.”
She slumped. “You’re not going to tell me, are you?”
“Tell you what?”
“If you are the anonymous donor,” she said.
“Me?” he asked, injecting shock into his voice. “Why would I part with my money to fund a community center that could very well end up doing an inefficient job helping the children who need the services?”
