VITTORIO'S WOMAN

by Kimberley Reeves

  “Then I shall go to him immediately.” She gave Lilly an assessing glance before turning to Luisa. “Perhaps I will freshen up first. Which room did that handsome son of yours take my luggage to?”

  Luisa blushed with pleasure over Gabriella’s remark about Luc. “You take room across hall from Simon. Lunch will be served in twenty minutes, but you no need to come down to dine. Lilly and Simon take meals in his room.”

  Gabriella gave Lilly a knowing smile. “Is that so?”

  “It’s easier than having Gaetano carry him downstairs,” Lilly said with a defiant lift of her chin.

  “You are welcome to join us, Miss Barclay, though I must say you might be rather bored listening to us chatter about people and things you know nothing about. Simon and I…we have such a long history, you see…”

  “Thank you,” Lilly said stiffly, “but I already have plans to dine outside in the gardens.”

  “I would be pleased to join you,” Luc said from behind her.

  Lilly could have kissed him for rescuing her from Gabriella’s less than generous invitation. It was obvious the woman wanted to be alone with Simon and just as obvious she suspected Lilly had something going on with him. Turning a grateful smile to Luc, she accepted his offer to join her and asked if he’d like to help her and Luisa make up the trays. When Luc eagerly agreed then gallantly crooked his elbow, she slipped her hand around his arm and let him lead her away, hopefully squashing any notions Gabriella had that Lilly was jealous of her.

  ***

  Luc was a wonderful companion. He was handsome and charming with a surprising sense of humor that had her smiling and laughing in spite of the misery that hovered just beneath the surface. She only wished she would have remembered that Simon’s balcony overlooked the gardens because as entertaining as Luc was, she was distracted by the knowledge that all she had to do was look up and she would be able to see Simon and Gabriella.

  She didn’t, of course. It was painful enough imagining the two of them huddled together without actually witnessing it with her own eyes. Her poor heart was already feeling battered and bruised at the indifferent way he’d treated her when she helped Luisa bring up their lunch trays, she certainly didn’t need to abuse it any further by watching the man she loved fawning over another woman.

  No, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing how deeply she’d been cut when he all but ignored her the minute Gabriella came sniffing around. Hadn’t she known all along that he would lose interest in her as soon as he was feeling good about himself again? And wasn’t it better that she discover now rather than later just how dispensable she was once Simon had someone else to remind him he was still a man?

  Gabriella was more than capable of making Simon feel like a man, Lilly thought resentfully, and she probably wouldn’t even care if he ever walked again. Women like her would have only two concerns; whether Simon could still function sexually and how fast she could spend his money. Well, if that’s what Simon wanted then he was welcome to it, but she wasn’t about to stick around and moon over him like some love-sick teenager!

  Lilly jumped up from the table, laughing at the startled look on Luc’s face. “Sorry, I didn’t mean scare you. I just suddenly had an urge to take a stroll through the gardens.” And escape the temptation to look up and see what Gabriella and Simon are up to.

  “You would like me to accompany you?”

  Lilly couldn’t help smile in the face of such open adoration. “Yes, I’d like that very much.”

  ***

  Simon nearly fell out of his chair from straining so far out, but short of hopping to his feet and leaning over the balcony, it was the only way he could keep Lilly in his line of vision. Beside him, Gabriella was chattering incessantly about nothing in particular and didn’t seem to notice he was paying more attention to what was going on in the flower garden than what she was saying. He’d been a little unnerved to see Lilly stroll outside with Luc, but when he’d seen her smiling and laughing with the young man as she’d once done with him, a jealous rage began to boil up inside of him.

  His eyes narrowed when Lilly popped up out of her chair then looped her arm through Luc’s and started off down one of the garden paths. He genuinely liked Luisa’s son, but right now all Simon could think of was bolting out of the house and strangling Luc with his bare hands. Lilly was the one who was supposed to be working herself up into a jealous fit and yet she hadn’t so much as stolen a single glance his way. And now he was stuck here with Gabriella while Luc was making off with his woman. Simon’s fingers curled around the arms of his chair, gripping it so hard his knuckles turned white. If Luc kissed her…

  “Simon, what on earth are you scowling at?” Gabriella leaned around him to see what he was glaring at. “Have you suddenly developed an intense hatred for flowers?”

  “What nonsense are you speaking now?” he said impatiently.

  Gabriella sat back in her chair, a pretty pout on her lips. “You have been very inattentive, darling, and your mood has gone completely sour ever since you started watching the flowers.”

  “I am not watching the damn flowers,” he gritted then stopped himself.

  Buon Dio, what was he thinking? He shuddered to think what would happen if a gossipmonger like Gabriella found out he and Lilly were involved. After taking such precautions not to show any emotions towards Lilly when she’d helped Luisa bring up the trays, he nearly blew it by telling Gabriella the real reason for his surly mood. Reluctantly drawing his gaze away from the pathway Lilly had disappeared down, Simon forced himself to focus on Gabriella, offering an apologetic smile.

  “It is not the flowers I hate but the fact I cannot be down there enjoying their beauty.”

  “Oh, you poor thing,” Gabriella exclaimed. “It must be just awful being cooped up in your room all day long. Ah, but I have a grand idea to brighten your day,” she patted his arm.

  Simon groaned inwardly. “Let me guess, you are going to run down and pick a hand full of flowers for my room.”

  Gabriella laughed as she rose from her chair. “Even better than that, my darling. I am going to fetch Gaetano to help you downstairs so we can sit in the gardens and soak up a little sun.”

  “You are right," he smiled, "just thinking of being out there lifts my spirits.”

  She leaned down and kissed his cheek. “If I had known you were such a flower connoisseur I would have suggested it earlier.”

  “It is only certain flowers I have a great love for,” he said, thinking of his beautiful Lilly. “Now run and get Gaetano, I am anxious to get outside.”

  Simon felt a twinge of guilt when Gaetano strained to get him down the stairs and would no doubt experience much of the same when the older man was called upon to take him back to his room, but his greater concern right now was getting down to the gardens so he could find Lilly and make sure Luc didn’t have his hands all over her.

  He wasn’t sure what he would do if he actually found them doing anything more than admiring the flowers…no, that wasn’t true; Simon knew exactly what he would do. He’d come flying up out of his chair so fast Luc wouldn’t know what hit him. It was pure torture, imagining his Lilly in another man’s arms, and despite his efforts to remain calm, he was highly agitated by the time Gaetano had him settled back in his chair in front of the same table Luc and Lilly had eaten at.

  “It seems Luc has wandered off with your therapist,” Gabriella said as she plucked a ripe strawberry from the bowl of fruit and popped it in her mouth.

  Color slashed his cheeks but he was careful to keep his expression passive. “It would seem so.”

  Gabriella cast a sly glance at him and reached for another strawberry. “She is very pretty. I am surprised you have not claimed her for yourself.”

  Simon arched a brow. “And how would I do that, confined as I am to a wheelchair?”

  “My darling, we both know that would not stop you from taking what you wanted. You can be very persuasive, and someone as innocent as Lilly o
bviously is wouldn’t stand a chance against your charms.”

  “You assume too much, Gabby. Lilly is my therapist and nothing more.”

  Gabriella just laughed. “You did not see the way she looked at me when I came in. She is in love with you, Simon, and she is not at all pleased that I have come to spend time with you.”

  Simon shrugged indifferently. Gabriella was on a fishing expedition and he was not about to endanger Lilly’s reputation by admitting they were having an affair. Not that he believed his childhood friend would say anything with malicious intent, but she inhaled gossip as if it was the breath of life and exhaled it just as quickly. If word got out that Lilly had slept with one of her patients she would be shamed to no end and would undoubtedly blame her tarnished reputation on him and convince herself the only thing to do would was to leave. No, he had to protect Lilly at all costs.

  “You have a vivid imagination. There is nothing between myself and Lilly. I like her well enough, but she is the hired help and that is as far as our relationship goes. Besides,” he drawled, “she is hardly my type.”

  Gabriella’s eyes danced with amusement. “Simon, she is a woman, a very beautiful one, and that alone makes her your type. As for simply being the hired help, we both know it would not be the first time you have slept with someone under the Vittorio’s employ.”

  Simon grinned, knowing she was referring to Annalisa. “I should never have confessed that to you.”

  “But you did, and it makes me wonder if perhaps history is repeating itself with your charming Lilly.”

  Simon didn’t bat an eye. “You are fishing in the wrong pond, Gabby. As you pointed out, Lilly is sweet and innocent, quite the opposite of Annalisa. I prefer a woman with experience, one who does not have to be taught what pleases her lover.”

  Gabriella leaned forward, a knowing smile on her face. “If that is true, my darling, then you and I have much in common…”

  ***

  Luc took Lillie’s arm and led her away, a dark scowl on his face. “He should not have said those things.”

  Her smile was thin. “Why not, he’s just being honest. At any rate I shouldn’t have eavesdropped on his conversation, so I guess I got what I deserved.”

  “But to say you are only the hired help as if you are beneath him.” He shook his head, frowning. “It is not like Mr. Vittorio to talk like this.”

  “It doesn’t matter…”

  “It does matter,” Luc said fiercely. “It matters because he has hurt you.” He stopped abruptly and gripped her shoulders, both anger and concern playing across his face. “It is true what Gabriella said, you are in love with Simon. Do not deny it,” he said when Lilly started to shake her head. “It is in your eyes, Lilly, you cannot hide it.”

  Tears welled up and spilled down over her cheeks. “I feel like such a fool, Luc. How could I be so stupid? I thought he cared for me, I thought…”

  Luc wrapped his arms around her, drawing her to his chest in an effort to comfort her. “Do not cry, Lilly. He does not deserve you if he cannot see the beauty inside of you.”

  “Oh, Luc, what am I going to do? I want to stay and help Simon get better but how can I now that I know how he really feels?” She sagged against him, grateful for the strong arms that kept her from crumbling to the ground. “The worst part of all is that I knew this would happen but I just couldn’t seem to stop myself.”

  He laughed softly, absently stroking her hair. “We cannot choose who we fall in love with, carissima. Even when our heads tells us it is foolish, our hearts do not listen.”

  “Have you ever been in love?”

  “Just once.”

  Lilly tipped her head back, her own heart aching for the sadness in his voice. “What happened?”

  “Nothing. She does not see me in that way.” He reached up and wiped away her tears with the tips of his fingers, a wry smile on his face. “You are not the only one whose heart has been captured by a Vittorio.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise. “You’re in love with Milana?”

  “For as long as I can remember. So we are both fools for loving someone who will never love us in return, are we not?”

  “I guess we are,” Lilly sighed. “How do you do it, Luc? How do you keep Milana from knowing the truth?”

  “It is easier now that she is staying with Simon, but when she comes to his country estate I try to avoid her as much as possible.”

  “That wouldn’t work for me.”

  “No, but there are other ways.”

  “Like what?” Lilly looked up at him, desperate to find a way to ease this awful pain in her heart.

  “You must keep your mind focused on something else when you are together and avoid looking directly at him.” Luc gazed past her, his voice growing distant. “You will lose yourself if you look into his eyes, and you will also give yourself away.”

  “We’re a fine pair, aren’t we?”

  He tilted his head for a moment, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Yes, we are. But perhaps there is a way we can help each other.”

  “You’re already helping just by being my friend.”

  “Yes, but I am talking about becoming more than just friends. Much more.”

  Lilly pulled away from him. “Luc, I really don’t think…”

  “Just listen to me before you say no.” He waited until she nodded then took both her hands. “You must be honest with me. Do you believe that Simon has feelings for you?”

  “I’m sure he does. The problem is I don’t know how deep those feelings run.”

  “Then I propose we find out.”

  She eyed him warily. “And how would we do that?”

  “By making sure he notices that you and I are becoming infatuated with another.”

  “Pretend we’re more than friends so he’ll be jealous?” Lilly shook her head. “It wouldn’t work. Simon has Gabriella here, why would he care if I was suddenly interested in you?”

  “He would care a great deal if he was in love with you. And if there is no reaction…at least you will know it was not meant to be.”

  She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You said we could help each other, so I presume the object is to see if Milana will be jealous too. How is it going to work when she’s not even here?”

  “She is only visiting her parents for a few days, after that she will return to the country estate for a day or two. If you could get some time off…”

  “I can,” Lilly jumped in. “As a matter of fact, I’ve already told Simon I was going to take a short vacation since he has Gabriella to look after him.”

  “It is perfect then. We will let Simon see us together and then we will both leave the island at the same time and let him worry about what we are up to. You can take a few days for yourself and still be at the country estate before Milana arrives.”

  “How can you be so sure she’ll even go there before coming back to the island?”

  Luc grinned, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “Because Milana always needs some time to gather herself after a visit with her parents. She says they drive her crazy. And as long as you are not going too far away, there will be plenty of time to reach the estate before she does. Milana will call the day before she arrives to give the staff time to prepare her rooms and make sure the cook has time to shop for her favorite foods.”

  Lilly sighed wistfully. “Their lives are so different than ours, Luc. Are we deluding ourselves by believing we would fit in?”

  “You would fit in anywhere, Lilly. You have beauty and grace and it would make any man proud to have you by his side. It will be much harder for me. I have spent many years building up my business and trying to make myself worthy of Milana, but I will never be as wealthy as the Vittorio’s no matter how successful I am.”

  Lilly was pleasantly surprised to hear Luc had his own business. “I thought you worked for Simon, taking care of his country home. When do you have time to run a business too?”

  “It started out
as a small investment, buying and trading commodities online. I learned everything I could about running a business solely through the internet and discovered there was much money to be made if one was cautious and did not take major risks.”

  “Is that what you did?”

  Luc gave her a sheepish grin. “No, I was too anxious to earn my first million so I could pursue Milana.”

  “Why Luc Santini, are you telling me you’ve actually made a million dollars?”

  “Several times over if my accounting is accurate.”

  Lilly stared at him incredulously. “I don’t understand. If you’ve made that much money, why are you still working for Simon and why on earth haven’t you gone after Milana before now?”