Vina refused to call it jealousy, but whatever this feeling was, it made her uneasy. It also made her want to yank her clothes on as fast as she could and race down stairs to put an end to the flirtatious banter between Kelsey and Travis. Vina’s mood was deteriorating at an alarming rate as she sat down on the edge of the bed, impatiently tugging her silk stocking up and running it in the process.
If isn’t jealousy, then why are you suddenly taking such a predatory stance where Travis is concerned?
Cursing under her breath, she retrieved another stocking from her dresser. Slipping it on with more care than necessary was Vina’s way of proving she would not cater to absurd emotions she neither welcomed, nor understood. She even managed to pull on her cashmere with deliberate languor, ignoring the nagging impulse to rush through the process of getting dressed.
Returning to the bathroom, she ran a brush through her hair, applied a minimal amount of mascara and lip gloss, then padded back to her room to put her shoes on. Halfway to the bed where she’d left the black heels, Vina stopped and tilted her head, certain she’d heard Kelsey’s laughter floating up from the sitting room below. It was impossible, of course. With her door closed, her bedroom was virtually sound proof, yet it spurred her into doing exactly what she’d promised herself she wouldn’t.
Whatever reservations she had as she slowly descended the stairs instantly dissipated the moment she entered the sitting room. The look on Kelsey’s face was priceless when Vina sauntered through the doorway in her wickedly sexy red high heels. The look Travis gave her was something else altogether. His dark eyes moved appreciatively down the length of her body, pausing when they reached the stilettos before traveling back up to her face.
“You look…stunning,” his voice was thick and so seductively intimate, a shiver of excitement raced up her spine.
“Thank you,” she replied with a timid smile.
Despite the heated blush that had fused in her cheeks at his compliment, Vina couldn’t keep her own gaze from wandering over his muscular physique. Black slacks and tie, dark blue shirt, black leather jacket; Travis looked pretty stunning himself as he crossed the room to meet her. Close up, he took Vina’s breath away.
“I am going to be the envy of every man in the restaurant tonight,” Travis said.
Vina’s blush deepened. “I’ll bet you say that to all your dinner dates.”
“Yes,” he chuckled, “but this is the first time I’ve actually meant it.”
***
Their date was going was surprisingly well, but that was only because Travis had been a perfect gentleman all evening. And it was killing him. Vina looked exquisite, and even though there was nothing revealing about what she was wearing, it only seemed to enhance her innate sexuality. He was glad they’d been seated at a cozy table instead of a booth where they would have been side by side instead of across from each other.
For one thing, Travis wasn’t sure he could have resisted the need to touch her if they’d been that close. At least this way, he was able to get his fill of looking at her without being quite so obvious. He was also glad that her feet were safely tucked beneath the table so he couldn’t see those damnable red heels. Ever since she’d sashayed into the sitting room, he’d been plagued with visions of Vina wearing those sinfully sexy shoes and nothing else.
“…and I still have some shopping to do before we leave next week,” Vina was saying.
Travis took a sip of wine and tried to focus on the words coming out of her mouth instead of the shape of her lips and how much he wanted to kiss them. Outwardly, he was careful to behave as he always had, so he doubted she had any idea how many times his thoughts had strayed. Their conversations had revolved around work, mutual friends and family, and now the trip to Venice. He kept up the pretense of listening while his wayward mind conjured up an image of Vina shimmying out of her skirt and then slowly peeling off her sweater to reveal lacy underwear.
“Anyway, I hope it hasn’t caused a problem for you,” Vina said, looking at him expectantly.
Travis blinked. “I…uh…no, it’s no problem at all.”
“Oh, well…that’s good,” she replied, though she didn’t exactly seem pleased by his answer.
Certain he’d just made a huge mistake, Travis attempted to right whatever wrong he’d unknowingly committed. “What makes you think it would be a problem?”
Vina shrugged, lowering her troubled eyes to her plate. “If the man I was involved with told me he was taking off with another woman for a whole month, I would be pretty upset about it.”
Ah, now he got it. “But we’re just friends,” he pointed out.
“I know, but it would still make me uncomfortable.” Vina glanced up at him. “I’m glad your girlfriend is being so understanding,” she added hastily.
“She’d have to be, wouldn’t she? Friends or not, you’re a very beautiful woman, Vina. And forgive me for even suggesting I understand how the female mind works, but I doubt any woman would give it her stamp of approval.”
“But you said it wasn’t a problem.”
“It’s not. I’ve dated occasionally over the past year, but none of them lasted long enough to qualify as a girlfriend.” Warmth engulfed him when he spied the soft smile on her face. “It wouldn’t have mattered anyway,” he said truthfully. “You mean more to me than any woman I’ve ever been involved with.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Vina was silent, idly shuffling food around on her plate for a few minutes before setting the fork aside and reaching for her glass of wine. “What if I…meet someone right away? Won’t it bother you to be left all alone in a foreign country while I’m being…entertained by someone else?”
Travis leaned forward, sporting a cocky grin. “Now, what makes you think I’d be alone?”
The color leeched from Vina’s face. “I…I guess it was silly of me to think…I mean, it’s not as if I expect you to wait around the whole time, but…” her voice trailed off.
“But what?”
“It’s…nothing,” she sounded deflated.
“Go ahead, Vina. What were you going to say?”
“I know this is going to sound selfish, but…” she took a deep breath, “I don’t like the idea of you…pursuing other women when you’re supposed to be my escort.”
Travis reached across the table and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said.
It was a promise Vina could count on, and it was evident by the look of relief in her eyes that she believed he’d be true to his word. And he would be, Travis thought. Because there was only one woman he had any desire to pursue. Only one woman he intended keep pursuing until she was his.
Until they left for Venice, he would continue to play nice. After that, it was open season, and he was going to hit Vina with everything he had.
Chapter 7
Vina checked her watch for the third time in as many minutes, impatient for Travis to arrive. She was the last one to leave, and even though the staff was still here, the mansion felt incredibly empty without her sisters. Victoriana and Maria had flown out the night before; Kelsey and Sophia departed early this morning, all of them as excited and anxious as she was to be on their way.
Anxiety, however, seemed to be leading the barrage of emotions she was feeling right now. She and Travis had only gotten together once since her date with him the week before, and that was only for a few hours so they could go over some of their investment figures. He’d been attentive as far as the books went, but Vina could have been a two hundred pound man with bad breath for all the attention he’d paid to her. At least it had laid to rest any foolish notions she’d had about him being physically attracted to her.
She should have guessed Travis honestly didn’t think of her as anything but a friend when she mentioned meeting a man in Venice. There had been no sign of jealousy, no tell-tale remarks to indicate he didn’t want her to find someone else. In fact, he’d seemed completely
indifferent. Yes, he’d told her she looked stunning, and he’d been very charming throughout the entire evening, but he’d done nothing more than give her a little peck on the cheek when he dropped her off.
Vina had gone to her room, confused and disappointed. She’d been so sure the growing attraction was mutual, and she actually wanted him to kiss her goodnight. But it hadn’t happened. The subsequent lack of phone calls and absence of invitations for any more dates had stripped Vina’s hopes that Travis shared the same feelings. Now all she felt was a sense of dread at having to spend so much time in his company because she was terrified she would do or say something to give herself away.
She’d thought about nothing else this past week and had finally come to the conclusion that the only solution was to latch onto the first man in Venice who found her appealing. Well, maybe not the first man, but the first one she could fool Travis into believing was a potential love interest. Maybe if she could convince Travis she wasn’t falling for him, she would eventually convince herself.
Vina checked her watch again just as the roar of Travis’ Ferrari sounded in the driveway. With as much composure as she could muster, Vina picked up her small carry-on bag, slipped the strap of her purse over her shoulder, and went to open the front door. He looked a little surprised to see her standing there, ready to go.
“Is this all you have?” he asked, taking the small piece of luggage from her.
“You know the bulk of my luggage was sent ahead to the plane last night, the same as yours.”
“I know, but that will be in the cargo hold. Most women I know would have a serious case of separation anxiety if they didn’t have access to their wardrobe.”
“Well, I guess I’m not like most women then,” she replied crisply.
“You’re right about that, sweetheart.” He opened the car door for her. “You are definitely one of a kind.”
The drive to the airport was pleasant enough. She didn’t ask why he hadn’t called the week before except to get together to talk business, and he didn’t volunteer to explain. He spent most of the drive telling her about the Palazzo Vendramin, where they had adjoining suites, and how spectacular the view was. Vina asked a few questions and did her best to act interested, but her heart just wasn’t in it.
Maybe she was she making a mistake spending an entire month with Travis in a city that was renowned for its romantic ambiance. She felt extremely vulnerable and had to wonder if her sudden attraction to him was nothing more than a desperate attempt to fill the horrible void her parents’ death had left in her life. Vina missed them something awful. Being with Travis made her forget the pain and sorrow; he made the loneliness bearable.
Oh, who was she trying to kid? He didn’t just take away the emptiness. Travis made her feel…really feel, in way she’d never experienced before. In a way Vina didn’t think she would ever feel for any man but him. It was exciting and scary at the same time, like taking that first plunge on a rollercoaster ride. And yet, she knew it was reckless to nurture her budding emotions for Travis when he’d made it abundantly clear there was no chance their relationship would progress beyond friendship.
Vina stole a quick peek at Travis, despising herself for wanting more than what they had. She had to stop this insanity and get her head on straight before she drove him away. A man as commitment challenged as Travis was, would not be happy to discover she was fantasizing about a future with him. It wouldn’t be easy, but somehow she had to keep some distance between them.
***
Travis was beginning to worry whether he’d gone about this the wrong way. Vina was strung tighter than a bow, her voice as tense as her body, although he doubted she knew how easy she was to read. Those desolate little sighs clawed at his conscious, and he felt guilty as hell for putting her through so much emotional turmoil.
But if he came clean now and told her how he felt, there was a good possibility she would either call the whole trip off or find someone else to go with her. He could deal with cancelling the trip. It might not be as ideal as having her all to himself in Venice, but he’d still have a shot at persuading her to go out with him. And as long as she continued to see him, there was a chance she’d fall in love with him.
What Travis couldn’t deal with was letting Vina go on the trip with another man. Even if it was someone he knew she could never be attracted to, it didn’t matter. Venice was full of men who would be willing and eager to entice someone as beautiful as Vina into their arms, into their bed. For now, he’d just have to swallow any feelings of guilt, because he sure as hell wasn’t going to step aside and let Vina fall in love with someone else.
“We’ll be there in a few minutes,” he told her, after nearly missing the exit.
“What about your car? Don’t tell me you’re going to leave it in the airport parking lot?”
“And have nightmares the entire time we’re gone? Not a chance.”
“So, what are you going to do,” Vina laughed, “take it with us?”
Travis grinned. “Actually, that’s exactly what I plan on doing.”
“Not much use for a car in a city where everyone travels by water.”
“Ah, but I plan on showing you more of Italy than just Venice. With the Ferrari, we’ll be doing it with style.”
“I hate to burst your bubble, but I think it exceeds the weight and size limit for luggage.”
“On a commercial flight, yes, but not on the plane we’ll be traveling in.”
Vina leaned forward and peered through the windshield, apparently oblivious of the huge aircraft looming before them until now. “It seems a bit…extravagant, don’t you think?”
“I don’t think Victor Moore ever considered anything too extravagant for his daughters.”
“No, he didn’t,” she replied softly.
Travis pulled up near the rear of the plane and put the Ferrari in park. “I’m sorry, Vina. I didn’t mean to make you sad.”
“You didn’t,” she gave him a wobbly smile. “I’m just overwhelmed by Daddy’s generosity.”
“I doubt he ever considered it generosity.”
“No, I don’t suppose he did. Giving was his way of showing how much he loved us.”
Travis nodded towards the plane. “Are you ready for the adventure to begin?”
Vina’s smile brightened. “Absolutely.”
***
They departed at eight o’clock in the morning, and after a sixteen hour flight and nine hour time zone difference, they arrived a little after eight o’clock the following morning, Venice time. They had been served breakfast shortly after take-off and spent the next few hours looking at the brochures and travel guides the flight attendant had provided for them. It wasn’t easy sitting so close to Travis on one of the cushy love seats, especially when his hand seemed to brush hers every time they exchanged brochures. It was even more difficult to maintain her composure whenever he leaned over to see what she was looking at.
Desperate to carry out the vow she’d made to herself to keep some distance between them, Vina dropped the brochure she’d been browsing onto the coffee table and escaped to the restroom to regroup. She returned a few minutes later, casually strolling through the spacious lounge to the chair opposite the loveseat. Travis shot her a curious glance but didn’t say anything. Not to her anyway.
Much to Vina’s annoyance, he initiated an animated conversation in Italian with the pretty flight attendant, who seemed completely enthralled by every word he said. Staring out the window and growing crankier when the attendant took it upon herself to perch on the loveseat next to Travis, Vina had to clamp her mouth shut to keep from snapping at the woman. She wanted to order the bodacious blonde to do her job and stop flirting, but it would have seemed rude and petty, so she remained silent.
Vina was painfully aware of the fact that the leggy attendant was exactly the type of woman Travis was attracted to. From the corner of her eye she watched them converse, noting with a frown that he seemed to have forgotten she w
as even there. Her nerves were raw by the time the attendant excused herself to go prepare their lunch, and Vina’s jaws actually ached from gritting her teeth for so long. Childish as it was, she wished one of the attendants had been male so she could give Travis a dose of his own medicine. Not that he would have cared, she thought with a pang of resentment.
Several times throughout lunch, Vina attempted to prove she wasn’t seething with jealousy by happily chatting about the places he’d promised to take her. But she never got more than a few words out before the blonde returned to hover over Travis on the pretence of making sure everything was to his liking. Finally, Vina gave up and stifled a fake yawn before leaning back in her seat and closing her eyes. She supposed it was her own fault for feigning jet lag, but that didn’t alleviate the twinge of hurt feelings when Travis insisted she retire to one of the small, albeit elegant sleeping quarters to get some rest.
VINA IN VENICE (THE 5 SISTERS) Page 9
