Di Sione's Innocent Conquest (The Billionaire's Legacy)

by Carol Marinelli

  ‘I wanted sex too,’ Abby said.

  ‘And?’ Matteo pushed.

  ‘Some more time,’ Abby said but then she looked at Matteo and days, weeks or months could never have been enough. ‘I hoped for more but I never dreamt of this.’

  ‘Dream bigger, then,’ Matteo said. ‘And when you can’t, then I’ll do it for you.’

  He always had.

  EPILOGUE

  ‘ABBY!’ MATTEO WAS very firm. ‘You don’t have to give the necklace to him. It was your mother’s.’

  ‘I want your grandfather to have it though.’

  They were in his car, outside the Di Sione mansion, and Abby took the necklace out of its box and held it in her hands. She looked at the stunning emeralds, the colours that she had based her racing team on, only the necklace wasn’t her mother. She didn’t need jewels to remember Anette.

  ‘I can remember the arguments,’ Abby said with a wry smile. ‘Not the one where he gave her this, but that was what my father did time and again. As beautiful as this necklace is, there weren’t many happy memories attached for my mother. I know she’d be thrilled to make your grandfather happy. Clearly it means an awful lot to him.’

  ‘It does,’ Matteo said. ‘I don’t really know why.’

  ‘Why don’t you ask him?’

  ‘One day,’ Matteo said.

  Except those days were running out, Matteo thought as Abby carefully placed the necklace back into its box.

  ‘Come on,’ Abby said.

  ‘You’re sure you want to do this?’ Matteo asked.

  Only he wasn’t asking about the necklace this time.

  ‘I’m certain.’

  It had been two weeks since that terrible row when they’d both thought they had lost everything.

  These were different times now.

  Matteo knocked and then he let them into the house he had grown up in and smiled to Alma, who was walking towards them and beaming.

  ‘You look beautiful,’ she said to Abby and then she looked at Matteo. ‘You’ve shaved!’

  ‘I have.’

  ‘Signor Giovanni’s all ready for you,’ Alma said. ‘He’s in the main lounge. Shall I let him know that you’re here?’

  ‘No.’ Matteo shook his head. ‘We’ll go straight through.’

  Matteo was nervous, wondering how his grandfather would react, not just to the necklace—Abby was the first woman he had brought to his grandfather’s home.

  ‘Matteo...’ Giovanni went to stand but Matteo told him to save his energy and went over and kissed him on both cheeks.

  ‘Nonno, this is Abby...’

  ‘Abby Ellison,’ Giovanni said. ‘Owner of the Henley Cup. Congratulations! That was an amazing win.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Abby smiled and decided that she liked him.

  When she had heard that Giovanni had compared Matteo to his reckless father and had caused Matteo so much pain and to doubt himself, she had been cross with the old man. Now though, she had come to understand that Giovanni had done his best with all that had been thrust upon him in what should have been his declining years.

  Seven children.

  Eight, if you included Nate, his son’s illegitimate child.

  ‘I’ve had many visitors this past couple of weeks,’ Giovanni said.

  ‘That’s good.’ Matteo sat down and Abby took a seat to his right and Matteo held her hand.

  Matteo really was nervous, Abby realised as he addressed his grandfather. ‘We’ve got some good news for you.’

  They didn’t drag it out. Abby handed over the magnificent box and Giovanni let out a small cry of recognition.

  ‘This is the box...’ Even that thrilled Giovanni.

  It was walnut and gleaming and his fingers struggled with the small clasp and Matteo watched as Abby helped him to open it and the necklace was finally revealed to him.

  ‘Oh...’

  Had Abby doubted—and she had doubted whether or not she should give up her mother’s necklace—those last niggles left her then.

  Giovanni’s blue eyes filled with tears and his old hands took out the necklace and he gazed upon stones that would never diminish with age.

  ‘You cannot know what this means to me to hold it again.’

  ‘We don’t need to know,’ Abby said. ‘An old man must have his secrets after all.’

  ‘Matteo told you the tale?’

  ‘He did.’

  ‘Matteo told me that he couldn’t remember.’

  ‘I know I did,’ Matteo said. ‘Of course I remember.’

  Giovanni looked from the necklace to his grandson, who he had struggled so hard to love.

  ‘I was wrong,’ Giovanni said. ‘To compare you to your father...’

  ‘Can we leave it?’ Matteo said, as was his preferred method.

  ‘We’ve left too many things unsaid,’ Giovanni responded and then he looked down to the necklace as if it gave him strength to speak from the heart.

  ‘To see the damage my son did was more than I could take. When I took in his children I wanted to put things right but I was lost in my own regret and grief.’

  ‘I know.’

  ‘You look like him,’ Giovanni said. ‘You laugh and you act like him and I was scared for you.’

  ‘I know that you were,’ Matteo said. ‘But you don’t need to be now. I’ve got a new addiction.’

  ‘Motor racing.’

  ‘Two actually,’ Matteo said but Giovanni was looking at the necklace and back in his own world again.

  ‘If I could have a day with it,’ Giovanni said and he looked to Abby. ‘Just some time to remember...’

  ‘It’s yours,’ Abby interrupted.

  ‘No.’ Giovanni shook his head. ‘It was your mother’s. Matteo told me he would never take it from you, that you had based your racing team around these stones.’

  ‘My mother had green eyes,’ Abby said. ‘I remember them. I don’t need this necklace to do that. It’s yours. It’s back where it belongs.’

  She looked to Matteo because Giovanni was crying and really was distressed and maybe now wasn’t the time to tell him the rest of the news that they had to share.

  ‘Abby should have it to give it to her children...’ Giovanni insisted.

  ‘Maybe she shall,’ Matteo responded. ‘Given that it’s staying in the family.’

  Giovanni frowned.

  ‘We’re not just here to give you the necklace,’ Matteo said.

  ‘You two...’ Giovanni had been accused one too many times of jumping in and he was struggling not to now. ‘You are engaged.’ His eyes lit up again as Abby held out her hand for Giovanni to admire the ring. ‘When did this happen?’

  ‘Two weeks ago,’ Matteo said. ‘We’re getting married in, oh, about ten minutes from now.’

  ‘I don’t understand.’

  ‘You don’t have to,’ Matteo said. ‘Alma has everything ready, the celebrant is here...’

  ‘Your brothers and sisters...’ Giovanni went to rise, to share the news with family, but Matteo shook his head.

  ‘We want it to be very small,’ Matteo explained. ‘Abby has been through a lot and we don’t want to make a big fuss. The press will no doubt find out but it will be long over and done with by the time that they do. We’re marrying now, by the lake with you and Alma as our witnesses...’

  The drapes had been drawn and now Matteo pulled them back on a delicious setting sun.

  Beneath the tree he had once fallen from was an arch of white roses and soon they would stand there and make their vows.

  Alma had already changed and had a suit waiting for Giovanni.

  Abby’s hair had already been done and she changed into a very simple, coffee-coloured chiffon dress and the same jewelled sandals that had seen her through favourite days.

  It was as simple and as beautiful as that.

  Abby topped up her lipstick and the least nervous bride walked slowly with Matteo and his grandfather outside and then Giovanni took a seat with Alma. />
  It was the smallest, most intimate of weddings.

  Abby didn’t wear the necklace; today it was their memories they made. Instead Giovanni held one of his Lost Mistresses in his hands as he sat and watched his wayward grandson stand before the woman he loved and offer his vows.

  ‘I will always take care of you,’ Matteo said. ‘I know that I shall. You have made love possible for me and I will never forget that. I love you.’

  Abby’s words were similar. ‘I will always be there for you as you are for me. You have made love possible for me and I will never forget that. I love you too.’

  She looked into his dark eyes and she had never known such pure happiness, acceptance and absolute trust.

  He slipped on a ring—a very simple band was all that was needed to set off such a magnificent engagement ring—and then Abby slipped a somewhat heavier band on his finger.

  Matteo examined it.

  It was a simple platinum band but there was just the tiniest emerald set into the metal.

  ‘That’s a bit blingy.’ Matteo smiled, because not only hadn’t he seen it, he’d never, not once, envisaged wearing a ring.

  Proceedings paused for a moment but no one seemed to mind.

  ‘Wear the stone facing down, then,’ Abby said and Matteo did so.

  It was never coming off!

  And now, the celebrant told them, they were husband and wife.

  ‘We should call the family...’ Giovanni said to Alma as the bride and groom kissed. He wanted dinner, celebrations, but though Matteo loved his grandfather tonight was theirs.

  ‘We’re going to go,’ Matteo said, holding Abby’s hand. ‘We just wanted to share the special day with you.’

  He gave Alma a kiss and thanked her for helping in the arrangements and then he embraced his frail grandfather.

  ‘What had happened to the other Lost Mistresses?’ Abby asked as she said her goodbyes.

  ‘Another time,’ Matteo hastily broke in. They’d be here for hours if Giovanni started and Matteo had other plans for tonight! ‘We’ve got our honeymoon to get to.’

  They left his grandfather smiling, holding on to the necklace and sitting looking out across the lake and, yes, they had a honeymoon to get to, but Matteo went back for one more goodbye.

  ‘I love you.’

  He did.

  It didn’t roll off his tongue easily as it did when he said it to Abby, but Matteo meant it.

  ‘I love you,’ Giovanni said.

  That was all.

  They had come full circle and there were no more sorrys to be had.

  Matteo drove them to the airport and in his complicated, somehow seamless world, there a driver was waiting to return the car to his home.

  Their home.

  Abby’s head was still spinning; she hadn’t come back to earth since the day that they had met and she somehow doubted she ever would.

  At least not to the same one he had swept her away from.

  ‘Where are we going?’ Abby asked as they took their seats and, because it was a private jet, in a matter of moments they were heading off. As they hit cruise level the flight attendants moved into the sleeping area and then the captain’s voice came on.

  ‘Congratulations, Mr and Mrs Di Sione, on your marriage. With a tailwind our flight will take approximately seven hours.’

  Matteo took her hand and led her to the sleeping area and the crew had done them proud.

  There were petals strewn on the bed and there was a feast of champagne and so many delicacies that for a moment she took her eye off the groom.

  There were cupcakes that looked like miniature wedding cakes but when Abby bit into one it was filled with a rich chocolate mousse.

  ‘Seven hours’ flying time,’ Matteo said and he took her in his arms. ‘Whatever will we do?’

  ‘Is this a mystery flight?’

  ‘No.’ Matteo shook his head. ‘We’re going to Paris, the city of romance. I think it’s time to make up for some lost time—neither of us have ever really dated. I’m going to put that right.’

  He put her whole world to rights and Abby did the same for him.

  ‘So no mystery,’ Matteo said. ‘It’s just the start of our adventure.’

  * * * * *

  If you enjoyed this book, look out for the next instalment of THE BILLIONAIRE’S LEGACY: THE DI SIONE SECRET BABY by Maya Blake

  Coming next month

  Keep reading for an exclusive extract of SLEEPLESS IN MANHATTAN the first book in USA TODAY bestselling author Sarah Morgan’s enthralling new trilogy, FROM MANHATTAN WITH LOVE!

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  Sleepless in Manhattan

  by Sarah Morgan

  PAIGE STOOD FOR a moment, thinking how unpredictable life was.

  Who would have thought that herself, Eva and Frankie losing their jobs would have turned out so well?

  Urban Genie existed only because life had laid a twist in her path.

  Change had been forced on her, but it had proved to be a good thing.

  Instead of fighting it, she should embrace it.

  What had Jake said?

  Sometimes you have to let life happen.

  Maybe she should try to do that a bit more.

  And maybe one day she’d look back and realize that not being with Jake was the best thing that could have happened—because if she’d been with Jake she wouldn’t have met—

  Who?

  Would she ever meet someone who made her feel the way Jake did?

  She stood leaning on the railing, gazing at the city she loved.

  The lights of Manhattan sparkled like a thousand stars against a midnight sky and now, finally, as the last of the guests made their way to the elevators, she allowed herself a moment to enjoy it.

  “Time to relax and celebrate, I think.”

  Jake’s voice came from behind her and she turned to find him holding two glasses of champagne. He handed her one. “To Urban Genie.”

  “I don’t drink while I’m working.” And while Jake was present this was definitely still work.

  She knew better than to lower her guard a second time.

  “The guests have gone. You’re no longer working. Your job is done.”

  “I’m not off duty until the clear-up has finished.” And then tomorrow would be the follow-up, the postmortem. Discussions on what they might have done differently. They’d unpick every part of the event and p
ut it back together again. By the time they’d finished they’d have found every weak spot and strengthened it.

  “I don’t think one glass of champagne is going to impair your ability to supervise that. Congratulations.” He tapped his glass against hers. “Spectacular. Any new business leads?”

  “Plenty. First up is a baby shower next week. Not much time to prepare, but it’s a good event.”

  He winced. “A baby shower is good?”

  “Yes. Partly because the woman throwing it for her pregnant colleague is CEO of a fashion importer. But all business is good.”

  “Chase Adams is impressed. By tomorrow word will have got around that Urban Genie is the best event concierge company in Manhattan. Prepare to be busy.”

  “I’m prepared.”

  His praise warmed her. Her heart lifted.

  He stood next to her and the brush of his sleeve against her bare arm made her shiver.

  His gaze collided briefly with hers and she thought she saw a blaze of heat, but then he looked away and she did, too, her face burning.

  She was doing it again. Imagining things.

  And it had to stop.

  It had to stop right now.

  No more embarrassing herself. No more embarrassing him.

  She turned her head to look at him but he was staring straight ahead, his handsome face blank of expression.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “For what?”

  “For asking us to do this. For giving us free rein and no budget. For trusting us. For inviting influential people and decision-makers. For making Urban Genie happen.” She realized how much she owed him. “I hate accepting help—”

  “I know, but that isn’t what happened here. You did it yourself, Paige.”

  “But I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you. I’m grateful. If you hadn’t suggested it, pushed me that night on the terrace, I wouldn’t have done it.” She breathed in. Now was as good a time as any to say everything that needed to be said. And if she said it aloud maybe it would help both of them. “There’s something else—” She saw him tense and felt a flash of guilt that he felt the need to be defensive around her. Definitely time to clear the air. “I owe you an apology.”