nothing.”
Not only did she have the money from her trust fund, but she’d also been investing a chunk of it over the years. She now had quite a handsome sum that was all from her own hard work. Her brother might not let her work for him, but she did work—managing her money—and she did a damn good job at it, too.
“I went to boarding school, Tina. I know what it was like. Those girls would have made your life hell, and a big part of that would have been your lack of pedigree. Do you want that to happen to your child?”
Fury vibrated through her then. “I won’t send my baby away to school, you can be sure of that.”
“It’s not only school, though, is it? If you want this child to have every advantage, to have doors open for him and to be accepted everywhere, then you will see that marrying me is the only way to achieve that.”
She wanted to press her hands to her ears. “You make it sound so medieval, and yet this is the twenty-first century.”
“People are not so changed, though, are they? Especially not in my circles.” He leaned forward and trapped her hand where it lay on the table. She tried to pull away, but his grip was as solid as the stone cliffs inthe distance. “But there is another, even more pressing reason, darling Tina. If you do not agree to this marriage, I will destroy D’Angeli Motors.”
A layer of ice coated her heart. Fear pumped into her in waves. “You cannot,” she said, proud that her voice did not break. “If you could, you would have already done so.”
He let her go and sat back. “You forget,
cara mia
, that I am a much richer man than I was only a few weeks ago. And I will use that wealth—and the power that comes with this title—to destroy your precious brother if you do not agree to marriage.”
Horror seeped into her then. She thought of Renzo, of Faith and baby Domenico, and a wave of guilt swept her. Renzo was happier than she’d ever known him to be now that he’d found Faith. He laughed a lot more these days, and he no longer risked his life on the track. His leg was also on the mend now that the surgeons had removed the scar tissue that had built up over time, and he would very likely be walking without a cane once it healed.
He had everything. How could she put his happiness at risk, especially when she’d created this mess by indulging in a single impulsive act solely for her own pleasure? Renzo had done everything to make sure she had a good life, and this was how she repaid his generosity?
“You are really very cruel, aren’t you?” Tina asked, her heart throbbing with fury and hurt.
Nico’s expression didn’t change, though she thought the corners of his mouth tightened. “Life is cruel,” he said. “I am merely doing what I must to protect my child.”
“
Our
child.”
“Yes, our child.” He said the words plainly enough,and yet there was an inflection there, an unspoken threat.
Our child if you do as I say
.
Tina shivered. It did not go unnoticed.
“Are you cold?”
“A little,” she said, unwilling to admit that her shiver was born more out of apprehension than the breeze.
“Then let us go inside.”
He came and held out a hand to her. She didn’t accept it, pushing herself to her feet without his help. He didn’t move away, however, and she found herself trying to take a step backward.
The chair stopped her. He was so close.
Too
close. She could feel his heat crawling into her, surrounding her. His scent filled her senses, spice and man mingled with the aromas of leather and wood.
Heat blossomed in her belly, flowed like a river of syrup into her limbs. She felt as if she’d been drinking when she had in fact not had a drop. He did that to her, had done from the first moment she’d met him on the docks outside the palazzo in Venice.
No, he’d always made her feel funny, though when she’d been younger it had only been a hot, hollow feeling right beneath her breastbone. She’d crept into the garage to feel
Not only did she have the money from her trust fund, but she’d also been investing a chunk of it over the years. She now had quite a handsome sum that was all from her own hard work. Her brother might not let her work for him, but she did work—managing her money—and she did a damn good job at it, too.
“I went to boarding school, Tina. I know what it was like. Those girls would have made your life hell, and a big part of that would have been your lack of pedigree. Do you want that to happen to your child?”
Fury vibrated through her then. “I won’t send my baby away to school, you can be sure of that.”
“It’s not only school, though, is it? If you want this child to have every advantage, to have doors open for him and to be accepted everywhere, then you will see that marrying me is the only way to achieve that.”
She wanted to press her hands to her ears. “You make it sound so medieval, and yet this is the twenty-first century.”
“People are not so changed, though, are they? Especially not in my circles.” He leaned forward and trapped her hand where it lay on the table. She tried to pull away, but his grip was as solid as the stone cliffs inthe distance. “But there is another, even more pressing reason, darling Tina. If you do not agree to this marriage, I will destroy D’Angeli Motors.”
A layer of ice coated her heart. Fear pumped into her in waves. “You cannot,” she said, proud that her voice did not break. “If you could, you would have already done so.”
He let her go and sat back. “You forget,
cara mia
, that I am a much richer man than I was only a few weeks ago. And I will use that wealth—and the power that comes with this title—to destroy your precious brother if you do not agree to marriage.”
Horror seeped into her then. She thought of Renzo, of Faith and baby Domenico, and a wave of guilt swept her. Renzo was happier than she’d ever known him to be now that he’d found Faith. He laughed a lot more these days, and he no longer risked his life on the track. His leg was also on the mend now that the surgeons had removed the scar tissue that had built up over time, and he would very likely be walking without a cane once it healed.
He had everything. How could she put his happiness at risk, especially when she’d created this mess by indulging in a single impulsive act solely for her own pleasure? Renzo had done everything to make sure she had a good life, and this was how she repaid his generosity?
“You are really very cruel, aren’t you?” Tina asked, her heart throbbing with fury and hurt.
Nico’s expression didn’t change, though she thought the corners of his mouth tightened. “Life is cruel,” he said. “I am merely doing what I must to protect my child.”
“
Our
child.”
“Yes, our child.” He said the words plainly enough,and yet there was an inflection there, an unspoken threat.
Our child if you do as I say
.
Tina shivered. It did not go unnoticed.
“Are you cold?”
“A little,” she said, unwilling to admit that her shiver was born more out of apprehension than the breeze.
“Then let us go inside.”
He came and held out a hand to her. She didn’t accept it, pushing herself to her feet without his help. He didn’t move away, however, and she found herself trying to take a step backward.
The chair stopped her. He was so close.
Too
close. She could feel his heat crawling into her, surrounding her. His scent filled her senses, spice and man mingled with the aromas of leather and wood.
Heat blossomed in her belly, flowed like a river of syrup into her limbs. She felt as if she’d been drinking when she had in fact not had a drop. He did that to her, had done from the first moment she’d met him on the docks outside the palazzo in Venice.
No, he’d always made her feel funny, though when she’d been younger it had only been a hot, hollow feeling right beneath her breastbone. She’d crept into the garage to feel
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