The Mediterranean Billionaire's Blackmail Bargain by Abby Green Page A

him come back.’
    Alicia looked at her and shook her head. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
    Melanie sighed. ‘I couldn’t, Lissy. I tried calling the camp but couldn’t get through. I didn’t want to send it in an e-mail as you might have been worried…and I’d got your e-mail to say you were due home soon anyway. I wanted it to be a nice surprise, for me and Paolo to be together when you met him for the first time…’
    Alicia smoothed back some hair from her sister’s forehead. ‘Oh, hon…’
    At that moment the two men came back into the small cubicle. Dante looked dangerous. Paolo came back to Melanie’s side and took her hand again, staring at his brother belligerently.
    Dante wasn’t happy. His expression was stony and remote. He looked at Alicia. ‘I’ll give you a lift home now.’
    â€˜But I’ve just got here.’
    â€˜Alicia…’
    Something stopped her immediate retort. His voice seemed to act like some kind of hypnotic beacon to her weakened body and mind. She wasn’t ready to be alone with this man, to face the obvious recriminations coming her way, and yet…it seemed like the only thing she could do was to answer his summons.
    She looked at Melanie and her younger sister suddenly seemed like the one in control, frail though she was. ‘You should go, Lissy, get some sleep. You haven’t had a moment’s rest since you came home…’
    As Alicia hovered between getting up and staying where she was, Melanie pulled her towards her at the last second and whispered into her ear, clasping her hand, ‘Liss, you don’t have to worry about me any more; I have Paolo now.’
    Alicia stood and swayed ominously. She felt as though she were on a dinghy that had been cut loose from the shore and was floating helplessly out to sea, everything she knew becoming a smaller and smaller dot in the distance. And, to compound this feeling, Dante was immediately there, his arm around her an unwelcome support. She tried to ignore its effect, looked across at Paolo and smiled weakly. ‘It was nice to meet you.’
    He nodded soberly. ‘You, too.’ He promptly turned his attention back to Melanie.
    And then she was walking away, with Dante’s arm still around her. It was only when they reached the main entrance of the hospital and the cool air rushed forward and embraced her that Alicia found the strength to pull away jerkily. Too much had just happened for her to process fully and her insides clawed with shame and guilt at how badly she’d misconstrued things.
    She looked at Dante with her arms wrapped tight around her body. So many emotions were rushing through her that she didn’t even know where to start. She felt herself being pulled in a million different directions and a very scary feeling of relief, which she hadn’t had the courage to acknowledge yet because it wasn’t entirely to do with Melanie’s recovery.
    Bravely she stuck her chin out, looking at Dante directly. ‘I’m sorry.’
    Dante looked at her for a long moment and she had to fight not to look away from his penetrating gaze. He looked like an exotic Italian prince against the backdrop of the grey English hospital. A group of nurses passed and stared openly at him, their appreciation obvious as they went through the doors. He didn’t seem to notice. His expression was blank. Scarily blank. After what seemed like an age, he said simply, quietly, ‘Sorry?’
    Something in his manner made the past rear its ugly head. Alicia could remember all too well what it had been like to see a foreign god on domestic soil. She had been one of those nurses in the not too distant past and, even though she knew it was irrational, that he was a different person, that it was projection, an ugly emotion rose up.
    She felt it rise and welcomed it. ‘Yes. Sorry.’ She waved an airy hand, not knowing