Tuscan Summer With the Billionaire by Susan Meier

Author:Susan Meier
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2021-03-22T20:42:57+00:00

At lunchtime, Marcia waited until she saw her dad and brother Matteo leave the kitchen before she scooted across the parking lot to the villa for a sandwich. She was just about through eating when Trace and Roberto walked in.

Her eyes met Trace’s.

The memory of his kisses the night before tightened her chest and sent shivers through her. The honest way he’d told her about his past and then held the odd conversation as they walked up the stairs had connected them. Again. Every time they were bare-bones honest, they seemed to get closer.

And that petrified her. She wanted something to happen between them. Wanted it so badly now that it almost seemed inevitable, but what if she got hurt again? He said he’d never have another real relationship. What if being with him made a fool of her again?

Worse, what if she somehow hurt him? A man already bowled over by sadness and incomprehensible loss didn’t need a confused woman pining after him.

She picked up the remains of her sandwich and headed for the door. “Time for me to get back to work. You guys can have the kitchen.”

She didn’t wait for their goodbyes, just bolted.

But she couldn’t avoid Trace that night. When she realized that, she decided to act as if nothing was different between them. He might have kissed her, but she’d been smart enough to back off. He’d told her the truth, warned her off, and she wasn’t a silly girl with stars in her eyes, thinking love would conquer their problems. She’d backed off. She’d done the right thing. She could trust herself.

Taking some leftover pasta to the patio table where Trace sat eating a big salad, she said, “We never did talk about replacing my brothers.”

He drew in a long breath. “I know. I watched them today, doing their thing, wondering how on earth I can replace that.”

Grateful he was acting as normal with her as she was trying to be with him, she laughed. “They are good. But there are lots of other guys around who will be every bit as flirtatious and fun.”

“That’s great because I’m banking on your brothers helping to turn your dad’s new vineyard into a gold mine.” He set his fork down. “Speaking of which, Ruth has three properties scheduled for us to see on Thursday.”

“She certainly doesn’t let any grass grow under her feet.”

“No matter which one your dad chooses, her commission will be hefty. I think she wants to be sure she doesn’t lose us to another agency.”

“Smart.”

“Yes. She is.”

He grabbed his fork again and continued eating. Marcia dug into her pasta. Normal conversation had calmed the space between them. But as they ate in amicable silence, the night sounds settled in. The sky darkened. The moon rose. The romance of the vineyard began to fill her.

She squeezed her eyes shut to get her bearings, but when she opened them again, she saw Trace and remembered his story. He’d been married too young to really understand all that he’d committed to and he’d lost his son.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.