Kate Hewitt - The Best Of The Year - Modern Romance 2016

‘And this is the very beautiful Bella,’ the Countess said, coming forward to take both of Bella’s hands in hers. She was a toucher, was Claudia. And very charming. ‘Alberto was very fond of you, my dear. Proud too. He went to London to see you perform, did you know that?’

‘No, I didn’t,’ Bella said, looking discomfited by this information.

‘He would be very glad to see you and his son together.’

Sergio waited for Bella to deny that they had a relationship, but she didn’t. She just smiled, then threw him a look that said please rescue me.

He wasn’t inclined to do any such thing. He wanted Claudia to think they were an item. But he didn’t want the whole world to know. Not just yet.

‘We’re keeping our relationship a secret for now,’ he told their hostess. ‘Don’t want the paparazzi getting wind of it. So as I told you over the phone, Claudia, not a word about her staying at the lake here with me.’

‘I will not breathe a word,’ she replied with a conspiratorial smile. ‘But you must promise me that I will be the first to know, if and when you plan to announce your engagement.’

Bella looked startled whilst Sergio laughed. ‘We’re not quite at the engagement stage yet. But if and when we are, you’ll be the first to know.’

‘Wonderful,’ she said, clapping her hands together. ‘I love any excuse for a party, as you well know. Now we should go inside and into the dining room before Angela comes storming out in search of us. You know how she is. Italian cooks are such temperamental creatures,’ she informed Bella.

After that, the evening went smoothly, which was understandable, given the social skills of their hostess. The Countess had the knack of making her guests feel special, her questions never seeming to pry, even if the end result was that she uncovered all sorts of personal details in the process. Bella finally confessed over dessert that she had been feeling seriously burnt out for some time, and probably needed a longer holiday than a month, at which Sergio jumped in and said it would be no hardship for him if she stayed longer. Claudia smiled a knowing smile at that point whilst Bella astounded him by blushing, which seemed out of character for a woman of her age and experience. But then Sergio recalled what she’d told him earlier today about never having had a one-night stand. He’d found that unusual but rather sweet. He found her blushing sweet, yet sexy at the same time.

God, but he had it bad!

The maid appeared just then, the same girl Claudia always hired when she had a dinner party. Angela refused to wait on tables, claiming she was a cook, not a waitress.

‘We’ll have coffee in the music room, Gina,’ Claudia informed her. ‘Shall we?’ she added, waving imperiously to Sergio and Bella as she stood up.

They exchanged glances as they both stood up, Sergio taking Bella’s arm and steering her in Claudia’s wake. To reach the music room they had to walk through the main reception room, which had Bella telling him with her eyes that she was seriously impressed. The music room was just as impressive and almost as large, with several intimate seating arrangements and a grand piano situated very grandly in a semi-circular alcove that had floor-to-ceiling windows and a view of the lake that was truly spectacular during the day and still enchanting at night.

When they were seated—on a brocade-covered sofa and chairs, which were more comfortable than they looked—Bella complimented Claudia on the beauty of the room, then asked her if she played the piano.

‘Alas, no,’ their hostess replied. ‘The Count was the pianist. And a brilliant one at that. I loved listening to him play. Do you play the piano, Bella?’

‘I do,’ she admitted, surprising Sergio. He’d never heard her play during the years he’d lived in the same house as her. They hadn’t even had a piano. ‘Not all that well, however,’ she added. ‘In the performing arts school I attended, playing the piano was mandatory. We also had lessons in composition. It helps to play the piano if you want to write songs. Of course, most songwriters nowadays use an electronic keyboard rather than a piano. I keep one in my apartment in New York. It cost me the earth but then it does have a lot of features including auto recording, a must if you don’t want to risk losing your work.’

‘You actually write songs?’ Sergio asked, then kicked himself for sounding surprised.

Her expression was rueful. ‘Yes, Sergio, I actually write songs. I wrote the main song for An Angel in New York. I’ve earned almost as much money from writing that song as I have from singing it.’

‘What a clever girl you are!’ Claudia said. ‘Ah, here’s Gina. Just put the tray down there, dear. I’ll pour. Now, after we’ve had our coffee, I insist you sing that lovely song you wrote, Bella darling. This room has perfect acoustics. You will sound like an angel. An Angel from New York,’ she added with her most persuasive smile.

Bella wasn’t just clever but exceptionally talented, Sergio was reminded as he listened to her play the piano and sing at the same time. Her voice was as unique as she was. Clear as a bell, with perfect diction, it could soften then soar with effortless ease. But it was the emotion she put into her performances that lifted her talent to a level that had made her the darling of Broadway. She might be burnt out at the moment, but you would never know it listening to her tonight. Singing and performing were her life-blood. Sergio could see that. She could never give it up. Any man who expected her to would be a fool.

Sergio didn’t consider himself a fool. If and when...no, when he married Bella, he would have to be prepared to put his own working life on hold occasionally whilst he supported her career. He would have to learn to delegate so that he could be with her in New York, or London, or wherever her career took her.

It wasn’t what he was used to doing. He’d been a very hands-on boss in their franchise business. He’d also been looking forward to the challenge of making the family business a success again. His falling in love with Bella, however, was forcing him to change his priorities. Winning her heart was now number one in his life. The family business would have to take a back seat till that happened. Though who knew? Maybe a miracle would happen and he’d find a way to turn things around during the next month. Of course, the only way to do that was to get started. Pronto. Come tomorrow, he would definitely be driving into Milan to see the lie of the land, up close and personally.

But that was tomorrow, his focus right now was on other things, namely getting Bella back home where he could show her his love by making love to her with some more of the passion he’d bottled up for years. He would have to be careful, however, not to tell her that he loved her in the heat of the moment.

Patience, Sergio, he exhorted himself.

Not one of his favourite virtues.

Finally, he was able to get her away from Claudia without appearing to be in a hurry.

It was Bella herself who almost proved to be his undoing, turning to him as soon as they were out of sight.

‘I think I’m going to die, Sergio, if you don’t kiss me right here and now,’ she said, her voice vibrating with an urgency that echoed his own.

‘I think we should wait till I get you home,’ he said, trying to keep it together.

‘No,’ she argued, her face flushing as she wound her arms around his neck and pressed up against him. ‘No more waiting. I’m done with waiting. Tonight has been nothing but sheer torture.’

Still, he hesitated. But then he slowly lifted his hands to undo the button at the back of her neck. He peeled the top downwards, till she was naked to the waist, pushing her away from him so that he could look at her, taking in her erect nipples and her rapid breathing.