The Billionaire's Prize

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He squeezed her elbow. “No one can ask for more than that.”

In a minute play commenced. Rini gave as good as he got, but Guido’s competitive spirit had kicked in. That’s when he realized he was fighting a demon from the past and taking it out on his friend. The score was two to two. Rini went all out for the last play. He gave the ball a kick as fierce as the expression on his face. Dea didn’t stand a chance. Or so Guido thought until he saw her catch it midair.

“I did it!” she cried out in unfeigned excitement.

Forgetting everything, he ran toward her and swung her around. “Keep this up and I’ll sign you on to my team.” Before he lowered her warm beautiful body to the ground, there was a breathless moment when even in the semidark her cognac eyes seemed to sparkle. He wanted badly to taste her mouth, but they had an audience and she would probably slap his face.

Alessandra ran up to Dea and hugged her. “I thought you said you’ve never done sports. What’s happened?”

Dea flicked Guido a glance. “I had a good teacher.”

“I’ll say you did. Come on. Let’s go in.”

Rini kissed his wife. “We’ll catch up with you two in a minute.”

As the women walked off, Guido sucked in his breath. The time for the talk with Rini had come. His friend stared him down. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on with you? Everything has been different since Alessandra and I have been married, so I’ll make this easier for you and start. Why haven’t you wanted to get together like we used to do?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “You really don’t know?”

“Guido—” The bleak expression on his face spoke volumes and made Guido feel guiltier than ever. “Talk to me! If I’ve done something wrong, I’ll fix it if I can.”

“You can’t.”

“Why?”

It was hard to swallow. “I’m ashamed to tell you.”

“Why?” he demanded again.

Just tell him, Rossano, and get it over with.

“It’s ever since that night on the yacht. I’d never known jealousy in my life until then. But I did the moment I met Dea and she took one look at you and fell head over heels.”

Rini’s black brows formed a line above his dark eyes. “Way back then you were jealous of that?”

“The force of it hit me like a blow to my gut.”

“Are you telling me you were interested in Dea?” He shook his head in total bewilderment. “I thought you’d never met her before that night.”

“I hadn’t, but her face was continually in the news. Seeing her on deck did something visceral to me. But before I could do anything about it, she walked right into your arms.”

Rini shook his head. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. You couldn’t help that she was attracted to you. The fact that I knew you weren’t attracted to her didn’t help me. I’ve suffered ever since that night because I’ve held something against you that couldn’t possibly have been your fault. You have every right to tell me to go to hell and stay there.”

Rini came closer. “That’s the last thing I want to do. All this time you’ve been suffering...”

“And I’ve made you suffer. I’m so sorry, Rini.”

To his shock, his friend smiled. “If I don’t miss my guess, I believe cupid shot an arrow into your heart when you laid eyes on Dea. The same thing happened to me when I met Alessandra.”

“You’re right,” he murmured.

“Paisano—you’ve been smitten since the night your father brought Dea and her friend over to meet us after the fashion show. After your experience with Carla, I’ve wondered for years when love would hit you. Little does your papà know his endless machinations to find you a wife finally worked!”

Guido threw his head back. “They did.”

“Now that I know your secret, I understand what happened out here on the sand just now. You swung Dea around with more energy than I’ve ever seen in you. I guess her flying tackle earlier had something to do with your reaction.”

“I’ve never been so surprised in my life.”

Rini grinned. “Contact sports can be fun, especially when it was Dea who initiated that move. You must be doing something right or she wouldn’t have allowed herself to get in your arms.”

No one ever had a better friend. Guido cocked his head. “You don’t despise me for being a total fool this last year?”

“It’s forgotten.” He gripped Guido’s shoulder. “Listen—I’m going to tell you a secret and I hope you can handle it. You have no idea the number of times I envied you for all the women who threw themselves at you. I didn’t have that experience growing up and feared I’d never meet the right woman for me.

“Need I remind you of Arianna, who was so crazy about you she came to every game and hung around you for weeks? I might as well have been invisible. She was gorgeous and I was jealous as hell.”

“You’re kidding—”

“No. Don’t you remember my telling you that I wouldn’t have minded if she’d come after me, but it didn’t happen? And then there was Carla.” Guido preferred not to think about her. “Let’s be honest. You could have had any woman you ever wanted.”

“Except Dea...who wanted you.”

His dark brows lifted. “Dea didn’t want me. We talked about it. Growing up in a castle together, she and Alessandra had this idea of marrying a tall, dark-haired prince. My image filled the bill. But that’s all it was. The image vanished. If you’re asking me if she still sees me as her prince, the answer is a definite no. Surely you could tell that at the wedding. I’m now her irritating brother-in-law.”

“She seemed to be in a world of her own that day,” Guido said.

“That’s because she was going through a major life crisis, another thing you’re going through yourself taking on a soccer team. In many ways, you and Dea are a lot alike. You had your pick of women over the years but didn’t settle. She always had her pick of men, yet didn’t end up with any of them. One day she’s going to fall so hard that’ll be it. Lucky will be the man who captures her heart.”

“Wouldn’t it be funny if it turned out to be me,” he muttered.

Rini shot him a piercing glance. “You and I both know that no matter how bad it looks, you never leave the stadium until the game is over. Astounding surprises happen in the last second.”

“True.” Guido couldn’t argue with that kind of logic. Nor could he doubt that Rini had given him all the truth inside him.

His friend picked up the ball. “Come on. Let’s get back to the castello. How soon do you have to return to Rome?”

“I have to fly out early Sunday morning for the game.”

“I happen to know Dea will be around until then too. Alessandra had planned a day out on the cruiser for the three of us tomorrow. But with Dea still here, it’ll be even more fun. Maybe you can teach her how to water ski. She gave up after trying it the first time.”

“She hasn’t done any water sports?” Guido was incredulous.

“A little swimming. That’s it. But the way she got into the soccer match proves to me she’s not only game, she’s a fast learner. I only have one question. Are you game?”

Until their talk a few minutes ago Guido would have said no.

They returned to the castle, where the girls had dessert and coffee waiting for them in the dining room. Guido enjoyed the snack while they chuckled about Dea’s tackle, then he excused himself to go up to bed.

“Don’t forget tomorrow,” Rini called after him. “Once we’ve eaten breakfast, we’ll go out on the cruiser.”

“Sounds good.” With a smile for the three of them, he left the room.

* * *

Alessandra came to Dea’s bedroom the next morning in order to French-braid her hair before breakfast.

“Thanks for doing this for me. I can’t do it right. Now it won’t get in my face.”

“As you know, I had mine cut short years ago because I spent so much time in the water scuba diving.”

“I’m thinking I might get mine cut too, after I get back to Rome.”

“Oh, no, Dea. Your gorgeous long hair? Are you sure?”

“It drives me insane while I’m working. I used to wonder why Juliana wore her hair short. Now I know. Hair gets in the way when you’re kneeling in front of a mannequin to work on a hem. We’re constantly bending over to examine a drawing or a cut of fabric. All you need is an irritating strand to fall at a critical moment.”

“Well, it’s your call,” Alessandra murmured. “Now let’s hurry down to breakfast before the guys eat everything in sight.”

“I just hope Guido’s forgiven me for tackling him. I don’t know what came over me.”

“I do. It’s called frustration beyond bearing! They’re both so good at everything it can drive you crazy! I’m sure no one ever did such a thing to Guido before.”

“That’s what has me worried.”

“Rini laughed about it after we went to bed. He’s sure you’re the only woman who ever got the best of Guido.”

“Now I’m worried he’ll pull something on me today.”

Alessandra’s eyes sparkled. “Just don’t let your guard down.” Her warning excited Dea.

After her sister left the bedroom, she dressed in shorts and a yellow top worn over her orange-and-white-striped bikini. Once ready, she grabbed her tote bag and flew down the stairs in sandals to the dining room. At the entrance, a pair of inky-blue eyes met hers across the room, causing her pulse to race.

“Buongiorno, Dea.” His deep voice curled through to her insides.

This morning Guido had put on a white T-shirt and cargo pants that couldn’t hide his powerful legs. He held a mug of coffee and looked so sensational she was taken back. A nervous smile broke out on her face. “I hope you didn’t wake up with any aches or pains.”

“I’m managing to survive,” he mocked gently.

Uh-oh. “Where is everyone?”

“Alessandra grabbed a jam cornetto and went out to help Rini load the cruiser. Come and join me before we head out.”

Since Guido was still here, maybe it meant he’d been waiting for her. Her heart flipped over again.

“Cook makes the best cappuccino in the world.”

“I agree,” he murmured over the rim of his cup.

Aware of his scrutiny, she walked over to the hunt board and reached for a pastry. After pouring herself coffee, she moved to the table to eat. Once he joined her, she couldn’t resist asking, “Are you a champion water-skier too? Alessandra said Rini can’t wait to get out on the water and ski double with you.”

He sat back in the chair, studying her through shuttered eyes. “I’ve done a little of everything.”

“But soccer is your passion.”

“One of them.”

A shiver of excitement ran through her. The intimation of what his other passions might be brought heat to her cheeks. With his dark blond hair slightly disheveled, she discovered he had a potent male appeal no woman could possibly ignore. His girlfriends must be legion.

Once they’d finished breakfast, they left the castle for the dock around the back. During their short walk she thought about him and Rini being such close friends since childhood. They were so different, except in two major ways. Their masculine charisma was lethal and they both had an air of authority that seemed to be part of their natures.

Dea had met many men over the years, but none of them possessed those extraordinary qualities. She might have known that Rini’s best man would be someone who stood out from all the rest too. He wasn’t anything like his father. At least she didn’t think so, but what did she know?

Maybe if she’d stayed at the table the night of the wedding reception and had gotten better acquainted with the head of Rossano Shipping Lines, she’d have seen similarities that hadn’t been apparent at first. Guido was his son after all.

In the past Dea had had a problem with making snap judgments about people. It came from a fear that people saw her as only a superficial narcissist—an unfair label given to models in general. Her mother had pointed out that she put up a defensive shield because part of her felt insecure. Dea had had to learn to give everyone a chance.

Since she’d gone back to school, she’d been making a conscious effort to get along with people. While she and Gina had been at the shop discussing one of the designs that wasn’t working, she’d learned the other woman loved the theater. Dea would never have guessed that—all Gina seemed to talk about was Aldo, who lived in her apartment building.

He worked in a garage and wasn’t happy because he couldn’t make good money. The last thing he’d do was spend the little he had on going to watch a play he had no interest in. Soccer was a different story. Dea had offered to go to the theater with Gina, who was delighted. They planned to see Othello at the Silvano Toti Globe in Rome the next weekend. It would give them a chance to study the costuming while they enjoyed Shakespeare.