The Italian Inheritance (24 page)

She thought of Rafael and his sexy grin and her heart twisted.
God, she missed him.
She wondered how the renovation of the shelter was getting on, and whether he’d be finished in the two months respite she’d managed to secure for him.
Looking back at her evening with Mancini she had to laugh. Was that even her?
Until then she hadn’t known she’d had the guts to
coerce a gangster like Mancini.
Rafael had certainly pushed her right out of her comfort zone.

But s
he had a lot to thank him for
,
too
. He’d shown her what love could be like, or rather
what it
should be like. With him she’d known passion unlike any she’d ever experienced before. He’d shown her what her body was made for. The next time she went out with a man, she was determined not to just look at her checklist
,
but to
feel
with her heart and soul. There was no reason why she couldn’t find someone she was sexually attracted to, who would one day make a great husband and father.

Her goals hadn’t changed, she still wanted the big family, the house and the dog, but there was no urgent rush. She could afford to
enjoy herself
a bit in the mean time.

“You are in such a bad mood today,
c
aro,” sulked Christina coming into his office. “Why don’t you go home? It’s after six.” She placed some documents on Rafael’s desk for him to sign.

Rafael merely grunted. The truth was he couldn’t stop thinking about Anna. The problem was he knew he’d think about her even more at home. Without her waiting for him at the villa, there was no reason to go home. He may as well stay and catch up on some work.

By now she would be back in England, working at the hospital and getting on with her life – without him. The thought bothered him more than he cared to admit.

It was such a shame she couldn’t have stayed for an extra few weeks.
Things had been going so well between them. They had undeniable chemistry. Rafael couldn’t get enough of her. Anna seemed to feel the same way. He pictured her smiling tenderly at him and realised one thing. Anna made him happy.

Would it have lasted? Rafael had no idea, but the reality was he had badly wanted to try. He just didn’t know how to say it without sounding trite.

Stay with me
,
babe
,
so we can still have sex while I figure this whole thing out.

Sure. That would have gone down well.
Besides, what she’d said was true. She had a life to get back to. She couldn’t put it on hold for him. Jobs didn’t wait for people. Her two weeks were up and she had to go back. It was as simple as that.

He remembered her face as she’d pleaded with him to give her a reason to stay. Perhaps he’d made a mistake not telling her what she wanted to hear. If he had, she’d still be here now. Except that would have been selfish, and he cared far too much for her to let her destroy her life over him.

He sighed deeply.
At least this way they’d always have good memories of each other.

Christina came in and bent over the desk. Her ample cleavage drew his gaze. She smiled alluringly. “Come and have a drink with me,
c
aro. It’s been a long time. I miss you.”

Rafael looked at his secretary and thought for a moment. Perhaps a distraction was what he needed. If he could get Anna out of his system, life could return to normal. It was obvious she wasn’t coming back.

Reluctantly he nodded. “I’ll meet you downstairs.”

The bar was crowded. Rafael got them both a drink and they retreated to the veranda where there was more space. Christina was in her element. She had her man back and she was pulling out all the stops.

Rafael tried to act like he normally did with her
,
but there was something missing. The motivation wasn’t there. He found himself comparing Christina to Anna, a big mistake. They were polar opposites. Christina was overtly sexy with her curvy figure, dark hair and tight clothing. She promised a good time with no strings attached. That was what Rafael had liked about her. No complications.

Anna on the other hand was elegant and alluring. She had a magical quality that made men want to screw her and protect her at the same time. But he mustn’t think of Anna now. He drained his drink and ordered another. Christina, as if sensing his need to forget encouraged him and soon she was sitting in his lap nuzzling his neck.

Without warning Rafael stood up. He’d drunk way too much and his head hurt. “I have to go home.”

“I’ll come with you,” purred Christina, slipping her hand into his. Rafael was about to pull away when he thought, why not? Anna was gone. He was alone. What the hell else was he supposed to do?

Back at the villa Christina, used to Rafael’s
voracious
sexual appetite, launched herself on him. It was a few moments before Rafael realised what was happening. As her lips came down on his and her hand slipped down the front of his trousers, he froze.

“Wait. Stop!”

At her enquiring look he muttered, “I can’t do this.”

“Sure you can, c
aro,
” murmured Christina, ignoring him and
continued
slipping her hand down his pants. Surprised at the lacklustre response she glanced up. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“No, I’m not okay. I think I’ve just made the biggest mistake of my life.”

“Me?” Christina looked confused.

“No, not you,” he said. “Her.”

“Her?” Christina repeated. “You mean the tall English girl?”

Rafael didn’t hear her. All he could think about was how wrong this felt. He took a step away from Christina. “Anna. I must find Anna.”

Leaving a bewildered Christina in his hallway, Rafael grabbed his boat keys and ran out of the house into the night. By the time he reached the harbour he was almost sober and thinking much clearer. He must find Anna and talk to her. He had no idea where she lived, but he knew someone who did.

Driving with one hand and punching numbers into his cell phone with the other, Rafael called R
i
co. His friend was delighted to help and eagerly gave Rafael the information he wanted.

“Good luck, amigo,” he called into the phone.

“Thanks. I owe you,” Rafael hung up. Docking in Naples was difficult since it was almost midnight. The marina was closed so Rafael parked alongside the jetty of a friend. He’d call him in the morning to explain.

Flagging down a taxi, Rafael asked to be taken to the airport. At the driver’s odd look he urged, “Hurry!” With any luck he might still be able to catch a late flight.

After a long shift and another one looming, Anna decided to go to the hospital canteen for some sustenance. Her appetite had deserted her
,
but she knew she had to eat. How else would she cope with the gruelling nursing schedule she’d inflicted on herself since she’d got back?

Anything to take her mind off Rafael.

About to bite into her cheese sandwich, Anna thought she was seeing things when a scruffy Rafael walked in through the hospital entrance. She blinked and stared in amazement. Yes, it really was him!

“Rafael?
”

He looked over and she waved, too stunned to speak.

“Thank God I’ve found you,” he growled, easing his tall frame into the chair opposite her. “I was expecting to have to search the entire hospital, and it isn’t small either.”

“What are you doing here?” stammered Anna, finally finding her tongue. She drank him in lovingly with her eyes. His stubble was dark and his hair untidy, he had dark rings under his eyes, and looked tired, but to her he was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.

“I came to find you,” he confessed, gazing at her hungrily. When Anna didn’t say anything
he asked
, “
Did I interrupt your lunch
?”

“
I wasn’t hungry anyway,” she murmured, pushing the sandwich away.
She couldn’t stop staring at him. Rafael, here in London... Looking for her... It was too much to comprehend.

“Is this a good time to talk?” asked Rafael hopefully.

Anna consulted her watch. “Sure, I’m due on my next shift in forty-five minutes, but until then I’m free.”

“So this is where you work?” Rafael looked around him at the vast entrance hall with the central reception desk manned by at least six staff members, all talking with patients or on the phone.

Anna nodded. “Welcome to Paddington Hospital.”

“Is it always this busy?”

“Always,” chuckled Anna. “You should see the wards. It’s like rush hour traffic in there.”

Rafael shook his head.

“But you didn’t come all this way to see where I worked.”

“No.” Rafael took a deep breath. “Anna, I came because I realised I’d made a terrible mistake.
”

“Oh, what was that?”

“
I should never have let you go.”

Barely capable of breathing, let alone anything else, Anna stared at him.

“I had to talk to you,” he went on, reaching for her hand. Anna realised it was shaking. “I had to tell you that...I love you.
I’m sorry I didn’t say it when you needed me to.
Will you come back to Capri and live with me? I never want to let you go again.”

The look he gave her was so tender that Anna dropped her eyes, fearing she was hallucinating.

“Do-Do you really mean that?” she stammered. “What about you not believing in love?”

“I’ve been an idiot,” confessed Rafael. “I was in love with you all the time, I just didn’t
know
it. You see I’ve never been in love before so I didn’t realise it until you left and it was too late.”

Anna covered her face with her hands.
This couldn’t be happening.
“I don’t believe this.”

“Believe it,” he whispered. “When you left everything lost its spark
le
. I couldn’t sleep without you beside me. I couldn’t concentrate at work. I didn’t even want to go home because you weren’t there.”  He took her hands in his. “I realised I missed you hopelessly, so I came to take you back with me.”

He smiled lightly. “So what do you say?”

Anna struggled to find the words. She was so happy she felt her chest might explode
,
but at the same time she was terrified it wouldn’t last.

“Are you sure, Rafael? It’s a big decision. What if I come all the way over there and you decide you’ve made a mistake? Where would that leave me? I’d have given up my job, my
room in the house
, my whole life in fact, on a gamble. I don’t know if I can take that chance.”

“I understand your hesitation and
,
based on my past behaviour
,
I don’t blame you. All I can say is that I love you enough to take that chance. You could decide you don’t love me or don’t want to live in Italy
,
but that’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

Anna took his hand in hers. “That’s a big step for someone who
,
up until a few weeks ago
,
didn’t believe in love.”

“I know,” he admitted. “And I’m terrified. But I still want to do it. I love you so much it hurts.
”

Anna blinked back tears. Finally Rafael was saying the words she’d longed to hear, yet she still hesitated. He loved her. He wanted her. Why couldn’t she just say yes?

“I thought you might need a little extra persuading,”
Rafael
admitted
, meeting her uncertain gaze. He reached
into his trouser pocket. “
So
I got you this...”

He opened a little black box and
laid
it on the table in front of her
,
next to her cheese sandwich. Inside glittered the most beautiful
pear-shaped diamond ring
Anna had ever seen.

“It’s exquisite,” she gasped, tentatively reaching for it.

“Here, let me,” said Rafael and slipped the ring out of its midnight-blue pillow. He slid off the canteen chair and down on one knee, oblivious to the knowing grins of the canteen onlookers.

“Anna, will you marry me?”

Anna looked at his eyes, bright with love and hope. Her resistance crumbled. This man loved her and wanted to look after her. He made her feel things nobody else ever had before and he’d come all the way to London to get her back.

“Of course I will,” she gasped, tears of happiness pouring down her face. Then she got unsteadily to her feet and put her arms round his neck and kissed him. They were so engrossed that it was only when they heard the clapping and cheering around them that they broke apart.

“Some things are worth fighting for,” whispered Rafael, as
he led her
outside for some privacy.