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‘Nico?’ She did not understand. ‘You’ve bought Nonna’s house?’
‘I bought your nonna’s house many months ago—through a third party, so your father wouldn’t know it was me. Aurora, the only draw about my staying in Silibri was the thought that at night I would come home to you…’
Aurora looked at the heavy keys she held in her palm and laughed. ‘Nico, the only thing that kept me sane in Silibri was the fact that one day I would marry you.’
‘I love you,’ he told her again. Aurora had always been his fabled wife.
‘You really bought the cottage?’
She held the keys now. Or rather, they shared them.
‘I bought the cottage, Aurora. At the time I didn’t know why, but I do now—I guess I didn’t want that dream of being with you to die completely.’
‘But…’ She looked at him. ‘You said you could think of nothing worse than living opposite my parents.’
‘And I still can’t,’ Nico admitted. ‘But for holidays, and for things like Christmas, when there are too many Messinas in your parents’ house, we can just head over the road to our own little home. And for the times when we are fed up with the hotel…’
And Aurora’s tiny, grating percentage of doubt faded under a million Sicilian stars and the softest kiss.
‘Tomorrow,’ Nico said as he removed her dress and her pretty underwear, ‘we will take the steps down to the beach and I am going to have you in the water.’
‘What about now?’ She liked the thought of a naked swim, but Nico was already laying her down.
‘No, no,’ he said, and parted her legs, ready to dive into her. ‘For tonight, all you have to do is look to the stars.’
A Dark Sicilian Secret
Jane Porter
For the fabulous Megan Crane You’ve been an amazing friend. I can’t imagine my life without you!
CHAPTER ONE
PEACE.
Finally.
Jillian Smith drew a deep breath as she walked along the jagged cliff overlooking the stormy Pacific Ocean, relishing the fresh air, stunning scenery and a rare moment of freedom. Things were definitely looking up.
She hadn’t seen Vittorio’s men in over nine months and she was certain that if she was careful, they’d never find her here, in this small, private coastal town just a few miles outside Carmel, California.
For one, she didn’t use her name, Jillian Smith, anymore. She had a new identity, April Holliday, and a new look—blonde, tan, as if she were a California native instead of a striking brunette from Detroit. Not that Vitt knew she was from Detroit.
Nor could he know. It was imperative she keep Vittorio, the father of her baby, as far away from her as possible.
He was so dangerous. Such a threat. To her. To Joe. To everything she held dear. She’d loved him, had come so close to imagining a future with him, only to discover that he wasn’t a hero…wasn’t a knight in shining armor but a man like her father. A man who’d made his fortune in organized crime.
Jillian drew a short breath, aware of the tension balling in her shoulders. Relax, she told herself. There’s no reason to be afraid. The danger’s behind you now. Vitt doesn’t know where you are. He can’t take the baby from you. You’re safe. Everything’s good.
She paused along the cliff to stare out at the dark blue water crested with foam. The waves were big today and they crashed against the dark rocks below with power and passion. The sea seemed angry, almost inconsolable, and for a moment she felt the same way.
She’d loved Vitt. And maybe they’d been together only two weeks, but in those two weeks she’d imagined a life with him. Imagined so many possibilities for them.
But then the truth emerged. He wasn’t a hero—no prince on a white stallion—but a terrifying villain.
The first raindrops began to fall and she pushed back her long blond hair from her face, determined to put the past behind her and focus on the present as well as Joe’s future. And Joe would have a great future. She’d make sure he had everything she’d never known—stability, security, a happy home.
Already she’d found a darling rental house just a quarter mile down the road on a quiet cul-de-sac. She’d gotten an amazing job at the Highlands Inn, one of the premier hotels on the Northern California coast, assisting with their marketing and sales. And best of all, she’d found excellent child care so she could work. In fact, lovely Hannah was with Joe now.
