Di Sione's Innocent Conquest (The Billionaire's Legacy) (16 page)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

A
BBY
WENT
INTO
her bedroom and the same tree that filled the view from her lounge was there in her bedroom window.

They could never end on a row.

In a few days the bruises would be gone, that gleaming smile would be back in place and Matteo would be off to pastures new.

Now though, even if he had lied to get past the locked door to her heart, she was very glad that he had.

In the past few weeks she had opened up and become more trusting, less wary. Matteo was right—had he told her then she would have walked away.

She had changed.

Everything had changed.

Right down to the fact that she took off her dress and she put on the necklace and then naked, save for the Lost Mistress, she walked back into the bathroom.

She loved him.

He had stood up for her, fought for her, and completely he accepted her and she accepted him.

Not quite perfect.

She wouldn’t have him any other way.

For however long they had.

Abby didn’t want to change him, nor for Matteo to change for her. She just hoped that one day he might lose his dark self-image and know the amazing man he was.

He was lying, dozing in the steamy water, but he opened his eyes when she walked in.

Yes, that shy nervous beauty had gone, as had that guarded woman, yet her eyes were a bit wary, no doubt wondering as to her reception as, for the first time, she initiated things.

‘Do you be naked, Miss Abby?’ Matteo said in a servant’s voice and he held out a hand and helped her into the bath.

‘Enough of that talk, young Matteo,’ Abby said and any trace of awkwardness evaporated like the steam from the water as they made each other laugh. She sat between his big long legs as he eased himself up and she just wished they could stay in the bath for ever and that he would never have to leave.

‘Oh, and you be wearing that lovely necklace,’ he said. ‘Can I feel your jewels?’

‘You can.’

His hand slipped under the water.

‘That’s a fine one there,’ Matteo said and he watched her bite on her lip.

God, it felt good, Abby thought as he moved deeper inside and his legs hauled her closer towards him.

‘Can I show you something, Miss Abby?’ Matteo asked and she could only guess what it was.

She was wrong.

‘Lose the voice,’ Abby begged. She didn’t want to play servants any more and, as she climbed on, Matteo completely forgot he’d been about to produce a ring.

They couldn’t kiss, given his swollen mouth, and so she just held on to his shoulders and moved on him at whim and then bent her head and bit him on the shoulder and wished, how she wished, she’d seen it in Dubai.

His fingers now dug into her buttocks and he said words that were going to really hurt her later, because he told her that he loved her.

‘And I want to be with you for ever,’ Matteo said.

He was a liar, Abby knew. He would say anything to win, and of course he did, as he pulled her down harder and faster. She was coming, and as he came he told her he loved her again.

‘You don’t play fair,’ Abby said, her head on his shoulder, feeling the last flickers of them, and then she pulled back and looked at the most complex man she could meet.

‘Can I show you something, Abby?’ Matteo said in his lovely, normal voice.

‘Yes.’

‘You have to get off,’ he said and, as she did, he added, ‘While you’re up...’

He made her, dripping wet, get out of the bath and into his jacket.

‘I was going to show you this before you so rudely interrupted me,’ Matteo said as she took out a small wooden box that was different, yet somehow the same, as the one she knew.

‘What this?’ Abby asked, opening the catch, and what she saw had her body tingle with goose bumps.

‘What does it look like?’

‘My necklace,’ Abby said. ‘Except it’s a ring.’

It was the most beautiful emerald that she had ever seen, and the setting was the same as the necklace that they had fought over.

The necklace that had brought them together, even if it had torn them apart for a while.

‘You had this made for me.’

‘No,’ Matteo said. ‘I was walking past a shop... Yes.’ He stopped teasing her. ‘I had it made for you when I got back from Monte Carlo. I was going to tell you about the necklace and your father, tonight, in fact, and then I was going to give you this...’

How badly she had judged him.

She went to slip it on to her middle finger but it was too small.

‘It’s not a dress ring, Abby...’ Matteo said and there was no tease in his voice. ‘It’s an engagement ring.’ All joking was aside. He was as nervous as he’d expected to be, not because of what he was asking her—Matteo knew what he wanted. He was nervous that his past, that his father, that the doubts his own grandfather had about him, that he had had about himself, might have crept into her.

‘You want to marry me?’ She couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing.

‘More than
want
to marry you,’ Matteo said. ‘I have to have you in my life. I was going to ask you tonight.’

‘I thought it was just dinner.’

‘Just dinner?’ Matteo checked. ‘Or did you want sex too?’ he said and Abby smiled as he pulled her back into the bath.

‘I wanted sex too,’ Abby said.

‘And?’ Matteo pushed.

‘Some more time,’ Abby said but then she looked at Matteo and days, weeks or months could never have been enough. ‘I hoped for more but I never dreamt of this.’

‘Dream bigger, then,’ Matteo said. ‘And when you can’t, then I’ll do it for you.’

He always had.

EPILOGUE

‘A
BBY
!’ M
ATTEO
WAS
very firm. ‘You don’t have to give the necklace to him. It was your mother’s.’

‘I want your grandfather to have it though.’

They were in his car, outside the Di Sione mansion, and Abby took the necklace out of its box and held it in her hands. She looked at the stunning emeralds, the colours that she had based her racing team on, only the necklace wasn’t her mother. She didn’t need jewels to remember Anette.

‘I can remember the arguments,’ Abby said with a wry smile. ‘Not the one where he gave her this, but that was what my father did time and again. As beautiful as this necklace is, there weren’t many happy memories attached for my mother. I know she’d be thrilled to make your grandfather happy. Clearly it means an awful lot to him.’

‘It does,’ Matteo said. ‘I don’t really know why.’

‘Why don’t you ask him?’

‘One day,’ Matteo said.

Except those days were running out, Matteo thought as Abby carefully placed the necklace back into its box.

‘Come on,’ Abby said.

‘You’re sure you want to do this?’ Matteo asked.

Only he wasn’t asking about the necklace this time.

‘I’m certain.’

It had been two weeks since that terrible row when they’d both thought they had lost everything.

These were different times now.

Matteo knocked and then he let them into the house he had grown up in and smiled to Alma, who was walking towards them and beaming.

‘You look beautiful,’ she said to Abby and then she looked at Matteo. ‘You’ve shaved!’

‘I have.’

‘Signor Giovanni’s all ready for you,’ Alma said. ‘He’s in the main lounge. Shall I let him know that you’re here?’

‘No.’ Matteo shook his head. ‘We’ll go straight through.’

Matteo was nervous, wondering how his grandfather would react, not just to the necklace—Abby was the first woman he had brought to his grandfather’s home.

‘Matteo...’ Giovanni went to stand but Matteo told him to save his energy and went over and kissed him on both cheeks.

‘Nonno, this is Abby...’

‘Abby Ellison,’ Giovanni said. ‘Owner of the Henley Cup. Congratulations! That was an amazing win.’

‘Thank you.’ Abby smiled and decided that she liked him.

When she had heard that Giovanni had compared Matteo to his reckless father and had caused Matteo so much pain and to doubt himself, she had been cross with the old man. Now though, she had come to understand that Giovanni had done his best with all that had been thrust upon him in what should have been his declining years.

Seven children.

Eight, if you included Nate, his son’s illegitimate child.

‘I’ve had many visitors this past couple of weeks,’ Giovanni said.

‘That’s good.’ Matteo sat down and Abby took a seat to his right and Matteo held her hand.

Matteo really was nervous, Abby realised as he addressed his grandfather. ‘We’ve got some good news for you.’

They didn’t drag it out. Abby handed over the magnificent box and Giovanni let out a small cry of recognition.

‘This is the box...’ Even that thrilled Giovanni.

It was walnut and gleaming and his fingers struggled with the small clasp and Matteo watched as Abby helped him to open it and the necklace was finally revealed to him.

‘Oh...’

Had Abby doubted—and she
had
doubted whether or not she should give up her mother’s necklace—those last niggles left her then.

Giovanni’s blue eyes filled with tears and his old hands took out the necklace and he gazed upon stones that would never diminish with age.

‘You cannot know what this means to me to hold it again.’

‘We don’t need to know,’ Abby said. ‘An old man must have his secrets after all.’

‘Matteo told you the tale?’

‘He did.’

‘Matteo told me that he couldn’t remember.’

‘I know I did,’ Matteo said. ‘Of course I remember.’

Giovanni looked from the necklace to his grandson, who he had struggled so hard to love.

‘I was wrong,’ Giovanni said. ‘To compare you to your father...’

‘Can we leave it?’ Matteo said, as was his preferred method.

‘We’ve left too many things unsaid,’ Giovanni responded and then he looked down to the necklace as if it gave him strength to speak from the heart.

‘To see the damage my son did was more than I could take. When I took in his children I wanted to put things right but I was lost in my own regret and grief.’

‘I know.’

‘You look like him,’ Giovanni said. ‘You laugh and you act like him and I was scared for you.’

‘I know that you were,’ Matteo said. ‘But you don’t need to be now. I’ve got a new addiction.’

‘Motor racing.’

‘Two actually,’ Matteo said but Giovanni was looking at the necklace and back in his own world again.

‘If I could have a day with it,’ Giovanni said and he looked to Abby. ‘Just some time to remember...’

‘It’s yours,’ Abby interrupted.

‘No.’ Giovanni shook his head. ‘It was your mother’s. Matteo told me he would never take it from you, that you had based your racing team around these stones.’

‘My mother had green eyes,’ Abby said. ‘I remember them. I don’t need this necklace to do that. It’s yours. It’s back where it belongs.’

She looked to Matteo because Giovanni was crying and really was distressed and maybe now wasn’t the time to tell him the rest of the news that they had to share.

‘Abby should have it to give it to her children...’ Giovanni insisted.

‘Maybe she shall,’ Matteo responded. ‘Given that it’s staying in the family.’

Giovanni frowned.

‘We’re not just here to give you the necklace,’ Matteo said.

‘You two...’ Giovanni had been accused one too many times of jumping in and he was struggling not to now. ‘You are engaged.’ His eyes lit up again as Abby held out her hand for Giovanni to admire the ring. ‘When did this happen?’

‘Two weeks ago,’ Matteo said. ‘We’re getting married in, oh, about ten minutes from now.’

‘I don’t understand.’

‘You don’t have to,’ Matteo said. ‘Alma has everything ready, the celebrant is here...’

‘Your brothers and sisters...’ Giovanni went to rise, to share the news with family, but Matteo shook his head.

‘We want it to be very small,’ Matteo explained. ‘Abby has been through a lot and we don’t want to make a big fuss. The press will no doubt find out but it will be long over and done with by the time that they do. We’re marrying now, by the lake with you and Alma as our witnesses...’

The drapes had been drawn and now Matteo pulled them back on a delicious setting sun.

Beneath the tree he had once fallen from was an arch of white roses and soon they would stand there and make their vows.

Alma had already changed and had a suit waiting for Giovanni.

Abby’s hair had already been done and she changed into a very simple, coffee-coloured chiffon dress and the same jewelled sandals that had seen her through favourite days.

It was as simple and as beautiful as that.

Abby topped up her lipstick and the least nervous bride walked slowly with Matteo and his grandfather outside and then Giovanni took a seat with Alma.

It was the smallest, most intimate of weddings.

Abby didn’t wear the necklace; today it was
their
memories they made. Instead Giovanni held one of his Lost Mistresses in his hands as he sat and watched his wayward grandson stand before the woman he loved and offer his vows.

‘I will always take care of you,’ Matteo said. ‘I know that I shall. You have made love possible for me and I will never forget that. I love you.’

Abby’s words were similar. ‘I will always be there for you as you are for me. You have made love possible for me and I will never forget that. I love you too.’

She looked into his dark eyes and she had never known such pure happiness, acceptance and absolute trust.

He slipped on a ring—a very simple band was all that was needed to set off such a magnificent engagement ring—and then Abby slipped a somewhat heavier band on his finger.

Matteo examined it.

It was a simple platinum band but there was just the tiniest emerald set into the metal.

‘That’s a bit blingy.’ Matteo smiled, because not only hadn’t he seen it, he’d never, not once, envisaged wearing a ring.

Proceedings paused for a moment but no one seemed to mind.

‘Wear the stone facing down, then,’ Abby said and Matteo did so.

It was never coming off!

And now, the celebrant told them, they were husband and wife.

‘We should call the family...’ Giovanni said to Alma as the bride and groom kissed. He wanted dinner, celebrations, but though Matteo loved his grandfather tonight was theirs.

‘We’re going to go,’ Matteo said, holding Abby’s hand. ‘We just wanted to share the special day with you.’

He gave Alma a kiss and thanked her for helping in the arrangements and then he embraced his frail grandfather.

‘What had happened to the other Lost Mistresses?’ Abby asked as she said her goodbyes.

‘Another time,’ Matteo hastily broke in. They’d be here for hours if Giovanni started and Matteo had other plans for tonight! ‘We’ve got our honeymoon to get to.’

They left his grandfather smiling, holding on to the necklace and sitting looking out across the lake and, yes, they had a honeymoon to get to, but Matteo went back for one more goodbye.

‘I love you.’

He did.

It didn’t roll off his tongue easily as it did when he said it to Abby, but Matteo meant it.

‘I love you,’ Giovanni said.

That was all.

They had come full circle and there were no more sorrys to be had.

Matteo drove them to the airport and in his complicated, somehow seamless world, there a driver was waiting to return the car to his home.

Their home.

Abby’s head was still spinning; she hadn’t come back to earth since the day that they had met and she somehow doubted she ever would.

At least not to the same one he had swept her away from.

‘Where are we going?’ Abby asked as they took their seats and, because it was a private jet, in a matter of moments they were heading off. As they hit cruise level the flight attendants moved into the sleeping area and then the captain’s voice came on.

‘Congratulations, Mr and Mrs Di Sione, on your marriage. With a tailwind our flight will take approximately seven hours.’

Matteo took her hand and led her to the sleeping area and the crew had done them proud.

There were petals strewn on the bed and there was a feast of champagne and so many delicacies that for a moment she took her eye off the groom.

There were cupcakes that looked like miniature wedding cakes but when Abby bit into one it was filled with a rich chocolate mousse.

‘Seven hours’ flying time,’ Matteo said and he took her in his arms. ‘Whatever will we do?’

‘Is this a mystery flight?’

‘No.’ Matteo shook his head. ‘We’re going to Paris, the city of romance. I think it’s time to make up for some lost time—neither of us have ever really dated. I’m going to put that right.’

He put her whole world to rights and Abby did the same for him.

‘So no mystery,’ Matteo said. ‘It’s just the start of our adventure.’

* * * * *

If you enjoyed this book, look out for the next instalment of
THE BILLIONAIRE’S LEGACY
: THE DI SIONE SECRET BABY by Maya Blake

Coming next month

Keep reading for an exclusive extract of
SLEEPLESS IN MANHATTAN
the first book in
USA TODAY
bestselling author Sarah Morgan’s enthralling new trilogy,
FROM MANHATTAN WITH LOVE
!

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