The American Contessa (4 page)

The
young woman looked at her oddly, “
Scusa
?”

“What
I mean is, let’s get out of here,” Gaby explained. “I saw a little nightclub on
the way over this evening that looked kind of interesting. Want to check it
out?”

Her
new friend nodded enthusiastically. “
Si
.
 
But first I must say my goodbyes to our Host,
Luca.”

“Of
course,” Gaby replied forgetting her manners in her haste to depart. “I should
too.”
 
Hopefully in meeting the current
Count Manetti, she would garner another chance to enter the Villa in some
way.
 
She’d had enough of high society
for one evening.
 
The necklace would have
to wait!

*****

Where was she?

Luca
scanned the crowd again but came up empty.
 
He’d seen her weaving in and out of the throng, but had lost her.
 
Maybe she had left?
 
No, no. Whittaker was still here.
 
He wasn’t idiot enough to let her leave
without him.
 
But then again …the man was
not the brightest bulb in the box.

Too
bad she was American.
 
He despised them
with a passion.
 
But it was a fact he
could overlook.
 
Having sex didn’t
require a passport, or even a visa for re-entry.
 
He chuckled softly to himself; his
double-entendre amusing him to no end.

These
parties were always the same.
 
Same food,
same wine, same people.
 
In fact, he had
resigned himself to the notion that once again, Anna Maria would be sharing his
bed this evening.
 
Nothing new there.
 
Like a mediocre movie you’d seen over and
over.
 
A few good parts, but so clichéd
you wished you could hit fast forward to the climax and then push the eject
button.

Still,
it hadn’t stopped him from hedging his bets. He’d told Anna Maria that the
woman didn’t interest him in the slightest. It was best to keep her waiting in
the wings in case things didn’t work out with the American.
 
Either way, he would not be ending the night
alone!
 

Odio
. The thought of her under him in
his bed was getting him worked up in ways that would be altogether too obvious,
if he didn’t get himself under control.
 
He breathed deeply to calm his body.
 
He hadn’t had this kind of instant reaction to a woman for a long
time.
 

Damnation!
 
Where was she?

*****

“Luca.”
Carmina tapped him on the shoulder.
 

He
turned and came face to face with the woman who’d occupied his mind for most of
the evening.

What
was it he’d said?
 
Pretty enough?
 
What an understatement.
 
She was stunning.
 
He wondered at her relationship with
Whittaker.
 
Could it be serious?
 
No.
 
From the looks of it, she was more than happy to leave him to the blonde
barracuda that had approached them earlier.
 
Here was his chance to charm like he’d never charmed before.
 
Americans were such suckers for an accent!

“Carmina,
how are you?” he asked, his eyes not leaving Gaby’s face for a second. “And who
is your lovely friend?”

Gaby
instantly recognised her hosts’ identity.
 
That voice!
 
So it was the
infamous Count Manetti who’d insulted her earlier.
 
Gaby inwardly groaned.
 
Of all the luck!
 
The one person she needed to get back into
the Villa thought her an unattractive, social climbing parasite.
 

“Luca,
this is Gabriella,” Carmina politely introduced.

The
Count gave Gaby a dazzling smile.
 
“It’s
a pleasure to meet you.”
 

Yeah, right
.
 
Gaby’s eyes glittered with anger, but she had to control it.
 
Under normal circumstances, a man as
charismatic and gorgeous as Count Manetti would have her stomach in knots and
completely tongue-tied.
 
It was amazing
how she could find her voice when dealing with someone who totally repelled
her.
 
She should say something.
 
“The pleasure’s all mine Count Manetti,” she
sweetly replied.
 
Good.
 
She was getting quite expert at controlling
her gag reflex.

“Please,
my friends call me Luca.”

“Of
which you have many I’m sure,
Count
Manetti
,” she smiled sarcastically.
 
Necklace or not, she was not going ingratiate herself to this rude and
arrogant man.

Luca
narrowed his eyes at her.
 
Her antagonism
was clearly evident. But why?
 
For some
reason, she was not instantly enamoured, as most were, but angry with him.
 
Mentally dismissing the reason, he decided
that anger was preferable to indifference.
 
Anger had a way of flaring to passion in a moment.
 
He just needed more time to work on the
lovely Gabriella.

Carmina
looked from one to the other and tried to diffuse the unknown tension that
seemed to be swirling around. “Luca, Gaby and I were thinking of calling it a night.”

“Nonsense!”
he waved away her statement.
 
“The night
is young.
 
You must stay.”

Gaby
couldn’t help thinking that Luca Manetti must often demand and have everyone
acquiesce to his wishes. Well, not this girl!
 
“I really must be going.
 
Thank
you for inviting me,” she replied.
 
Of
course, she hadn’t been invited directly, but that was neither here nor there.

“What
about your companion?” he asked, his head nodding in David’s direction.

“Oh,”
Gaby wrinkled her nose.
 
“I’m sure he’ll
be fine.
 
Well, it was, um … nice meeting
you Count Manetti.
 
Perhaps we’ll meet
again sometime.”

Turning
to leave, Gaby felt a strong, warm hand grab her elbow.
 
The Count linked his arm with hers. “I’ll see
you to the door.”

She
looked at Carmina, who shrugged at her and tried to hide a smile. “That’s
really not necessary,” Gaby replied shakily.
 
Must be making sure she wasn’t taking off with the silver!

Winding
through the crowd of guests, Luca held her arm firmly, stopping to greet
friends and charm acquaintances along the way. Glancing to the side, he noticed
her staring straight ahead without expression.
 
This woman was the most maddening he had ever met.
 
From the moment of their introduction, she
seemed to want to be anywhere but near him; an occurrence which didn’t happen very
often with Luca Manetti and the opposite sex.
 
For heaven’s sake, she was as skittish as a colt. He couldn’t let her
get away so easily.
 
With that thought,
an idea began to form in his mind.
 
Yes,
it was definitely worth a try!

They
arrived at the door and Gaby opened her mouth to bid him a final farewell.
 
This man was upsetting her equilibrium on so
many different levels.
 
He was most
definitely an alluring and sexy man, when he chose to utilize those skills. But
that wasn’t the real Count.
 
She’d heard
what he really thought of her. Best not get drawn in by his facade of pleasant
host and keep her guard up.
 

“Carmina,
I’m planning to visit Montepulciano this weekend.
 
Perhaps you and your friend would care to
join me?” he asked casually.

“Spending
the weekend with you and your horses is not exactly my idea of fun,”
 
Carmina teased.
 
“But if Gaby wants to …?”

Both
sets of eyes turned to Gaby and she felt a little on the spot.
 
She’d like to get to know Carmina better, but
the Count?
 
He was a totally different
kettle of fish.
 
Yeah.
 
Fishy.
 
There was something definitely fishy about
his motivation in asking her to join him for the weekend.
 
According to his prior comments, he wasn’t at
all interested; she was a parasite, a tourist; a crass American.
 
Maybe he had a thing for Carmina, and was
using this ruse to get
her
alone for
the weekend?
 

“Do
you ride, Gabriella?” he asked, taking her by surprise.

“A
little,” she replied nervously.
 
“My
cousin owns a farm in Idaho, and I used to ride his horse when we’d visit as
kids. I’m a little rusty, to be sure.”
 
Why the hell did she tell him that!
 
Stay angry and keep your guard up Gaby!

“A
farm horse?”
 
He dismissed her answer
with a laugh, “Why then, you must come ride with me at my country home.
 
I have many horses.
 
None of which belong on a farm, I assure
you.”

Gaby
glared at the Count and tried once again to escape the viselike grip he had on
her arm.
 

“Luca
collects Arabians.
 
He has some of the
finest horses in the country,” Carmina explained.

Widening
her eyes at him, Gaby gave him a totally unimpressed look. “Really?”

“My
horses are the most beautiful and well-bred you’ll ever ride,” he stated
proudly, ignoring her sardonic tone. “Please.
 
You must come this weekend to Montepulciano.”

“I
don’t think so,” Gaby replied. “But, thank you,” she smiled, trying to sound a
little less rude.

Luca
stiffened and looked insulted. “But why do you refuse me?” he said icily. His
hand tightened on her arm.

She
finally managed to pull away from his grasp and rubbed her arm where his hand
had been. How dare he be angry with her for rejecting his invitation.
 
Of all the spoilt, self-righteous…

Gaby
straightened herself, looked the Count directly in the eye, and spoke.
 
“Count Manetti, being good-looking and well-bred
doesn’t always equate with kindness and gentleness.”
 
Looking him up and down derisively she
continued, “Even the most pedigreed stallion can behave like a total jackass.
 
So I, once again, politely refuse your
offer.”

Gaby
wondered if he got what she meant.
 
Luca’s mouth dropped open in surprise. Yep, he got it! Nothing lost in
translation. Take that Count Manetti!

Turning
on her heel, Gaby beat a hasty retreat out the front door of the Villa, pulling
Carmina along with her.

When
they were safely at the bottom of the stone staircase that led to the Villa,
Carmina turned to Gaby. “Now, would you like to tell me what
that
was all about?”

“What,
what was all about?” she replied innocently.
 
Obviously the tension between her and the Count was palpable.
 
Carmina eyed her with a look of “do you think
I’m stupid?” and Gaby was compelled to answer.

“I
guess, just a case of instant dislike on first sight,” she shrugged, hoping
that was explanation enough.
 
“The guy
just rubbed me the wrong way.”

“Well,”
Carmina sighed. “You certainly put Luca in his place.”
 

“Water
off a duck’s back if you ask me. I just hope to avoid him from now on.”
 
Hardly a possibility if she wanted to get
back in the Villa; but she’d work out the logistics later.

Carmina
laughed. “Oh Gaby,” she smiled. “If we’re to be friends, avoiding Luca is
easier said than done.”

“Huh?”

“You
see,” Carmina answered. “Luca is my brother.”

Another
sleepless night!
 
Gaby could hear the
clock on the mantel of the marble fireplace tick away the hours.
 
After leaving the Villa, she and Carmina
decided against going dancing at a nightclub and instead had gone to a local
bar for an espresso.

They
had talked and laughed for three straight hours and found themselves fast
friends.
 
Could she really take the
necklace now?
 
The thought of carrying
out her Grandfather’s scheme was getting harder and harder to stomach now that
she personally knew the individuals involved.
 
But the reality of the financial obligations waiting for her back in the
States weighed heavily on her mind.

Her
thoughts wandered to the disagreeable Count Luca Manetti. How could he and
Carmina be brother and sister? They were so different.
 
Carmina was the epitome of kindness and
likeability.
 
Luca Manetti was … well, he
was nothing if not a complete jackass.
 

Avoiding
him was going to be a difficult.
 
Firstly, he was Carmina’s brother.
 
And secondly, her admittance into the Villa depended on her getting
close to the family.
 
The thought of
getting close to the Count was unnerving, to say the least.
 
Luckily, he disliked her intensely and the
feeling was immeasurably and decidedly mutual.

What
was with all the men she was meeting?
 
First David Whittaker, and now the Count.
  
The old adage that beauty is only skin deep
came to mind when thinking of them.
 
She
didn’t expect perfection in anyone, but they were so far from it, it was
disheartening.

Gaby
turned over in bed and punched her pillow.
 
She was getting in way too deep.
 
She needed to concentrate on getting the necklace and getting the hell
out of Italy as quickly as possible.
 
Although she genuinely liked Carmina, she mustn’t lose sight of why
she’d come to Florence.