The Italian Inheritance (12 page)

“Anna?” he asked incredulously, approaching them from behind. Anna swung round.

“Oh, Rafael. It’s you.”

At the scowl on Rafael’s face she added, “Meet Leonardo. He took me for a lovely ride on his boat this afternoon. We went to see the Blue Grotto.
You were right, it’s awesome.
”

Rafael gave Leonardo long, hard look then turned back to Anna. “What are you doing here? I thought you were going to the beach.”

“Oh, I was but it was so hot I decided to take a boat trip instead. Then the drama with the Mancini’s happened and things got totally out of hand.”

Rafael stared at her.
“Did you say Mancini?”

“Yes, Tanya and Adriano. At first I thought they were really silly leaving their daughter like that to wonder around on deck, but they
actually
turned out to be really sweet. Didn’t they?” she turned to Leonardo who was looking at Rafael with undisguised envy.

“Si, Anna. Luckily you were there at the right time.”

“Adriano Mancini? The industrialist?” Rafael couldn’t believe his ears.

“I have no idea who he is,” remarked Anna, shrugging. “He must be quite well-off though judging by the size of that yacht.” She glanced at Leonardo who nodded in agreement.

“Oh, we need to talk.” Rafael gripped her arm and propelled her up the hill. Leonardo looked set to intervene.

“It’s okay, Leonardo,” called Anna giving the disappointed man a brief wave over her shoulder. “Thanks again for the ride.” Then she turned to Rafael. “Will you stop pulling me? I’m quite capable of walking by myself. I may be wet and tired
,
but I’m not incapacitated.”

“Sorry,” Rafael stopped at a bench shaded by a large lemon tree and gestured for Anna to sit down. He tried not to look at her gorgeously rounded breasts barely covered by her bikini top. “I really need to talk to you.”

Anna sat. “Okay, what’s got your knickers in such a twist?”

“Please. Tell me exactly what happened today. I want to know every detail.”

“
W
hy?” Anna looked at him confused. “What’s it got to do with you?”

“Please, just trust me. I really need to know what happened. It’s important.
I have an interest in Mancini.
”

Anna sighed. “Okay. Leonardo took us to see the Blue Grotto and we were swimming back to the boat when a toddler fell overboard
from
this luxury yacht anchored beside us.”

“Mancini’s child?”

“Yes.” Anna nodded. “Serena, I think her name was. Anyway
,
we managed to lift her out of the water and resuscitate her.”

“You did that?”

“Yes, I administered CPR on deck. Luckily she was fine, just in a bit of shock. The parents were ever so grateful, as you can imagine. They’ve even invited me for supper tomorrow night in Naples, although I’m not sure I’m going to go yet.”

Rafael threw back his head and laughed, earning him a stern look. “It’s not a laughing matter. The child could have drowned.”

“You are unbelievable, you know that?” Rafael could have kissed her, he was so happy.
O
n second thought
,
that probably wasn’t such a bright idea. Last time he’d kissed her he hadn’t been able to stop
- a
nd she’d been wearing far more clothing then, than she was now.
His eyes roamed over her skimpy bikini, still damp from her swim. He ached to peel it off her. Her endless legs stretched out in front of her. A disturbing image of them wrapped around his waist entered his mind and he shook his head to dispel it. Not appropriate.
Now was the time to focus on Mancini, not his prospective half-sister.

“It was nothing. I get regular CPR training at the hospital where I work. It was
sheer luck that
I was there at the right time.”

“Luckier than you know...” mused Rafael, thoughtfully.
He noticed she had sand between her toes.
“Anna, you may have just given me the solution to my problem.”

“Really?” Anna looked at him with wide eyes. “What problem?”

“I’ll explain it to you over dinner.” Then
,
as an afterthought, “You are free tonight, aren’t you?”

Anna sighed. She was exhausted. After the emotional turmoil of the morning, and the drama of the last few hours she wasn’t sure she was going to stay awake the next hour, let alone dinner. She looked at Rafael’s eager face,
his expression
unusually animated and his lean body primed with energy, like a tiger, ready to pounce. He was hyped, excited. His entire body radiated with energy. Unlike hers.

She would be no match for him tonight. After their last
evening together
, Anna wanted to be at her most vigilant
when she saw him again
. No matter what, she had to fend off his advances.
He wasn’t the type of man she wanted to get involved with. She had other plans
in that department and he wasn’t part of them
. The problem was she
was
attracted to him
– undeniably and irritatingly attracted.
The way she’d totally lost control when he’d kissed her was proof enough. He was dangerous and i
n
this state she’d be a pushover. That’s if she could stay awake long enough to be pushed over.

“I’m sorry Rafael,” she said, her eyelids heavy. “I don’t think I’m up to it tonight. It’s been quite a day and I’m one tired lady.”

“I understand.” The dejected look on his face almost made her reconsider. Almost, but not quite.

Rafael was silent for a minute and Anna could almost see the cogs going round in his brain. “Look, Anna,” he began hesitantly.

Anna raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”

“There’s something I need to tell you, show you even. And I have to do it before you see Mancini tomorrow night.”

Anna frowned. “Whatever do you mean?”

“It’s complicated, that’s why I wanted to explain it to you tonight. But I can see you’re tired, so it will have to wait until tomorrow. But can I ask you a favour?”

“Possibly,” said Anna hesitantly. She wasn’t sure what all this was about. Rafael looked at her strangely, almost pleadingly which was very unlike him. Whatever he wanted from her, he must want it bad
ly
.

“Would you accompany me to Napoli tomorrow?” At her surprised look he continued, “You have to go there anyway, to meet Mancini. There is something I want to show you first, something important.”

Anna took a deep breath. “Rafael, this is all very confusing. I don’t know why...”

“Please
,
Anna. Believe me when I say it’s important.”

Anna stared at him. He seemed sincere, although this was all very mysterious. Whatever could he want to show her, in Naples?

Finally
,
she conceded
. She was heading that way anyway so humouring him wouldn’t be too much of an imposition.
“Okay, fine. I’ll come with you to Naples. I’ll have to tell Mancini though, because he was going to send a car to the harbour to meet me.”

“I’ll have Christina take care of it,” Rafael assured her.

Anna nodded, barely managing to suppress a yawn. “Thank you.”

“Can I give you a lift to your hotel?” asked Rafael, as if sensing her weariness.

“Yes, please.”

Rafael led her back to his
Vespa
and beckoned for her to climb on.

“Don’t I need a helmet?” she asked tentatively.

“Probably, but I don’t have a spare. Here, use mine.” He handed her his helmet and climbed on, turning to see if she was following. Sitting astride the minty green
Vespa
in jeans and a
t
-shirt, with hair that was too long and stubble that needed trimming, Rafael looked every inch the sexy, quintessential Italian.

“Phew,” muttered Anna as she fastened the strap under her chin and climbed on behind him, wrapping her arms around his lean waist.
She felt his abs tense under her hands.

“Ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” replied Anna. Rafael accelerated and they took off at a leisurely pace up the steep, winding hill to the crest village of Capri.

To Anna’s embarrassment she found she was sexually aroused when she climbed off the
Vespa
. Having his firm butt nestled tightly between her legs had turned her on without her even realising. The gentle vibration of the 50 CC motor between her thighs hadn’t helped either. Feeling herself flush she looked down and handed Rafael the helmet. “Thanks for the ride.”

“No problem. So I’ll come and fetch you tomorrow, after lunch? Around two o’clock?”

“How about I meet you at the marina?” suggested Anna
, staring at her toes
. Like hell she was going to get on a
Vespa
behind him again.

“Okay, don’t be late. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Anna waved
goodbye. She was
mystified by Rafael’s strange request and even stranger behaviour. She’d never seen him that earnest before.

She watched as he turned the
Vespa
around and took off again, this time towards Anacapri.

“Wow! Is this your boat?”

Anna stared in delight at the fifty-foot luxury motor yacht mo
ored in the tiny marina. Rafael, looking tanned and windswept,
with designer sunglasses propped on his head,
waved
at her as he released the mooring lines.
Anna caught her breath. Could he possibly be any more glamorous?

“Yes,” he replied
, jumping down onto the deck
. “It’s faster than the ferry and less expensive than a helicopter.”

“It’s beautiful.” She stared at the elegant, streamlined hull with its silver lines, and its sparkling white deck complete with leather upholstery and launching area at the stern.
It was like something out of a
James Bond
movie.

“I visit Naples a lot on business. It makes sense to be able to get their quickly. The ferry takes over an hour, even the hydrofoil is a good forty minutes. With this baby, I can get there in half an hour.”

Sure, why not? Rafael was a wealthy lawyer, after all. Half his clients were probably Napolitanos. If you had the money, it made perfect sense.

Perhaps he’d bought it with Giovanni’s money
- h
is half of the inheritance
?
Then she looked at him competently checking the boat’s controls and decided, no. This man had made his own money. He was capable, ambitious, determined. He had all the ingredients for success.
The
inheritance would have been the cherry on the top for him.

“Welcome aboard,” he grinned as Anna nimbly leaped onto the deck. “Take a seat. We’ll head off immediately.”

Anna did as she was told, still in awe at the overwhelming elegance and deta
iled finish of the motor yacht—a
nd the fact that she was on it
. She ran her hand along the smooth surface of the desk.

“I must admit, I’m intrigued by your request,” she said as they got underway. The warm Mediterranean breeze caressed her face
, relaxing her
. “I can’t think what is so important that you had to whisk me away to Naples.”

“It will all make sense soon,” promised Rafael. “But since we’ve got half an hour to talk, let me give you some background information.”

He faced forwards, eyes locked on the distant Naples shoreline so Anna couldn’t see his expression. By the tension in his neck
and shoulders
, however, she guessed he wasn’t entirely comfortable with the conversation.
Fascinated, she
wanted to know more. “Okay. Go ahead. I’m all ears.”

Rafael took a deep breath. “When I was twelve years o
ld I tried to pick-pocket a man. It was
Giovanni Albertosi.”

“What?” Anna gasped.

H
e
glanced at her
, one hand still guiding the wheel. “Yes, it’s true, I’m afraid. I was a real
ruffiano. How do you say that in English? Ruffian?

Anna nodded, speechless.

“
My father walked out on us shortly after I was born and my mother died when I was ten. I was put into foster care. When that didn’t work out I ran away and survived living on the streets.
Some months were so bad I had to steal to stay alive.
”

He spoke without malice or bitterness, like he was telling a story about someone else. It was clear he’d come to terms with his past.

“Oh
,
my gosh, Rafael. I had no idea...”

Her heart went out to Rafael, the kid. She knew what it felt like to be homeless, and unloved. Rafael was clearly a lot more complex than she’d first thought.
Sure, she knew he’d had a rough childhood, but living on the streets... stealing to survive. It was horrific.