The Playboy's Fugitive Bride (13 page)

Before she left New York, Nia had withdrawn the last of her meager rainy-day savings, but had decided not to close her account.  She didn’t want to give the impression that she was terminating her present life and leaving town forever.  Since she didn’t know exactly where Eddie’s eyes were stationed, it was best she kept things as normal as possible.

No stranger to the art of deception, Nia had disguised herself and changed her rental cars several times on her way to Granite Falls.  She’d checked into one hotel as herself in Connecticut, checked out disguised as young boy later that night, and driven off in a different rental car.  As far as she knew, no one had followed her.

The day she arrived, she put the cash along with her new passport in a safety deposit box at Granite Falls Savings Bank.  So after lunch, she drove to the bank and wired some money to her landlord’s account to pay for storing her stuff, for his troubles, and also for his silence should anyone come asking about her.

She couldn’t tell Massimo all that, so she offered him a small version of the truth.  “I had to call my landlord to break my lease and arrange to have my stuff put into storage.  I also called my school to tell them I was taking a leave of absence, and my friends to let them know I was okay.  I mean, I just kind of disappeared.”

He measured her with a cool appraising look.  “And that took three hours?”

She held his suspicious gaze without flinching.  “I have lots of friends.”

“Hmm.  So, I suppose you got your cellphone problem fixed.”

“What?”

His bushy eyebrows arched.  “Your cellphone.  You never came by Andretti Industries, so I assume you replaced the one you’d lost.”

Nia stared into the granite fireplace.  If she said she’d gotten a new phone, he’d ask to see it, and he would want the number.  Since she’d tossed the phone into the Aiken River after making all her calls, she didn’t have one to show him.  She couldn’t tell Massimo that she’d lost a second phone that quickly.  If she said she hadn’t replaced it yet, he’d want to know how she’d made all her calls to New York. 

“I’m waiting, Nia.  How did you make those calls?  Did you borrow someone’s phone to conduct your business?”

Nia bit into her lower lip. 
Think.  Think, girl.  You managed to get Maine Child Welfare Services off your tail when you were seventeen, you can surely cook up a plausible excuse about a cellphone to throw Massimo off your scent.

She met his gaze.  “I made my calls from the computer café on the circle.  I know how busy you were, Massimo, and didn’t want to bother you, so I just used a pay phone at the café.”

He planted his feet apart and scowled down at her.  “Really?  So if I—”

Whatever he was about to say was lost in the flood of male voices in the hall.  As Massimo swore under his breath, Nia peeked around him to see three dashing handsome men crowding the doorway.

“In here,” one said, stepping into the room.

Nia felt like running over and kissing the dark giant she recognized as Bryce Fontaine.  He was followed by Erik LaCrosse and Adam Andreas—all members of the Granite Falls Billionaires Club.  Like Massimo, they were regularly featured in
Granite Falls People News
.  The only difference was that these men’s sexual escapades weren’t as infamous as Massimo’s.

Bryce had been close, but no cigar.  He’d left that lifestyle behind for marriage, and was now the proud father of two-month old twins.  He and Kaya were also raising her deceased sister’s three children.  Erik and Michelle had three children—Precious, Little Erik, and Tiffany.  Like his cousin Massimo, Adam was still single.

Nia wondered which one of the two would be the first to follow their friends into marital bliss.  She would bank her money on Adam, she thought gazing at the handsome hunk with a head of thick black hair that was even longer than hers.  Massimo was still too egocentric for marriage and family.  She couldn’t imagine him putting anyone else’s needs ahead of his own.  Having a family would force him to make sacrifices.  He was not the kind to do so.

“Mass.” Bryce approached them.

Nia looked on as the men exchanged greetings and hugs.  She felt very small in their towering presence.  Bryce was at least two inches taller than Massimo.  He was known as a global giant in the business world.  Erik was the most sought-after OB/GYN on the east coast, but he also practiced pediatrics for the children of his closest friends, and Adam owned Andreas International, an exclusive chain of hotels and restaurants around the world.  Tables at his restaurants were booked months in advance and required a hefty nonrefundable deposit.

Nia had been tempted to have lunch at the hotel while she’d been lying in wait for Massimo, but when she saw the prices of the salads, she’d sought out the less expensive restaurants in town.  She hoped Andreas was catering the gala tonight.  It’d be wonderful to finally know what the culinary buzz was all about.

“And, who’s this lovely little jewel of the Nile?” Adam asked, smiling down at her. 

“You didn’t tell us you’d be bringing a date,” Erik said.

“If we’d known, we would have had Kaya and Michelle meet us here instead of at the center,” Bryce chimed in.

Massimo pressed his palm into the small of Nia’s back and propelled her gently forward. “This is Nia Sylk.  Nia, meet my two closest friends, Bryce Fontaine and Erik LaCrosse, and my cousin, Adam Andreas.”  He placed his hands possessively on her shoulder.

“It’s a pleasure.”  Nia smiled shyly up at the men.

“The pleasure is all ours, Nia.”  Bryce gave her an affectionate smile.

They took turns shaking and kissing the back of her hand, and each time their lips connected with her skin, she felt Massimo’s grip tighten on her shoulders.

“Shall we sit?”  Massimo led her across the room to a red sofa and sat down so closely beside her, their thighs touched.  Nia tried very hard not to pull away.  A woman who’d asked to become a man’s lover was supposed to try to get closer to him, not try to avoid him.

The three men occupied the chairs on the opposite side of the low table between them.  They all watched her intently, reminding Nia that she was in the presence of some of the most powerful men in the country, perhaps the world.  She was beginning to feel the heat of the tense silence when an attendant entered the room.

“What would you care to drink,
cara
?’ Massimo asked her.

“Red wine, please.”

Massimo rattled off an Italian wine to the attendant then added, “And we’ll have our usual.”

The attendant left as quickly and quietly as he’d arrived.

Nia listened quietly as the men discussed the details of the gala.  The proceeds of the evening would go toward the construction of the headquarters for the Children of the Future Foundation.  It was to be built in Evergreen, a neighboring town, but would serve children from all over the country—children who were disadvantaged, abused, and addicted to drugs and alcohol.

Erik’s wife, Michelle, was the founder of the organization, so Nia understood his uninhibited excitement about the evening.  The pride he had for his wife was evident.

Many of New England’s elite were expected to visit this little mecca nestled in the foothills of the White Mountain National Forest.  As she listened to the conversation, Nia learned that some were even travelling from as far as Connecticut.  But Nia was certain most of them were just coming to see if they could get a glimpse of the Hollywood celebrities, even have their pictures taken with them.

Nia’s brain was in turmoil as she anticipated being caught up in the dizzying spotlight. She hadn’t signed up for this kind of attention.  Her plan was to get in, get her money, and get out without anyone knowing she was even here.  She should have included a ‘no-publicity’ clause in her verbal contract with Massimo.  Since yesterday, he’d been indicating that she was not a very good negotiator.  She had to agree that she had a lot to learn.

Finally, Adam turned to her and began the interrogation she knew was inevitable.  “We must be boring you with all this chatter, Nia.  So it’s your turn.  Tell us, where are you from?”

Nia straightened her shoulders and forced a smile.  “New York.  Brooklyn.”

“Is that where you and Massimo met?”

“No.  We... we met here in Granite Falls.”

“She was actually staying at your hotel, cousin,” Massimo stated, staring at Adam.

“And I missed her?”  Adam’s mouth drooped in disappointment.  “If I’d only seen her first.”

“I don’t think it would have mattered,” Massimo said with an unpleasant twist to his mouth.

“Have you forgotten our motto: First see, first—”

“Are we forgetting that the lady is sitting among us?  You two need to stop squabbling over her as if she were the only bone in the yard,” Bryce said, looking from Massimo to Adam like a displeased father at his quarreling boys.

“I agree,” Erik piped in.  He smiled at Nia.  “You must forgive them, Nia.  They’ve been competing with each other since they were children.  Their fathers encouraged this family rivalry, so it has become a natural parade for both of them.  I can understand Massimo’s possessive behavior toward you.”

Adam held his cousin’s gaze.  “Since you and Gabrielle broke up, we just thought you—”

“
Abbastanza
, Adam,” Massimo growled at his cousin.

“So when did you and Massimo meet?” Bryce asked, moving the conversation back to her.  “I would think it must be some time ago and he’s been keeping you a secret for the grand announcement,” he stated, his black eyes fixed on Massimo.

What the heck is going on?
Nia looked from one man to the other.  They were speaking in code and sending each other peculiar glances as if they were keeping some big secret from her.

“Yesterday, actually,” Massimo provided in a very calm voice that held no traces of the annoyance he’d exhibited just moments ago.

“Weren’t you skiing yesterday?” Erik asked.

Massimo’s gaze caught hers.  “That’s where we met.”  He reached over and curled his fingers around her clenched hands that were lying on her lap.  She was surprised at the comfort his touch offered to her jittery nerves.

“So you’re a skier.”  Bryce said.  “You must be very skilled to have caught Massimo’s attention.  He’s very competitive on the slopes.”

The attendant returned with their drinks.  Pulling her hands from under Massimo’s, Nia grabbed her glass and took a few quick sips even before the men received theirs.  She wished she’d ordered something much stronger than wine.  If she ever needed to get drunk, now was the time.

“So, how did you two meet?” Bryce repeated after the attendant left.

“It was the most interesting introduction I’ve ever had,” Massimo told him.

“All your introductions with women are interesting, Massimo,” Erik teased.

Massimo gazed placidly at her over the rim of his glass.  “Oh, this one was.... unprecedented.  I was totally unprepared for it.  Wouldn’t have expected it in a million years, not even four million,” he added, his deep voice rich with derision.

The men laughed.

Nia cringed.

“What was so different about this one?” Adam asked with obvious traces of jealousy in his voice.

Nia’s pulse began to beat erratically as four pairs of curious eyes turned on her.  When she’d first met them, she’d wondered why Massimo hadn’t already told them about her.  Was it so he could embarrass her in front of them?  Even Massimo couldn’t be this cruel.

Massimo chuckled.  “I’ll let Nia tell you about it.  You’ll like her version better.”

Even worse than embarrassing her, he was putting her on the spot.  Nia’s thoughts scampered vaguely around as the three men leaned forward in their seats—ears, eyes, and mouths agape.  She felt like her breath was being sucked right out of her.  She took a giant gulp of her wine.

“Go on, Nia.  You have our undivided attention,” Erik coaxed.

Massimo reached out and fingered a loose tendril of hair that was resting on her cheek.  The back of his fingers brushed her skin ever so softly as he toyed with the strand.

Nia swallowed a whimper and wrapped her hands around her wine goblet to stop the tremors his touch was evoking.  He knew she wouldn’t dare pull away in front of his friends.  She had to play the role of an enamored lover.  How she would love to toss her wine into his devilish face.

She inhaled deeply and hoped her voice would hold.   “I...  I don’t really ski... 
well
,” she added, realizing she’d have to disclose the real reason she was on the mountain if she admitted she wasn’t a skier.   “I’m a city girl.  I can hardly keep my balance on roller skates.  So it was no surprise to me that I fell flat on my face while going around a bend.  But—” She turned and gave Massimo a genuinely sweet smile, “my knight in a shining ski suit saw me fall and glided to my rescue.  He picked me up, dusted me off, and the rest as they say is history.”

Anxiety spurted through her as the men, who were obviously prepared for an exceptional story, sat back in their seats and looked at each other with mild disappointment at her dull tale.

“Wow, that’s routine compared to my first meeting with Michelle.”  Erik was the first to speak.  “She refused to take no for an answer and barged her way into my home, then my life, and eventually my heart.”

“I hear you, brother.  Kaya wanted to slap me just minutes after we met.  If she could have reached my face, I know she would have.  It took me a month to bring her around.”  Bryce chuckled as he sipped from his glass.

“Not to rain on your parade guys, but Nia’s and my meeting wasn’t as routine as you think.  Was it,
cara
?”

“Are we missing something?”  A frown ruffled Erik’s brow.

“Just that I fell deliberately to attract his attention.”  At the outburst from the men, Nia was pleased with her quick wit.  She glowered at Massimo.

“Leave it to my cousin to stumble upon a beautiful damsel in accidental or deliberate distress.  When it comes to lovely women, he’s one of the luckiest men alive.  And just let me say, Nia, you are by far the loveliest woman he’s ever had the opportunity to meet.”