CHAPTER ONE
It was one of those picture-perfect days in New Orleans, a brilliantly beautiful January day with the sun shining super-bright and the clouds racing one another across a radiant blue sky. It was a postcard-pretty day…and Arie was miserable.
She could not believe what she’d done. Seriously, what kind of fool had she been to think this would work? A marriage proposal from super-handsome billionaire, Rome Milano? She’d been over the moon. But now, one month into their engagement, she was having second thoughts.
And, unfortunately, it was for good reason because when Rome found out she’d kept something this serious from him she didn’t know if he would ever forgive her.
She shook her head, trying desperately to clear her mind of a thought that was both depressing and exciting at the same time. Goodness, she felt like she was being torn in two. With a hiss of frustration she hopped up off the concrete bench and pulled her jacket closer around her. She’d had enough of gazing into the murky waters of her backyard pond. If she sat there one minute longer she’d go mad.
She was heading back toward the house when her cell phone rang. She dug it out of her pocket and glanced at the screen. Lena. Arie almost sighed. She wasn’t in the mood for a chat but when her business partner called she knew she’d better answer. This could be important.
“Hey, Lena. What’s up?” She forced a note of cheerfulness into her voice even though she was feeling anything but.
“Hey, girl,” Lena said, sounding cheery enough for both of them. “What are you doing on this beautiful Sunday morning?”
Arie grimaced. As she’d told herself earlier, she wasn’t in the mood for chit-chat. Apparently, Lena was. Still, this was her long-time partner and friend. She had to at least try. “Oh, nothing,” she said. “I’ll probably just catch up on my reading.”
“What? On a lovely day like this?” Lena sounded appalled. “I thought for sure you and Rome would be doing something special. Or is he away? Off to Italy, is he?”
“No, he’s in Sydney right now. Remember I told you about the launch of his men’s formal wear line?”
“Oh, yeah. I forgot it was this weekend.” Lena clucked her tongue. “Now don’t you be sitting there, moping around the house, missing him. Do you want me to come over?”
“No, it’s okay.” Arie was quick to respond. The last thing she needed was to have to put on a happy face when all she wanted to do was cry. “I’ll be all right. I’ll call him later. He’ll be back in a few days, anyway.”
“Well, all right. If you’re sure.” Lena sounded doubtful, almost like she could sense that all was not well on the other end of the line. “I’ll give you a buzz later, okay?”
“Okay,” Arie said meekly, knowing that her friend would do as she’d promised no matter what reassurance she tried to give her. No-nonsense and stubborn, that was Lena.
Arie did spend the rest of the morning moping around the house, the very thing Lena had warned her not to do. And she was missing Rome. Terribly. But on top of all that she was consumed with guilt for what she’d done and for what she was about to do.
The really sad thing was, she didn’t want to lose what she and Rome had. It was too precious, too perfect. How could she give up on the love she’d found? How could she say goodbye to Rome?
As her thoughts homed in on the man who filled her every waking thought Arie’s mind went back to the first day she saw him, so commanding and so sinfully sexy she couldn’t tear her eyes away. Then when he’d practically commanded her to his office the following week she’d gone, never once imagining that a little over a month later she would be accepting his proposal to become his wife.
But not anymore. Today that would all come to an end because of the biggest dilemma of all.
How could she suddenly bring a baby into his life, one that wasn’t even his?
***
“Rome, this is wonderful. It’s the best show I’ve ever seen.” Of anyone watching the grand finale, Iyana was clapping loudest of all. “Thanks for inviting me.”
Rome smiled, pleased that his personal assistant was having so much fun. “My pleasure,” he said with a nod and he meant it.
In the year and a half she’d been working for him Iyana had been a hard worker, efficient and organized, one of the best he’d had. It hadn’t been a hard decision to surprise her with a trip to Sydney to accompany him to the Australia launch of his men’s formal line. These past few months she’d been busy with the behind-the-scenes preparation for the launch so why not reward her by letting her see it all come to life on the runway?
“You deserve it,” he said honestly and when she turned and gave him a huge smile of gratitude, he laughed. He’d certainly made the right decision when he’d invited her to come along.
But even as he stared into the wide brown-eyed gaze of the woman sitting beside him, the sounds of applause faded away and the brown eyes morphed into brilliant blue ones, the eyes of the woman who had the power to dominate his thoughts and transport him away, no matter where he was or what he was doing.
Arie Angelis, the love of his life…what was she doing now? Was she consumed with thoughts of him as he was with thoughts of her? Did everything remind her of him like they reminded him of her? His lovely little Arie had turned him into a love-sick sap and he didn’t give a damn.
As Rome sat there in the middle of a crowd of thousands his thoughts flew back to the first time he’d laid eyes on Arie, a petite blonde with brilliant blue eyes that drew you in, wrapped you in a web of intrigue and never let you go. He’d come up with a ruse to get her to come to his office but it was only because he’d been dying to see her again and then, before he knew what was happening, he’d fallen in love with the enchanting little pixie. By the time Christmas came around he was professing his love and asking her to marry him.
That Christmas day had been the best he’d ever had. To his relief she’d said yes and they’d spent a wonderful Christmas together, knowing that they’d be together at Christmas for the rest of their lives.
And then it was time to think about the wedding. For him, the ideal would be an escape to an island resort where they’d tie the knot in front of a local official. She wasn't as enthusiastic about the island escape but, thankfully, she was on board with the idea of a small wedding. She wasn't fussy, she told him. As long as, at the end of the day she was his wife, she was happy.