CHAPTER THIRTEEN

A week later, London

‘Y OU LOOK AS if you’re thinking of doing serious harm to someone. Anyone I know?’

Vito looked around at Massimo Black, who was handing him a crystal tumbler holding dark golden liquid. Immediately it made him think of the way Flora’s eyes darkened when their bodies joined, glowing dark golden. His fingers tightened on the glass. She’d been haunting him ever since he’d left Rome. Her words reverberating in his head like taunts.

‘I love the bones of you...you’d be an amazing father... I won’t rest until I find someone who can really see me...and trust who I am.’

Vito forced it all out of his mind. He’d been invited here to Black’s office in London ahead of their dinner. They hadn’t signed anything yet but his conscience rose up like bile in his throat.

He faced the man and said, ‘There’s something you need to know.’

Black raised a brow. ‘Like the fact that you’re no longer in a relationship?’

Vito couldn’t have been more stunned if the man had just landed a blow to his gut. He felt winded. ‘How do you know?’ Had it got to the papers? He hadn’t released a statement yet, telling himself he’d wanted to tell Black in person first, but also because another part of him had resisted it.

Black took a sip of his drink. ‘Carrie got a phone call from Flora, who wanted to pass on a message to me.’

Black came to stand beside Vito at the window. Vito asked as politely as he could, ‘What did she say?’

What he really wanted to ask was, Was she all right? Where did she say she was?

He knew she’d left the apartment in Rome because Sofia had told him she’d moved out, with no forwarding address. Was she homeless again? Was she—?

‘She said that even though you were no longer in a relationship she hoped it wouldn’t affect my judgement of your reputation, and that I’d be a fool to not go into business with you.’

Vito felt a rush of warmth around his chest at the thought of Flora advocating for him.

‘I love the bones of you...’

He said, more tersely than he’d intended, ‘And?’

Black gave him a look. ‘I won’t lie—if headlines in the paper feature your love affairs over your business affairs, I won’t be inclined to continue investment. I favour discretion above all things.’

The bile stayed stuck in Vito’s throat. The thought of even looking at another woman or taking another woman to his bed was almost repugnant to him. He muttered, ‘I don’t think you’ll need to worry about that.’

‘So why...? If you don’t mind me asking.’

Vito chased the bile down his throat with a gulp of whiskey, and then, knowing he could very well be losing the best prospect of investment he could ever get, he said, ‘I do mind you asking, actually.’ Because he had no answers any more. He’d been so sure when he’d stood in front of Flora after she’d told him she loved him, but now that certainty was far less...certain.

Black said, ‘Fair enough.’

‘Do you still want to do business with me?’ Vito would prefer to know now.

Black looked at him for a long moment and then said, ‘Yes, I do, and this might sound crazy but, even though I only met her a couple of times, I trust Flora’s judgement of you as a person. But I won’t tolerate bad press going forward, Vitale, understood?’

‘Understood,’ Vito said, feeling grim, when he should be feeling ecstatic. But all he could think about was the fact that this man, who was little more than a stranger really, trusted Flora more than Vito had.

When Vito returned to the apartment in Rome a couple of days later, he expected that being back in the city would make him feel more settled. After all, he’d just spent time in the two places where he’d so recently had Flora on his arm and in his bed—he’d been bound to miss her presence.

Her scent, her smile, her infectious enthusiasm, her joy in everything, even the damned dog.

Vito scowled as he removed his tie and jacket. The apartment felt empty. Like a void. Lonely. In all his years since losing his parents he’d never felt lonely. He’d been too preoccupied. And then obsessed, with Flora. But now he felt it and it wasn’t welcome.

He saw a box on the main table in the reception room and went over. A small black box. And a note. He picked it up.

Vito, I couldn’t seem to take these back. Please accept them now as my thank-you. I hope you find happiness in your life, Flora. And Benji.

Vito opened the box but he already knew what it was. The cufflinks Flora had tried to gift him in New York. The eagles. Soaring high above it all, with that eagle-eyed vision. And suddenly Vito realised that the landscape below had become very barren and desolate.

I hope you find happiness...

It might never have occurred to him that it was a state he wanted to achieve, if he hadn’t met Flora. It might never have been something he wanted to aspire to more than professional success. Because it hit him now that, for the last weeks...he’d been happy. For the first time in a long time. Since the tragedy of losing his parents. It had sneaked under his skin and into his head and heart without him even noticing. Teasing him with the possibility that he might have that again, in his life.

It was ironic. The Gavias had got the final word. The final revenge. Because Flora had cursed him, without even knowing it. Because now he knew what he wanted and needed and that the only way he’d ever find it was with her. But she deserved nothing less than his full surrender and the question Vito had to face was this: was he brave enough to admit that, in the end, after all he’d done and achieved, that he was still defeated? Because he hadn’t realised until now where true success and fulfilment lay.

‘I love it, Flora, you’re a genius.’

‘Thanks, Maria, but honestly, I’m not even qualified to be doing this. You should find someone who knows—’ Flora stopped mid-sentence because someone had appeared in the doorway of the new offices of the women’s aid centre.

Vito. Her heart palpitated. She was imagining him. So many times in the last couple of weeks, she’d seen a tall, dark-haired figure only to realise that it was a very poor facsimile of the real man. Maria saw her face and turned around. But Maria knew who he was, of course, because he was funding the charity’s new home. Vito was a hero.

Maria went over and Flora could hear the emotion in her voice. ‘Signor Vitale, thank you so much. You have no idea how far your money is going to go to help women and children who need a safe place.’

Vito looked at Maria and shook her hand and murmured something Flora couldn’t hear. Then he looked at Flora and said, ‘It’s down to Flora. You can thank her.’

Maria made a half-chuckle. ‘No matter what I say or do, she insists on coming here to work for us for free.’

Flora’s conscience pricked. Maria didn’t know about her inheritance yet and even though Flora had met the solicitor, she’d only taken enough money to find a small place of her own to rent. Maria had offered her board again, but Flora didn’t want to take a space that could be given to someone who really needed it. She did have every intention, of course, of donating a significant amount to the aid centre, as soon as she’d got her head around the vast amount of money in her solicitor’s bank account with her name on it. ‘Don’t be silly. It’s a pleasure to help. You helped me.’

Maria said, ‘What can we do for you, Signor Vitale?’

So far, Flora had somehow avoided making direct eye contact with Vito, but it was as if he was telepathically communicating with her to look at him. She did, and her insides somersaulted. He looked...different. Somehow undone. She only realised then that he was wearing faded jeans and boots. A T-shirt under a light bomber jacket. And that he was holding a motorcycle helmet in one hand. Pink.

He said, ‘Flora, can I borrow you for a little while?’

Totally bemused and thrown by the dressed-down Vito and the pink helmet, she said, ‘Okay.’

Maria said, ‘You’ve done enough today, go on.’

Flora grabbed her light jacket and pulled it on, following Vito out and down the stairs to the street where a motorcycle was parked, leaning to one side. Some kids were looking at it and scattered. ‘Vito...what’s going on? Is this yours?’ She pointed to the bike.

‘Yes, it is, and do you know something? I’ve never even taken it out for a ride until today. It was a status purchase.’

Flora looked at him. ‘But you do know how to ride it?’

‘Of course.’ He handed her the pink helmet. ‘Here, put this on.’ Flora took the helmet. Was this really happening? Or was she hallucinating? She put the helmet on her head and Vito—who was now sitting on the bike—said, ‘Come here.’

Flora took a step towards him and he fastened the strap under her chin. The feel of his fingers on her skin shot through her like electricity. Real, not a hallucination. She put a hand on his and said, ‘Vito, what are you doing here?’

He looked at her. ‘I just want to talk. Is that okay?’

Flora couldn’t speak. She was afraid to ask what about in case it was just to apologise or...ask her if she wanted to prolong the affair even though she was in love with him and he wasn’t with her—She shut her whirling thoughts down and took a deep breath and then Vito said, ‘Where’s Benji?’

Flora found it ridiculously moving that he’d spared a thought for the dog. ‘Upstairs in his bed. He had a big walk earlier so he was asleep. Maria will keep an eye on him.’

‘Okay, hop on.’ Vito held out a hand and Flora put hers into it, letting him help her to swing onto the seat behind him. She couldn’t stop herself from falling into the groove of the seat, snug behind Vito. He put on his own helmet and said over his shoulder, ‘Put your arms around my waist.’

Flora did so, and found herself slipping even closer to his broad back. The powerful bike throttled to life under them, and then they were off, weaving through the hectic Roman traffic.

It was late afternoon and the city was bathed in golden sunshine. Flora gave up trying to think about what Vito wanted to say or where they were going. She was enjoying the feel of his body against hers and kept her hands tied tight around his torso. She could feel his muscles bunching and relaxing as he drove with sexy confidence.

She realised where they were headed when he started climbing up out of the city onto Janiculum Hill, one of Rome’s famous vantage points with amazing views of the city. There was a large car park and a wall where people stood to take pictures or just take in the view.

Feeling very bemused as Vito stopped the bike and got off, Flora let him help her off. She removed the helmet and he took it and put it with his in a carrier at the back.

Flora looked around at the people and the tourist stalls selling hats, water, pictures... ‘Vito...what are we doing here?’

He took her hand and led her over to the wall, a quiet spot. He let her hand go. She looked at him and realised that he seemed nervous. He looked out over the city and said, ‘I used to come here after my folks died, and after everything was gone but the name of the business. We’d even lost our home and were living in a cheap hotel...did I mention that?’

Flora shook her head. But Vito wasn’t looking at her. He said, ‘I know how terrifying it must have been for you to leave my office that day with nothing but the clothes on your back because after my mother died, that’s pretty much all I had too.’

‘Were you homeless?’ Flora’s guts clenched.

‘For a little while, but I learnt to hustle and managed to scrape together enough to get by and find a hostel and then build up from there.’

Flora’s mind boggled at the amount of work he would have had to put in, to start all over again from nothing. Just his name.

He continued, ‘I used to come up here and look out over the city. And I used to imagine your uncle down there somewhere, wining and dining. Living in his palazzo, living off my father’s ruined reputation and business.’

He glanced at Flora. ‘Living off your inheritance, although I didn’t know that then.’

He looked out at the view again. ‘But now, it’s someone else who consumes me when I look at this view.’

Flora’s heart rate was erratic. ‘Who’s that?’

He looked at her. ‘ You , of course. I’ll be wondering where you are, who you’re with. Wondering if you’re happy. What are you doing? Are you using that money for yourself or giving it all away to the first person who comes along? Because I do know you, Flora, and I do see you. You’re pure, and good and true, and kind. In spite of everything that’s happened to you.’

Flora shook her head, embarrassed. ‘I’m not. You’re making me sound like a saint.’

He touched her cheek with a finger, so fleetingly she almost wondered if she’d imagined it. ‘You are, compared to me. I let anger and grief dominate my life, crushing all the goodness out of everything. Crushing any hopes and dreams beyond achieving success and revenge.’

Flora couldn’t speak. Vito continued, ‘But then you came along and showed me how lacking my life really was and how empty my future was. I want a real future, Flora, full of happiness and fulfilment beyond material gains or success.’

Flora felt light-headed. She repeated his words. ‘You want a real future.’

‘Yes, but it can only exist with one other person. You, Flora. I can’t have that future unless you’re in it, with me, by my side. I pushed you away because you exposed me for being a coward.’

She shook her head, not sure how she was still standing. ‘You’re not a coward. You’re one of the bravest people I’ve ever met.’

Vito put a hand on her cheek, stopping her words. ‘You’re brave, Flora, you’re braver than me. When you told me you loved me I pushed you away because I knew that to admit to loving you would mean surrendering everything I’ve identified with for years—grief, pain, loss, revenge.’

‘What are you saying, Vito?’

He smiled but she could see the nerves behind it and the emotion in his eyes. ‘I’m saying that I love you, Flora. Adore you. I lasted two miserable weeks before realising there was only one option. To surrender. But it’s a happy surrender. I hand myself over to you, body, heart and soul, if you’ll still have me?’

Flora looked up at Vito. He was stripped as bare as she’d ever seen him, and she’d never seen him like this. But she was taking too long. Doubt crept into his eyes, his expression started to grow tight. He said, ‘You deserve the best, Flora. Maybe you’ve already realised that and you know that I’m not—’

Before he could self-doubt a second longer, Flora launched herself at him, wrapping her legs around his waist, almost toppling him, but he stayed standing, and wrapped his arms around her. ‘Flora?’

‘I love you, Vito. No one else would be good enough for me. You’re the best. I told you before I love the bones of you and I always will and I want to live my whole life with you.’

She could feel the emotion moving in his chest as he sucked in breaths. ‘Thank God. For a moment I thought it might be too late.’

She shook her head and said, ‘Never too late.’ She bent her head and covered his mouth with hers and a cheer went up from the tourists around them. Flora smiled against Vito’s mouth and buried her flaming face in his neck.

Later, in Vito’s apartment, after they’d moved Flora’s and Benji’s belongings back from where she’d been renting near to the new women’s aid offices, they lay in bed, bodies cooling in the aftermath of spent passion.

Their fingers were entwined and Flora’s leg was draped over Vito’s thigh. They were pressed together, and her hair, wild and untamed, flowed over the pillow behind her head. She’d never looked more beautiful and Vito had never felt more content. He’d forgotten what it could feel like. True happiness. It still terrified him slightly but he wouldn’t give it up again for the world.

Flora pressed a kiss to his chest and he tipped up her chin with his free hand. He came up on one elbow and looked down at her. She looked at him and smiled. His heart turned over. He said, ‘By the way, there was one other thing I wanted to discuss with you.’

She smiled even wider. ‘Yes, to whatever it is.’

Vito lay back and smirked. ‘That was easy.’

Flora leaned up and hit him playfully. ‘What was it?’

Vito grinned. He felt younger. Carefree. He let go of her hand and turned away to the bedside table and took the small black box out of the drawer. He sat up, suddenly nervous again.

Flora sat up too, pulling the sheet up. She looked from Vito to the box and back. ‘Vito?’

He opened it and she looked down and he saw how she paled. She put a hand to her mouth and then looked at him again. ‘Are you...is this...?’

He nodded. ‘I don’t want there to be any doubt... I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Flora. Will you marry me?’

He took the art deco yellow diamond ring out of the box and took her hand. It was trembling. ‘Flora?’

She looked at him and tears were brimming in her eyes. She nodded, smiled, and said chokily, ‘Yes, Vito...yes, I’ll marry you.’

He slid the ring onto her finger and said, ‘More tasteful than the first one?’

She half laughed and hiccuped. She threw her arms around his neck and he fell onto his back, happily under her lush body.

‘Yes,’ she said, ‘infinitely.’ She kissed him. When she pulled back, Vito tucked some hair behind her ear and said, ‘One more thing.’

‘Anything.’

‘Some day, when you’re ready and after you’ve done your graphic design course—’

‘I’m doing a course?’

‘Yes, you are.’

She grinned. Vito almost lost his train of thought, especially because a certain part of his anatomy was already coming back to life, but he forced himself to focus.

‘You said that you’d like a family...’

Flora went still. ‘You said you didn’t.’

Vito pushed some of her hair over her shoulder. ‘Well, that was before I knew you. I think now that a little girl, with her mother’s golden-brown eyes and long wild hair, wouldn’t be such a bad thing.’

Vito felt Flora’s heart pounding against his chest. She said, ‘Or a little boy with his father’s dark hair and dark eyes and his fierce spirit.’

Vito kissed her. ‘Or maybe, a little boy with his mother’s curly hair and golden eyes and a little girl with her father’s dark hair and eyes...’

Flora kissed him and Vito tasted the saltiness of her tears. She drew back. ‘Yes, Vito, yes to all of it. I want it all, with you. For ever.’

He flipped them so that he was on top and between Flora’s legs. She opened to him and as he joined their bodies he echoed her vow, ‘For ever.’

A month later, Rome

Vito stood at the top of the church, waiting. He fiddled nervously with the cufflinks that Flora had given him. The eagles. Flora was late. The crowd were whispering and he knew what they were saying.

Was she was going to do to him what he did to her?

The tie around Vito’s neck felt tight. He resisted the urge to loosen it. In truth, he’d never felt so exposed, laid bare, as he did in this moment, but he didn’t even care. Because all he cared about was that Flora would come to him as promised, even though he deserved every ounce of humiliation she could dish out and more.

She’s not like you...she’s a good person.

He smiled tightly. And then, the crowd hushed and a ripple of expectancy went around the church.

Tension eased inside Vito. She was here. She’d come. She did love him. Music started up. He couldn’t help it, he had to turn around. His heart stopped.

Flora stood framed in the doorway, a vision. In a simple white dress, off the shoulder, with little cap sleeves on her upper arms. A structured lace bodice with flowers embroidered into the lace, little pearls in the middle of each flower. It fell in soft tulle folds to the floor. It was simple, whimsical, romantic and very Flora.

Her hair was down, adorned by just a garland of white flowers on the top of her head. The only jewellery she wore, apart from her engagement ring, was the gold necklace Vito had given her. She held a simple posy of white wild flowers in one hand and by the other she held a lead. Benji danced around her feet wearing a white dicky-bow collar.

Vito could see that Flora was nervous, and wanted to scoop her up. She might be nervous, but she was brave. Braver than anyone he knew. And he watched with pride as she moved forward and started walking down the aisle, alone.

When she got halfway, Vito thought, The hell with this , and strode forward to meet her. He got to her and couldn’t help grinning, his vision blurring a little.

She looked up, grinning too. She said softly, ‘Did I have you scared for a second?’

Vito let out a short sharp laugh. He cupped her face in his hands and pressed a kiss to her mouth, ignoring the gasps and fevered whispers and the pointed coughing of the priest. He drew back and said, ‘Every day, woman, you terrify me with your goodness and how much I love you.’

She winked at him, but he could see the emotion in her eyes too. She said, ‘That’s good, because someone has to keep you on your toes.’

Hand in hand, Vito and Flora walked the rest of the way to the altar, with their dog, and committed to a lifetime of love and joy.