Chapter
One
Jada stepped out of the taxi, her
heart pounding and her mouth dry. Behind her the driver pulled her
luggage from the trunk of his vehicle. Of all times, the rain fell,
ruining the hard work she’d done on her hair. Now that she had
arrived at Renzo’s house, she second-guessed herself. Correction. Mansion. The man she’d had a brief six-week affair with on her
once-in-a-lifetime trip to Italy was not the everyday Joe, citizen of
Venice she’d thought he was. No, the dude was in fact a member
of one of the most well known families for producing wine, and the
drive where she now stood lay smack in the middle of Renzo’s
vineyard in Napa Valley, California. What the heck had she been
thinking coming here?
She swiped away the slick hair on
her forehead and turned to speak to the driver. “I think I
changed my mi—”
He’d already gotten back
into his car and was pulling down the drive toward the street. A
moment of panic settled in the pit of Jada’s stomach. She’d
paid him before she stepped out of the car, but she’d thought
he would at least wait until she was sure someone was at home and
they didn’t run her off their property.
She spun back to face the
imposing two-story home with cathedral windows everywhere and a roof
that stretched toward the heavens with myriad spiky peaks. Nothing
could have complemented the circular driveway that surrounded an
incredible oasis of a fountain at the front. Even during twilight as
it was now, the manicured lawns impressed her, and all of it screamed
money. Who would believe her that the fact that she was pregnant with
Renzo’s baby wasn’t some kind of plot to get a share of
their wealth?
“ Hello.”
Jada’s limbs trembled, and
her stomach threatened to give up the half sandwich she’d eaten
just a half hour ago. The voice was at once familiar and yet
different. She forced her head to turn, although the movements were
jerky at best. The man who met her gaze was so like Renzo she had to
stop herself from calling out his name. No, this man was younger,
maybe a good ten years. He didn’t have Renzo’s height or
his overwhelming presence. The twinkling eyes and easy smile were the
same despite that.
He strolled up to her with the
same gait as her former lover. “Have you lost your way? We get
a lot of tourists looking for Ledson, but they stumble onto us
instead.”
Jada opened her mouth to answer
but couldn’t push the words out. He
has a right to know. That’s the only reason I’m here.
Once I tell him, I’m gone. “I—”
Grey eyes narrowed with concern.
“You’re soaked. Come inside out of the rain, and I can
redirect you from there. I can even call for a car to take you where
you’re going.”
Jada didn’t get a chance to
explain. Before she knew it, the stranger had her by the arm and
propelled her toward the front entrance of the house. Over his
shoulder, he called someone’s name, which she didn’t
catch. A teenaged boy appeared from nowhere.
“ Get her luggage,”
the man ordered in a kind but authoritative tone. The boy scrambled
to obey.
Jada found herself in an entryway
that must be as big as the tiny house she’d just bought three
years ago in Charlotte. Okay, she exaggerated, but the opulence took
her breath away. Boy had she made a huge mistake coming here. She
should have sent a letter, phoned, anything .
The problem was Renzo hadn’t given her more than his name in
Florence. She’d had to have someone look into finding him.
Never in a million years had she expected this.
Stairs straight across from the
main entrance led up and then curved to the left and right on the
second floor. She stared in awe at the high ceiling and the two
chandeliers above the staircase’s center. While she took it all
in, a woman moved to the top of the stairs and smiled down at her.
“Welcome. Who are you?”
Once again, Jada started to
speak, but the man at her side cut her off. “Where are my
manners, beautiful lady? Forgive
One
Jada stepped out of the taxi, her
heart pounding and her mouth dry. Behind her the driver pulled her
luggage from the trunk of his vehicle. Of all times, the rain fell,
ruining the hard work she’d done on her hair. Now that she had
arrived at Renzo’s house, she second-guessed herself. Correction. Mansion. The man she’d had a brief six-week affair with on her
once-in-a-lifetime trip to Italy was not the everyday Joe, citizen of
Venice she’d thought he was. No, the dude was in fact a member
of one of the most well known families for producing wine, and the
drive where she now stood lay smack in the middle of Renzo’s
vineyard in Napa Valley, California. What the heck had she been
thinking coming here?
She swiped away the slick hair on
her forehead and turned to speak to the driver. “I think I
changed my mi—”
He’d already gotten back
into his car and was pulling down the drive toward the street. A
moment of panic settled in the pit of Jada’s stomach. She’d
paid him before she stepped out of the car, but she’d thought
he would at least wait until she was sure someone was at home and
they didn’t run her off their property.
She spun back to face the
imposing two-story home with cathedral windows everywhere and a roof
that stretched toward the heavens with myriad spiky peaks. Nothing
could have complemented the circular driveway that surrounded an
incredible oasis of a fountain at the front. Even during twilight as
it was now, the manicured lawns impressed her, and all of it screamed
money. Who would believe her that the fact that she was pregnant with
Renzo’s baby wasn’t some kind of plot to get a share of
their wealth?
“ Hello.”
Jada’s limbs trembled, and
her stomach threatened to give up the half sandwich she’d eaten
just a half hour ago. The voice was at once familiar and yet
different. She forced her head to turn, although the movements were
jerky at best. The man who met her gaze was so like Renzo she had to
stop herself from calling out his name. No, this man was younger,
maybe a good ten years. He didn’t have Renzo’s height or
his overwhelming presence. The twinkling eyes and easy smile were the
same despite that.
He strolled up to her with the
same gait as her former lover. “Have you lost your way? We get
a lot of tourists looking for Ledson, but they stumble onto us
instead.”
Jada opened her mouth to answer
but couldn’t push the words out. He
has a right to know. That’s the only reason I’m here.
Once I tell him, I’m gone. “I—”
Grey eyes narrowed with concern.
“You’re soaked. Come inside out of the rain, and I can
redirect you from there. I can even call for a car to take you where
you’re going.”
Jada didn’t get a chance to
explain. Before she knew it, the stranger had her by the arm and
propelled her toward the front entrance of the house. Over his
shoulder, he called someone’s name, which she didn’t
catch. A teenaged boy appeared from nowhere.
“ Get her luggage,”
the man ordered in a kind but authoritative tone. The boy scrambled
to obey.
Jada found herself in an entryway
that must be as big as the tiny house she’d just bought three
years ago in Charlotte. Okay, she exaggerated, but the opulence took
her breath away. Boy had she made a huge mistake coming here. She
should have sent a letter, phoned, anything .
The problem was Renzo hadn’t given her more than his name in
Florence. She’d had to have someone look into finding him.
Never in a million years had she expected this.
Stairs straight across from the
main entrance led up and then curved to the left and right on the
second floor. She stared in awe at the high ceiling and the two
chandeliers above the staircase’s center. While she took it all
in, a woman moved to the top of the stairs and smiled down at her.
“Welcome. Who are you?”
Once again, Jada started to
speak, but the man at her side cut her off. “Where are my
manners, beautiful lady? Forgive
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