“It fits perfectly!” She squealed. “Oh, Guido—you’ve had this all along?” She hugged him around the neck with the same strength she’d shown playing soccer. “It’s gorgeous! You’re gorgeous!”

  “So are you. I love you.” He covered her mouth with his own, hardly able to believe that she was going to be his wife after he’d lived through so much agony. Later, when he let her up for breath, she said, “Let’s go below so I can show you how much you mean to me.”

  “Dea, before we both lose complete control, we need to talk about our future.” He grasped her hands and kissed the palms. “You’ve made me the happiest man alive. To know I’m going to be your husband is such a privilege. I want to do everything right.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Just that I want our wedding night to be the first time we make love. After what you’ve told me, it’s my way of honoring you.”

  “But—”

  “No buts.” He pressed another kiss to her lips. “I want to be worthy of you.”

  “Guido, of course you’re worthy! We love each other. I don’t understand.”

  “I need you to love me always and be proud of me. Especially of what I’ll be doing in the future.”

  Her brows knit together. “I am proud of you and whatever you do. You have to know that!”

  “You say that now, and I love you for being so supportive of me. But the owner of a soccer team isn’t a befitting profession for the husband of Count Caracciolo’s princess daughter.”

  “What?”

  “You know it isn’t! Hear me out, squisita. I couldn’t sleep thinking about you last night. I couldn’t wait for us to be together so I could ask you to marry me. The fact that you’ve said yes changes everything.”

  “In what way?”

  “I’m no prospect at the moment. Certainly no father’s idea of the right kind of son-in-law. My father never liked it that I fell in love with soccer.”

  “But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you with all his heart and support whatever decision you make. Where is all this insecurity coming from? Are you afraid I’ll leave you if you stick with soccer? I can see that I’m right.”

  He shook his head. “Whatever the reason, this comes from wanting to take care of you the best way I can and be an example to the children we’ll have. So I’ve decided to sell the team at the end of the season whether we’re victorious or not. It’s only two weeks away. Sergio and Mario have always been interested in buying me out if I chose not to go on.”

  “You don’t mean it! You love the soccer world!”

  “Not the way I love you and the children I want to have with you. Tomorrow I’ll inform my father and grandfather that I’m coming back to work for the company. They’ll be ecstatic.”

  “I’m sure they will, but it’s you I’m worried about. You left the company last year because you felt stifled and needed to do something of your very own. We’ve already talked about this. I thought we were going sailing tomorrow and talking more about plans for the villa. I was thinking we could put in an herb garden at the side of the house.”

  “I love all your ideas, Dea, and want to do everything with you. But this is too important to put off. If you don’t mind, I want us to go back to Rome in the morning.”

  “Stop, Guido. Can’t you hear what you’re saying? You haven’t worked for the company in almost a year. How can you be sure it’s what you want to do?”

  “I’m very sure now that I know I’m going to have a loving wife to take care of for the rest of our lives. Nothing’s more important to me than you.”

  “Being CEO won’t give you the freedom you’ve had as a soccer-team owner. Think about the way you felt when you decided to leave the company and do something that made you feel alive.”

  He crushed her to him. “I didn’t have you in my life then. I want our lives to have stability.”

  “But you have that being the owner of Scatto Roma.”

  “It’s not the same thing. Trust me.”

  “If your team wins the national championship, you might feel very differently about things then. Give it a little more time, darling. How can you think about all this when you’re flying to Siena Sunday morning to play an important match?”

  “I’ll be able to fit everything in.” He pulled her down next to him again. “After we get back to Rome, I’ll fly to Naples. My father will be so elated he’ll plan to call a meeting of the board and things will be put into motion to make me CEO. I want all that in play before we tell either of our parents that we’re getting married.”

  She lay against him, much quieter than before. “Then I’d better not wear this engagement ring around anyone yet.”

  He kissed her neck. “It’ll be our secret for two more weeks, then we can shout it to the world. For now I’ll know you have it and that you’ve promised to be my wife.”

  “Tell me what it is you’ll do as CEO.”

  “Find new markets for new ships. The business is constantly evolving.”

  “How do you go about doing that?”

  “Right now I’d rather talk about you and your work. When do you graduate?”

  “In June. My internship with Juliana will be over.”

  “Do you think she’ll let you go on working with her?”

  “I wouldn’t dream of asking her. I need to prove myself and will have to apply elsewhere. It may take time to find a company that will hire me. One day I hope to build a reputation for myself.”

  “You don’t have to wait to do that. I’ll set you up in your own business and opera companies will flock to you.”

  “That’s very generous of you, darling, but this I have to do myself. Gina is in the same boat. We’re both watching out for each other. While I wait for a bite, I’ll be helping you work on the villa.”

  “Before that we’ll be planning our wedding. I already know where you want to be married.”

  “Since you’re an only child, maybe your parents would love to see you married in Naples at your church.”

  “You’re going to be the bride, Dea. It’ll be your day and your choice.”

  “You mean that?”

  He drew her closer. “How can you even ask me that question?”

  “Then I think it would be lovely to let them give you the wedding of their dreams. They don’t have a daughter. My parents have twin girls and they’ve already had the joy of helping Alessandra plan her wedding.”

  “It was magnificent,” he murmured. “The Archbishop of Taranto even officiated.”

  “You’ve told me of your mother’s sorrow and your father’s pain because he knew she’d wanted more children. When you tell him his plan worked to find you a wife, I have a feeling your parents will get a new lease on life and plan something magnificent too.”

  Guido looked into her eyes. “You don’t have a selfish bone in your delectable body. More than ever I know I don’t deserve you, but I’m going to try from here on out to be all the things you want me to be. Ti amo, Dea. Ti amo.”

  * * *

  With Guido’s declaration of love, he’d sent Dea the message she’d been waiting for all her life, and eventually she fell asleep. But in the middle of the night she awakened disoriented. It took her a minute to realize she was on the sailboat with him.

  Careful not to disturb this man she loved to distraction, she eased out of his arms and got to her feet. The moonlight picked out his striking features and caught the facets of her diamond. Tonight he’d asked her to marry him. On her finger was the proof, yet during her sleep something had bothered her so badly she’d come wide-awake.

  She needed another talk with her sister, but that couldn’t happen until they flew back to Rome. The night was cool so she went downstairs and slept under the blanket until she heard Guido call to her.

  “I’m right here, darling!” She slid off the bed and started up the stairs. They met halfway and Guido swept her in his arms. His kiss was to die for.

  “Where did you go?” He sounded alarmed.

  Dea rubbed his hard jaw. “Umm. You have a beard.”

  “Don’t change the subject.”

  “I guess I’m so excited at the thought of marrying you I woke up during the night. You were sleeping peacefully. I didn’t want to disturb you, so I came down here and went back to sleep.”

  “When I couldn’t find you, I—”

  She hushed the rest of his sentence with her mouth. “It’s going to be fun getting to know all the fascinating little things about each other.”

  He cupped her face. “Except when you scare the daylights out of me.”

  “What did you think happened?” Dea wanted to understand him.

  Guido held her close. “You don’t want to know. I feared someone might have come by and tried to drag you off.”

  “Oh, darling, I’m so sorry.”

  “No. I am for not insisting we go downstairs last night, where we could be totally private and I could better protect you. If you’ll gather your things, we’ll get going. We can shower on the plane and have breakfast.”

  She smiled. “Don’t shave. I like your five o’clock shadow.”

  His eyes darkened with emotion. “I don’t know if I can wait to marry you.”

  “You’re going to be exciting to live with. Already I know you’re an impatient man. It will be a challenge to keep up with you. Come on. Let’s get going. I can tell you’re hungry. I think there are a few more nuts left on deck to tide you over.”

  She gave him a kiss on the cheek, then hurried back down to the bathroom to gather her things and straighten the blanket on the bed. Guido brought the quilt and pillows downstairs and put them in the cupboard.

  “Pretty soon we’ll be getting a lot of use out of that,” he said, glancing at the bed.

  Her heart raced. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” On that bold note she dashed out of the room and up the stairs with her overnight case. His deep laughter preceded him on deck.

  Before they got in the rental car, she took off her ring and slipped it in her purse. It wouldn’t do if the steward or the pilot saw her wearing it. Secrets always had a way of getting out. Word would somehow get back to Guido’s family.

  On the way to the airport she brushed her hair and put on lipstick. Guido watched her out of the corner of his eye. “You’re going to be my wife, but I still can’t believe I’m marrying my fantasy.”

  “I love you so much. It seems too wonderful to be true.”

  His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “I’d like to take you to Naples with me. I hope you understand why I need to go alone first.”

  “I do.”

  “I probably won’t get back to Rome until midnight and then I’ll have to be up at dawn.”

  “Guido? How would you feel if I flew to Siena to watch the game with you?”

  “Much as I’d love it, when we’re the visiting team I can’t see to your needs or make you comfortable.”

  She could tell what he was trying to do. He had no idea how much this was hurting her. To her grief, there was no dissuading him from his plans. “Then I’ll watch it on TV.”

  “As soon as it’s over, I’ll phone you and we’ll make plans to spend Monday night together.”

  Once they boarded the plane and were in the air, Guido disappeared long enough to shower and change so he’d be able to fly directly to Naples from the airport in Rome. Dea decided to wait until she got home to her apartment to shower and wash her hair.

  The steward served them a delicious breakfast. Guido asked her to show him some of her drawings for the villa. She got them out of her case and they pored over everything. He had his own ideas, of course, but loved most everything she’d suggested except for the Cuor di Leone motif.

  “That’s too over the top, bellissima.” He squeezed her hand across the table. “Have I hurt your feelings?”

  “Yes, but I’ll find a way to live with it. In fact I’ll put that poster of you on the door of our new walk-in closet, where I can indulge my fantasy about you.”

  Too soon the seat belt light flashed. They were getting ready to land. This would be their first separation as an engaged couple, but she could tell Guido’s mind was in a dozen different places. He was a man on a mission. The wrong one, as far as she was concerned.

  When they’d taxied to a stop, Guido walked her out of the plane and down the steps to a waiting limo he’d arranged for her. He helped her in the back with her case and told the driver where to take her.

  “The next time we’re together, we’ll plan our wedding. One more game a week from Sunday, and then we’ll tell our families. Miss me.” He planted a fierce kiss on her mouth before shutting the door.

  That was the second time he’d said that to her. Did he honestly think she wouldn’t? Didn’t he know yet what he meant to her?

  She gave him a little wave. The limo drove away before he could see moisture bathing her cheeks. It didn’t take long for Dea to get into her apartment. She hoped no one had seen her tear-ravaged face.

  The minute she was safely inside, she opened her purse and put the ring in her jewelry case. With that done, she pulled out her phone and flung herself on the bed to call Alessandra.

  Please be home. Please answer.

  Five rings and her voice mail came on. Of course it did. On a Saturday she and Rini had to be out somewhere with the baby. Dea asked her to phone her back when she could without leaving a reason for the call.

  This ought to have been the happiest day of her life, but as it wore on, her pain grew heavier. A trip to work out in the gym didn’t relieve it. All she could think about was Guido’s reason for flying to Naples today.

  She came back to the apartment to shower and wash her hair. The rest of the day was taken up when Daphne Butelli, the friend who she’d modeled with, phoned. Daphne wanted to meet up, so they decided to see a film and get dinner after. The distraction didn’t help her mental state. She came back to the apartment still filled with anxiety.

  While she was watching the news on TV, her phone rang. At last, she thought when she saw the caller ID.

  “Alessandra?”

  “Hi, Dea. I’m so sorry not to have gotten back to you until now. We spent the day with Rini’s father in Naples. It was his birthday. Carlo and his family came too. As usual we had to take so much stuff for Brazzo I forgot my phone. Until we got back home tonight, I didn’t realize you’d called me this morning.”

  “Please don’t apologize. Is Rini close by?”

  “No. He’s in the den taking care of business he didn’t get done today. Are you all right?”

  “Yes.”

  “No, you’re not. I can hear it in your voice.”

  “I’m afraid Rini will walk in on our conversation.”

  “This is about Guido, right?”

  A sad laugh escaped. “Who else?” The tears started again.

  “We’re safe for a while. Talk to me.”

  “I’ll make this short. In case Rini surprises you, please don’t react to what I’m going to tell you and don’t tell him anything after you hang up. Make something up. This is for your ears only.”

  “I promise.”

  “We spent the night on his sailboat in Ischia. He asked me to marry him and gave me a beautiful diamond ring. But he doesn’t want anyone to know we’re engaged yet. He plans to sell his soccer team after his last game a week from tomorrow.

  “In the meantime, he flew to Naples today to tell his father he’s going back to the shipping lines and will accept the position as CEO. When all that is accomplished, then we’ll announce our wedding plans.”

  “What you’ve just told me has me jumping out of my skin for joy, so why are you so unhappy?”

  Dea sank down on the side of the bed. “Because when I see Guido on Monday night, I’m giving back the ring.”

  A long silence followed. “What am I missing?”

  “Guido’s afraid I’ll leave him.”

  “I’m not following.”

  “Maybe this will help.” She told her sister about Guido’s insecurity where his father was concerned. “He said that the owner of a soccer team isn’t a befitting profession for the husband of Count Caracciolo’s princess daughter.”

  “He actually said that?”

  “Oh, yes.”

  She heard her sister groan. “I can’t believe it.”

  “Neither can I. Deep in his psyche he thinks he has to work for his father to prove his own worth.”

  “Oh, Dea, I don’t know what to say.”

  “You’re not alone. A year ago he left the shipping business to buy the soccer team. He loves what he does now. There’s excitement in him. I’m afraid he’ll lose all that by giving it up. He’s only doing it because of me, Alessandra, and what he thinks his father expects of him. I can’t live with him knowing he’s giving up what he loves most.”

  “No. I couldn’t, either.”

  “I’m glad you agree with me.” Given the turbulent, painful history between Dea and her sister, only Alessandra could understand her reasoning. “If I return the ring on Monday night, no harm will have been done. No one will ever have to know he proposed and it will all be over before any decisions he’s made are final. Then he’ll be free to do what he really wants.”

  “But he wants you.”

  “He won’t want me, not when he knows why I can’t keep the ring. And I’ve made another decision.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Tomorrow I’m going to send out résumés over the internet to places needing period costume designers for either the opera or the theater. If it means moving to England or France for a time, I know it will be a good thing. My career is important to me and I’m not going to let this set me back.”