Dea’s hungry eyes played over his hard-muscled body as he put some sacks on the table. He was the most gorgeous man on earth, whether in shorts and a T-shirt like he was wearing, or nothing at all.

  “I brought you something that will interest you.”

  “I thought by now you’d figured out that you are my only interest.”

  A smile of satisfaction lit up his handsome face. He drew a newspaper out of one of the bags and handed it to her. “Look on page two. No doubt my father had a great deal to do with the half-page article and picture in the Corriere della Sera.”

  She smiled up at him. “The paper with the largest circulation in Italy? Of course he did. He’s the proud papà.”

  Dea propped herself against the pillows. The second she opened to the article, she let out a cry. There she was in her flowing white wedding gown and veil coming out of the church with Guido in a formal dark suit hugging her waist. The happiness on their faces brought tears to her eyes as she read the article.

  On June 30, Signor and Signora Guido Ernesto Fortunati Rossano were married in the fourteenth-century church of San Giovanni a Carbonara in Naples. A reception followed at the Rossano villa. The island of Ischia will be home to the famous couple.

  The bride, gorgeous former supermodel now turned opera-wardrobe designer Dea Caracciolo, is the twenty-eight-year-old daughter of Count Onorato Caracciolo and Princess Taranto of Southern Italy.

  The groom, thirty-two-year-old Guido, the son of prominent shipping magnate Leonides Rossano and Isabella Fortunati, and the grandson of Ernesto Rossano, is the former national soccer champion of Italy known as the Cuor di Leone. At present he is the new owner of the fast-rising soccer team Scatto Roma. The team is tied for first place with Team Venezia, and the two will compete in a play-off for the national championship July 3 at the Emanuele Soccer Stadium in Rome.

  Dea put down the newspaper. “I think the reporter got it all in and then some.”

  “Do you mind? You know Papà.”

  “Darling, I love him. He’s your father and I love his son so terribly that if you don’t get in bed and love me this instant, I won’t survive another minute.”

  “Well, we can’t have that.” He removed his clothes with startling speed and slid beneath the quilt to roll her on her back. “Dea,” he whispered, looking down at her. “I keep thinking we’re in a dream and I’m going to wake up. We aren’t dreaming, are we?”

  “I don’t think so, and I’m afraid you’re stuck with a wanton for good.”

  “If every man were stuck with a passionate woman like you, we’d all be in permanent heaven.”

  “Honestly? H-has it been good for you?” Her voice faltered.

  He shook his dark blond head. “Can’t you tell what you do to me? For three days I haven’t let you leave my arms. You’re so beautiful, I’m constantly out of breath. If you could see the way you look with your hair spread out on the pillow, and the way your eyes darken with emotion, maybe you’d understand. But you’re not a man.”

  “Thank heaven for that. You make me thankful I’m a woman.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I wish we’d met ten years ago. When I think of the time we’ve wasted.”

  “I try not to think about it. What matters is now. You’ve made me happier than I could ever have imagined. Love me again, squisita.” He lowered his mouth to hers and began to make love to her with a new ferocity. For the next few hours Dea was shaken by a passion she’d never known.

  Her amazing husband had been so wise to insist they wait until they were married to become intimate lovers. To experience the wonder of lovemaking like this without knowing you belonged to each other first would take away this ultimate joy.

  They finally fell asleep again. Later he wakened her with a hungry kiss. “How would you like to sleep on the boat tonight? I thought it was time we christened that bedroom too.”

  She chuckled. “I agree. Why don’t we eat and then go sailing?”

  “Are you saying that for my sake?”

  Dea gave him an impish grin. “Yes! Because I can tell you’re suddenly restless. The game on Sunday is on your mind. I’m thinking about it too. Tomorrow we’ll be flying back to Rome. Before we leave, I want to spend our last night on the Bona Dea. She is the goddess of fertility.”

  His blue eyes flickered with emotion. “Would you really like to start a family right away?”

  “Yes, if we can. But if you don’t feel that way...”

  He kissed her deeply. “I want it all with you as fast as possible.”

  “I’m so glad you said that. We’re not getting any younger. It would be so nice if we had a baby soon who would become friends with Brazzo. They’re planning on adopting another baby one of these days.”

  “I know. Rini told me.”

  “When did he tell you that?”

  “Yesterday evening while you were in the shower, he left me a message that they were negotiating for another baby. According to Alessandra, it will be the closest thing to having twins. He said he hoped I was doing my own form of negotiation in order to get the job done too. He ended with, ‘Hurry.’”

  She sat straight up. “He didn’t!”

  “Oh, yes, he did. Do you want to see my phone?”

  “No. You two are incorrigible. Alessandra would have a cow if she knew he’d written that to you.”

  “A cow?”

  “It’s an American expression Gina picked up from Aldo’s New York friend and she passed it on to me.”

  He grabbed her hand and pressed it against his heart. “I swear I’ll keep it a secret from my new sister-in-law.” In the next breath he threw off the quilt. She screamed, provoking his laughter.

  “Come on, Aphrodite. Even your lover, who can never get enough of you, has to renew his energy, and I’m starving!”

  October 10, Posso Island, Southern Italy

  The sun had just fallen into the water. “There they are!” Dea had glimpsed the Jeep behind the castle as the helicopter dipped closer. “This is so exciting to be having a reunion here at last!”

  Once they landed, Guido hugged her hips before helping her down. Every time he touched her, her legs turned to jelly. She hurried toward the Jeep and saw that her sister had brought Brazzo with them. He was seated on her lap playing with his purple octopus, tugging on one of the belled tentacles.

  Their dark-haired fourteen-month-old toddler was so adorable Dea could hardly stand it. With coloring like that and olive skin, you’d never know he wasn’t their birth son.

  “Oh, you cute little thing.” She kissed his cheeks and then her sister’s cheek before climbing in the back.

  “What? No kiss for me?” Rini teased.

  “How about a hug instead?” She wrapped her arm around his neck from behind. Guido followed her into the backseat with their luggage.

  “It’s about time you lovebirds left the nest.” This from Rini. Dea saw the secret look the two men flashed each other.

  “We’ve been busy decorating the house,” Guido explained.

  “Sure you have. Excuses, excuses.” Rini kept up the banter.

  Alessandra laughed. “I hope you’re hungry. Dinner is waiting.”

  Dea reached forward to tousle Brazzo’s curls. “I’m starving. Someone should have warned me that getting married makes you hungry. Are Mamma and Papà here?”

  “They will be later.” Alessandra looked over her shoulder at Guido. “How does the team look to you for this new season?”

  “It’s good. They’ve recovered from the loss in July and are working harder than ever. Dante’s back with us and suiting up. Another month and the doctor will clear him to play.”

  “That’s wonderful news.”

  Rini drove them around to the entrance of the castle. Dea got out behind Alessandra and trailed her into the foyer, where Alfredo was waiting. “Oh, my buddy.” She scooped him up. “Have you missed me?”

  But at this point Brazzo was toddling around and the cat squirmed to get down. “Well, I just got my question answered. This fickle cat has a new playmate. Look at you walking, Brazzo!”

  The men had just come inside with the bags. They all watched in amusement as the precious boy chased after the housekeeper’s pet.

  “Come on, you two.” Rini started for the stairs. “We’ve put you in the same bedroom Guido has used when he’s stayed here.”

  “Brazzo and I will be in the dining room, won’t we, sweetheart. Hurry back down.”

  Dea hugged her sister, then followed the men upstairs. Excitement rippled through her body to think she’d be sleeping with Guido in her old home.

  Rini left them alone while they freshened up. Guido grabbed her from behind while she was looking out the window. “You have no idea how I longed to drag you up here after our soccer match on the sand. The dreams I had about you would make your face turn crimson.”

  She wheeled around and threw her arms around his neck. “I had my own dreams that night. The thought of sneaking into your bedroom in the middle of the night never left my mind. I guess I don’t have to wonder what you would have done. You would have been the total gentleman and escorted me back to the hallway.”

  “Don’t be so sure. I was on fire for you that night.”

  “So on fire you didn’t even say goodbye to me.”

  “You know why, my love. Come on. We’ll have all night to finish this conversation. In the meantime, our hosts are waiting.”

  They clasped hands and went downstairs to the dining room. Brazzo was sitting in his high chair at the corner of the table between Rini and Alessandra. He banged the tray with a spoon.

  Dea chuckled and sat across from them with Guido. “Umm. I can see the cook has outdone herself with my favorite salmon and eggplant.”

  “She knew you were coming and remembered.”

  “I’ll go out to the kitchen later and thank her.”

  “Now that we’re all here, Rini and I have an announcement.” Dea eyed Guido while they waited for Alessandra’s news. “We had to be certain to make sure everything was going right, but we have just been told to expect our next baby in a month!”

  “I knew it!” Dea squealed in delight.

  “It’s a girl this time.” Rini’s smile lit up his dark eyes.

  “There couldn’t be better news, paisano,” Guido said.

  “I agree, but do you think you can stand a little more?” Dea reached in the pocket of her pleated pants for a picture. “We’ve got a little news of our own.”

  The shocked look on Guido’s face was worth all the trouble she’d taken to keep her secret to herself. “Dea?” he whispered huskily.

  “It’s Rini’s fault.”

  Everyone looked shocked at her comment, especially her brother-in-law. “You did send my husband a text four months ago. I’ll quote it for everyone.

  “‘We’re negotiating for another baby. According to Alessandra, it will be the closest thing to having twins. I hope you’re doing your own form of negotiation in order to get the job done too.’ Your postscript said, ‘Hurry.’”

  While quiet reigned, she handed Guido the picture. “Take a look and see what you did, darling.”

  Her husband looked down at the sonogram like he was in a trance.

  “If you’ll notice, there are two babies in there.”

  “Dea!” Alessandra’s cry of joy reverberated in the dining room and probably the whole castle. She shot out of her chair and hurried around to look at it over Guido’s shoulder.

  “There are two.”

  “One is a girl. The doctor couldn’t tell the gender of the other one yet. I’m four months along.”

  “Then our daughters will be less than six months apart. That’s so perfect! We’ll get out the play castle when they’re old enough.”

  “It’ll be déjà vu.”

  “Wait till our parents hear about this—”

  Guido was still processing the information in a daze. He turned to Dea. “I thought you’d been putting on weight recently, but I didn’t want to say anything.”

  “I knew you had to have noticed.” She leaned over and kissed him on the mouth. “Sorry if I worried you about that.”

  “I wasn’t worried, Dea.”

  “Liar. I love you more than ever for not giving me grief about it.”

  He got to his feet. “Are you all right?” When he put his hands on her upper arms, he was trembling. “Is everything going the way it should?”

  “The doctor has given me a clean bill of health.”

  Alessandra ran the picture around to show Rini. While everyone was occupied, their parents walked in. “What’s going on?” their father wanted to know.

  Dea smiled at him. “We all have news, Papà. You go first, Alessandra.”

  Once her sister told them that they would be getting a girl within the month, she ran back around to give Dea the picture. “Now it’s your turn.”

  The moment was surreal as she handed her mother the sonogram. She watched her parents study it.

  Suddenly her mother pressed a hand over her heart. “Twins... You’re going to have twins.”

  Her dad smiled broadly. “Well, what do you know. Fulvia said twins ran in the Taranto side of the family. Thanks to the Montanari side of the family, we’re going to have a set of twins before another set comes along.”

  Dea loved her father intensely for making Rini feel included in a very real way.

  “Let’s break out the champagne, but you won’t be able to drink it, Dea. No alcohol until after the babies are born,” her father informed her. “Your mother and I know every rule.”

  Dea lifted shining eyes to Alessandra. “But you, my dear sister, can have all you want.”

  Rini hugged her. “I’m afraid it’s wasted on my wife.”

  “Dea?” Guido whispered in her ear. “I need to be alone with you. Can we go upstairs soon?”

  She nodded and kissed his jaw. He’d just found out he was going to be the father of twins. That had to be staggering news for any man. Perhaps even as staggering as it had been for the woman who carried them.

  Her mother seemed to understand what was going on. “Dea, honey, you look tired. I think you should go up to bed. We’ll celebrate in the morning.”

  Bless you, Mamma.

  “Bed does sound good. It’s been a long day.”

  Now that the evening had come to an end, everyone said good-night. Guido put his arm around her waist as they climbed the stairs to the bedroom on the third floor. “Oh, I forgot the picture.”

  “We’ll get it in the morning. Right now I want to take care of you.”

  She hadn’t realized that having to keep her news a secret from Guido had drained her. Suddenly she felt relaxed and couldn’t wait to drift off with his arms around her.

  As soon as she brushed her teeth and undressed, she fell into bed. “I know you want your parents to know. Why don’t you give them a call? Then I’ll answer every question. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before now, but when the doctor detected two heartbeats, I wanted to wait until he could take a picture and make sure the babies were healthy. I couldn’t see worrying you until I had to.”

  “I’m not upset with you, Dea. If anything, I’m glad I didn’t know before now. We’ve had to deal with the villa and work, your graduation. But now that I know, I’m going to make certain you take perfect care of yourself. We have two precious babies growing inside you. It’s a thrill I still haven’t fully comprehended yet.”

  “That’s the way I felt when the doctor first told me. Go on and phone your parents. They’ll be ecstatic.”

  He put the covers over her and sat on the edge of the bed to call his family. The joy in their voices rang out through the phone. Dea reached for it. “We don’t know if there’s a boy or another girl in there. Maybe by the next appointment the doctor will be able to tell us.”

  “You’re going to need help,” his mother said through the tears.

  “We’ll need a lot of it,” Dea assured her and meant it. “I’m so thankful we already have your room ready at the villa. Here’s Guido back.”

  She waited while he finished talking to his parents. By the time he’d hung up and gotten into bed, she was half gone.

  “You know that song...he had the whole world in his arms... Those words were written for me.”

  Dea turned into him, loving his hard, solid strength. “It works both ways. She had the whole world in her arms... You’re my whole world, Guido Rossano.

  “My whole glorious world. Ti amo.”

  * * * * *

  EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT

  Crown Prince Armando enlists Rosa Lamberti to find him a suitable wife—but could a stolen kiss under the mistletoe lead to an unexpected Christmas wedding?

  Read on for a sneak preview of

  WINTER WEDDING FOR THE PRINCE

  by Barbara Wallace

  “Have you ever looked at an unfocused telescope only to turn the knob and make everything sharp and clear?” Armando asked.

  Rosa nodded.

  “That is what it was like for me, a few minutes ago. One moment I had all these sensations I couldn’t explain swirling inside me, then the next everything made sense. They were my soul coming back to life.”

  “I don’t know what to think,” she said.

  “Then don’t think,” he replied. “Just go with your heart.”

  He made it sound easy. Just go with your heart. But what if your heart was frightened and confused? For all his talk of coming to life, he was essentially in the same place as before, unable or unwilling to give her a true emotional commitment.

  On the other hand, her feelings wanted to override her common sense, so maybe they were even. As she watched him close the gap between them, she felt her heartbeat quicken to match her breath.

  “You do know that we’re under the mistletoe yet again, don’t you?”