The Italian Billionaire’s Nubian Queen

Chapter 4

Alyssa woke up early, and it annoyed her. She had to struggle to wake up early when she had work to do. Now there she was, wide awake at seven in the morning.

All right, so it wasn’t really early for most people, but Alyssa enjoyed sleeping. It was one of her pleasures in life. But there she was, seven in the morning and wide awake after having tossed and turned all night, plagued by disturbing dreams.

Yes, plagued, she insisted to herself. That was the word she would choose. She hadn’t been able to sleep and it was because she’d kept on dreaming about storms in the sea and he’d been there in all of them. He’d been there, that damn coat billowing around him, those eyes gleaming wickedly and confidently, and she’d wanted to scream. Except she hadn’t wanted to scream in her dreams. In her dreams, she’d wanted to walk over to him and let him take her, until the storm took them both.

“Damn wine,” said Alyssa, and followed it up with an apology. Whatever she had going on in her silly head, she wasn’t going to blame wine for it.

She glanced over at the other bed and saw that Brianna was still fast asleep. She looked so neat and tidy even when she was sleeping, but there was such sadness on her face. The weekend away had distracted her, but Alyssa had the uncomfortable feeling that Brianna had cried herself to sleep, and that she’d been crying herself to sleep for a while.

There was nothing she could do, she reminded herself, but that was cold comfort. She wanted to find a way to make things better for her sister. She wanted…

A walk. What she wanted was a walk. She would brush her teeth, wash her face, and she would pull on her coat and go for a walk. It was a lovely morning, brisk but with the sun streaming down from a cloudless sky. There was no sign of a storm of any kind. What she needed was a walk, and she had to admit that with how the weekend was shaping up, she could probably use the exercise. All of those uphill trails would do her good.

Making up her mind, Alyssa got out of bed, unwrapped her hair from the scarf it had been tucked into all night and smiled. Brianna had done an amazing job. She looked absolutely fabulous.

Cheering up, she decided that a little mascara and a little blush wouldn’t hurt on such a perfect morning, and she liked what it did to her spirits.

She was humming happily by the time she changed into jeans and a T-shirt, grabbed a coat, wrapped a bright yellow scarf around her neck, and walked out the door. Ready in ten minutes, thought Alyssa, and it made her even happier. It was nice to be out alone. It looked like everybody had partied too hard the night before. She didn’t see too many guests out and about. Well, even if there were, she probably wouldn’t notice them. The vineyard was huge. There was more than enough room for everybody to get lost without running into each other.

She chose a trail at random and set off, not pushing herself, taking the time to look around and enjoy everything. She was going to remember every single thing about the weekend. She was making contacts and she was learning a lot, but she would remember every moment of pleasure, too. She would…

Alyssa stopped short, wondering if her mind was playing tricks on her. Maybe she’d been working so hard that she was beginning to go a little crazy. Maybe she needed a real break. Like Disney World, thought Alyssa, babbling a little in her own head. Maybe she needed a more conventional break like that.

There hadn’t been any fog, so why, exactly, was there a mysterious figure a couple of hundred feet in front of her, standing as if he had materialized from another world, and in a coat that looked like it would billow if only there was a cooperative gust of wind?

As if he’d walked out of her dreams. As if she’d conjured him up. As if she’d called him there.

Alyssa’s knees felt a little weak. She saw a bench a few feet away and considered sitting down to catch her breath, but she wanted to get away from that figure.

She wanted to walk towards him.

She blinked, the sun pierced that fog, and suddenly he was just a man in a long coat. A tall and fit man, but just a man. Nothing strange or mysterious about him. She hadn’t called him out from her dreams about stormy seas, where she’d floated on clouds.

She blinked, and tensed again.

Not just a man.

That was Matteo Colombo, wasn’t it? The height, the build—they seemed to fit. The dark hair was the same too. He turned around and she thought, for a moment, that it was him. He walked towards her, and she looked around for a way out. Why did she feel trapped?

She wanted to get away. This was not good for her life or her sanity. This wasn’t…

He walked closer, as she stood rooted to the spot, wondering why she was acting like such an irrational idiot, and she saw that it wasn’t him.

It wasn’t Matteo.

Yes, the height and the build fit, but the hair was a shade or two lighter, she could see that now, and the face was different. Similar, but smoother, and somehow…

Not a face she could trust. It was too beautiful. And the eyes were not green. They were blue.

Not Matteo.

Disappointment, wariness, and that urge to flee again.

Silliness, she warned herself sternly, and she made her lips curve in a polite smile, making sure he had plenty of room to walk by. But he paused and he gave her a look of such blatant appraisal that she wished she’d worn more layers.

“The morning suddenly became far more beautiful.”

A voice as smooth and as beautiful as that face. A smile that could’ve been stolen from an angel. She recognized the accent, of course—just Italian enough to be almost irresistibly charming. Matteo hadn’t had an accent, not when he’d spoken to her. His english had been flawless, though not in the least American.

“Oh, I… Well, it’s a lovely morning.”

“Bellissima. Tell me, who are you?”

“Oh, umm, well… Alyssa Benjamin is my name.”

“Alyssa, a name as lovely and as charming as you are. I am Gabriel Colombo.”

Of course. He was the half-brother. Yes, that explained the resemblance. She tried to remember the gossip, but she couldn’t really recall much. He didn’t have that much to do with the vineyards and the wine-making, she did remember that much.

“Mr. Colombo, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure, bella, is all mine. Or I hope it will be. Will you walk with me?”

Well, at least the brother had manners, unlike Matteo. He had at least asked her if she’d walk with him instead of declaring that she would. It did look like this brother had gotten the tact and the niceness.

She was fully prepared to say yes.

“Thank you, but I’m not sure where I’m going. I was… thinking.”

Alyssa frowned.

That wasn’t a yes.

Why hadn’t she said yes?

“Ah, the secrets held in a woman’s heart. It’s far too early to ask you to share them with me, but I hope you will before you leave. Do you think I could change your mind?”