The Italian Billionaire’s Nubian Queen

“Only if I catch you looking at a man like Gabriel,” he told her, and she laughed again.

By the time she was dressed and ready for lunch, all that time with Matteo had done its job. She was nervous, but confident that she could handle it.

That confidence took a little knock when she saw Alexandra Tiffany-Colombo waiting for her in the dining room.

“You’re late,” she snapped.

“She will soon set the times, Alexandra. I suggest that you be polite to her.”

Alyssa threw him a warning look. If she could get along with her, she wanted to try. She didn’t want to turn it into a battle unless there was no choice.

“Well, you are nothing like the woman I expected to welcome into my family.”

Alyssa sighed.

“That’s life for you. You rarely get what you expect.”

“I suspect that’s a problem with how you plan your life,” shot back Alexandra, who sat straight and thin as a rake in the chair, her blue eyes cold and resentful, bitter but beautiful.

“Would you say so? I think you rather miss the point of life if you only get what you expect.”

“See, Matteo, she would never fit in. It’s not too late. You can still undo this.”

“Alexandra, this is not up for negotiation. My life never was. Now, can we get on with lunch?”

Alyssa sat there like a chided child and tried to ignore the woman who obviously resented her and everything she stood for. There was blessed silence for about three minutes.

“So, Gabriel tells me that you run a… a shop.”

“A wine shop, yes. I source wine for people, and stock regular wines, as well. I’m hoping to expand.”

“And you think that marrying into this family will help you. Well, I’ve got news for you, my dear. We have ways of doing things in this family. The women do not work outside the home. Our involvement is behind the scenes.”

“Thankfully, it’s the twenty-first century and all ways change with time. That’s how customs get antiquated. Like this idea, for instance—that women don’t work. Why not? What a waste it would be! I build a business I’m quite proud of, even if it’s nothing in scale compared to what Matteo has done. But without my business, we would never have met. Why would I give up something that brought us together?”

“Matteo!” said Alexandra, in overblown despair.

“Listen to Alyssa, Alexandra.”

“This is insufferable.”

“Really? I think the fish is excellent,” declared Alyssa, earning herself another glower from Alexandra.

Alyssa was ignored for the rest of the conversation. Alexandra said no to dessert, cast a disdainful withering glance at Alyssa when she didn’t say no to it, and turned to Matteo again.

“Reconsider, Matteo. I know what I am talking about. This is a mistake. This woman will not be an asset to the family.”

“Perhaps not,” said Alyssa, fed up with being talked about as if she wasn’t there, “but I will be an asset to Matteo. I think that’s all I need to be, here. If I’m more than that, well, it will be a pleasant surprise. If I’m not, everything has run smoothly without me for so long. I see no reason why that shouldn’t continue. Now Matteo, if you’ll excuse me, I really must make a few calls.”

“Sure, love. Use the phone in the bedroom.”

“Thank you,” she said, and would’ve walked away, but he grabbed her hand.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?”

Her eyes widened.

“What?”

“This,” he said, and pulled her down for a kiss. It wasn’t a soft peck. It definitely was not suitable for Alexandra’s eyes. But Matteo obviously didn’t care, and if he didn’t, why would she? So she kissed him back, held on tight, and pulled away after a long minute, reluctantly.

“We’ll get the details of the wedding planned tonight.”

“Okay,” she told him.

As she walked away, she could hear the horrified questions pouring forth from Alexandra. Oddly enough, she was happy as she walked through the halls, and she felt as if she already belonged. She found Claudia, waved, and was glad to be greeted by somebody who didn’t hate the sight of her.

“You had a phone call, Alyssa. You were at lunch, so…”

“Was it my sister?”

“Brianna Benjamin, yes.”

“I’ll call her back. Got lots to tell her.”

Claudia smiled.

“Welcome, Alyssa. You will be an asset to both the family and the company. I’ll find a wedding planner if you want to have a big wedding.”

She shook her head.

“No, I think a small wedding, friends and family at whatever church Matteo’s grandparents went to would be the best thing.”

Claudia nodded in approval.

“Excellent. Then we will find an appropriate wedding dress before you go back to the States. I suppose you will want two ceremonies?”

Alyssa nodded.

“Appropriate. By the way, your sister left a message—she said to tell you that you were right about Adam.”

Alyssa sighed in relief. It looked like things were working out for the Benjamin sisters, after all. Against all odds, too.

“Anything else?”

“Not to worry if she doesn’t answer for the next two hours, because Adam is home.”

Alyssa laughed.

“I guess sometimes, fate does know what it’s doing.”

Claudia shrugged.

“If that’s how you see it. I think we make most of our luck.”