Page 24 of Claimed by my Stepbrother

“Alright, then. What you want, you get. I’ll convince them to stay.”

“What? How?”

“Don’t worry your pretty head about it. Let’s just get down there before they sneak out on us.”

We go downstairs to find that our parents are having coffee out by the pool. Breakfast is laid out buffet-style on the counter, and I grab a pastry and pour a glass of juice.

“Stay in here and eat your breakfast, little girl. I need a minute alone with them,” Giovanni tells me.

“Why? What do you want to talk to them about?”

“I told you that I’m going to get them to stay, and that’s what I’m going to do. Just stay here. That’s an order.”

He goes out to the patio, and I watch out the window as he crouches down in front of the parent’s lounge chairs. I can’t see their faces, but I watch his expression as he speaks to them. He starts out stern and serious, but by the time he’s finished, he’s grinning from ear to ear. In the space of just a few minutes, the three of them are on their way into the house.

“How are you feeling this morning?” my mother asks, kissing my cheek.

“I’m good. Better, I think,” I reply, feeling almost as if she’s setting me up for something.

“We were planning to leave today, but Giovanni has told us that you would like us to stay for a while, that you both would like us to stay, so we’re going to extend our trip.”

“That’s great, Mom,” I reply as she takes me in a warm embrace.

“He says he’s going to take us all sightseeing today so I’m going to go get dressed,” she tells me and the pair leave the room.

When they’re out of earshot, I ask, “What did you say to her? That’s not my mother.”

“That is your mother, Princess, and I did exactly what I told you I would do. I convinced her to stay.”

“But how?”

“Don’t you worry about it. You got what you asked for so just enjoy it.”

“I don’t know if I can. She’s not the type to just change her mind like that. I’m going to be walking on eggshells waiting for her to crack.”

“You don’t need to do that. I promise. She isn’t going to crack, you’ll see. Just finish your breakfast and get dressed so we can enjoy the day.” He separates the sides of his robe and peeks inside at my breasts. “Damn, maybe we should have stayed in bed,” he teases.

13

A DAY IN THE COUNTRY

GIOVANNI

We pack up the car and head out for a sightseeing trip in the countryside that surrounds the village. Our plan is to end our trip on the coast where we will take a dinner cruise on the water. Gabby and her mother are both excited about finally getting a chance to spend a day like tourists in this country that’s so completely foreign to them.

Gabby is adorable in a white summer dress speckled with tiny blue and yellow flowers. Her hair is pulled back with a silk ribbon, exposing her rosy cheeks and neck. We walk hand in hand through a rocky field of wildflowers.

“This country is really pretty. When I thought about Italy before I came here, I thought about art and architecture. I had no idea there was so much natural beauty.”

“Natural beauty. That’s a good term for it,” I take her by the waist and smile.

“What else would you call it?” she laughs.

“I wasn’t talking about the view. I was talking about you,” I tell her.

“Thank you.” After all that we’ve been through, her cheeks still turn red when I compliment her, and I wonder if a more innocent creature has ever lived.

“We need to pack up and head for the coast soon or we’re going to miss the boat.”

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