Rome for Always (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Collection) (6 page)

CHAPTER FOUR

Something was not right. Rome had been gone a week and
he’d only called three times. Was that the behavior of a man who was in love?

Arie heaved a sigh and slid out of bed. She was being
unreasonable, she guessed, but she couldn’t help it. She missed him so much.

When he’d called her from Italy to say he’d rushed off
because his father had a stroke she totally understood. Then he’d called to
tell her his father was at home and making a strong recovery. After that he’d
called her only one more time and he’d seemed so preoccupied that she’d asked
if everything was okay with his dad. Excellent, he’d said, but then he’d grown
silent, almost as if he couldn’t think of a thing to say to her. When the
conversation ended and she hung up she’d felt the tears sting the corners of
her eyes. Something had definitely changed.

Was he having regrets? The baby and the thought of being
a father, was it all too much? When he’d met Maya they’d seemed to connect but
now that he was far away maybe the glow had faded. He was probably having
second thoughts. He’d probably changed his mind about the baby. Maybe about
her, too.

“Stop it, stop it, stop it.” Arie muttered the words
under her breath as she headed for the shower. She was thinking too much. She definitely
had to get out of the house.

When she got to Talk of The Town that morning her
business partner was already there, bustling about the office. As soon as she
saw Arie she jammed her fists on her hips. “You’re late,” she said with an
exaggerated scowl. “Is this the way to run the number one catering company in
all of New Orleans?”

Arie grimaced and let her bag strap slide off her
shoulder. “It’s just one of those days, Lena. I’m not in the mood.” With a sigh
she trudged past her friend on her way to her office. She saw when Lena glanced
at the receptionist but Marilyn had her nose buried in a magazine with Brad
Pitt and Angelina Jolie on the cover. She wouldn’t be surfacing any time soon.

“Hey, what gives?” Lena had followed her to the office
and now stood in the doorway, a look of concern on her face. She stepped in
then reached behind her to pull the door shut. “What’s going on?”

Arie sighed. “I don’t know. I just…I just have a feeling
that things are falling apart between Rome and me.”

Lena’s eyes widened. “What in the world do you mean? Are
you guys having problems?”

Arie lifted her shoulders then let them fall on a
dejected sigh. “That’s the thing. I don’t know. He’s just been so distant. It’s
weird.”

Lena shook her head. “You told me he’s going through a
rough time. You said his father was seriously ill. Don’t you think that would
account for the change you see in his behavior?” She walked over and put her
arm around Arie’s shoulder. “Be sensible. Give the man some space and give him
time.”

Arie bit her lip and then she nodded. She could always
count on Lena to bring her back to her senses. “I guess you’re right,” she said.
“Give him space and give him time.” Then she gave her longtime friend a rueful
smile. “I was never too strong in the patience department.”

Lena squeezed her shoulder. “You’ll be okay.” When she
let go she was smiling. “In fact, you’ll be more than okay. We’ll knock off
early this afternoon and go shopping.”

Arie gave Lena a look of puzzlement. Leaving early in
the middle of the work week? That was so not Lena. “Shopping?” she asked, her
tone skeptical. “On a Wednesday afternoon? What about our clients?”

Lena shrugged. “Wednesday is always the slowest day of
the week for us. I don’t have any appointments. Do you?”

Arie didn’t even have to check. She shook her head. “No,
not a one.”

“Well, then.” It wasn’t a question but a declaration. Apparently
they were going shopping. “I’ll tell Marilyn we’re leaving at three. Make sure
you’re ready.”

It must have been that Lena-imposed deadline that did
the trick. Just like that, Arie snapped out of her morose mood and before she
knew it she was absorbed in the day’s task of planning the next eight events
which would take place over the next couple of weeks. One of them included a Bar
Mitzvah celebratory meal, the first one she’d been asked to cater in her four
years of running the business. She wasn’t too familiar with Jewish cuisine so
she had a lot of preparation to do for this one.

She was so absorbed in her task that when she heard a
knock at her door she jumped. She glanced at the clock on her computer screen. Three
o’clock already? Where had the time flown?

Lena peeped in. “Still at it? I haven’t seen you all day.
Don’t tell me you worked through lunch.”

Arie swiveled around in her chair and gave her partner a
guilty smile. “You did say I should make sure to finish by three.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t say you should starve yourself to do
it.” She stepped inside then jerked her chin at Arie. “Come on. I’ll buy you
lunch at the mall.”

Arie grinned. “Sounds good to me. I’m starving.”

“Says the woman who would have gone on until five
o’clock if I hadn’t walked in.” Lena chuckled as she turned to go. “Be ready in
five or I’ll drag you out of this office and lock the door.”

And she would do it, too. Arie knew Lena so well. They’d
been roommates at Duke and had gone on to become partners in Talk Of The Town
Catering. Ever since she'd known Lena her friend had been bold and direct, a
real go-getter and a woman who knew how to take charge. Even better than that
she had a solid business head on her shoulders and, utilizing Arie’s cooking
skills and event planning expertise, they'd built their business until it was
known and respected throughout all of Louisiana.

Every day Arie gave thanks for Lena’s presence in her
life, not just as a business partner but also as a friend and mentor. If there
was anyone who she could turn to for advice it was Lena. Always levelheaded and
firm, she knew how to put things in perspective. And when you’d grown up in
foster care and had no family to turn to, a friend like that was more precious
than gold.

Half an hour later Arie and Lena were strolling along,
browsing the shops at Lakeside Mall.

“I know a special little miss who’ll be joining you
soon,” Lena said. “You’ve got tons of shopping to do.”

Arie laughed. “She’s the best excuse I ever had for
playing truant. Let’s go see what the kids’ stores have to offer.”

They picked up a few pieces of baby gear in Gymboree and
Mimi’s Kids Boutique but it was when Lena suggested they leave the mall and
check Zuka Baby in the Lower Garden District that Arie really got her shopping
groove on. There were so many cute little baby girl outfits that she didn’t
know which to choose. In her excitement she ended up grabbing far more outfits
than Maya would ever wear. Once again it was Lena, the voice of reason, who
rescued her from herself.

“But this one’s so cute,” she wailed as Lena tugged a
pink and white polka dot dress from her fingers.

“Yes, but you already have a polka dot one in that stack
of yours. No need to deplete the store’s inventory.”

Arie heaved an aggrieved sigh. “All right. You win.”
Then she gave her friend a fake frown and a crooked grin. “But don’t think I’m
taking you along next time I go shopping.”

Lena put her hands up, palms facing forward, and shook
her head. “Hey, after today you’re on your own.”

That evening Arie bid Lena goodbye and drove out of the
mall with a car packed with baby gear and a heart that was happy and light. A
shopping spree had been the perfect medicine to get her out of the doldrums. Now
all she wanted to do was get home and go through the tons of baby girl stuff
she’d bought. What better way to spend the evening?

She was still smiling and humming to herself as she
pulled off the main road and drove the half-mile through the quiet neighborhood
toward her home. Just as she’d done hundreds of times before, she swung off the
tree-lined street and turned down the gravelly road that led to her home.

But this time as she turned into her driveway her heart
did a little leap of shock. But it was a good shock, an unexpected and truly
wonderful surprise.

There, parked in the middle of her driveway, was Rome’s
black Maserati.

Arie’s face broke into a wide grin. Her beloved Rome was
home.

***

Rome heard the soft rumble of the engine just before
Arie’s BMW drove up the driveway toward the house. He shifted out of his slouched
position, straightened and glanced in the rearview mirror just in time to see
her car rolling in behind his. As he watched, she waved and gave him an
infectious grin that had him smiling back. With the mood he was in his half
smile was a poor response to her joyful greeting but he was doing his best.

He was happy to see her, that was without doubt. The
problem was, no matter how hard he tried he just could not shake himself out of
his persistently pensive mood. It was no mystery why he was feeling so low. He’d
been like this ever since that talk with his father, the one where he’d felt
like punching him in the mouth or at least giving him a generous piece of his
mind. But this was his father and he'd just suffered a stroke. There was no way
he was going to do anything that could mess up his recovery.

But Vittorio had been so vehemently against Arie that
Rome knew he had some serious decisions to make. But not now. He was back in
the United States, far away from family and again with Arie, and all he wanted
to do was forget about the conflict and lose himself in her embrace.

Within seconds she was at his door, tapping on the
glass, drawing him out of his reverie. “You’re home,” she said, beaming as she
bent to peer at him. “You didn’t tell me you were coming.”

He gave her a careful smile. “I wanted to surprise you.”
When he looked up at her as she bent to him, the setting sun forming a halo
behind her golden hair, he was struck once again by her sheer beauty.

But it wasn’t just her physical beauty that had him
entranced. It was her inner beauty as well. How many single women would have
taken the huge leap of faith to take an orphan into their home and into their
heart? She wasn’t the only one, he knew, but she was one of the few. It would
not be easy, juggling work and a home and an infant all on her own. But still,
that never swayed her determination to help.

More than that, she would have stood by her commitment
to the child even at the risk of losing him. He should probably feel insulted
but instead all he felt for her was admiration.

“You're coming or what?” Arie pulled his door open and
stepped back as she gazed at him expectantly.

He grinned up at her. “I’m coming,” he said and got out
of the car to draw her close and wrap his arms around her. She felt so good
pressed against him, her body so warm and soft. He dipped his face to the
fragrant cloud of her hair. “I missed you,” he said, his voice rough with
emotion. “Too much.”

She sighed and leaned into him, pressing her face
against his chest. “I missed you, too,” she murmured, “more than you could
imagine. I’m so glad you’re home.”

Home. He liked the sound of that. The emotions swelling
inside him, he pressed his lips to the top of her head in a gentle kiss that
was full of feeling. “I’m glad, too.”

But then, as if another thought crossed her mind, Arie
pulled back and peered up into his face. “So why didn’t you call?” she asked
and there was a slight pout to her lips that told him she was peeved. “You were
gone more than a week and I only heard from you three times.”

Rome gave her a rueful smile. “I’m sorry, honey. There
was a lot going on.” Then his arms tightened around her. “But you were on my
mind the whole time. You know that, don’t you?”

Her brows fell and she gave him a look of suspicion. “Are
you sure?”

He chuckled. “One hundred percent. You can ask my
sisters.”

“Your sisters? How would they know?” Arie cocked her
head in that cute way of hers and gave him a look that said he’d gone bonkers.

“They know,” he said, his smile deepening, “because I
couldn’t keep your name off my lips. Do you know how many times I called them
Arie?”

That made her laugh. “Are you serious?”

“As a judge,” he said as he watched her frown give way
to mirth. “You know you’re in it deep when you can’t even remember your
sisters’ names. It was you on my mind the whole time, Arie. Only you.” When a
soft blush rose in her cheeks and she dropped her eyes he knew he was embarrassing
her. And that was one of the other things he loved about her. As beautiful as
she was, she had every reason to be confident in her hold on him. But no, she
had a sweet modesty that always touched him.

Taking pity on her, he decided to change the subject. “Looks
like you had a busy day at the office. You’re usually home earlier than this.”

That made her look up at him with eager eyes. “No way,”
she said. “In fact, I knocked off early to go shopping. Come look.” She stepped
back and grabbed his hand then proceeded to drag him toward her car.