The Italian Billionaire's Lover

CHAPTER 9

Reluctantly Tomas stepped away from Alina. 'So why can't you move in with me, seeing we will be married before the end of the week?'

'I have commitments,' Alina hastily walked to his car.

'And so do I cara,' he opened her door, but delayed allowing her to get in. 'The commitments will always be there, but not at night when you must be in my bed,' his lips worried at her throat.

Alina closed her eyes, tempted to linger and indulge in the caress. 'Can you get to your side of the car please?' She shoved him away.

Tomas laughed and lugged himself away. 'Soon my ring will be on your finger,' his admiring eyes dipped towards her cleavage. 'Then you will fight me no more,' he warned,' and started up the car.

That's what worried Alina as well. She could not fight him. Her body craved his touch, begged for his possession. Where was her self-respect? This arrogant bully was coercing her into marriage, using her livelihood to threaten her when her family had only her to depend on as a source of income. How could she feel anything for him, but hatred?

When she got back to the restaurant, Rocco was sulking. The news had very quickly got to him that she had been dropped off by Tomas' fancy sports car and that she'd spent the better part of the day in Tomas' company. Alina had heard the saying, if you can't handle the heat-get out of the kitchen. Wise words indeed. She stayed in her office, checking the reservations for the day and the rest of the week and inspecting Caroline's very efficient book-keeping. Alina was ecstatic at the numbers. Business was booming. A little nagging thought crept into her head that bookings had exponentially increased, since the very public announcement of her engagement to one Italian billionaire.

No doubt curiosity was bringing them in, in droves. Some hoped to catch a glimpse of the lucky restaurateur.
Lucky, ha!
Others were intrigued to sample the culinary delights prepared by the billionaire's fiancée. Alina had some confidence now to commence phase two of her business and open Cafe Emily.

'I had a surprise phone call today, would you believe,' Caroline gushed, when Alina arrived home.

'Oh,' Alina grinned. She wondered if her sister had met somebody. She had not been on a date since Matt passed away two years ago. Then again, her wheelchair condition was rather a deterrent.

'Mr. Casiraghi wants to show Emily and I the new house.'

'Oh,' Alina repeated, taken aback. That was a wonderful gesture from King Casiraghi, she had not known about it, but it thrilled her to no end, that he was reaching out to the two people in the world that mattered the most to her.

'You don't mind, do you?' Caroline asked when Alina had not spoken.

'No, of course not,' Alina sat down in front of Caroline and took her hands into her own. 'I'm very happy that Tomas is being so thoughtful.'

Alina could not wait to see the look on Emily's face when she viewed the place. It was just that she had not known when it would have been appropriate to ask Tomas, when her family could see the home he was paying for.

'He's coming to fetch us tomorrow morning,' Caroline smiled. Clearly she was very impressed with her brother-in-law to be. 'I did not tell Emily yet,' Caroline rolled her eyes. 'Otherwise we would never have gone to bed and we would be asking every five minutes, "Is Toemuz here yet?"

Alina laughed. 'I think, keep it a surprise until he gets here.'

'You look happy Alina.'

Do I?
The smile disappeared from her face. Alina studied her sister's face. It seems she was pleased that Alina was seemingly happy.