nodded.
Stefano ran a hand over his stubbled jaw. He hadn’t bothered to shave. This was worse than he’d been imagining. He wanted to go to her and take her in his arms. But he couldn’t do that. It’d only succeed in making things worse. She’d get over him. She surely didn’t love him, did she? It was a crush. Nothing more.
“You need to make this right.” Dante’s tone left no doubt about his sincerity. “And I don’t mean by playing the part of Romeo. That’s already gotten us in enough trouble.”
He waved away his brother’s unwanted advice. “I know. I know. You don’t have to lecture me, little brother.”
“Really? Because from where I’m standing you’ve made a mess of things. And this is my wedding week. My bride is not happy, and this should be the best time of her life.”
“Okay. I hear you. I’ll fix this.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that.” The stress lines on his brother’s face eased. “Then quit messing around with my soon-to-be sister-in-law. You know she’s supposed to go off to some grad school, don’t you?”
“Yes, I know. I’ve been telling her that’s what she should be concentrating on.”
“I bet you have.” Dante sent him an I-know-better-than-that look. “And Lizzie just paid the tuition. She’s counting on Jules following through with this. Don’t ruin this for Jules, or you’ll have me to answer to.”
Stefano had no doubt that Dante meant business. His brother wasn’t about to let anything ruin his wedding, and Stefano couldn’t blame him. He’d be the same way if he was marrying Jules—not that he would ever be walking down the aisle again.
The first thing he had to do was talk to Jules, but since she wasn’t answering her phone and Lizzie was running interference, he’d have to wait until she returned to the villa.
He didn’t know what he’d say to her aside from apologizing for making a fool of himself. Maybe that would be enough. He hoped.
* * *
Jules’s insides quivered. She’d rather be doing anything but this. Even a trip to the dentist sounded good to her at this point.
Her footsteps were slow but steady as she entered the winery. Lizzie had loaned her a car to transport the dresses to the villa without incident. No one wanted to trust the dresses on the train. And now that the wedding gear was stowed away safely in a spare room, Jules had to face Stefano. Things couldn’t linger like this. She’d promised Lizzie there would be peace for the wedding.
She’d made a fool of herself over Stefano, but she would be fine without him. She sucked in an unsteady breath. Her heart disagreed, but her mind kept telling her to do what was easiest for everyone.
When she found Stefano, he was in the barrel room, testing some wine. He glanced up and surprise registered in his dark eyes. Then it was as if a wall came down, making it impossible to know what he was thinking. She was shut out once again.
She refused to let it stop her. “Can we talk?”
He nodded. “I needed to talk to you, too.”
“I promised my sister that you and I would make peace.”
“I promised my brother the same thing.”
That was a good sign, right? It was so hard to tell. He didn’t smile. Did she always have such a hard time reading him?
She twisted her hands together. “I just wanted to let you know that I’ll stay out of your way from now on. And I’ll be leaving right after the wedding.”
She turned to go, and he reached out for her arm. His touch was warm and gentle. It sent a current of electricity zinging its way to her bruised heart.
“Wait. I need to say something to you.”
His hand dropped away as she turned back to him. Had he at last come to his senses and realized that what they had was worth fighting for? The breath caught in her chest as she waited for his next words.
“I was a fool. I shouldn’t have said those things to you in front of your sister. Please forgive me.”
She nodded. “It’s forgotten.”
There had to be more. Anticipation had her stomach twisted in a knot. What was he waiting for? This was the part where they were supposed to kiss and make up. It’s how it worked in the black-and-white romantic movies that she loved to watch late at night when she couldn’t sleep.
“Do you want me to walk with you back to the villa? I can if you just give me a couple of minutes to finish filling out this form.”
It wasn’t going to happen. Their happy ending was not to be. She expelled a trapped breath and pulled her shoulders back. “No need. Finish what you were doing. I have some calls to make. I’ll see you at dinner.”
Her feet felt weighted down as she walked away. Since when had she become such a romantic? It wasn’t good. Not good at all. She had to forget Stefano and her Roman holiday. In just a few days she’d catch her flight back to reality, but first she had to make sure this wedding went off without a hitch.
ALL DECKED OUT in a new tux, Stefano stood at the altar.
He resisted the urge to pull at his collar. His brother stood next to him as the wedding music started to play. Dante had a permanent smile tattooed on his face. It was as it should be, but Stefano struggled to keep from frowning over the way he’d messed up with Jules.
He missed the gentle chime of her laughter. The way her eyes twinkled when she smiled.
Who was he kidding? He missed everything about her. She was so close and yet so far away. They were cordial to each other but nothing more. No teasing banter. No easy conversation.
Amid everything, Jules hadn’t let it distract her. She had worked tirelessly from the time she got up until she called it a night. She’d been driven to make the wedding perfect. And it was amazing. She was amazing.
As though his thoughts had summoned her, Jules started up the aisle between the rows of white chairs with purple bows. Guests dressed in their finest turned to watch her walk up the aisle. She looked absolutely stunning in a knee-length purple dress with a black sash accentuating her narrow waist. And the fitted bodice snuggled to her curves just perfectly while leaving the butterfly tattoo peeking over the top. Stefano stifled a groan of frustration. He forced his eyes upward, noticing how the strapless dress left a clear and enticing view of her sun-kissed shoulders. It was impossible for him to look away from her.
Jules didn’t appear to have a similar problem. She kept her gaze straight forward. Was she purposely avoiding looking at him? Or was she nervous about standing in front of a large group of his extended family while television cameras were pointed at her from almost every angle?
She held her chin high. With her dark hair swept up, her slender neck was left exposed with only a gold chain adorning it. Stefano’s mind meandered back in time to when they’d made love. He knew exactly where her ticklish spot was, right there in the gentle curve that sloped into her shoulder. He halted the tantalizing thought.
When she neared him, she glanced his way. He expected to find fury—or anger—at the very least pain, but there was no sign of those emotions reflected in her emerald eyes. That was good, right? She’d already gotten over him. So why didn’t he feel relieved?
As she took her position opposite him, the guests rose to their feet as the wedding march played. Lizzie started down the aisle on the arm of Massimo. His grandfather had surprised everyone when he’d announced that he’d worked extra hard at his therapy so he could walk Lizzie down the aisle without the aid of his walker. Stefano wasn’t sure who beamed brighter, the bride or Massimo. It seemed as though it was