The Italian Billionaire's Lover

CHAPTER 8

Seven days! Seven days of knocking on doors and making telephone calls and Alina could not secure additional funding for her restaurant. Neither could she find suitable alternative premises at such short notice. She had tried everything, short of selling herself. All that was left was to sell her soul to the devil... so he was going to win after all.

With a heavy heart Alina braced herself to fill Caroline and Emily in on her impending marriage, but before she went home she made the dreaded call.

‘I will marry you,’ Alina replied without preamble when Tomas answered the phone. ‘But I just want you to know that I hate you,’ she cut the call before he could speak.

If Alina thought that she could be that dismissive to Tomas Casiraghi and get away with it, she had another thing coming. Her phone rang instantly.

‘Be ready at ten tomorrow. We are meeting my mamma and then we are going house hunting.’

‘I am busy tomorrow and the rest of my life,’ Alina yelled.

Tomas laughed. ‘Change your plans cara,’ he instructed.

Even whilst hating him and being angry with him, when he called her “cara,’ it was music to her ears. ‘About the house hunting,’ Alina breathed heavily. ‘I ---have an obligation to my sister and my niece.’

‘Your obligations are my obligations now cara. We shall find a home that suits all our needs si?’

No, you are not supposed to care. You are supposed to be insensitive and rude and obnoxious and cold hearted.

‘Okay,’ Alina shut her eyes. She cut the call before she broke into tears again. It was all she seemed to be doing in the last two weeks, now to go fill her family in on her forthcoming marriage to an Italian billionaire.

     ‘I can’t believe it!’ Caroline was at the door the second Alina walked in.

‘What happened?’ Alina looked around frantically. ‘Where’s Emily?’ she choked.

‘Emily is fine. She’s in bed. It’s you—You’re getting married to Tomas Casiraghi!’

‘How did you know?’

‘It’s all over the news... Italian billionaire set to marry little known English restaurateur.

‘How do they know?’ Alina demanded.

‘It seems his people issued a statement to the press. But when the hell did all this happen? Did I miss the engagement? I did not even know he kissed you yet.’

That was bloody fast work. Did he have the press release on his table for the last week?

Alina dropped her bag on the dining room table and wheeled Caroline into the lounge. She sat down facing Caroline and looked her in the eye. ‘I’ve done more than just kiss him,’ Alina murmured.

‘OMG,’ Caroline laughed, ‘my baby sister is no longer a virgin.’

‘Would you be quiet?’ Alina looked over her shoulder towards her bedroom, hoping Emily had not heard.

‘Good lord, when did all this happen?’ I knew there was more to it when he came banging on our door, and he is sexy as sin.’

I agree.

‘Please---don’t ask for details.’

‘You always were so private and secretive,’ Caroline accused.

‘I’m not---secretive,’ Alina denied.

‘So you’re not going to tell me anything?’ Caroline respected her baby sister’s privacy.