Rome for Always (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Collection) by Judy Angelo Page B

own. “I did no such thing.
How dare you?” She clenched her fists, fighting to keep her anger under control.
She hadn’t come all the way to Italy to be attacked. “You don’t even know me. How
dare you cast aspersions on my character?” She was breathing hard, the anger
bubbling up inside. There was a whole lot more she wanted to say to this man
but she would not go there. For Rome’s sake she would keep a lid on it.
    “Oh, I know all about you, Miss Arie Angelis. You’re
trying to become a part of the Milano family. Don’t you think I would have you
checked out?” Vittorio cocked an eyebrow and gave her a mocking smile. “I know
you have no family, no history, nothing. I don’t know how you met my son but
what I do know is that there was no way he could have fallen in love with you
in the short time that he knew you. You must have done something to him.”
    “I didn’t do anything to your son. He’s a grown man. He’s
got a mind of his own.” Arie folded her arms across her chest. It was either
that or give in to the urge to slap the man upside his head. “And anyway, you
already said you don’t know how we met. How do you know we haven’t been
involved for ages?”
    “I know you could not have been involved ‘for ages’ as
you so elegantly put it,” Vittorio snarled. “How could that be, when it's just
been over a year since he and Daniela broke up?”
    “Dan…who?”
    Vittorio gave a triumphant laugh. “I thought so. You
didn’t know about Daniela, did you? You thought you could convince me that you
and Rome have been together for a long time but it can’t have been more than a
few months. It wasn’t so long ago that he and Daniela were an item.”
    Arie was floored. How could this be? In all the
conversations she’d had with Rome never once had he mentioned a Daniela. And
now to find out that he and this woman had ended their relationship just a year
earlier?
    Her heart was pounding in her chest and she had to
clench her fists again but this time it was to keep her fingers from trembling.
Through it all she kept her face blank, fighting hard to keep her emotions
inside. There was no way she was going to give Vittorio Milano the pleasure of
seeing how much his words had affected her. “I don’t believe you,” she said
through gritted teeth. “You’re just trying to interfere.”
    That made Vittorio lift his eyebrows. “You don’t believe
me?” Then he shrugged. “Why don’t you ask Rome all about it?”
    Arie was just getting ready to give him a sharp response
when there was a rap at the door. They both swung around just in time to see
the door open and a man who looked too much like Rome to be a stranger entered
the room. “Sorry I just got here,” he said. “I had some things to tie up at the
office.”
    He walked in, headed straight for Arie and put out his
hand. “Pleased to finally meet you, Arie,” he said with a welcoming smile. “Rome’s
been boasting about you so much I was beginning to wonder if he’d made you up. Glad
to see you’re real.”
    For the second time that afternoon Arie was made
speechless by the welcome she was receiving but this time it was because it
seemed too good to be true. After the cool reception from Rome’s mother and the
vehemence of his father she’d expected more of the same but this newcomer
seemed so genuine. She didn’t know what to say.
    “I’m real, thank you.” She nodded as she took his hand.
    “Where are my manners?” he said with a shake of his head.
“I’m Lorenzo, Rome’s brother."
    “Hello Lorenzo,” she said. “I’m pleased to meet you,
too.” If only the rest of the family could be like this one. Arie almost gave
an audible sigh.
    “Marco’s on his way in. He’s just parking the car.” Lorenzo
released her then slid his hands into his pockets as he looked down at her. “He’s
the runt of the family and he works for me.”
    “With you. Get your story straight, Lorenzo. I work with you.”
    Arie