The Billionaire Who Saw Her Beauty

“This man is different from all the others. He wants to lease the land.”

Lease? “Are you considering letting him?”

“I’m thinking about it.”

“Wow.”

Her father eyed her curiously. “Why do you say that?”

“I thought our property was inviolate.”

“Leasing isn’t the same thing as selling.”

“You’re right.”

“Alessandra, something’s on your mind. Why did you ask if he was here because of Dea? Has your sister confided in you about him?”

“No, Papà. In fact I haven’t spoken to her for almost two months.”

“Hmm. If he’d met her before, he didn’t mention anything about meeting her to me.”

“Why would he if he didn’t know anything about our family?”

“But what if he does know? It makes me wonder what came first, the chicken or the egg?”

“What do you mean?”

“He might have met Dea before he ever called me.”

Alessandra was trying to understand what her father was getting at. “Why is this troubling you so much?”

“I’m your loving papà. My daughters were born princesses of the Houses of Taranto and Caracciolo. Because of our family history, you know I’ve always wanted to protect you from unscrupulous men.”

His explanation surprised her. “That sounds like medieval thinking. Papà, you don’t honestly think the CEO of Montanari Engineering fits in that category?” That gorgeous man? The one she’d envied Dea for meeting first? Alessandra didn’t want to believe it. Something about him had impressed her deeply.

“Though we don’t use the titles anymore, there are some men who try to calculate the monetary worth of our family. There’s nothing they would like more than to acquire your bank accounts and assets more than your love.”

Alessandra frowned. “The man comes from his own family dynasty and doesn’t need more.”

“One would assume as much, but for some men one dynasty isn’t enough.” His gaze swerved to hers. “I don’t want to think it. But if he has targeted Dea to marry her and eventually gain possession of our property, I don’t like the thought of it.”

She didn’t like it, either. Not at all. “Personally I don’t believe it.” Alessandra didn’t want to believe it. Not about that man. Whatever history her sister and Signor Montanari might have together, she didn’t want to think about it. To be with a man like him...

Alessandra got to her feet. “Don’t let it bother you, Papà. Have you had dinner yet?”

“No.”

“I’ll bring you something.”

“Grazie, but I’m not hungry.”

“I’m afraid I am. I haven’t eaten since I got back. Excuse me while I grab a sandwich. If you want me, I’ll be in the library.”

Alessandra left the office and headed for the kitchen to find something to eat. Afterward she walked to the castle library on the main floor, the repository of their family history where she could be alone. Years earlier she’d turned one corner of it into her own office, complete with file cabinets and a state-of-the-art computer and printer, plus a large-screen television for viewing the many videos she’d compiled. This had been her inner sanctum for years.

She sat down at the desk and got back to work on the book she was writing about Queen Joanna. Just as she’d settled down to get busy, the phone rang. It was her father.

“Papà?”

“I just wanted to let you know I’ve got business in Metaponto. The pilot is flying me in a few minutes.”

“Do you want company? I’ll go with you.”

“Not tonight, piccola.” Her father’s endearment for her. When Alessandra was born, she was the younger twin by three minutes and the name little one stuck. “I’m sure you’re tired after your scuba-diving trip, so you get some sleep and we’ll talk in the morning. I could be gone a couple of hours and will probably get back late tonight.”

“All right.”

While she got back to work she heard her father’s helicopter fly away. She kept busy for another hour, then went upstairs to get ready for bed. But when she slid under the covers, she didn’t fall asleep right away. Memories of the past with her sister filtered through her mind.

Though their personalities were entirely different, she and Dea had been as close as any two sisters until college, when Francesco had come into Alessandra’s life. She’d fallen in love and they talked about getting married. But before they got engaged he met Dea, who was more confident than Alessandra and had already started her modeling career.

Her sister had a beauty and lovability that had drawn guys to her from her teens. By contrast, Alessandra felt rather dull and unexciting. Certainly she wasn’t as attractive. But she’d always accepted those truths and never let them affect their friendship. Not until Francesco had laid eyes on Dea. From that moment everything changed. Alessandra felt herself lose him and there wasn’t anything she could do about it.

He followed her sister to Rome and she never saw him again. Francesco sent Alessandra a letter explaining he couldn’t help falling in love with Dea and hoped she wouldn’t hate him too badly. As for Dea, Alessandra didn’t see her for two months. When her sister came home, she told Alessandra she was sorry for what had happened. She explained that Francesco had done all the running, and she’d soon found out he was a loser. Alessandra was lucky to be out of the relationship.

The trauma of being betrayed by Francesco and her sister had completely floored her. It had taken a long time to work past the pain. Though they’d shared sisterly love in the past, from that time on they’d had a troubled relationship and two truths emerged. Alessandra didn’t know if she could trust a man again and Dea would always be the beautiful one who usually got the best of Alessandra. People seemed to love her the most.

Alessandra had to live with the knowledge that she was known as the clever one, a scholar with a sense of adventure. She’d thought that by the age of twenty-eight she would have finally gotten past her jealousy of Dea’s ability to attract men. But it wasn’t true. Otherwise meeting Signor Montanari, who’d met Dea first, wouldn’t have disturbed Alessandra so much.

If her father was right, what a sad irony that this man might be using Dea to get what he really wanted, making both sisters appear as poor judges of character. First the chef Alessandra had fallen for who couldn’t remain faithful once he’d laid eyes on Dea. Now Signor Montanari, who looked like the embodiment of a woman’s dreams. But what if her father learned this man had a secret agenda? The troubling thought kept her tossing and turning all night.

CHAPTER TWO

ON TUESDAY MORNING Alessandra awakened and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower. She dressed in jeans and a blouse. After brushing her hair and applying lipstick, she walked down the hall past the stairs to her parents’ apartment wearing her sandals.

She knocked on the door with no result, so she opened it and called out, “Papà?” He was probably in the sitting room drinking coffee while he read his newspapers, but the room was empty. Frowning, she retraced her steps to the staircase and hurried downstairs to the small dining room where the family ate breakfast. Maybe she’d find her father there.

The second she opened the doors, she received a shock. Her sister stood at the antique huntboard pouring herself a cup of coffee.

“Dea! What a surprise! It’s good to see you!” She looked beautiful as usual in a stunning blue dress and high heels. Alessandra rushed over to hug her. “Where’s Papà?”

“In the office.”

“I didn’t know you were coming home.” She reached for a glass of juice and a roll.

“Neither did I until I got a phone call from him last night.”

“You did?” That was news to Alessandra. He must have called her on his way to Metaponto.

Dea’s eyes darted to her without warmth. “He told me Rinieri Montanari had come to the castle to do business with him and wanted to know if I had been dating him. He seemed concerned enough that I decided to make a quick trip home to talk to him about it.”

“He’s always trying to protect us, you know that.”

They both sat down at the banquet-size table. “What I’m curious about is how you know Rinieri Montanari.” The tone of her sister’s point-blank question had an edge. There had to be another reason her sister had made a sudden flight home. Alessandra didn’t begin to understand what was going on.

“I don’t! Didn’t Papà tell you? Signor Montanari was in the foyer when I came in from my scuba-diving trip yesterday. As I started up the staircase he called out to me. I had no idea who he was. He thought I was you.”

“Did he say anything else?”

“Only that he acted surprised you were here at the castle and commented that you’d cut your hair since he’d been with you on the yacht. He said you’d told him you had another show to do in Rome. I took it that’s why he seemed shocked to find you here. I told him I wasn’t you, then I went up the staircase. That’s it.”

Dea sipped her coffee slowly. “So he mentioned the yacht.”

“Yes.”

She could hear her sister’s mind working. “Is that all he told you?”

Dea sounded so worried, Alessandra was perplexed. “I swear it.”

Her sister’s mouth tightened.

“Have you worked this out with Papà?”

She put down her empty cup. “Not yet, but I will when we fly back to Metaponto in a few minutes.”

“But you just got here last night!”

“I have to return to Rome for another show. As soon as Papà finishes up business with Signor Montanari, he’s flying me to the airport.” She checked her watch. “They’ve been together for the last half hour.”

With nothing more forthcoming, Alessandra knew she’d been dismissed and rose to her feet, feeling chilled. “Then I’ll say goodbye to you now.” She leaned over to kiss her cheek.

Until Alessandra could talk to her father alone, she would have to wait to know what had gone on. Dea was going back to Rome without clarifying anything about her relationship with Rinieri Montanari. In fact she hadn’t been this cold to Alessandra in a long time.

She left the dining room without saying anything and rushed down the hallway to the library, where she could get to work.

When her phone rang two hours later, she saw that it was her father and clicked on. “Papà? Where are you?”

“At the airport in Metaponto, waiting for your mother. She’s flying in from Taranto.”

Thank goodness. Alessandra needed to talk to her. “Has Dea gone back to Rome?”

“After our talk this morning I put her on the plane.”

“You sound more calmed down. Is everything okay?”

“There was a misunderstanding that was all my fault, but I’ve spoken with Signor Montanari and it’s been cleared up.”

Except that Alessandra still knew next to nothing. She gripped her phone tighter. “I’m relieved for that. How did Dea seem? She was chilly with me.”

“That’s because I upset her. After I apologized for minding her business, I explained it was my way of being protective to prevent her from being hurt in case Signor Montanari wasn’t being sincere. You did absolutely nothing wrong, so don’t worry about it. Now the main reason for my call. Do you have plans for the rest of the day?”

“I’m working on my book.”

“Would you have time to do me a favor?”

“Of course.”

“Signor Montanari is going to be our guest for the next few days.”

What? Alessandra almost fell out of her chair. The change in his attitude toward the other man was astounding.

“He needs someone knowledgeable to show him around today. Since I don’t know how long I’m going to be gone, you’re the only one I trust to drive him and answer his questions. Your work with the institute has given you vital insight into the importance of any changes or disturbances to the environment here in the south. Will you do it?”

His compliment warmed her heart, but it was already getting a workout because it meant she would be spending time with a man whose name was renowned throughout Italy. Her father had yet to explain what he’d found out about Dea’s relationship with Signor Montanari.

“Yes.” But Alessandra was so attracted to him, she would have to be careful it didn’t show. No way would she give her sister a reason to suspect her of coming on to him when she’d met him first.

“Get him back in time, piccola. I’ve asked him to join us for dinner. Liona has put him in the guest apartment on the third floor. He’s probably eating lunch right now. Your mother’s plane is arriving so I have to get off the phone. A piu tarde, figlia mia.”

* * *

Rini had just finished a second cup of coffee when the beautiful woman he’d seen yesterday on the stairs walked in the dining room. He should have realized right away that she wasn’t quite as slender as Dea, but he preferred her curves. “Signor Montanari? I’m sorry if I’ve kept you waiting. I’m Alessandra.” She sounded slightly out of breath and looked flushed.

Earlier in the morning, after the count had asked him about his relationship with Dea, he’d left the castle for the airport. Rini thought it odd to be questioned about her, but he let it go.

At that point the count said that while he was gone, his daughter Alessandra would give him a tour of the property. According to him, she understood the impact of drilling on the environment better than anyone else and he would be in the best of hands. If she was an engineer, Rini had yet to find out.

He got up from the table. “We meet again. I’ve never met identical twins before.”

“Dea’s the older sister by three minutes.”

“Which accounts for the difference,” he teased. “I can see that.” He smiled and walked toward her. “Call me Rini.”

After a slight hesitation she shook the hand he extended. “Benvenuto a Posso, Rini. Papà told me you’d be our guest for a few days and asked me to show you around today.”

“That’s very kind of you, but I don’t want to inconvenience you.” He couldn’t read her thoughts.

“It’s all right. Papà said this was important.”

She’d dressed in a simple short-sleeved peach top and jeans. Her tanned olive skin indicated she spent a lot of time in the sun. His gaze traveled from her cognac-brown eyes to her neck-length slightly tousled brown hair rippled through with golden highlights.

As she pulled her hand away, he noticed she didn’t wear nail polish. The reason she looked so natural was her lack of makeup. Except that she did wear lipstick, a coral color that blended with the golden tone of her skin and drew his attention to her voluptuous mouth.

He remembered Dea’s mouth being sculpted the same way before she’d kissed him. How remarkable that identical twins could look so much alike, yet on closer inspection were so different.

“Your father said you’re the one who knows everything.”

“Oh, dear. I hope he really didn’t say it like that.”

Rini got the idea he’d embarrassed her. “He meant it as a compliment.”

“I’m his daughter so he has to say it,” she commented in a self-deprecating manner. “If you’re ready, we can go now.”

“Please lead the way.”

He followed her ultrafeminine figure out of the castle to a Land Rover parked near the main doors. Rini had done his homework. Her island home was renowned as an Italian treasure. What a coincidence the castle was home to both women!

Before Rini could credit it, she climbed in the driver’s seat. “You’ll need to move the seat back all the way to accommodate your legs,” she said after he opened the passenger door.

One corner of his mouth lifted as he did her bidding and climbed in. They attached their seat belts and she took off across the causeway to the mainland. She drove with expertise, as if she could do it blindfolded. After leaving the small town of Metaponto, they headed for verdant hills that were covered in ancient olive groves.

“My father explained why you’re here. Now that we’re on Caracciolo property, tell me why the CEO of Montanari Engineering wants to lease this particular piece of property in order to drill. A lease means taking on a lot of controls.” She didn’t mince words and was all business.

“Your land may not be for sale, but a lease means compromise that benefits both parties and could be lucrative.” Rini looked out over the mountainous, sparsely populated province of Basilicata. “Hidden in the arch of Italy’s agricultural boot is the home to Europe’s biggest on-shore oil field.”

“That’s what I’ve heard.”

“Italy produces one hundred and twelve thousand barrels a day, one tenth the North Sea’s level. My goal is to double Italian oil production within the next five years. If not on your land, then I’ll find others because as you know, the south is underdeveloped.”

“Your goals are very ambitious.”

“Agreed, but the potential of this particular untapped oil field is huge. We’re hoping to drill for the billion-plus barrels of crude oil that lie beneath it. Your father and I are hammering out ideas to preserve the existing environment while drilling for oil to boost the suffering Italian economy.”

“You sound like a politician.”

“Everyone should be concerned over our country’s unemployment problems. I’m particularly anxious for us to bring down the country’s twelve-percent jobless rate through new employment. The goal will be to obtain oil, yet maintain sustainable development of agriculture that will offer real career paths for the future.”

“I have to admit you make a good case.” She kept driving to the top of a ridge that overlooked the huge valley. Onorato Caracciolo was a clever man to send Rini out with his daughter first. Rini had a hunch it would be a smart idea to win her over to his idea since her father appeared to place great trust in her knowledge and intelligence. But after the misunderstanding involving his other daughter, he needed to walk carefully.

“If you wouldn’t mind stopping, I’d like to get out and look around.”

She pulled off the road and turned off the engine. While he walked a ways, she climbed down and rested one curving hip against the front fender to wait for him. When he returned she said, “I know you see oil beneath the property. But what I see is a fertile field that has been here for centuries. Your plan would create giant, unsightly scabs.”

His eyes narrowed on the features of her beautiful oval bone structure. “If you’re imagining dozens of derricks, you’d be wrong. My gut instinct is to build several right here in the shadow of the mountain out of sight. The existing road to the south travels straight to the sea, where the oil would be transported to tankers. One would barely be aware of the activity.”

“And if you find it, does that mean more derricks?”

“We’ll make that decision later.”

Her softly rounded chin lifted. “What if you don’t discover any?”

“Preliminary reports from this part of Italy indicate vast reserves. We’ll find it, but we’ll proceed slowly with your father having the final say in how long we are allowed to drill. Let me ask you a question.”

“Go ahead.”

“If I were to appeal to Queen Joanna herself and explain the benefits, what do you propose she would say? Forget how long ago she ruled. Your father tells me you’re a historian writing a biography on her. Your research means you know her better than any other living person today. Was she a risk taker?”

He could hear her mind working.

“She backed Antipope Clement VII against the unpopular Urban VI. For that she was given this papally owned land eventually bequeathed to our family. So yes, I’d say she was a risk taker.”

Rini’s lips twitched—he was fascinated by the knowledge inside her brain. “You think she would have granted me an audience?”

She stared at him. “I have no idea.”

“Humor me and put yourself in Joanna’s place.”

A smile broke the corners of her mouth he found more and more enticing. “It was a man’s world. I wouldn’t have trusted any of them. You, particularly, wouldn’t have been given a second audience.”

“Why single me out?”

“Because you’re handsome as the devil, increasing the odds of Joanna being tricked. Give me a little more time to think about your ideas that have persuaded my father to give you a hearing.”

“You mean you’re not tossing me out on my ear just yet?”

She opened the driver’s door. “Of course not. That’s for Papà to do.” On that note she climbed in and started the engine.

He went around to the other side, glad to hear she wasn’t shutting him down yet. “In that case, let’s take the road that leads to the sea. En route you can tell me more about the subject of your future best seller.”

“I’d rather you gave me more reasons why you think this project of yours outweighs the many negatives. My father will want a report to run by my mother and her sister, Fulvia. The property comes through my father’s line, but he always leans heavily on the opinions of his wife and sister-in-law.”

“Who makes the ultimate decisions?”

“When it comes to business, the three of them go back and forth until there’s a consensus.”

“He’s a man surrounded by women.”

She smiled. “As my Aunt Fulvia says, behind every successful man is a more successful woman.”

Food for thought. “Do your parents love each other?”

“Very much.”

“That’s nice. Before my mother died, my parents had the same kind of relationship.”

“I’m sorry for your loss. It sounds like you’ve been lucky to have great parents too,” she murmured on a sincere note as they started down into the valley. “What does your father think of this latest idea of yours?”

“Though he and I are always in consultation over business, this is one time when he doesn’t know where I am, or why.” He angled his head toward her lovely profile. “I’ve taken this time to do reconnaissance work on my own. I told no one where I was going, not even my best friend. That’s why I was so surprised when I thought you were Dea. I couldn’t figure out how you could have known my destination.”

She darted him a questioning glance. “So it really was pure coincidence that you had business with our father?”

“I was introduced to her as Dea Loti. But the misunderstanding has been cleared up. The simple fact is, I thought you were she. But I shouldn’t have called out to you before I’d met with your father for an explanation, then none of this would have happened. To be honest, I wasn’t ready for you to disappear on me the way you did.”

Her pulse sped up. Did he just say what she thought he said?

“I was a mess and hoped no one would see me sneak in the castle.”

“Not from where I was standing.”

She swallowed hard and appeared to grip the wheel tighter. “When Dea and I were younger, we got taken for each other a lot. Not so much now that she’s become a top fashion model. She’s the true beauty. I’ve always believed I looked different even though we’re identical. But I’m aware other people can’t always tell the difference. Under the circumstances I understand why my shorter hair gave you a shock.”

Not just her hair. As he was coming to learn, many things about her were different from her sister and other women. She was so genuine and charming, it knocked him sideways. “Your hair is attractive and suits you.”

“Thank you.”

“I can see why your father wants to protect you.” Rini decided not to argue the point further when her physical beauty was self-evident. But Alessandra Caracciolo had been born a twin and he’d heard it could be a blessing and a curse, so he left it alone.

They’d reached a crossroads that would take them back to Metaponto and the causeway, but Rini wasn’t ready to go home yet. To his surprise he found he wanted to get to know her better. Much better. Besides her intelligence, she spoke her mind and was like a breath of fresh air. “Do you have time to drive us along the coast? I want to inspect the shipping access.”

“We could do that, but if you want to get a real feel, you should view everything by boat.”

That idea sounded much better. “When we reach Metaponto, let’s find a marina where I can charter one for tomorrow.”