The parents are throwing a party for me on the yacht. Please say you can make it. I know you’re at a conference, but I need your advice about something serious. By the time you arrive it will be breaking up so we can talk in private.
The message sounded serious, even for Guido, who clearly wasn’t in a celebratory mood. He obviously had no plans for the weekend with a woman. His friend was as bad as Rini, who had no plans in that department, either. The two of them made quite a pair, but for entirely different reasons.
Guido was still looking for the right woman who hadn’t come along yet. Rini didn’t have the same problem. The right woman wasn’t out there for him because she wouldn’t want him when he had to tell her he was infertile. An old soccer injury he’d suffered in his youth had made it impossible for him to give any woman a child.
The pain of that realization had grown worse with every passing year, increasing his dissatisfaction with his own personal life. Whenever he did meet a woman he cared about, he held back, not allowing the relationship to develop into something deeper. It always came down to his fear she would reject him if she knew the truth.
He’d been denying his deep-seated needs for such a long time, he’d forgotten what real fulfillment was like. Since his sister Valentina—the mother of two children and now ecstatically married—had recently moved out of his villa, his unhappiness had deepened.
She’d lived with him through her whole pregnancy. He’d helped her with the baby when she’d first come home from the hospital. He’d loved every minute of it, but he’d carried a secret pain in his heart because he knew he’d never be able to be a birth father. When she’d married Giovanni and moved out, Rini felt the emptiness of the villa. It echoed the emptiness in his soul for what could never be.
Valentina’s happiness, not to mention that of his younger brother, Carlo, who enjoyed a wonderful marriage and had a little girl, heightened his awareness that the key element in his life was missing. He envied his brother for being able to give his wife a child. Rini’s doctor had told him he was a fool to let that prevent him from falling in love. “The right woman will be able to handle it,” he’d reminded him.
Rini didn’t believe it as he walked through the villa to his suite and stripped for a shower to get ready. After slipping into his black tuxedo, he reached for the wrapped gift he’d bought for the occasion. Once he’d said goodbye to Bianca, he left for the helicopter. The new hand-tied fishing fly he’d purchased for Guido was reputed to bring results. They often fished the mountain streams for trout. He thought his friend would be pleased.
Twenty minutes later he landed on board the Rossano luxury superyacht moored in the Bay of Naples, reminding him that not everyone was feeling the economic crunch. The yacht boasted seventeen staterooms and all the amenities of a five-star hotel, including a swimming pool and dance floor.
Twilight had descended, lending magic to the spectacular surroundings of one of the most beautiful and photographed bays in the world, with Mount Vesuvius in the background. He told his pilot to come back later and jumped down as Guido strode over to him.
“I’ve been waiting for you. Saw you on the evening news. Impressive stuff. I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to make it. Thanks for coming.”
“As if I’d miss your birthday.” He pulled the small package out of his jacket and handed it to him. “Buon compleanno.”
They gave each other a hug, then walked into the salon-cum-bar for a drink. He opened his present and held up the lure. “Just what I need.”
“Good. Let’s go fishing next weekend. I’ll clear my schedule for next Saturday.” Rini had been working himself into the ground and needed a break.
“Perfect.” With a smile of satisfaction he put the present in his pocket. With dark blond hair, good-looking Guido could have his pick of any woman. The money behind his family name made him sought after and somewhat cynical, as he feared no woman saw him for himself. Guido was the best friend Rini could ever have had. He hoped the only son of Leonides Rossano would end up one day with a woman worthy enough to win his heart.
Rini’s name and wealth made him a target, too. Women came on to him, causing him to question if any of them loved him for himself. Coupled with his problem of infertility, Rini imagined it was possible he’d end up a bachelor for good.
“Was it a nice party?”
“Different. One of the big fashion houses asked Father for permission to film a show on the yacht. You missed the whole thing.”
“Sorry about that. The meeting in Rome went longer than anticipated.”
Rini followed him down the steps to the deck, where he greeted his friend’s parents and family, who made up some of Naples’s most elite socialites and were beautifully dressed. Rini was well acquainted with many of them. An orchestra played music and the drinks were flowing.
They moved over to the area where a smorgasbord had been set up. By now he was hungry. After filling his plate, he joined his friend at one of the tables away from the others, where they could eat and talk alone.
“Your text said you wanted advice. What’s going on with you?”
Guido started to say something when his father broke in on them. Two attractive women with long hair he hadn’t seen before were with him. Rini exchanged a glance with his friend, who looked annoyed at the interruption. They both got to their feet.
“Dea Loti and Daphne Butelli, may I present my son Guido and his best friend, Rinieri Montanari.”
“How do you do,” Rini said, eyeing both of them.
“You missed their show, Rini,” the older man interjected.
“As I indicated earlier, I was unavoidably detained on business.”
“Well, you’re here now. They have to leave on the tender in a few minutes. Maybe you could give them a dance before they go?”
Guido’s father never stopped hoping his son would meet the woman he couldn’t live without. Rini knew his friend was upset at being railroaded, but agreed to the request. “It would be our pleasure.”
He gravitated toward the woman closest to him, who was dressed in purple. After walking her over to the dance floor, he drew her in his arms. “I’ve never been to a fashion show before. I’m sorry I missed it.”
“I doubt it’s the kind of thing the CEO of Montanari’s generally does on the weekend.” By now Guido was dancing with the other model.
“I understand it’s hard work. Did you have a chance to eat yet? We don’t have to dance if you’re hungry.”
“Thank you, but no. I don’t want anything. I have to watch my figure.”
“Well, your discipline definitely shows.”
She flashed him a beguiling smile. “Do you live in Naples?”
“No, but I work here.”
It surprised him when her hands slid up his chest and around his neck. “Daphne and I are going to be in Naples one more night because of an afternoon show at the Grand Hotel Parker’s, then we have another show in Rome. Perhaps we could get together tomorrow evening for dinner after the show?”
Her eyes stared up at him in unmistakable invitation.
“I’m afraid my plans are indefinite at the moment, but I’ve certainly enjoyed this dance with you.”
She held her smile. “Well, if you straighten them out, call me around seven at the Grand Hotel Vesuvio, where I’m staying, and ask for Signorina Loti.” In the next breath she planted a hungry kiss on his lips he hadn’t been prepared for. Then she darted away.
Rini went back to the table to wait for Guido. In a few minutes his friend