Ultimate Romance Collection. Rebecca Winters

castello until Ciro was well. He only left two things out; the fact that she’d been the one who’d begged him for the job, and his intense attraction to the principessa. Cesare had never burned for a woman like this in his life.

      “Hearing about her disappearance is like a dose of déjà vu for me,” Vincenzo commented.

      Cesare nodded. “When Mamma admitted why she was hiding Tuccia, I could understand. It took me back to that morning in New York when you told me and Takis about your escape from your father at eighteen years of age. She’s twenty-five, but still in much the same situation as you were back then.”

      “That was a horrific time. I can well imagine what Princess Tuccianna is going through right now.”

      “But she’s my responsibility, not yours. Tonight on the way up here I decided I had to be out of my mind to think up such a ridiculous plan.” She’d been so desperate, he hadn’t been able to find the strength to turn her down. “On the jet she talked about another plan she had in mind to stay in hiding. I don’t doubt it would work for a while.

      “Once she’s gone I’ll be acting pastry chef while I search for the right person to replace Gemma. I can only hope Ciro might recover much sooner than the doctor estimated.”

      Without commenting, Takis eyed the covered pan on the coffee table. “Are you going to let us taste her first endeavor?”

      “I was just going to ask the same thing,” Vincenzo commented.

      “There’s no point. I’m not willing to drag you two into this mess.”

      “Why don’t you let us decide.”

      “No, Takis.” He shook his head. “All we would need is for the press to find out she’s working within the walls of the castello. We’d be charged for obstructing a police investigation. I’d face an additional charge for flying her here. It would cause an international scandal that could ruin our business.”

      At this point Vincenzo had gotten to his feet. “Not showing up for her wedding would be a disappointment to her fiancé and parents, but it isn’t a crime. As far as I can see, no crime has been committed by anyone. She turned to her aunt for assistance. That woman called on your mother who enlisted your help. The police don’t know that.”

      “Vincenzo’s right,” Takis chimed in. “Besides, Tuccia is over twenty-one and is welcome here as a staff worker. If she wore a disguise and used a fake name, it’s not our fault we didn’t recognize her.”

      “Thanks, guys, but the police wouldn’t see any of it that way.”

      “How are they going to find out?”

      Cesare rubbed the back of his neck in frustration. “I don’t know, but you can be sure there’ll be a leak somewhere.”

      Takis looked up at Cesare. “Mind if we find out what a good teacher you are?”

      “Go ahead. She’s never cooked anything in her life, but she followed Mamma’s sacred recipe for Sicilian nun buns to the letter.” He uncovered the pan so they could take one.

      Both men started eating and didn’t stop until half of the decorated mounds were gone. Tuccia could have received no greater compliment.

      Vincenzo lifted his head. “You swear you didn’t cook these yourself?”

      “I stood over her shoulder. That’s all.”

      “She really made these on her own?” Takis looked astounded.

      Cesare nodded. “It took her three tries. She even cleaned up the mess in the kitchen afterwards.”

      “Do you think this was a one-time accident, or is the princess the proverbial diamond in the rough?”

      “I’d like to see her make half a dozen Sicilian desserts at the pensione before I could answer that question, Takis. Today it was fear that drove her. She’d do anything to stay hidden. But to master the art of fine pastry making and love to do it is a gift only a few people possess. Within a few days she could hate it.

      “As for her working here as the pastry chef, it would mean dealing with the kitchen assistants. I have no idea how she would handle them under pressure. For all of those reasons I’m going to tell her this won’t work.”

      “Not so fast,” Vincenzo interjected. “Before you say or do anything, why don’t I ask Gemma to visit her tomorrow? Let her lay out what a day in the kitchen would be like for Tuccia. She’d be able to ask my wife questions about the routine and the personalities she would have to deal with.”

      “But Vincenzo—Gemma learned from her mother and studied pastry making for ten years at the finest school in Florence. She would laugh in disbelief at such a ludicrous idea.”

      Vincenzo shook his head. “We’ve all heard the news about the princess who ran away. No one would be more understanding than my wife who saw first-hand what went on between my father and me years ago. Takis and I agree those nun buns the princess made were divine. I think it’s worth going to the trouble to give her a chance. I know Gemma will feel the same way.”

      “You don’t want her on her feet at this late date in her pregnancy. Neither do I.”

      “Cooking for hours every day is entirely different than having a serious talk with Tuccia.”

      Takis nodded. “He’s got a point, Cesare.”

      “I don’t know. I have a lot to think about. Tomorrow when I go down to the pensione, I’ll probably discover she wants to leave. Whatever is decided, I’ll let you know. I guess you realize I’m indebted to you two for being the best friends any man could ever have. Now go to bed. That’s an order.”

      Both men stole the rest of the mounds from the pan before walking out the door.

      Cesare tossed and turned all night, too eager to see her again to sleep. Early the next morning he got dressed and left the castello in his hard-top sports car parked around the rear. He took the empty pan with him.

      When he reached the village, he stopped at a trattoria for takeout: breakfast for two. To his dismay he realized that he was so excited at the prospect of seeing her again he couldn’t think about anything else. Though it had only been a few days, Tuccia had taken up space in his mind and heart.

      He’d known desire for women and had enjoyed several short-term relationships, but they’d always stopped short of marriage because some crucial element had been missing. That was what he’d always told himself. But this was different because so far Tuccia appealed to him on every level and had already colored his world.

      He reached the pensione at eight and got out of the car. After knocking on the door, he expected her to answer in tears and be anxious to get to the train station.

       CHAPTER FIVE

      LAST NIGHT TUCCIA had wished Cesare had stayed. But if she’d asked him not to go, she would have given him the wrong idea. She had a problem because she knew she’d fallen in love with him and was more attracted to him with every passing minute. When the limo pulled away, she’d closed and locked the door, fearing she wouldn’t get to sleep for a long time.

      At four this morning, an exhausted Tuccia had turned off her watch alarm and got out of bed to do her homework. It was one thing to cook while Cesare had stood there directing her every step. The trick was to do it while he wasn’t watching.

      She knew there were enough ingredients for her to make one more batch of the tarts on her own. But with no big shallow pan, she’d had to improvise with two small round pans with higher sides she’d found in the cupboard. As a result, she still had half the batter to cook.

      If she failed miserably, then she’d be the first to ask him to drive her to the train station. It would be the last thing he would ever have to do for her. Before she threw herself at him, she realized