A Deal To Carry The Italian's Heir / Christmas Contract For His Cinderella. Jane Porter

just to annoy your stepfather,” Padma said. Launching directly into attack.

      No question about why Neha hadn’t come to see her in two weeks. No question about the sudden change in her relationship with Leo. That cold knot in her chest squeezed painfully even as that wet, helpless feeling filled her throat. “Mum, what are you talking about?”

      “This...thing with that man.”

      “What about it?”

      “Leonardo Brunetti is your stepfather’s enemy. You know he causes all kinds of trouble for Mario. Of all the men in the world, Neha...have you no loyalty for Mario? After everything Mario’s done for us, after he made sure we didn’t wallow in poverty, after he built this empire with your face, after he’s treated you as if you were his own...” A long, rattling sigh shook her slender shoulders, and she reached for the wall behind her, her breathing shallow, her pretty face crumpled.

      Panic filled Neha’s limbs. “Mum, please don’t stress yourself like this. You know it’s not good for you. You’ll have an asthma attack and I—”

      Padma jerked away from her touch. “Then you should’ve thought of that before shacking up with a man Mario can’t stand.”

      “Mum, listen to me. It’s not what you think. I’d never do anything to hurt you. This is something I needed to do for myself...” Neha pushed her shaking fingers through her hair, fighting for composure. Fighting the anger and helplessness rising through her, the selfish need to demand her mum’s support when she was weak already. “To build the life I—”

      “You’ve chosen to go against the man who gave you everything. And when Mr. Brunetti breaks your heart, and Mario says he will, who do you think will pick you up again? Who do you think looks out for you in all this?

      “Your stepfather, that’s who.” Her mum took her face in one hand, fingers tracing her jaw tenderly, her gaze taking in everything. “Walk away from this man, Neha.” Tears made her mum’s words a soft, beseeching whisper. “Come home with us, now, tonight. Mario’s generous. He’ll forgive you the simple mistake of falling into Leonardo’s trap.”

      Of course he would. He’d riled up her mum to see only an enemy in Leonardo. A selfish woman in her own daughter, a naive fool who fell for a man’s sweet words. Still, Neha tried. “Mum, I haven’t done anything to be forgiven for. I’ve stayed all these years even though—”

      “No, stop.” Padma took a deep, shuddering breath, her mouth trembling. Ignoring what Neha was saying. “It pains me to see you at such cross-purposes with him, darling.”

      “Mum, I’m doing this for me. No one else. For my future.”

      “Please stop this before you hurt yourself and us, too.”

      “And if I don’t?”

      Padma stepped back from Neha, a resolute look in her eyes. “Then I know that Mario’s right that you’ve never accepted him. That you’ve never forgiven me for choosing to marry again when your papa passed away. That all these years, you’ve resented the place he’s taken in my life.”

      The dark midnight sky was a star-studded blanket as Leonardo made his way through the well-worn path to the greenhouse that had been abandoned for more than two decades.

      He had engaged a crew to renovate the greenhouse, but apart from stepping in there with the architect for a quick inspection, he hadn’t been here again. He wanted the renovated greenhouse, not a desolate, haunting monument with memories that could steal his sleep.

      Nothing but Massimo’s knock at his door, his face concerned, well past midnight, as he’d been getting ready for bed, could have brought Leo to this place. For years, he had ignored the presence of the abandoned structure, refusing to step foot even in its shadow.

      But he’d realized that it was silly to let a child’s confusion dictate the rest of his life. An utter waste of time and energy having something new designed when a perfectly old structure was sitting right in his backyard.

      He keyed in the security code that had been newly installed and pushed open the glass door. The rise in temperature was instant—a blast of warm, wet air hit him in the face.

      Surprise filled him at the progress the team had made. Most of the overgrown shrubbery and vines had been cleared and new temperature-controlling tubing had been installed all over the ceiling. A huge industrial-size porcelain sink sat along one wall with gleaming granite counter space.

      That, along with the perfectly placed overhead lights in a crisscrossing design through the center line of the high ceiling, made it eons different from the abandoned shell he’d discovered months ago.

      There was one corner of the huge greenhouse where the overgrown, climbing vine had been left in place. The small area stood like a piece of the past he never seemed to let go of.

      Cristo, he was in a strange mood tonight.

      The lounger he’d ordered in a moment of self-indulgence stood like a throne in an abandoned castle. Her gray sweatshirt lay discarded on the lounger while Neha walked around the long aisles, drifting aimlessly, in deep thought. Even the ping of the door hadn’t disturbed her. Leo took the time to just watch her.

      The rational part of him wanted to turn around and walk out, leave her to her midnight rambles. She’d made it clear before the party tonight that she was never going to cross that line that she had drawn around herself and let herself be vulnerable to anyone, much less him.

      The loose, sleeveless T-shirt and cotton shorts she had on should have looked anything but sexy. But the slightly damp fabric stuck to the outline of her curves and the shorts—Cristo, her legs were long and lean, packed with muscle.

      He’d never gone for the delicate, wispy, stick-thin kind of women. He liked curves, and from every glimpse he got of Neha’s, it felt like she was tailor-made to fit into his hands.

      Her face scrubbed free of the makeup only highlighted the dewy silkiness of her skin. Her wild hair had been braided into submission into a single braid, already half undone and framing her face.

      It was only when she raised her gaze to his and gave a soft gasp that he saw the wet tinge to her eyelashes. Cristo, she’d been crying?

      He pushed away from the wall, all thoughts of leaving her to her own problems fleeing. “Neha?”

      She scrubbed a hand over her face. “What’re you doing here?”

      “That is for me to ask.” He tucked his hands into his pockets. She looked crumpled, a little broken, and the last thing she needed was for him to paw at her. “Massimo told me he found you walking out here. That he gave you the code.”

      “Oh.” Her fingers played with the hem of her T-shirt. “I couldn’t sleep and was walking the grounds. I can’t come down from the high of the evening that quickly, y’know? Especially when... It was a lovely party, yeah?” He didn’t for one second believe the glassy, too-bright smile. She looked around herself self-consciously. “I’m sorry for intruding. Again.

      “Massimo thought it was better if I wandered inside here. I gathered from what he said this greenhouse...is off-limits to guests. But he wouldn’t leave my side until I went in or returned to my bedroom.

      “I didn’t want to lie down when my head’s spinning.”

      “This apologizing of yours is becoming a bad habit, cara. You’re welcome to walk into any part of the estate.”

      “I think I’ve done enough midnight meandering. I’ll wish you good night.”

      “You are upset,” he said, reaching for her arm as she passed him. He kept his grip slack. She didn’t pull away and, this close, he could feel the tension emanating from her. All his protective instincts went into overdrive. “Did Mario get to you?