Under the Sicilian Sky Read online

  She loved Erik’s grandparents like they were her own. If she could do anything to make sure they had a fabulous family reunion . . . She couldn’t lie to herself, though. Three weeks pretending to be Erik’s fiancée was more temptation than she could resist. Her heart still equated Erik with happiness. And she sure could use some of that.

  She cocked her head to the side and stared back at him. There was more to this story than Sheryl’s assumption, although he seemed to have run with that. If Erik had really wanted someone to pretend to be his fiancée, she was sure the list of willing candidates would have been a wheat field long. So why her? Especially after what had happened. He clearly had another ace up his sleeve. As a photographer, she could read body language, capture elusive emotions. Erik was hiding something.

  Searching his face, she dared to ask, “What else?”

  “Has your grandfather told you anything about his business?”

  “No, why? I mean, I know he’s scaled back a bit and doesn’t have as many horses.”

  Erik took a deep breath and let it out audibly. “He doesn’t have any horses, except that old gelding of yours. The stables are in serious financial difficulty. The bank is foreclosing on Monday.”

  “What? Why didn’t he tell me any of this?”

  Erik shrugged.

  Her grandfather was a proud man and not one who told the world his worries. Closing her eyes, she ran a hand through her hair. “How much to pay off the bank?” She was afraid of the answer.

  “Around a hundred thousand dollars.”

  “A hundred thousand?”

  Analise’s mind whirled. If she sold all her assets, including her apartment and portfolio, she might be able to scrape that amount together. There was no way she’d manage that by Monday, though. “It’ll kill my granddad to lose the stables, especially on top of losing Grandma.” She had to save her grandfather, to atone for all those she hadn’t been able to help.

  “I have the money. I can go to the bank and make the transfer tomorrow,” Erik said.

  “How do you know all this?”

  “One of my cousins works for the municipality, another for the bank. Nothing is really private in a small town like this.”

  Don’t I know it.

  “So, I pretend to be your fiancée for a few weeks, and you settle my grandfather’s debts until I can pay you back?”

  “Exactly. Will you do it?”

  “Why are you doing this, Erik? What would you have done if I hadn’t decided to come back to Akureyri today? What if I had brought my fiancé with me?”

  “You didn’t, so why worry about what hasn’t happened? Will you pretend to be engaged to me?”

  “Can I think about it?” There was something he wasn’t telling. Some other reason he needed a fake fiancée. Could she still trust him?

  He glanced over her shoulder before putting his hand to her face. Lowering his head, he took her lips in a kiss so gentle she wondered if she’d imagined it. She was used to her mouth being ravaged. Erik’s soft touch was like a taster, leaving her wanting more. The flicker of happiness grew a touch brighter.

  He pulled back a fraction. “Enough time?” He nuzzled her ear, setting off a tingling sensation in her abdomen. “We’re being watched.”

  Being watched was nothing new. The French government had let her go, but she was pretty sure they weren’t done screwing with her life. Evidently, Erik was now a hotshot lawyer. Having someone with legal knowledge could come in handy. This could work to her advantage, too.

  “Well, I guess it will be all over town within minutes. And if I deny the engagement, it will lead to more questions.” Smile and nod and get out without telling them anything.

  “Thank you, Analise. You don’t know how happy you’ve made me.”

  Enough to make up for the way I left before? They couldn’t go back. But maybe they could part as friends this time. “Just don’t expect too much. I’m not the girl I used to be.”

  “Neither of us are the people we used to be.” His phone rang. Glancing down, he gave a wry smile. “It’s my mother. That took longer than I expected.” He answered the call on the fifth ring.

  Analise twirled her engagement ring on her finger as she half listened to the snippets of Erik’s mother’s tirade. Jean-Claude would have understood her decision. He’d been all about doing what needed to be done in the moment—and dealing with the fallout, emotional and otherwise, later.

  Erik’s voice interrupted her musing. “It was supposed to be a surprise . . . Yes, Mom, we’re on our way . . . No, you’ll meet her in a few minutes. We just stopped to grab a coffee . . . Yes, I know you have coffee there. Listen, you won’t be too clingy, will you? My fiancée isn’t used to such a hands-on family. All right, we’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

  He hung up and winked at her. “The show has begun. I guess we’d better go see our families now.”

  “I suppose.” Analise had a terrible feeling this whole thing was going to turn into a right pain in the aperture.

  “Do you mind if we see my family first? The farm is closer, and my mother might actually explode if she doesn’t see us soon. We can leave your vehicle here and go the rest of the way in my car. We’ll need the time to get our story straight.”

  She hesitated, and Erik put his hand on her face again, running his thumb over her chapped lips with a feather-light touch.

  “D’accord . . . okay.” She must’ve been tired; she tended to slip into French when exhausted. “I want to get a vinnaterta from the bakery for my grandfather before we go.”

  “No problem.” Erik stood and waited for her. When she rose, he put his arm around her waist. Analise enjoyed the feeling of security. The air was filled with birds singing to each other, and a light breeze blew a gentle warmth against her skin. No bombs, no staccato gunfire. Just peace.

  Well, and Erik.

  Acknowledgments

  A huge thank you to the amazing team at Crimson Romance. Thanks to Tara for believing in my story and the incredible editing talent of Julie, who made it so much better. You are always such a pleasure to work with.

  Thank you to my family who support me in this crazy business. And my readers who make it all worthwhile.

  Last but not least, I’d like to acknowledge the support of the CR Sisters who are always there with encouragement and help. And to my fellow Vancouver area romance writers, thank you for the beta reads and listening to my worries. Keep on writing, ladies.

  About the Author

  A former world wanderer, Alexia Adams writes contemporary romance stories that reflect her love of exotic destinations and diverse characters and cultures. She currently lives near Vancouver, Canada, with her husband and four children and dreams of a world without housework. As a flight risk mom, romance is her escape and she can often be found with her nose in a book, pretending she’s somewhere else.

  Check out her website at http://alexia-adams.com and sign up for her monthly newsletter for contests, cocktail recipes, exclusive excerpts, and more. Or find her on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/AlexiaAdamsAuthor or Twitter @AlexiaAdamsAuth. She loves to hear from readers, so don’t be shy.

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  First Crimson Romance ebook edition DECEMBER 2017.

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  Interior images © Shutterstock/Angelo Cordeschi, © Shutterstock/Standret

  ISBN 978-1-5072-0751-2 (ebook)

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, corporations, institutions, organizations, events, or locales in this novel are either the product of the author’s imagination or, if real, used fictitiously. The resemblance of any character to actual persons (living or dead) is entirely coincidental.

  Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Simon & Schuster, Inc., was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters.