Read Online Reckless Nights in Rome by C. C. MacKenzie - Free Book Online Page A

Nico who was
talking to Rosie.
    He took a
breath and turned, his eyes sharp as a blade met hers.
    “What are you
doing with Nico?”
    She knew that
look and bristled. “Dancing.”
    Alexander gave
a grunt, sipped his drink and ran a hand over the back of his neck
in a gesture she recognised.
    “That wasn’t
dancing.” His eyes stayed on hers. “He’ll eat you alive.”
    With a frown,
Bronte met his gaze dead on. “I thought he was your friend? The man
who saved the day?”
    Alexander
pressed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.
    He appeared to
be a man at the end of his tether and Bronte felt alarm slide up
her spine. He looked exhausted. Burning eyes met hers and she was
shocked at his expression.
    “He is not good
enough for you. You are so far above him ...”
    Baffled, she
simply stared. “I don’t understand.”
    “Don’t be
fooled by the charm and the polish. Underneath it Nico is a street
fighter. He’s totally ruthless.”
    “When did you
become a snob?”
    “Being a snob
has nothing to do with it. I’ve seen him with women, he’s not a man
I want my sister involved with.” When she kept her eyes on his,
Alexander took a breath, it was clear to her he was struggling to
find the right words. “He is what he is because he grew up hard and
he grew up hungry. As a child Nico had a choice, to survive or die.
He not only survived, he conquered.”
    “Surely that’s
something to be admired, to be proud of?” Her voice was soft with
sympathy for Nico the child.
    Alexander
nodded. “It is. But he has no soft spots. No nurturing or space in
his heart for another.” His eyes stayed on hers. “He’s not for
you.”
    She shook her
head. “He’s your friend. A friend you trusted your heritage
to.”
    “I trust Nico
Ferranti with my life. But not with my sister.”
    There were
times and this was one of them, when Bronte detested her brother’s
overprotective attitude.
    “So, you’re
warning me off. Honestly, Alexander, do you really think I would be
stupid enough to fall for a man like him? I’m not in the market for
a long term relationship, am I? What could I offer a man like
Nico?”
    “Christ,
Bronte, I don’t want to see you hurt.”
    “What if I hurt
him? Ever thought of that, or am I always the helpless victim in
your mind?”
    Pain, a deep
sorrow, sparked in her brothers eyes. And it burst the balloon of
her anger. She was so tired of fighting with him over every little
thing. She rested her head on his shoulder and gave him a hug.
    “I’m sorry, I
know you’re worried about me,” she told him with a gentle sigh.
    His response
was to gently pull her hair.
    “I’m leaving
tomorrow. You can contact me through the office, Julie has my
itinerary.”
    She smiled into
eyes that forcibly reminded her of their late father.
    “Sounds
exciting, Rome, Paris, Barcelona.”
    “It’s work. A
spot inspection of a couple of resorts.”
    The way he said
it, made her frown. “Trouble?”
    “No.” Alexander
gave her hair another tug. “I wish you would wait to meet your
biological father until I can go with you.”
    She flicked a
look at Nico who was now chatting with the groom.
    “I thought you
were supportive?”
    His smile
didn’t reach his eyes which held a mix of raw emotions.
    “I am.” He
assured her with a hug and then leaned in. His nose bumped hers. “I
am, but surely I’m permitted to worry about my baby sister whom I
love very much by the way.”
    It wasn’t a
sentiment Alexander Ludlow articulated very often.
    Bronte knew how
hard it had been for him, coping with the loss of their parents,
turning their home into a hotel in the teeth of her fierce
opposition, never mind dealing with the fall out of her devastating
news and the end of her engagement. He’d been amazing. And she’d
been too tied up in herself.
    With a small
cry she hugged him and they swayed together as she blinked back
tears that came to her all too easily these days.
    “I love