Lost in Italy (49 page)

Yes, Trent had proved to be a genuinely nice guy.  But he’d have helped anyone in the same situation.  She was no one special.

Early afternoon sunshine warmed her bare arms.  She only wished its heat could seep in and melt the chill taking over her heart.  A hopeless endeavor, but her steps slowed anyway since she was in no hurry to go back inside.

A crowd had gathered at the visitor’s entrance to the hospital, so she bypassed the main doors to see what the low hum of excitement was all about.  Her feet rooted to the spot when she saw Trent standing on the steps alongside a podium with a microphone, with
Agente
Tony Butelli and two other men dressed in business suits.

She’d watched enough press conferences on TV to understand the drill, even though one of the suits spoke in Italian and she didn’t understand a word.  Most likely the world was being advised that international movie star Trent Tomlin had cooperated with police and been cleared of all suspicion in any ongoing cases with the Italian police.

Her gaze focused on Trent like the zoom lens of the paparazzi.  Sunlight glinted off his dark hair, reminding her of that morning on the bridge in the Villa Melzi gardens.  And yet, the difference was like night and day.

For the first time since she’d met him face to face, the line of his jaw was clean shaven.  Despite the distance, the radiance of his smile flashed brighter than the multitude of cameras snapping his picture.  It even eclipsed the sun.  There stood the man she’d seen countless times in the magazines and on the movie screen, not the man who’d saved her, protected her, made love to her.

She lifted her hand for a sip of coffee, hiding behind her cup as a hard truth registered with the brutality of a bullet straight to her heart. 
This
man was way out of her league…and he didn’t look any different for having met her.

Against her will, her feet carried her closer.  The Italian man in the suit finished speaking and turned the microphone over to Trent.  He fielded a dozen shouted questions, diplomatically working his way through each one.  Effortless charm had the crowd of reporters eating out of his hand.  After thanking the police for reopening his brother’s case, he proceeded to make light of the last few terrifying days.

Anxiety rose as Halli waited for him to say her name, but he didn’t mention her at all.  The omission sparked mixed emotions.  Though she didn’t relish the idea of the inevitable attention, it hurt he could so easily remove her from the events they’d endured together.

When he jokingly requested recommendations where to order a bigger, better boat, Halli backed away and headed for the hospital’s main entrance.  The only greater illustration of the vast ocean that separated their lives was the immense waters of the Atlantic, and soon enough, it too would lie between them.

“What can you tell us about the woman who arrived at the hospital with you yesterday?”

Halli’s step faltered.  She didn’t dare turn around.  She thought it took him an extraordinary amount of time to answer, until she realized counting the beats of a racing heart was not an accurate measurement of time.

“Nothing, really,” he said.  “She was a tourist in the wrong place at the wrong time.  I barely even know her.”

Halli closed her eyes against the breath-stealing stab of pain. 
Well, what’d you expect?
 
That he’d declare his undying love in front of the whole world?
 
Get real.
Trent Tomlin didn’t fall in love, and if he did, her practical side reminded, it wouldn’t be with someone like her.

“Sources say you invited her to dinner,” a female voice called out.

“Did your sources tell you her answer?” Trent shot back.

“She didn’t give one,” the reporter said.

“Guess I’m losing my touch, then, aren’t I?”

The crowd laughed, but it was Trent’s chuckle that mocked her all the way back to Ben’s room.

Chapter 26

Trent curbed his impatience as long as possible before shooting his publicity manager a warning look.  He understood the need for the press conference given the news that had been circulating the globe the past few days, but reporters were reporters no matter what country they called home.  Like starving bloodhounds, they smelled a story in Halli and hungered for any bit of gossip they could splash across the headlines.

No way.  She’d been through enough without them tearing her and her family to shreds.  With barely two hours sleep, he’d been on edge thinking about talking to her.  His future hinged on her answers to some pretty big questions, but last night he’d sensed a change.  A distance between them he worried had already been given too much time to grow.

Jerry’s ambush here on the steps was icing on the cake.  If it weren’t for the international press in front of them, he’d consider strangling the short, media genius right now.  Ignore the fact that the guy was doing what Trent paid him lots of money to do, wrap his hands around his skinny little neck, and—

Finally he shouldered Trent away from the microphone, his strong voice and expensive suit lending an air of authority that his diminutive stature otherwise would not have commanded.  “Sorry folks, that’s all we’ve got time for.  Thank you.”

Trent gladly escaped the resulting volley of hastily shouted questions.  Inside the hospital, his publicist started toward a secluded corner.  “I have two interviews set up for three o’clock, and then—”

“No.”  Trent kept walking straight ahead.

Jerry changed direction, sputtering and arguing about damage control all the way to the elevator.  Trent tuned him out.

On the second floor, he stepped from the elevator to see Halli walking down the hall toward Ben’s room.  His stomach rolled with nervous anticipation.  When he said her name, she turned at the same moment his publicist grabbed his arm.  Trent glanced down to see him frowning at Halli.

“Is that her?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Jerry tried to hold him back, but didn’t bother to lower his voice.  “She’s not exactly your type.  Is there something going on I should know about?”

“No.”  Annoyance forced the word out louder than Trent intended.  Halli spun on her heel and he bit out his next warning in a rough undertone, “It’s none of your damn business.  Back off.”

More sputtering from his manager, but he clenched his jaw to contain a string of emphatic curses and rushed to catch Halli just before she entered Ben and Rachel’s room.  “Hey.”

Good—he didn’t sound desperate at all.

She drew up short, hesitated, then turned to face him.  “Hey.  Good morning.  Or should I say afternoon?”

Her smile and expression were completely composed, her tone friendly and carefree.  He didn’t buy it.  Especially when she refused to lift her gaze higher than his chest.

“We need to talk.”

“Sorry, Trent, but I’ve got a ton of things to do before we head back to Wisconsin.  Ben’s staying a few extra days, but Rachel and I are booked for tomorrow morning.”

“You’re leaving?”  Dumb question; she’d said all along she was heading straight home, and still the news hit with more impact than his boat exploding before his eyes.

“Well, yeah, what else am I going to do?”

“Stay.  I can show you around…salvage some of your vacation.”  He tried a teasing reminder of when they’d met.  “You know, that quick spin around the lake?  They’ll never know you were gone, sugar.”

Her laugh was as brittle as her smile.  “Thanks for the offer, but I already changed our flights.”

“So change ‘em back.”

She shook her head, f
ingers knotted together as she stared down at them. 
“I can’t.”

Growing dread took the form of anger.  “Can’t or don’t want to?”

Clearly uncomfortable, she just shook her head.  A glance to the side brought the realization they were the main attraction there in the hall. 
Damn
.  This lovely scene would get out just like the doomed dinner invitation.

He took her arm as a flash registered in the corner of his eye.  Halli jerked, eyes wide with surprise.  This time Trent let the curses flow under his breath and ushered her into her family’s room before the reporter who’d made it past security could snap another money-making picture.  He slammed the door and yanked the blinds to shut out the world.

“Sorry.”  Trent’s apology was as much for her as for disturbing Ben and Rachel, but when he turned to face Halli, he saw the room was empty save for the two of them.  She’d leaned back against the window sill, arms crossed over her chest, chin raised at that angle that told him he was in for an argument.

Shit.
  Where the hell had this wall of hers come from?  Completely invisible; totally impenetrable, but there nonetheless.  Good thing he could be just as stubborn.  She wasn’t immune to the connection they’d shared, and he felt no remorse using it against her now.

He stalked forward, careful to hold back his frustration.  Her eyes widened a little, otherwise she remained perfectly still when he braced a hand on either side of her hips.

“Where’s the woman who lived life in the moment?”  He leaned closer, searching for any crack in her composure, but the move backfired when her fresh scent played havoc with his senses.  His next words came out in a gruff whisper.  “The one who not only stood by me through danger, but screamed my name as we made love?”

Color flooded her face.  “You want Italy Halli,” she accused.

“What’s wrong with that?”

She shook her head with a husky laugh.  “She was a fluke.  An accident, like the video and everything else that happened.  Once I go back to Wisconsin, I’m just me again.  You’d be bored in no time.”

Her mouth snapped shut as if she’d said too much.  A spark of hope ignited, but she suddenly shoved against his chest.  He reluctantly gave her some space and watched her move to the other side of the room.  The urge to haul her into his arms was squelched between clenched fists.

“You could never bore me, Halli.”

She sighed, then surprised him by turning to meet his gaze directly.  “Please don’t make more of this than what it was.  I mean, it was fun, but none of it was real.  You of all people should know that.”

His hope flickered in the cold draft left by her words.  “Why don’t you enlighten me as to exactly what
it
was?”

“Two people in a desperate situation trying to survive.”

It was a hell of a lot more than that to him, but her stripped explanation undermined his natural confidence.  The lead ball in his stomach grew heavier.  He’d never worried about rejection before today, and the utter vulnerability caught him off-guard.

Self-preservation kicked in.  He searched in vain for his character.  The go-to guy without emotion.  He’d gotten the job done; it was time to cut his losses and move on. 
Where the hell had that guy gone?

Somehow, he pulled a cocky half-smile out of the air.  “Are we talking about sex again?”

If sadness tinged her smile, he figured it was wishful thinking on his part.

“As you pointed out on the boat, things happen in stressful circumstances, things we both know were never meant to be.  There’s no blame, no obligation, nothing to worry about.”

Such great lines.  She’d just handed him a graceful exit from a sticky situation.  He didn’t want out…but clearly, she did.  He finally located his character and headed for the door where she stood.

“So…this is it?  You go back to producing television shows and I go back to making movies?”  His hand rested on the door handle as he waited for her to look up.  When she did, the misery in her eyes made his heart stutter.

Until she said, “I’ll always be grateful for what you did for us.”

Grateful
.  If that didn’t say it all.

Trent didn’t think.  Didn’t give himself a chance to second-guess the wisdom of grasping her arms, hauling her up on her tiptoes, and crushing her mouth with his.  Her gasp of surprise was muffled by his lips.  He seized the opportunity to deepen the kiss, desperate to memorize her addicting taste; her intoxicating scent; the heaven of her soft skin.

One last kiss, one last imprint, and he’d leave her to the life she’d planned before fate crossed their paths.

Only...she responded.  Pressed her lithe body against his,
damn her
, and opened to the fierce plundering of his tongue.  Fire licked through his veins.  He might never have let go had the door not opened and slammed into his injured shoulder.  Sucking in a pained breath, he set her away from him.

“Whoa—sorry,” Ben said, poking his head around the door.

One look at Halli’s darkened eyes and glistening lips and Trent knew he had to get out of there before he said something to screw up her neat little wrap job on the past week.

Ben started to back from the room with his IV stand, but Trent gritted his teeth and grabbed hold of the door.  “We’re done here.”

Halli turned away without protest.  Ben hesitated, but Trent simply slid his back along the door and into the hall to make his escape.