Her Bucket List Billionaire: The Tycoons, #4

By Marie Higgins

When Adrianna Olsen reluctantly agrees to masquerade as her supermodel twin sister, Valerie, for a month in Venice, she anticipates a taste of luxury, not unexpected passion. Caught off guard by the charms of Italian seducer Gabriele Marcelli, Adrianna finds herself entangled in emotions she's never known. Tasked with embodying her sister, she struggles to reconcile her growing affection for Gabriele with the deception she's perpetuating.

 

For Gabriele Marcelli, revenge against Valerie Olsen is a consuming obsession. Intent on repaying the pain she inflicted on his friend, Gabriele sees an opportunity to exact his vengeance by seducing Valerie. However, he's perplexed by the genuine warmth and innocence he discovers in her, a stark contrast to the ruthless woman who once shattered his friend's heart. Unsure if her kindness is genuine or part of a larger scheme, Gabriele grapples with his own emotions as he navigates the complexities of their entwined fates.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Marie Higgins
• Release date: Apr 21, 2019
• ISBN: 9798223812128

Marie Higgins

Marie Higgins is a multi-published author of romance; from refined bad-boy heroes who makes your heart melt to the feisty heroines who somehow manage to love them regardless of their faults. Visit her website / blog to discover more about her – http://mariehiggins84302.blogspot.com Since Marie Higgins was a little girl playing Barbies with her sister, Stacey, she has loved the adventure of making up romantic stories. Marie was only eighteen years old when she wrote her first skit, which won an award for Funniest Skit. A little later in life, after she’d married and had children, Marie wrote Church roadshows that were judged as Funniest and Best Written. From there, she branched out to write full-length novels based on her dreams. (Yes, she says, her dreams really are that silly) Marie has been married for twenty-six years to a wonderful man. Together, they have three loving daughters and several beautiful grandchildren. Marie works full time for the state of Utah, where she has lived her entire life. Marie plans to keep writing, because the characters in her head won’t shut up. But her husband smiles and pretends this is normal.

Book preview

When Adrianna Olsen agrees to play the role of her super-model twin sister, she figures it’s a reasonable price to pay for an entire month living the high life in Venice - which is incidentally, one of the items on her bucket list. What Adrianna isn’t prepared for is the Italian billionaire, Gabriele Marcelli, who swoops in and makes her feel things she's never experienced before. For one whole month, she’s tasked with transforming herself into her sister, but how can she pretend to be Valerie when Adrianna is falling hard and fast for the hypnotic Gabriele?

Revenge is the only motive Gabriele Marcelli has in mind for Valerie Olsen. The cruel vixen crushed his best friend two years before, and Gabriele intends to take advantage of the opportunity to get close to Valerie and give her a taste of her own medicine. Gabriele lays the charm on thick and is gratified when Valerie falls right into his hands. He’s confused, however, by the sweet and naive Valerie he finds himself spending time with. She hardly acts like the cold woman who broke his friend’s heart. Is this all part of her game?

ONE

I have a very bad feeling about this.

Unease settled over Adrianna Olsen as she wrung her hands against her stomach, staring up at the airport’s flight departure screens. Groaning, she shook her head. They’ve delayed the flight. Again. She glanced down at her identical twin sister sitting in the wheelchair. I think you should find another flight, Valerie. Something must be wrong with the plane.

Valerie was only five minutes older than Adrianna, but the twin’s new diagnosis of Lyme disease had caused Val to age quickly. Her once vibrant green eyes were now dull with dark circles underneath, which today she hid behind sunglasses even though it was evening. Her fragile face now faded. Even her blonde hair didn’t look as silky or shiny.

To think that not even a year ago, Valerie had been a high paid super-model in New York City. Now she could hardly walk by herself from her bed to the wheelchair most mornings.

Val frowned. No. This is normal for an international flight. Besides, I can’t put this flight off any longer. The doctor in Venice is a specialist and has been working on a cure for my disease. He’s so sought after, his patients are booked months in advance. She reached up and clasped Adrianna’s hand. If he has a cure for Lyme disease, I need to get it. I can’t live my life as an invalid, Anna. I just can’t.

Kneeling beside the wheelchair, Adrianna’s heart wrenched with helplessness. Valerie still looked fashionable today wearing a red and white sleeveless tweed dress from Chanel, and matching high-heel patent leather pumps from Louis Vuitton. As always, her hair curled around her head in a style that fit her personality. Val would always portray a very chic woman.

You’re not going to live your life in a wheelchair. Adrianna squeezed her hand. We’ll wait in the airport for as long as it takes.

She glanced at Gate C-14, now crowded with passengers anxiously waiting just as they were. One passenger in particular, caught Adrianna’s attention. It wasn’t the redheaded woman with the surgically enhanced bosom who hung on the man beside her like drapery. Instead, it was the gorgeous man himself that stood out.

He ran his fingers through his jet-black hair, pushing it away from his face. His dark gray suit jacket was flung over his shoulder as he held the collar with his finger. The white silk shirt – opened at the throat to display a muscular neck – molded to his muscles whenever he moved, and his matching gray slacks did the same to his sculptured legs.

Was he a model? She definitely pictured him on the cover of a romance novel, holding a scantily-clad woman in his arms as he gazed down at her, hungrily. However, Adrianna thought he looked more like an international playboy. She’d bet money he wore the finest designer clothes, too. She’d seen some of Val’s former boyfriends wear clothes like what he had on now, but they never looked as yummy.

He turned and his attention swung toward Adrianna. Quickly, she dropped her gaze before he caught her gawking. It was hard not to stare at someone whose very appearance tempted lonely women to stare at him and drool.

Oh, no. Look who’s here, Val grumbled.

Adrianna snapped her focus back to her sister. Who?

Do you see that man over there? The one who looks as if he just walked off the cover of a fashion magazine?

Adrianna’s face flamed. Had her sister noticed her gawking too? Cautiously, she peeked in his direction. Thankfully, he was looking away this time. Uh, yes.

I know you don’t know who he is, Val continued, but he’s a big name in the modeling world. He’s a fashion designer.

What? Adrianna blinked with wide eyes. He’s gay?

Val snorted a laugh. No, he’s definitely not gay. And I suppose, he’s not really a designer, either. He’s actually the sponsor. Most models I know refer to him as a fashion mogul. He’s from Italy, and so is his sister, who is the actual designer. Gabriele Marcelli funded his sister, and her line became very popular. They’re one of the wealthiest families in Italy. I’d heard somewhere that he’s part of the royal family.

Adrianna scratched her head as she studied the redhead. That’s his sister? Why is she hanging on him like they’re lovers?

That’s not his sister. That woman is probably Gabriele’s latest discovery. You see, he’s the one who hires the models who work for his sister.

Adrianna glanced down at Val. Why didn’t he ever hire you?

Val shrugged as a frown claimed her expression. Probably because our paths never connected. Not only does he run his family’s winery, he travels all over the country looking for models. I even heard he might own a soccer team. She sighed heavily. It was never the right time with him. Never meant to be, I guess.

The catch in Val’s voice made Adrianna’s heart twist. Apparently, Val had wanted to model for him and his sister. Adrianna couldn’t imagine having the world at her feet one moment only to have it ripped away by a weakening disease the next.

Do you think he knows you? Adrianna asked.

I doubt it. But it’s too late for me now.

Never say never, Val. She squeezed her sister’s shoulder.

The buzz of Val’s cell phone made Adrianna jump. Her sister retrieved her cell from her purse and answered the call. As she talked, Adrianna walked a few steps away, pretending to study a rack of magazines just outside the gift shop. Cautiously, she peeked over the rack to look at the man who was the center of attraction in the midst of the waiting passengers.

Gabriele Marcelli was absolutely hands down the most handsome man Adrianna had ever encountered in her twenty-three years. Many of Val’s boyfriends had been good looking, but nothing like Gabriele. The woman with the large bosom gazed up at him and pouted as she batted her eyes. Gabriele’s eyebrow lifted, but he didn’t crack a smile as he spoke to her. The redhead threw up her hands and stormed away, walking to the window as she peered outside into the shadows quickly blending into the night.

Mr. Hottie sauntered to a wall and leaned against it, folding his arms across his massive chest. For some reason he didn’t appear as upset as the redhead. In fact, he looked as if he was bored.

Adrianna released a dreamy sigh. What would it feel like to be held in his arms and lay her head against his muscular frame while he stroked her hair lovingly with his large hands? Of course, she knew that would only happen in her dreams. But it was fun to dream, right?

A year ago, she and her best friend had jokingly created a bucket list. Adrianna had added to her list that she would go to a foreign country and meet a rich guy. He’d fall instantly in love with her and lavish her with gifts...

She sighed sadly. She would always be a dreamer. But at least she was going to a foreign country, so she could strike that off her bucket list.

Since Adrianna had always been a bookworm, she hadn’t met a lot of people or seen the world as her sister had. Adrianna was satisfied with her job working in the library at the college she attended as she tried to earn a Masters Degree. She’d met a lot of men, but she’d never been as outgoing as her sister. Never had she successfully flirted with a man, either. Although she and Val were identical twins, Adrianna never felt that she was as pretty as Valerie.

Even in their younger years, her picture-perfect mother always told Adrianna of her disappointments because Adrianna never wanted to be like Val. It hurt to know Val was the flawless daughter; the daughter her single mother doted upon constantly. Adrianna could never measure up. But then, she never wanted to.

Yes, Doctor. I understand. Val’s voice trembled.

Adrianna pulled away from the magazine rack and hurried back to her sister just as she stuffed her cell back into her clutch purse. Val dabbed her fingers underneath her glasses and withdrew moist fingertips.

Val? What’s wrong? Adrianna knelt beside her twin.

That was Doctor Cassano’s office. An emergency has come up and he has to postpone our meeting for another month.

What? Adrianna’s voice lifted in anger. You’ve got to be kidding me. He can’t just expect you to reschedule when you live a couple continents away. Does he realize you have already purchased a plane ticket? It’s not like you can get a refund.

Val nodded. Yes, he realizes this. He’s a highly recommended doctor, Anna. I have no other choice but to bide my time until he can see me.

Adrianna waited for her sister to say more, but she sat silently in the wheelchair, her head turned toward the window. Val might be used to spending thousands of dollars and flushing it down the drain, but Adrianna wasn’t. How could Val get her money back, also Adrianna needed to get refunded, too, since she was accompanying her sister? This was just ridiculous.

The plain and simple truth was, she was screwed. So was Val.

Adrianna took her sister’s cold hand. What are you going to do?

We’ll go back to my apartment and wait another month.

"Are you kidding? You’ve spent a lot of money on airfare, limo fees,