He nodded. “I’m sorry to have bothered you so late. I have to leave on the diving trip for the institute in the morning. I wish you’d join us. We’ll be out there for another three days at least.”
“What spot this time?”
“The same one. We haven’t begun to explore that area thoroughly.”
“I agree.”
“Will you come? I know you’re busy on your book, but we need your expertise.” His gray eyes urged her to say yes. “I’d rather buddy with you than anyone else.”
I know. But she didn’t feel the same. “Bruno? Please don’t take this wrong, but I want to keep our friendship on a professional basis and won’t be buddying with you again.”
He looked surprised. “Does this mean there’s someone else?”
Exasperated, she said, “It means I’d prefer to keep my work separate from my personal life. I hope you understand.”
Tight-lipped, he accelerated faster than necessary and took off.
“Someone didn’t seem very happy,” a deep male voice said behind her.
She whirled around in shock. “Rini, I—I thought you’d gone to bed.”
“It’s a beautiful night. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to sleep, so I decided to go for a walk around the castle. Did the fact that my kidnapping you to Lecce upset certain plans you had with your visitor?”
“If I’d had plans, I wouldn’t have gone with you. That man was Dr. Tozzi from the archaeological institute. He came to get his scuba gear out of the cruiser. Tomorrow he’s going on another exploratory dive with the others for a few days.”
“You two dive together a lot?”
“There’s a whole group of us. Last week we went out on our boats from Metaponto. He happened to be my buddy that trip, so that’s why his scuba gear ended up in the cruiser. Tonight I told him he’d have to find another buddy because I would like our relationship to stay completely professional. “
“He doesn’t have his own boat?”
“Yes, but he forgot to transfer his equipment after we’d finished. The institute has a state-of-the-art oceanography boat, but he won’t bring it out until we’ve made a positive find.”
“I see. Are you supposed to go out with them again?”
“Yes, but I have to divide up my time.”
His dark brows lifted. “You’re a very important person, besieged on every side, so I have an idea for tomorrow. While you work on your book for part of the day, I’ll run in to Metaponto to get me some gear. Then we’ll join your group. En route you and I can talk over your father’s business. That way you can please everyone, including me. What do you say?”
She let out a sigh. Already he was reducing her to mush. “I’ll get up early and work until lunch, then we’ll leave for Metaponto. The dive shop will have the gear you need. From there we can head for the dive site and meet up with the others.”
“I’d like to stay out overnight and camp.”
“I would, too. It’s one of my favorite things to do.”
“Good.” His eyes blazed. “I shall look forward to it. I’ll see you at lunch.”
He took off for another run around the tiny island without giving her a chance to say anything else. Alessandra hurried inside the castle, secretly excited to go diving with him. Thoughts of buddying with him left her breathless. The idea that they would protect each other was so appealing she couldn’t wait.
At six the next morning she showered and dressed quickly before heading to the library to work on her book. While she was knee-deep in research, Liona entered the library.
“Alessandra? Signor Montanari is eating his lunch in the dining room.”
Her head lifted. “It’s that time already?”
“Si. One o’clock.”
“I can’t believe I lost track of time. Tell him I’ll be right there.”
She raced out of the room and up the stairs to freshen up, then hurried back down with her packed duffel bag. When she entered the dining room he stood up to greet her. The man looked amazing in white cargo pants and a dark brown crewneck shirt.
“Sorry I’m late.”
His dark eyes traveled up her jean-clad legs to her white pullover, then found her gaze. “We’re in no hurry. Sit down and eat lunch.”
“I’d rather not take the time now. While you rent scuba gear, I’ll grab us some food and drinks at the nearby deli to hold us over until tomorrow.”
“With the announcement of an overnight on the water, you’ve made my day, signorina.”
Everything he said and did made her pulse race. Her feelings for him were spilling all over the place. She didn’t know how to stop them. She didn’t want to stop them.
He followed her out of the room with his backpack and they left for Metaponto in the cruiser. At the dive shop they loaded up with extra tanks. Once they’d bought drinks and groceries, they gassed up the cruiser and headed west. She handed him the special ocean chart he’d looked at before.
“We’ll be diving at the midway point between Metaponto and Crotone. Some of the finds date back to the Magna Graecia. We’re looking for some columns from the sixth century before Christ reputed to be there.
“If we’re really lucky, we’ll see the remnants of a temple dedicated to the goddess Hera. This area of the Ionian is a treasure trove, but as you realize, all the artifacts are buried, making them almost impossible to discover.”
Rini looked up from the chart to flash her an intriguing smile. “It’s the almost impossible that fires your blood, non è vero?”
She nodded. But artifacts weren’t the only thing that fired her blood. The flesh-and-blood male who was a living Adonis had made her come alive without even trying. She’d taken one look at him that first evening in the castle foyer and had fallen so hard, she feared she would never recover.
It was too late to wish he’d gone back to Naples. Already she hated the idea that he would have to leave at all. Her thoughts were crazy. This was the renowned Rinieri Montanari she was talking about, not just any man.
Alessandra imagined that every woman who met him couldn’t get enough. Even her mother had been bowled over by him. But the fact that he was still a bachelor meant there was a big reason he didn’t have a wife.
Maybe he’d lost a great love and could never bring himself to marry. Or he enjoyed women, but couldn’t commit to one for fear of feeling trapped. So no matter how attentive he was being right now, Alessandra would be a fool to think she would be the one woman in Italy who could do what no other female had done and win his love.
She glanced at him. “How long has it been since you went diving?”
Rini folded up the chart. “A year, but don’t worry. You can count on me.” Deep down she knew she could trust him. He engendered a confidence she’d never felt around other men. It didn’t bother her that he’d just said he wasn’t concerned about the time that had passed since his last dive.
“How have you stayed away from it so long?”
“Too much work.”
“But there are lots of marvelous diving sites in the Naples area. Surely you could have taken some time off.”
“True, but even though the office is there, I don’t live in Naples and am always anxious to fly home at the end of the day.”