Lily was silent for several seconds. ‘That bad?’
And then some. Memories, images that would remain with him for the rest of his time on this earth.
‘I managed to survive.’
She looked at him carefully. ‘But not easily.’
Not on the right side of the law … until Giuseppe dalla Silvestri had provided an opportunity for a new life.
‘I was fortunate to be born into a loving family,’ she offered quietly when he didn’t answer. ‘Caring parents who gifted me a great childhood, insisting I had a good education and the advantage of extending my studies overseas. My life,’ she added. ‘Encapsulated in two sentences.’
‘You left out the ex-fiancé.’
‘Intentionally.’
‘A closed subject?’
‘For now.’ She shot him a perceptive glance. ‘As I imagine you regard details of your youth.’
A wry smile curved his generous mouth.
A man who guarded his privacy, she perceived, and couldn’t fault him for it. She wasn’t exactly comfortable relaying every little detail about her broken engagement.
It took time and a vast degree of trust to bare one’s soul.
Maybe one day … Where did that come from? Alessandro wouldn’t become part of her life, any more than she would form part of his own.
He was merely being kind to Sophia’s niece … yet there was the unbidden thought that Carlo could easily have acted as guide and companion.
‘I hope taking time from the office isn’t intruding on your workload.’
Alessandro eased the powerful car to a halt at a vantage point and closed the engine.
The view, magnificent as it was, only briefly held her attention as he shifted in his seat to face her, and suddenly the space inside the car seemed too confined. For his attention was no longer focused on negotiating the snakelike roads winding through the hills.
‘Concern for my business interests, Lily?’
There was a teasing quality to his slightly accented voice that curled round her nerve-ends and heightened her awareness of him. The fine lines fanning out from the outer corners of his eyes; the faint groove slashing each cheek; his generous mouth, which momentarily trapped her gaze.
What was with the sudden temptation to lightly explore it? Trace its curve with her fingers … more, reach forward and touch his lips with her own. Almost as if some inner force was in play.
It hardly made sense, yet it was there, a hidden magnetic quality she fought hard to dismiss.
‘I’m sure you possess a coterie of highly qualified staff eminently capable of handling whatever needs to be handled,’ she managed lightly. ‘As well as the latest device in communication technology to enable instant contact if need be.’
His expression was impossible to determine, and her eyes widened as he trailed light fingers along the edge of her jaw, cupped it and pressed a thumb to her lower lip.
Did hearts stop? It felt as if her own did. Certainly she consciously ceased breathing for several timeless seconds, locked in mesmerized fascination as he leant in close and brushed his lips to her temple.
His scent teased her senses, stirring them alive, and her mouth parted a little on a soundless sigh.
It would be so easy to frame his face and seek his mouth with her own … to taste and savour, discover the magic of his touch.
Yet something held her back. Uncertainty? A need to retain the emotional defences she’d acquired since James’s traitorous behaviour?
So why did she feel slightly bereft when Alessandro released her and undid his seat belt?
‘The sunset is spectacular from here.’ He slid out from behind the wheel and strode round the car to open her door.
‘Let’s watch it together, then we’ll find somewhere to eat.’
‘I think Sophia is expecting me for dinner.’ It was a token protest which resulted in his faint smile.
‘Not when I assured her I’d return you to the villa by eleven.’
Her lips parted in surprise. ‘I don’t …’
‘A meal, Lily, with pleasant conversation?’
It sounded innocuous. After all, what did she have to fear?
‘You neglected to include the sunset.’ With that she slid from the passenger seat and walked the guard-rail, aware that he stood at her side.
The colours gradually changed and deepened as the sun sank beyond the horizon, flaring in one last burst as dusk settled and the evening sky darkened.
‘If we wait, you’ll see the stars emerge,’ Alessandro informed quietly as he moved to stand behind her.
His close proximity stirred her already awakened senses, and she stilled as he wrapped an arm about her waist and leant in close.
She should step aside, put some distance between them, and she almost did. Except his arm, his presence, made her feel … protected. Safe, she added silently, declining to examine precisely why.
‘Watch closely,’ Alessandro bade, directing her attention.
And there they were, tiny pinpricks of light in the sky, gradually appearing brighter as the night’s darkness assumed a deep indigo. A beautiful backdrop for the illumination of villas and street-lighting of towns spread out below them.
He was tempted to seek the soft hollow at the edge of her nape. To shift his hands to her midriff and let them slide up to cup her breasts. To pull her in close and allow her to feel the strength of his arousal.
Knowing if he made even one of those moves, any pleasure he gained would be exceedingly temporary. And he didn’t want temporary.
‘Food, I think,’ he suggested lightly as he stepped back. ‘There’s a trattoria a few kilometres from here. Their fare is family oriented and good.’
He was right, Lily concluded as she ordered lasagne, a side salad and fresh bread with olive oil and herbs for dipping.
There was music, the soft lilt of a guitar and piano accordion accompanying a handsome young man as he sang the traditional songs of his homeland.
This was the Italy she loved. Good food, a little wine, fine music and the company of a pleasant companion.
A very attractive man, with rugged features, dark piercing eyes that saw more than she felt comfortable with, and whose attention she was at a loss to define.
‘You are enjoying yourself.’
Her eyes held a pleasurable sparkle as she gifted Alessandro a warm smile.
She had eaten every morsel of her lasagne, finished the salad, declined dessert, and chosen tea instead of coffee.
A woman who ate with a genuine appetite, instead of the token salad sans dressing together with a minuscule serving of fresh fruit that passed as an evening meal, made for a pleasant change, Alessandro mused as he sipped his coffee.
‘It’s been a lovely day.’ It was the truth, she acknowledged simply. ‘Thank you.’
He took hold of her hand and lifted it to his lips. ‘My privilege.’
Her eyes widened a little as she met his own, and for a few timeless seconds she couldn’t look away.
I don’t know where you’re going with this. Worse, why did she have this instinctive feeling he was several steps ahead of her? Steps