Italian Escape
For some unfathomable reason he was choosing here and now to release them—he was choosing her. It terrified her and yet at the same time she was touched, gratified that he didn’t think she was too shallow to understand.
‘He’s a link to your mother,’ she offered shyly.
‘Yes!’ He turned to her. ‘Exactly. Would she approve of me, of the man I’ve become? Or, like him, would she be disappointed that I don’t attend balls and charity events and the opera in Verona? Would she think I was an uncouth country farmer who thinks of nothing but ice cream?’
‘She married a farmer,’ Minty pointed out. ‘And for what it’s worth I think she would be ridiculously proud of you. So proud she’d have to bite her tongue at parties so as not to bore all the other guests with a long list of your virtues! I think she would look at you and see a man proud of his home and his heritage. A man who has no reason at all to make his grandfather happy, but wants to anyway, because that’s the kind of person he is. That’s what she would see.’
Minty stopped abruptly, heat flushing her cheeks. Where on earth had all that come from? ‘Anyway,’ she said gruffly. ‘That’s what I think. For what it’s worth.’
Consumed with embarrassment, she couldn’t look at him. Instead, kicking off her shoes, she padded forward, enjoying the unaccustomed feel of the soft spring grass under her bare feet, still pale from months of London winter, from the restriction of tights, thick socks and boots. The stream rushed merrily on over the flat pebbles, a cool, enticing blue. Minty dipped one toe in and inhaled in shock. Goodness, it was cold.
‘It’s not just about you, though. These occasions—charity balls, trips to the opera—they’re all good for networking.’ She shrugged, leaning forward until all her weight was on the submerged foot, wiggling it over the flat pebbles until it was comfortable. She dipped her other foot in until she was standing in the stream, water swirling round her ankles. ‘It all depends,’ she said, horribly aware that he still hadn’t spoken. ‘Depends on what you want to do. I’m happy to go with you. It could be a good business step. You should start to think about sponsorship opportunities as well. It’s the missing link in your marketing strategy.’
She swivelled to face him and instantly wished she hadn’t. If he looked this good in a black T-shirt, what on earth would he be like in black tie? Her pulse sped up.
Minty shuffled backwards, carefully testing her weight on the pebble bed before shifting. Her skin had adjusted to the temperature; it was gloriously refreshing. Bending down, she trailed her fingers in the water. ‘I wish it was deep enough to swim in.’
He was giving her a quizzical look. ‘It must be freezing. Is this one of those English things?’
‘Used to be. Of course, now we’re not supposed to swim in rivers; if it’s not private land or contaminated, then the health and safety people will get you. Luckily there’s a river at Westhorpe which has a perfect bathing place. With the great British weather, though, there’s no point waiting for a nice day. If we did, we’d never swim.’ She heaved a gusty sigh. ‘Of course, I didn’t spend enough holidays there to really take advantage of it and I doubt Stepmama lets the heir, spare and girl loose in it often.’
‘I prefer a nice, clean, regulated swimming pool myself,’ Luca said a little stiffly, but she noticed that his eyes seemed to be drawn to the calves of her legs, her submerged ankles.
Regulated pool indeed. ‘Come in,’ she coaxed. ‘The water’s lovely.’
He shook his head at her, amused. ‘You said yourself it’s not deep enough to swim in; it barely covers your feet!’
‘I’m paddling,’ she said with as much dignity as was possible when one is standing in the middle of a stream. ‘And it’s lovely.’ She swivelled round to show him, almost slipping on an unwary pebble but catching herself in time. ‘See?’ Her eyes were laughing at him, daring him, but she felt secure. He seemed so solid on the bank, so rooted in the ground she couldn’t imagine him doing something so uncivilised, so childlike. ‘Scared?’ she taunted softly.
Slowly, with almost cat-like grace, Luca pushed himself away from the tree on which he’d been leaning and leant down, loosening the ties on his boot before slipping it off, casually kicking it off his foot. His eyes fixed on Minty’s face, he slid his sock off his foot, tucking it neatly into a boot. It should have looked ridiculous, he should have looked ridiculous, like a still from a fifties seaside advertisement: father relaxing at the beach. But there was something so deliberate, so assured in his movements, Minty could only stand and watch, her mouth dry.
Now the other shoe, the other sock. His eyes still on hers, he pulled up his T-shirt, flashing a glimpse of toned stomach. He loosened his belt and then slowly, far, far too slowly, worked the buttons at his fly before pulling off the jeans and laying them neatly on the ground.
Minty stared at his legs, her mouth dry. They were, she thought, rather nice legs; very nice indeed. Defined; definitely legs that had known manual work, legs with lean, muscular strength, but not bulky. They had a shapeliness that any regency buck would have been glad to slip into a pair of skintight breeches. They were less tanned than his hands and his face, more a burnt-gold colour, lightly dusted with silky dark hairs.
Her eyes skated back up over the crisp, blue boxers, up that narrow waist and the disappointingly hidden abdomen she’d caught such a tantalisingly small glimpse of earlier. Up to the comforting width of his shoulders and his strong, golden arms.
Minty swallowed. As Luca advanced over the grass, his eyes fixed on her face, she wanted to retreat, wade backwards through the icy water, flee to the safety of the other bank. But she was paralysed. The sun was behind him, casting a glow to that golden flesh. His amber eyes were lit up with amusement, with challenge. With desire. She wanted to speak, to break the spell, but she was caught; there was nothing she could do.
Tension mingled with the sweet ache of desire twisting in her chest, spreading outwards, downwards. She swayed helplessly as he slid one foot into the water. His expression didn’t change, didn’t register the cold. Her heart raced, the beat so loud, thrumming in her ears. It was as if the countryside marched to the beat of her desire. Slowly, so very slowly he advanced, wading effortlessly through the shallow depths.
Minty licked her lips, desperately trying to get some moisture back into her dry mouth. A flicker of his eyes showed his register of the movement—and his approval. Her hands, shaking, damp, twisted convulsively.
Luca stood before her, impossibly tall, imposing. Infinitely fascinating. She wanted to lean bonelessly into him, be absorbed by him—by his strength, by his goodness, by his loyalty. She couldn’t help herself. She raised one hand to his sculpted cheek and traced a feather-light path down, past the indention of the dimple, onto his lips. How could anything be simultaneously so hard and yet so soft? She ran her finger wonderingly along his smooth lower lip, coming to rest on his jaw.
There it was, faint but determined, the muscle tensing: a give-away that he was not as calm as he seemed. She took one tiny step closer, the water swirling round her ankles, the sharp cold a welcome relief on her sensitised skin. That one tiny step brought her into full contact with him. Her breasts, swollen, aching, pressed against his chest. Leg against leg, arm against arm. Minty looked up at him and saw such unfettered desire swelling in the tawny depths of his eyes that she was undone.
‘Luca,’ she said hoarsely.
He didn’t answer but looked down at her searchingly. What the question was she did not know, but her face must have signalled an answer because with a muttered groan Luca pulled her close, moulding her long curves against his hard body, one hand tilting her chin up as his mouth came down upon hers.
The urgency of his embrace took her by surprise. This was no teasing kiss but a wholesale assault on her weakened defences. His mouth was hard and sure on hers, his hands holding her close, caressing. He was in control, completely in control, and she was being swept away. She pressed harder against him, one hand clutching at his shoulder, the other slipping behind his head to bury into the thick, dark hair.
Time came to a standstill. All she knew was this: his mouth on hers; the sure, steady hands tracing such long, languorous circles on her back setting her skin on fire beneath the fine material of her dress. The thin layer of cotton felt as thick as a blanket separating her thirsty skin from his touch. Unsteadily she pushed him away, pulling her dress over her head, ready to fling it down. She looked wildly around for somewhere safe, somewhere dry, to put it, her fingers itching to start pulling at Luca’s shirt. There must be somewhere...
Then it hit her. They were standing in the middle of a stream and, despite her earlier protestations, a cold stream. She looked ruefully up at Luca. ‘Nowhere to put this.’
He looked back at her, the heat still blazing in his eyes. ‘Not a problem,’ he said and, before Minty could move, he swooped her up and carried her to the bank, stepping out of the stream and laying her underneath a wide-spread tree. Luca stood looking at her for one long, torturous moment. She met his gaze fearlessly, openly letting her need and want shine out. And then he covered her body with his. Her mouth was his and she was swept away in a tangled heat of kisses and caresses. There was nothing but him and the heat blazing between them. There was no sound but their gasps and moans. Nothing but the here and the now. Nothing but them.
CHAPTER SEVEN
LUCA DI TORE strode up the narrow alleyway, scrutinising the numbers on the walls on either side. It was typical of Minty, he thought, to do Florence in her own idiosyncratic way, turning down both the Conte’s offer of hospitality and Luca’s own suggestion that they enjoy the privacy of a hotel.
Staying separately wasn’t all bad, though. There were bound to be rumours if they were spotted together and he wasn’t ready for that. They weren’t ready for that. It was too new, too fragile, too unknown. And that was scary. Luca didn’t really do unknown.
For eighteen years he had been solid, dependable, safe. Standing ankle-deep in a stream wasn’t skydiving but it was a start. It was unplanned, spontaneous.
Being with her was unplanned, was spontaneous.
There were so many reasons that it was wrong. So many reasons not to continue. But standing by that stream he had been utterly helpless. He might have turned her down once before, resisted her once before, but he only had so much willpower. He had used it all up where Minty Davenport was concerned.
So this was a diversion and that was fine. This time he was not going to plan ahead, look for troubles that might never even arise. This time he was going to go along for the ride and see where the road took him.
It wasn’t as if there was any future together; they both knew that. She would get bored soon enough, be on to the next thing; long term he wanted, he needed, stability.
As he reached the end of the alleyway it opened out, not into the street but into a small square of three-storey painted buildings. It should have felt overcast, claustrophobic, but, set about with vibrant pots of coloured flowers, hanging baskets on every wrought-iron balcony, it was welcoming and eclectic. Very Minty.
A narrow stone staircase curved up the side of the nearest building, the number on the side corresponding to that of the paper in his hand. Luca straightened his bow tie. All he knew about Magdalena was that Minty had stayed with her the summer she’d spent in Florence.
The summer before Rose had died.
He sensed Minty didn’t give her affection that easily but she obviously adored this woman. Luca wanted to make a good impression.
‘Luca!’ Looking up, his heart jolted. It was less than twenty-four hours since they had arrived in Florence, less than twenty-four hours since he had dropped her off in a square north of the Arno, at her insistence. She’d had a couple of things to get, she had insisted; she would walk over to the Oltrarno district where she was staying, just the other side of the River Arno.
‘It’ll be nice to have a wander after being cooped up in the car,’ she’d said. ‘Reacquaint myself with these old streets.’ She’d looked around, beaming. ‘Oh, it is nice to be back. How have I stayed away so long?’
Reluctant to leave her, Luca had offered to accompany her, but she’d insisted he go to his grandfather’s villa in an exclusive suburb high on the hills behind the city. ‘He’s waiting for you,’ she’d said. ‘Don’t keep him waiting, I’ll be fine.’
And she evidently was. Hanging over the iron railing, her face lit up with excitement, she looked no older than a schoolgirl. ‘Come and see what Magdalena’s done,’ she called. ‘She’s made you a snack. I hope you’re hungry; Magdalena is incapable of producing anything less than a banquet, but I thought this thing tonight would probably be all canapés and no substance and you’d be glad of a meal.’
Her excited chatter guided him up to the narrow terrace overlooking the square only to come to an abrupt halt as he finally faced her. Her eyes widened, an appreciative glow in them as she looked him up and down in a way that made him want to drag the pretty floral sundress off her right there on the balcony.
‘Wow’ was all she said, still looking slightly stunned. ‘You scrub up nicely.’ She whistled.
Luca adjusted the cuffs of his dress suit. ‘You’ve seen me in suits before,’ he teased.
‘I know you like to live in suits. Personally, I thought nothing could top the jeans and black T-shirt, or at least you out of the jeans and black T-shirt, but this...’ Her eyes swept up and down, lingering on his legs, his shoulders, his chest. ‘I like it.’
‘I don’t look like a waiter?’
‘Not at all. Well, a very sexy, desirable waiter. Come on.’ And, grabbing his hand, she pulled him into the high-ceilinged, cool apartment.
Luca barely had time to take in the large, tastefully furnished living room with French doors flung open to the balcony beyond before being pulled through the door and along a wooden-floored passage and into a small gallery-style kitchen. The kitchen also had French doors opening onto the other side of the building and Minty, her hand still in his, led the way towards them, opening them properly so they could exit side by side onto the private terrace beyond.
Two chairs were pulled up round a small wrought-iron table, its top barely visible below a platter heaped with food. A cold beer was already poured into a frosted glass, the chair pulled slightly out.
‘Go on, sit,’ she said.
Luca sat, touched at the care she had taken, his appreciation tinged with amusement at her palpable excitement. ‘Is this for me?’ he asked, indicating the beer. She nodded.
‘You’re not driving tonight, are you? I know there will be wine at the gala but I thought you might appreciate something a bit more refreshing first.’
‘I do, thank you.’
He took an appreciative gulp of the cool, slightly fizzy liquid and looked over at the platter. Minty was right; a man could not exist on canapés alone. And, after she and the absent Magdalena had gone to so much trouble, well, it would be rude not to sample their work.
As they ate, they talked. Minty chattered on about her previous evening catching up with her old landlady and the day she had spent shopping. ‘I have the most divine dress for tonight,’ she told him. ‘Wait till you see it.’ In the small gaps between her chatter, Luca filled her in on the uncomfortably formal evening he had spent with his grandfather and several aunts, uncles and cousins and his day spent mostly working as far away from his irascible grandfather as possible.
‘Luckily there was plenty to do,’ he said, grinning across at his attentive companion. ‘I seem to have rather neglected things the past couple of days.’
‘All work and no play,’ she murmured with a provocative smile. ‘Speaking of which, have you finished?’ Minty was on her feet, the lines of her body visible through the thin fabric of her dress.
Luca nodded. ‘Delicious.’
She padded towards him on bare feet, leant over him and wound her arms around his neck. He could feel her breath on his cheek, the lemon scent of her shampoo and something warmer, earthier, distinctly Minty. A jolt of desire shot through him. ‘I hope you have a little appetite for pudding,’ she whispered. ‘Magdalena is out for the afternoon.’
He pulled her down onto his knee, enjoying the silk of her skin under his touch, the fineness of her bones. ‘It depends on the type of pudding,’ he said softly against her shoulder, feeling her shudder as his hand moved over the bare skin.
‘Only the wickedest type, of course,’ she breathed. ‘But not here. Come on; I want to show you my new dress.’
Luca allowed her to hop out of his lap and pull him up. He spun her round to face him. ‘A new dress doesn’t sound that appetising,’ he said, capturing her mouth with his. She sunk into the embrace for a dizzying second then stepped back.
‘Ah, but I went lingerie shopping as well...’ And, throwing a saucy smile over her shoulder, she sauntered back into the house. Luca watched her move, the swish of the long skirt around her legs, the movement of her hair bouncing with her stride, the provocative swish of her hips. He smiled appreciatively and followed her into the apartment.
New lingerie sounded enticing; stripping her of it even more so. He quickened his stride. There were still a couple of hours before the benefit started; he wanted to make sure they made full use of every single second.
* * *
It was a little ironic, Minty thought, that she was doing her best to shake off her socialite image, yet here she was, at the sort of benefit duty occasionally compelled her to attend back home. Swap the conversation into English and the Prosecco to champagne, and she could be back in London.
This should have been the last place she wanted to be, yet to be here with Luca felt right. Disturbingly so. She looked over to where he stood making polite conversation with one of his grandfather’s friends.
He looked completely relaxed, his glass held in one hand, polite interest on his face. Oh, he might claim to hate this part of his life—society galas, charity events, the great and the good all gathered together in a self-congratulatory way—but he suited it. Just as he suited the quiet life in the country, as he suited running his company quietly but decisively confident.
Maybe he was a chameleon, like her. But, no; Minty had stopped believing in a perfect match a long time ago. You changed yourself to suit the one you loved and hoped it was enough, or you kept going, spinning through a carousel of different partners to suit each stage in your life. Romantic? No. Practical? Yes.
She had vowed she was done with romance, had promised herself not to get pulled under again. But Luca, her gallant knight with the startling eyes, had the potential to pull her deeper than she had ever gone before. Minty suppressed a shiver despite the almost oppressive heat in the crowded old room.
As if he could read her thoughts, Luca caught her eye and raised his glass to her in a silent salute. Minty took a sip of her Prosecco and smiled back before turning back to her elegant companion, the wife of one of Luca’s cousins, to continue making polite conversation.
But, although she could smile, nod and make polite replies, her mind was far away. Back in Oschia by the stream; reliving the afternoon’s tryst at her apartment. She knew she and Luca had chemistry. It had been fiery when she was eighteen and clueless; now it was combustible.
She had to be careful that she didn’t get too caught up in the flames. She wasn’t very good at separating her heart and body—and she had never experienced this level of heat before.
Maybe, just maybe, he had been right to call a halt all those years ago. She couldn’t have handled him then, although it hurt to admit it. She had been far too naive, for all her veneer of sophistication.
To be honest, she wasn’t too sure she could handle it now. Not the sex—that she could definitely manage. It was more the way he looked at her, the way he made her feel: safe.
She was used to being desired, wanted. This was infinitely more dangerous.
Minty took a deep breath, trying to quell the sudden rush of panic. She shouldn’t worry about Luca; she was on her guard. They had a finite time and she had put a lock on her heart. This relationship—no, this fling—was all about the fun. She’d walked away from him before; she could do it again.
‘Ready to go?’ Minty jumped as Luca came up behind her, at the gentle brush of his hands on her bare shoulders. A shiver ran through her at his touch.
‘I’m the guest; I’m at your command,’ she replied, drawing the words out long and low, and had the pleasure of seeing his eyes dilate at her words.
‘Then I’m definitely ready to go,’ he said, his hands tightening momentarily on her shoulders. ‘I’ve talked business, you charmed my grandfather; I think we have fulfilled our duties admirably.’
Minty tossed her hair. ‘I told you grandfathers were my speciality.’
Luca bent over and kissed her neck. ‘I was rather hoping grandsons were,’ he said softly against her ear.
‘Depends on the grandson,’ she replied, and walked off towards the ballroom exit. She didn’t look back. Right here, right now she was sure of him, she knew he would be following her. She left the glittering room full of the cream of Florentine society and descended the old stone staircase to the grand foyer below, where they had left their coats.
‘If I hold your hand will I be acting like the perfect escort or overstepping our agreement to keep our private lives hidden?’ Luca asked as he helped Minty into her coat. She laughed; put like that, it did sound ridiculous.
‘We’re in Florence, so act away,’ she said and held her hand out to him and he took it. His hand was large, comforting. It would have felt safe if the skin-on-skin contact didn’t make her tingle everywhere.
‘Where to, my lady?’
‘Can we walk just for a bit?’ Minty asked. ‘One of my favourite Italian traditions is watching people promenade. It’s too cold in London and, on the rare occasion it’s not, watching people stagger drunkenly down the street isn’t quite the same thing. Look.’ She held up one of her wedge-heeled shoes. ‘I even have sensible footwear on.’
‘Seven inches of heel is not sensible, no matter how the heel is styled,’ Luca grumbled.
Minty shot him a limpid glance. ‘Typical male exaggeration. These heels are three inches at the most, but we’ll call it seven if it pleases you.’ She squealed as Luca swung her round, pulling her hard against him.
‘You seemed satisfied earlier.’
His mouth hovered temptingly above hers. Minty stood on her tiptoes, trying to reach it, but he moved it fractionally away, tantalisingly out of her reach. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, trying to look contrite. ‘You are of course magnificent in every way. A love machine of the highest order.’
Luca quirked an eyebrow at her. ‘Seven inches doesn’t even begin to do justice,’ she continued, trying to look serious, her smirk threatening to break out any second. She made her eyes big, pleading. ‘Please say you forgive me?’
His mouth descended onto hers and for the next few moments all Minty was aware of was him. The bunch of his muscles under her roaming hands, the hardness of his mouth, the way he felt, smelt, overloaded all her senses. The sound of teasing voices brought her out of her sensual stupor. She pulled back.
‘Not in the street! You, at least, were brought up much better than that.’
‘We could go back to yours?’ he suggested, his eyes molten gold with desire.
Minty shook her head. ‘Magdalena will be back. Besides, you promised me a promenade, and a promenade is what I want.’