The American Contessa (11 page)

“You
have sauce on your chin.”

“Huh?”
she exclaimed, shocked out of the silence.

“You
have sauce …,” he said putting his finger to her face¸ “… right there.”
 
Luca swiped her chin with his finger, taking
the sauce away.
 
Lifting his finger to
his mouth, he sucked it clean.

“Thanks,”
she said quietly.

“My
pleasure,” he replied carefully.

*****

“Oh.
 
My.
 
God.”

“You
want me to give you more?”

“Oh
yeah.”

Gaby
finished off the small cup of
Gianduja
gelato and looked over again at the refrigerated case for another flavour.
 
“I think I’ll try the pistachio this time,”
she said licking her lips.
 
The hazelnut
gelato was fantastic, but Luca had suggested having a small cup, so she could
try more than one of the gelatos on display.

The
tense atmosphere that surrounded them at the pizzeria had disappeared as
quickly as it had occurred. Like a storm blowing through, once it was over, the
jovial and affable mood returned.
 

Gaby
couldn’t help but hear Carmina’s words in her head about enjoying herself while
she was in Italy.
  
But every which way
she looked at it, the consequences of getting seriously involved with someone
like Luca could only end in misery.
  
Of
course, he may not even be thinking in terms of serious involvement.
 
The man was simply not built that way.
 
She was crazy to even go there.
  
But he had said she was the one woman who could
hurt him.
 
Was he finally being
sincere?
 

She
had been quite happy to think of him as a complete and utter jerk until Carmina
told her about his history.
 
Now that she
had spent some time with him, she couldn’t help but see him differently.
 
It was much easier and less emotionally vulnerable
to not think of him as a human being with problems and pain –like everyone
else.
 

Licking
the pistachio gelato from her spoon, Gaby knew he was watching her
intently.
 
“Aren’t you having any?” she
asked.

“No.
 
It’s more fun just watching you enjoy it,” he
grinned.

“I
don’t see how you can resist it?”

“I’m
having a hard time,” he countered sexily, looking her up and down with desire
in his eyes.

Gaby
looked away.
 
“Why do you do that?” she
frowned.

“What?”
he smiled.

“Make
everything into a sexual joke.”
 
She
turned her gaze on him once again.

Luca
chuckled nervously.
 
“I thought you
enjoyed our, how would you say it, our word play.”

Gaby
sighed and looked down at her rapidly melting ice-cream, “Frankly, I find it a
little tiring after a while.
 
I’d much
prefer it if we could just talk honestly.”

“Honestly?”
he asked, folding his arms.

“Yes,”
she replied firmly.
 

“You
really want me to be honest with you Gaby?” he demanded.

“Yes,
… yes, I do.” she stuttered.
 
Oh hell!

“
Va bene
.
 
How’s this for honest for you?” he stated, leaning closer to her face. “I’m
standing here watching you eat ice-cream and you know what I’m thinking?”

She
shook her head.

“All
I can think about is that I want you in my bed.
 
That I’ve wanted you under me screaming my name since the moment I saw
you.
  
I want to get you alone so badly
it hurts.
 
So hurry up and finish your
gelato, so we can make that happen.
 
I
won’t take no for an answer.”

Puckering
her brow, Gaby replied huffily, “Oh, you won’t?”

Seeing
her disdain, Luca took the ice cream cup from her hands, throwing it into a
nearby trash can.
 
Taking her hands in
his, he pleaded, “I can’t take no for an answer.
 
Please Gaby, spend the night with me.”

Gaby
looked down at their joined hands.
 
“And
tomorrow?” she asked softly.

He
bit his lip.
 
“I can’t promise
tomorrows.
 
But neither can you.
 
You’ll leave … eventually.”

“That’s
very convenient for you, isn’t it?” she remarked angrily, arching her eyebrows
at him.

Luca
said nothing.

“What
if I said I wasn’t leaving?”

His
mouth dropped open and he pulled his hands from hers.
 
“What?”

Gaby
shook her head sadly.
 
“That scares you
to death, doesn’t it?
 
You said from the
moment you saw me, that I was the one woman who could hurt you like no
other.
 
But you know what I think?”

“I’m
sure you’re going to tell me,” he replied acerbically.

“I
think you want to get hurt.
 
I think deep
down it would cement every single opinion you have about Americans, women, and
relationships.
 
If I left, you could hate
me and blame me all you want, without any guilt on your part.
 
I’d be just another heartless American who
left you.”

Luca’s
eyes glazed over with ice.
 
“
Hmm.
 
You and Carmina are quite the psychiatrists.
 
You should set up shop somewhere,” he said
with a small bitter laugh.
 
“But if you
don’t mind, you can keep your amateur analysis to yourself.”

“I
guess honesty is highly overrated,” she quietly commented.
 
“We should go.”

Without
a word, they left the
Gelateria
.

Walking
back to the Villa, Gaby glanced cautiously at Luca from time to time, to see if
his mood was changing.
 
She’d really done
it this time.
 
But it needed to be
said.
 
He may want to share his body with
her, but he would never share himself in any other way.
 
Even though she wanted him physically too,
that would never be enough for her.
  
Yes, he had opened up to her this evening and revealed himself in a way
that he hadn’t before.
 
But he would hurt
her in the long run.
 
He couldn’t promise
her any sort of future; at least he’d been honest enough to admit that.
 
He’d said she was the one woman who could
hurt him; could she be the one woman who could change him?
 
 
No.
 
If
any changes were to be had, they had to be initiated by him.
 

She
would be returning home in no time at all.
 
But could she really return home and not wonder what could have been?
 
  

Luca
could feel her nervous glimpses at him, but kept his eyes firmly directed
straight ahead.
 
She’d hit him where it
hurt most.
 
His mother.
 
He knew his mother coloured his view when it
came to women, but no-one had ever pegged him as accurately as Gaby.
 
He had wanted to lash out, but controlled
himself.
 
Instead he replied as calmly as
possible and then remained silent.
 

She
had wanted honesty.
 
Well, he’d been
honest.
 
Did she really think that a
relationship between them would last?
 
Nothing lasted.
 
Especially not
love.
  
Love?
 
He meant lust, not love.
 

Odio.
 
This feeling he had for Gaby was overwhelming and confusing.
 
It went way beyond mere physical
craving.
 
It was an all-consuming need to
be liked and wanted by her.
 
But he knew,
in the back of his mind, that even if she felt the same as he did, that it
probably wouldn’t be enough.
 
He was
terrified of giving and receiving anything remotely resembling love.
 
It was too painful when it was yanked from
your grasp.

After
arriving back at the Villa, the awkward task of saying goodnight loomed ahead.
 
They both silently ascended the stairs.

Although
the night had not been perfect, by any means, Gaby still hesitated in ending
the evening.
 
She still longed to be in
his company.
 
Reaching her bedroom, she
opened the door and turned back to him, “Thanks for dinner.”

Luca
let out a relieved breath.
 
At least she
was being civil with him.
 
“Thanks for
coming,” he whispered.

Gaby
touched his chest where he’d spilled sauce down his front.
 
“You should put something on that before it
leaves a mark.”

“I’ll
do that.”

She
smiled slightly and tried for levity.
 
“You’ll do that, or will one of your
minions
?”

He
noticed her attempt to lighten the mood and did the same.
 
“You don’t think I can do laundry?”

She
looked at him sceptically.
 

“You
want to see me do it?” he grinned, unbuttoning the top of his shirt. “Because I
can take this off and wash it right now in front of you.”

Gaby
laughed. “No.
 
No. I believe you.”
 
He continued undoing his buttons.
 
She placed her hand over his to still his
motion.
 
“Luca, stop!” she giggled.

All
movement and mirth ceased at her touch and Luca stared into her eyes.
 
Seizing her hand, he brought it to his lips,
his eyes still boring into hers.
 
His
mouth brushed against her palm and she shuddered.
 
“Goodnight Gaby,” he said quickly and let her
go.
 
He rapidly started off down the
hallway towards his door.

Gaby
watched him walk away from her with a heavy heart.
 
It was for the best, wasn’t it?
 
All of sudden something clicked inside her
and she knew she couldn’t let him leave.
 
Foolhardy or not, she wanted him, and the feeling wasn’t going away any
time soon.

“Hey?”
she called out, and he looked back at her.
 
“Maybe I would like to see you … soak your shirt.”

“
Si?
Yes?” he said incredulously. Slowly
he made his way back to her.

She
nodded mutely.

“Tell
me that you’re saying what I think you’re saying?” he asked huskily.

Gaby
cleared her throat and smiled shyly, running her hand down his chest.
 
“I certainly don’t want it … leaving … a
mark.”

His
hands cupped her face and he boldly looked into her eyes.
 
“You’re the one who’s left a mark on me
Gaby.
 
From the second I saw you I was
…was.
 
I mean, when I look at you … I feel
like … like I’m … falling.”

Leaning
down, his lips almost on hers, she stopped him and whispered, “Trust me Luca.
 
I’ll catch you … I swear.”

Rolling
over, Gaby reached out to the other side of the bed.
 
It was empty.
 
She should have known he wouldn’t stay till morning.
 
Putting her head under the sheet, she let out
a stream of curses that would make a sailor blush.

“
Buon Giorno.
”

Lowering
the sheet with a mortified smile Gaby replied, “Good morning.”

“My,
what colourful language.”
 
Luca placed a
tray with pastries and coffee on the bed.
 
“Is that any way for a school teacher to talk?”

“Haven’t
you heard?
 
School’s out for the Summer,”
she joked, trying to cover her embarrassment.

Luca
beamed at her.
 
“And I’ve never been
happier about that.”
 
Sitting on the bed,
he kissed the tip of her nose, and pointed to the pastries.
 
“I thought we needed sustenance.”

“You
thought right!” she exclaimed eyeing the
cornetto
filled with Italian pastry cream and Amarena cherries.
 
“Have you eaten already?” she asked, noticing
he wasn’t making a move on the tray of delicacies.

“I
don’t eat breakfast.”

Taking
a bite, Gaby moaned in ecstasy.
 
“You
don’t know what you’re missing.”

Luca’s
breathing sped up at the sound of her bliss. It reminded him of last night and
how she’d sounded when she’d been on the brink of release.
 
He shuddered at the thought and tried to calm
his body’s response.
 
“Like I said
before, I prefer to watch you … enjoy these things,” he said shakily.
 

“Suit
yourself.
 
More for me!” she said
brightly.

Luca
got off the bed and went to the window.
 
Looking out over the Villa’s garden he reflected on the last twelve
hours.
 
He’d gotten what he wanted –Gaby
was in his bed.
 
Usually at this point
the frantic urge to remove himself from the situation would have begun.
 
But instead, he had spent the early hours of
the morning watching her sleep and then thinking of how else he could please
her.
 

Knowing
her penchant for sweet things, like the gelato, he’d gone out early for
pastries and bought every single variety in an effort to make her happy.
 
Her smile had been worth it.
 
The fact that he had worked so hard for just
a smile was new to him.
 
He usually
looked for a payoff bigger than something so simple.
 

“What
are you thinking about?” she asked uneasily.

Before
last night he had feared that he would never make her his.
 
Now?
 
Well, now he feared she would leave him just as quickly.
 
“Nothing,” he replied stoically.

Getting
out of bed with the sheet pulled around her, she came over to him and put her
arms around his waist from behind.
 
“Now,
why don’t I believe that?”

Turning,
he took her in his arms.
  
“What were you
thinking when I heard you swearing from under the covers?” he asked, volleying
her question with his own.

Narrowing
her eyes at him, she answered honestly, “I thought you’d had your way with me
and left.
 
Isn’t that your usual
modus operandi
?”

Luca
raised his eyebrows at her.
 
“No.
 
Actually, I usually stay the night; even if I
don’t want to.”

“Oh.”
 
Gaby looked away forlornly.
 

Lifting
her chin with his finger, he turned her face to his.
 
“You aren’t like the other women, Gaby.
 
With you I not only wanted to stay the night,
I didn’t want the night to end.”

“But
it has ended.
 
It’s obviously morning,”
she said simply.
 
“How are you feeling
now?”

“I’m
not going to lie to you.
 
I woke up early
this morning in a panic.
 
The need to flee
was definitely …, there.” Seeing her frown, he smoothed her brow with his
finger and smiled.
  
“But when I looked
at you sleeping, I suddenly couldn’t wait for you to wake up.
 
Couldn’t wait to kiss you again; talk to you
again; spend the day with you.”

“Really?”
she sighed.

“
Si
.
 
It’s scary as hell, but I want tomorrow with you.
 
I want as many tomorrows as we can have.”

Gaby
launched herself into his arms and hugged him tightly.
 
She couldn’t believe what he’d said.
 
It was way too early to speak of love, unless
she wanted him to bolt in the other direction, but she needed him to know that
she wanted to see where this relationship could go.
 
“I’d love to spend tomorrow with you,” she
said punctuating it with a kiss on his cheek.
 
“And the day after that,” she pecked his other cheek. “And the day after
that …,” she gave him another smack, this time on the lips.

“Okay,
okay,” he said in a mock angry voice.
 
“Woman, if you’re going to kiss me, do it right!
 
And stop pecking at me like I’m birdseed.”

Winding
her arms around his neck and pulling his face down to hers, she slowly brushed
her lips back and forth against his. “This better?” she whispered sexily.

“Hmm.
Getting better.” She tasted like sweet pastry cream and cherries.

Kissing
him full on the lips, within moments their playful teasing was forgotten.
 
Groaning softly, Luca pulled her more fully
against him.

*****

“Don’t
tell me, it’s written all over your face.”

Gaby
eyed Carmina innocently.
 
“I don’t know
what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t
give me that.
 
I’ve already seen Luca
this morning, and he looks even more disgustingly happy than you,” she replied
with a smile.

“Anything
wrong with that?”

“No,”
she said acerbically. “Although he’s freaking me out somewhat.
 
It’s a little unnerving to see my brother so
… so … completely and utterly delirious.”

“I
have to admit, I’m a little that way myself,” Gaby chuckled.
 

“Sit.”
Carmina patted the seat of the sofa beside her.
 
Lowering herself onto the settee, Gaby faced Carmina’s scrutiny.
 
“You’re only a little that way?”

Sighing
heavily and relaxing back into the cushions behind her, Gaby bit her lip.
 
“I just can’t seem to shake a sense of
foreboding about all of it.
 
I’ve never
thrown myself head first into something so intense before.
  
You think that Luca is acting out of
character?
 
Well, I’m running a close
second.
 
Why, if you’d told me a week ago
if I would feel like this about him, I would have said you were crazy.”

“It
may seem crazy, but Gaby, love is crazy.
 
It’s totally
pazzo
.
 
You never know when it will hit you.
 
But would life be interesting without
craziness?
 
Would you trade what you’re
feeling at this moment for not feeling at all?”
 
Carmina threw her hands up in the air in exasperation.
 
“You Americans watch too much
Oprah
.
 
You spend your time analyzing life … to death!
  
Live life, and stop talking about it!”

Gaby
went quiet and thought carefully about what Carmina said.
 
Love?
  
Was it love?
 
No, no, it was too
soon for that.
 
One night did not a relationship
make.
 
Could she just forget
responsibility and live for the moment?
 
Sure, she could push everything to the back of her mind.
 
Be Scarlett O’Hara and think about it
tomorrow.
 
But that wouldn’t solve
anything.
 
It would just delay the
inevitable.
 

Luca
had serious commitment, trust and mother issues which were not going to go away
on their own.
  
Did she really see any
sort of future with him?
 
Summer would
end soon, and their relationship could possibly end with it, wouldn’t it?
 
Answers to these and other burning questions
would be answered soon, because time was running out.

“It
all takes time.
 
Time to get to know each
other well; time to trust in each other,” Carmina knowingly commented as if
reading her thoughts.

“But
time’s one thing I don’t have.
 
I have … responsibilities
back home …,” Gaby frowned at her friend, “none of which I can ignore.
 
My job.
 
My family …, my apartment.”
 
Not
to mention humongous bills that all relied on her finding a certain necklace to
be settled.
 

“You
still have some time before you have to go back home to your job.
 
Why not wait and see what happens,
hmm
,” Carmina said gently.

“I
suppose you’re right.
 
My problems will
still be there when I go back.”
 
Gaby
groaned loudly and put her face in her hands.
 
“You know, my life was totally in a rut back home.
 
I’m starting to think that it may be boring
as hell in a rut, but it’s probably the safest place to be.”
 

Carmina
patted her on the arm and got up suddenly.
 
“Well, I’m off to visit
Nonna
in
Milano.
 
I trust my handsome brother will
keep you entertained while I’m gone.”
 
Placing a hand on Gaby’s shoulder Carmina smiled compassionately.
 
“Don’t worry Gaby.
 
It will all work out in the end, I’m sure of
it.”

“Thanks
Carmina.”

“What
do you have planned for today while Luca’s at work?”

“I’m
going to do some sightseeing.
 
I have a
list of everything I want to see;
Ponte
Vecchio
,
Michelangelo’s David
.
 
Then I need to get some postcards to send to
my sisters.
 
All very boring touristy
stuff to you.”

*****

Going
to work had never been this difficult before, Luca thought to himself as he
descended the stairs.
 
He didn’t want to
leave Gaby for a second.
 
He could quite
happily return to bed with her for the rest of the day.
 
Unfortunately, a morning business meeting
could not be rescheduled, so he would have to go to the office.
 
But not without a goodbye kiss.
 
He only hoped he could stop at one.
 
Her kisses were addictive.
 
Hell, Gaby was addictive.

Luca
stopped at the doorway to the salon and could hear Carmina and Gaby chattering
away.
 
Those two were like two peas in a
pod.
 
He still envied his sister’s
easiness and closeness to Gaby, but he planned to rectify that by trying to get
closer to Gaby emotionally as well as physically.
 
If he could crawl inside her to see what made
her tick, he would do it.
 
He wondered
what they talked about.
 
Did they discuss
him at length?
 

Hoping
to gain some insight into Gaby’s feelings for him, he tried to listen in on
their conversation.
  
The thought of
eavesdropping was abhorrent to him, but his need to know all things
Gaby
over-rode any misgivings he had
about listening at doorways.

“So
what’s on your agenda first this morning?” Carmina asked.

“Well,
this morning I have a date with David,” Gaby responded happily.
 
“I’ve been meaning to visit him since I moved
in with you.
 
He’s not far away from
here.”

 
“
Mmm
.
 
A more anatomically perfect man I’ve yet to
meet.
 
I hope my brother doesn’t find out
–he’s the jealous sort you know.”
 
Carmina saucily waggled her eyebrows.
 

“I
don’t think Luca will mind my dalliance,” Gaby winked at her.
 
“Like Mae West said, “a good man is hard to
find, but a hard man is good to find.”
 
And David is most definitely hard!”

“Well,
well, the schoolteacher is definitely on vacation!” Carmina tittered then
looked at her watch.
 
“I’d best go get
ready.
 
Enjoy you’re assignation,
cara mia
.
 
I’ll see you when I get back.”