Chapter Four

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The alarm sounded far too soon.

Even as the CD player gave voice to Frank Sinatra's interpretation of Chicago, Alexandra knew where she was as she slowly brought her eyes into focus. The warm body at her back, the burly arm over her abdomen and the soft breath against her neck were the details she focused on, smiling at how the mustache tickled her at times.

While she knew they were due at work in a couple of hours, Alex felt the sudden urge to call in sick, knowing Jack would cover for her, no questions asked.

There was no question that Alex had a satisfying night's sleep, sharing space between the satin sheets of Joe's king-sized bed. Behind the gruff and gritty exterior of a protector was the smooth touch and words of a Casanova. Joe's luscious lips spoke words of Keats, kissed parts of her long ignored. Joe's constant caresses flamed her inside and out, her heart yearning for more.

How they kept it to that level of intimacy beguiled her.

-

Joe smiled, aware that Ol' Blue Eyes was "awake" along with her.

He believed in the old, Sicilian pace of things--nice and slow in the realms of love. He believed in the fact that Alexandra Borgia was full of more surprises, in addition to the soft, silken surprise she packed in her satchel. He believed in fate finding a way of brining them together in this place and time.

He wondered if the relationship would be easy. Of course not--life was full of hills; hills went up, naturally.

By the glow of the candlelight that eventually faded, Joe covered the young woman beside him from head to toe with kisses and caresses. By the glow of the moonlight, Joe memorized every curve of her magnifica body. By the glow of the sun's early rays, Joe drank in every detail of Alex and the evening shared.

All the better to get through the day, he told himself as Alex stirred against him.

"Buon giorno, amore mio," he said softly before kissing her along the neck. "Are you ready to face yet another boring day in an exciting life?"

"I hope so," Alex said playfully as she turned to face him. "After all, it's the only life I have."

Joe was tempted to ask her then and there, tempted to ask her to spend the rest of her life with him, for the rest of his. He was tempted to call Green and tell his partner to call for a temp. He was tempted to just whisk her away to Roma right now and forget the cold world of crime that encased them daily.

Instead, he gave her another quick kiss. "What do you say to going out to the movies tonight? The one on 56th Street's showing 'Manhattan Melodrama' at eight."

"I suppose so." Alex ran a finger along his jaw. "What..."

Joe wagged his eyebrows. "You've got a red dress?" Alex answered with a coy smile. "Wear it, 'Miss Sage,'" he told her before they both broke into a fit of giggles.

Yes, he thought, it was definitely going to be 'one of those days.'

(fin)