Chapter 8

The week passed with no word from Alessandro. Giuseppe and I settled into our own respective routines and I found my days divided between gym, work and sorting through Giuseppe's library. The Tuesday after the whole incident with Alessandro, I booked off work to go through the stuff in my flat, most of which I committed to the dumpster outside. I had no insurance so I was set to start again from scratch, but in the meantime I chose not to worry about that just yet. I had a roof over my head and I was living rent free so this would give me the opportunity to accumulate some savings and get myself the basics like a new bed and fridge. Everything else would just have to come in time. I fully intended to move back home as soon as I could. I couldn't expect Giuseppe to put me up forever. Alessandro wouldn't allow it for a start. Meanwhile, Alessandro was still in London. I had no idea if Giuseppe had heard from him or not, but there wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think about him and I hated myself for it. He was an idiot to believe the things he did about me, so why did I miss him so much? Urgh. I needed to snap myself out of it. Because in the end, regardless of how I was feeling, that didn't change the fact that he positively despised me. He made sure I wouldn't forget that fact.

Sunday morning came around again. I was in the kitchen making Giuseppe his coffee before I was set to make a hot date with the gym. He was on the phone when he came down stairs, rambling in Italian. He nodded his thanks as he took his espresso and swallowed it in one gulp before continuing on through the house, taking his conversation with him. I headed for the gym and jumped right into a series of barbell squats and deadlifts. Butt day was always a killer. Then keen to get some cardio in as well as blow off some steam, I hit up Giuseppe's boxing bag. To be honest, I had no idea what I was doing. I just had fun punching it. I poured all of my anger and frustration of the past week into that thing – my flat, my lack of finances, Alessandro...

Oh Alessandro.

He was only the biggest, most handsome, stuck up jerk on the planet who hadn't even bothered to stick around for his father. I hated him for what he assumed of me, grouping me into the same category as gold diggers and con artists. So why was his stupid gorgeous face always the one I saw in my dreams? His stupid name the one stuck on my lips when I woke up? It wasn't fair! I was so focused on the punching bag that I didn't even notice his gorgeous mug sneaking up from behind it until his hand snapped out in front of me and caught one of my ill aimed punches. I jerked backward in shock, blinking as though I'd just seen a ghost.

"You!" I spat. "What do you want?"

Alessandro still held my fist in his oversize hand. "You keep punching like that and you will injure your wrists."

All the anger I was in the process of beating out returned in an instant. "I don't care!"

He finally let my hand go and I snatched it back, holding it to my chest like he'd wounded me. He stepped out from behind the bag, blue eyes that had deep bags under them watching me with the intensity of a wolf.

"I don't believe that for a minute," he said.

"Another one of my twisted, con woman lies then?" I spat.

He chose not to dignify that with a response. "I think you do care. You care very much. You work so hard on your body because you're convinced that when you reach your goal you will be worthy."

He chose that moment to look me up and down, eyes taking in my loose fitting gym attire, sweat stains and all. I was breathing hard now, heart pounding in my chest. How dare he have this effect on me! How dare he have any effect on me!

"Trust me Alessandro, you have no idea what I've gone through to get to where I am."

"And yet you refuse to acknowledge the fruits of your labour."

"I don't understand how any of that concerns you."

"It concerns me because I understand more than you think."

Another step forward and he had scooped up my hands in one clean sweep, holding them gently in his own. I found myself shocked yet unable... or unwilling to pull them away and I hated myself for it. He was dressed like he'd just come out of about a million business meetings in his dress slacks and a shirt, and his tie that hung loose over his neck. Had he just got in from the airport?

"You want to form your fist like this," he said, curling my fingers into a fist. His thumb brushed my raw knuckles, causing me to shiver. "When you punch you want to put your whole body into it, not just your arm. Your core is the seat of your strength. Now punch me."

With relish. I swung, aiming straight for his stupid, beautiful face. But in a snap his hand came up and caught my fist. I watched the smirk briefly cross his face. He was probably surprised I hadn't objected to punching him. I didn't care if I hurt him. I wanted him to hurt. I wanted to see him bleed. Then and only then would we be even.

"Again," he said.

Swing! Thwack!

He caught my hand again. How did he even do that?

"Good," he purred, dropping my hand and shaking out his arm. "There was power in that one. Again!"

I swung and he caught. I swung faster and he snapped them back with nothing but his palms. I screamed and yelled my frustrations and Alessandro did nothing but take my punches.

"Enough!"

The command actually shocked me into submission. I stopped mid-swing, my hands losing power and immediately dropping to my sides. I noticed a trickle of sweat had broken out across his forehead.

"Hold your thoughts for just one moment," he said.

He crossed the gym and rummaging through a cupboard, pulled out two pairs of boxing gloves. He handed me one of the pairs and, stripping down to just his slacks and a singlet, he put on the other pair. The bulging muscles on his stupidly bronzed arms were already slick with sweat.

"Now, try this on for size. It's called a jab and cross combo."

Alessandro punched the bag with such force that he sent it swinging backwards on its chain. He ducked out of the way when it swung back at him. Then bouncing on the balls of his feet, he danced around until he found another opening and hit the bag again, using both his hands one after the other. He repeated this several times until he was panting and dripping with sweat.

"Your turn."

Placing his hands on my hips he lined me up in front of the boxing bag. Then demonstrating the series of punches, slower this time, he took a step back and let me go nuts on the bag. I have to say, it was probably the most powerful thing I had ever felt. I copied the way he had ducked around the swinging bag and danced about on my feet, throwing another set of punches that landed with enough force to knock a person flat on their butt. Oh god, it felt so good! I hit and hit again, until my arms were burning and my breathing was ragged and raw. Until the anger in me was completely spent and there was nothing left but the mind numbing calm that came after a good cry.

"Now over to me. Jab! Hit me!"

I did as I was told, my fist snapping at Alessandro faster than I'd ever swung at him before. I hit him in the boxing gloves, the force of my jab sending him a step backwards.

"Again! Jab and cross this time."

Thwack, THWACK!

"Again!" He quickly stepped sideways this time and I missed him. "Too slow!"

"Argh!" I grunted and lashed out at him, this time managing to hit his glove.

Alessandro pivoted around the boxing bag and gave it a hard thwack. The bag swung in my direction and I barely managed to scoot out of the way of it. He hit it again and I returned the favour, and for a moment we were double-teaming the stuffing out of that thing. We took turns at boxing, punching, ducking and weaving around the bag until we were spent. Until limbs were burning and muscles were aching and we couldn't breathe let alone move anymore. I was drowning in my own sweat - even my ponytail was dripping wet. I wrenched off my gloves and scrambled for my water bottle that sat on a small kitchenette bench, chugging down half the bottle in half a second. Alessandro was doubled over beside me, leaning a hand on the bench and gasping for breath. I handed him my bottle and he took several deep swigs. I couldn't help but notice the way his Adam's apple bobbed as he drank and the singlet he wore was so drenched that it stuck to him like a second skin. I stifled a moan. Good lord, why did he still have to do this to me? I was supposed to be angry with him.

"Thanks." He handed back the empty bottle and wiped his mouth before running an arm across his sweaty forehead. His dress slacks, which were probably the worst thing you could wear to a gym, were sticking to his legs like his singlet. I offered him a shallow smile all the while blatantly avoiding looking at him too closely. I was past ogling at him. Done. Finished. Instead, I distracted myself by filling up the bottle in the sink and then pulled myself up to sit on the bench.

"You know," I said, taking another swig of water. "We just shared saliva. Technically we've kissed twice now." I don't know why I said that. It just came out.

A chuckle escaped the back of his throat. "That was a waste of a second kiss. I would never have wanted it to be like that."

I gave him a sideways smirk and leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees, feeling the exercise-burn through my chest and shoulders. I had to admit, that was probably one of the best workouts I'd ever had. My levels of sweat and BO right then were definite testaments to that fact. Good lord, I could probably kill a village with how bad I stank right then. How Alessandro wasn't running for the hills, I had no idea. He was leaning on the bench beside me, watching me with a gaze that was neither hot nor cold which was actually an improvement from the blind hatred he was spewing at me the last time we'd spoken. It was nice to see he was civil again. But I couldn't deny that there was still an air of tension between us – the uncertainty left behind from things said in anger that hadn't yet been resolved.

I heaved a sigh. "Listen." I licked my lips. If we didn't at least try to clear the air now then I feared we never would, and I hated feeling weird around people. "I'm sorry for slapping you the other day. And for the things I said. I said them in anger and I didn't even consider the fact that you have every right to be concerned for your family. Especially as I do know there are probably a lot of women out there more than willing to take advantage of you and your father like that."

"No." He shook his head. "Lizzie, the fault is entirely mine. You have no need to apologise. I misread the situation and I accused you of things that I can't take back. I am sincerely sorry."

Two blue eyes watched me, never moving from my gaze. There was hurt in them not from anything I had done, but rather of his own doing. And in that moment I could tell he had spent his entire week away suffering just as much as me. The sudden overwhelming desire to cry hit me but I forced it back with every ounce of my will. The relief. We were back to square one again. No more of this stupid smouldering anger or misunderstandings. If he was offering a new beginning then this time I wasn't going to let my crazy attraction to him get in the way. It wasn't going to complicate things. I straightened to face him with my head held high, fronting him on an equal plain. He was no longer the rich billionaire and I was no longer the girl with a silly crush. We were just two people starting a friendship of equals anew.

I offered him my hand to shake. "Friends?"

Alessandro smirked and accepted the shake. His hands were almost twice the size of mine and I ignored how it made my stomach do summersaults. I was going to have to work on this friendzoning thing.

"Friends," he said.

"And please trust me when I say Giuseppe is more than capable of holding his own when it comes to potential love interests. He's been in this game longer than either of us."

Alessandro chuckled and nodded. "I will have to concede with you on this." He sighed, running his hands through his hair. "I can't imagine he's been celibate the entire time since Mamma died. He just doesn't believe in falling in love twice."

Straightening from the bench, he offered me a hand down from my perch and in our brief closeness I managed to catch a whiff of him.

"Damn it, Alessandro! Why is it when I smell like a men's locker room you still smell amazing? What planet are you from?"

The Italian shot me a strange look. Then lifting his arm he took a sniff and pulled a face. "No, what planet are you from Lizzie? Here, smell."

"No!" I balked when he attempted to offer me his pit. Black hair hung from it like some sort of road kill that had attached itself to him. It was... well hideous!

"I insist!" He tried again, getting little closer this time but I lashed a hand out and shoved him away.

"No! I'm not smelling your pits!"

He made a lunge for me but putting my newly learnt boxing skills to use, I scooted away from his reach, dry retching and eyes watering. He was laughing at me now, chasing me across the gym in a desperate bid to force me to smell him.

"Do you honestly want me to throw up on you, because I will!" I yelled but he was unhindered.

Being the quicker one of the two of us, he eventually caught up to me and yanking me into him, he wrapped me into a hug that bordered on spine snapping. I was pressed into his body, arms up against my sides as he held me tight. His mouth was on my ear, his whisper low and menacing. "Mark my word woman, you will smell me!"

"Never!" I was laughing so hard that I was crying.

I could feel his chin on my cheek, scratchy stubble tickling me, his breath rough and rugged. His lips were so close to my mouth that all he had to do was move centimetres and we would be kissing. His body heat was suddenly enveloping me, his mixed scent of male sweat and cologne sending my mind into a dizzy haze. His body felt so hard against me, firm muscle against my softness. Something pressed into my stomach. Was he aroused? His heart pelted in my eardrums. Or was it mine? I wasn't sure. All I knew right then was that I desperately wanted him to kiss me.

One of his arms loosed from its tight grip around me and I did nothing to move out of his proximity, not while the other one snaked its way around my waist. His free hand came up to my face, tilting my chin to look at him... to see into those beautiful eyes. I found myself utterly mesmerised. Pulled into this spell that he suddenly cast over me.

"Alessandro," the sigh escaped my lips only to disappear onto oblivion as his mouth descended toward mine, capturing me in a kiss that sent my heart racing into the stratosphere.

As far as Alessandro's kisses were concerned, this was probably my favourite. Different again from the other two (though I suppose sharing a bottle doesn't really count), this one was slow and sensual, claiming my mouth and heart in one clean sweep. His hand that held my chin a moment ago now cupped my face, holding me there as he explored my mouth with leisured expertise and sent my world spinning on its own axis. The rough moan escaped my throat and before I knew it I was reaching up and wrapping my arms around his neck, lacing my fingers through his hair. His lean fingers gently feathered down the soft skin of my neck, across my shoulders, along my collar. His every touch sent the blood pulsing through my body, awakening it to this irresistible, burning need. God I wanted him so bad. And I could tell he felt the same.

The hand that held me at the waist now pressed me into his arousal, his kiss becoming harder, more urgent. I could taste the salt of sweat on his lips, feel the sensual push of his tongue as he invaded my mouth and I kissed him back with equal fervour. The moan rolled up from his throat, his hands roving about my body, slipping beneath my t-shirt, tracing the sweat beaded skin of my back. My heartbeat thrummed in my ears, this heat rolling around inside me reaching critical levels. My hands slipped from his shoulders and before I knew it I was tugging at his singlet, desperate to touch him. To feel the firmness of his skin under my fingertips.

"Lizbeth I forgot to tell you Alessandro is- oh!" Giuseppe skidded to a stop in the doorway of the gym.

Alessandro jerked back and I felt an instant rush of cold that sent goose-bumps exploding across my arms. The gap he left between us was like a wide chasm and all I wanted to do was cross it and take him back into my arms, to feel the warmth of his body and the force of his kiss again. I wasn't finished with this damn it!

"-on his way," through a gaping mouth Giuseppe finally finished his sentence though he clearly didn't need to.

I cast a glance back at Alessandro who was standing breathless, with one hand on his hip and running the other hand through his hair, making no effort to hide his very apparent boner. His lips were pressed into a thin line, eyes drilling holes into his dad until, with a wide grin, Giuseppe backed out of the gym and closed the door behind him. Alessandro turned back to me and there was nothing else I could do but burst out laughing. He looked like a seventeen year old who'd just been caught with a girl in his room.

"I see nothing funny in this," he said, his mouth forming into a grin. His lips looked as puffy as mine felt.

"If that's how you treat your friends then I would love to see what you do with your lovers," I giggled.

"It's called Italian charm. You've heard of it no?" he drawled, eyes glinting with amusement. I couldn't help but notice them trailing back over my lips, as though he was in the process of committing to memory how they felt to kiss. "I better shower."

He moved to leave but then caught me by surprise when he turned back and planted a quick kiss on my lips. He stroked my face with a smile.

"I have wanted to do that since I met you, Lizzie."