Chapter 9

There was no denying Alessandro was full of surprises. And if these whirlwind two weeks that I had known him were anything to go by, then there were more surprises to come. I was still in a state of shock as I showered. I could still smell his scent on my skin, right up until I stroked it with the soapy loofah and actually felt a sense of loss as it disappeared. Maybe if Alessandro could kiss me again when I was clean... I smiled at the memory that was still so fresh it sent my body into instant arousal all over again. The touch of him. The way he had made love to my mouth using just his tongue... It would take me an eternity to purge him from my mind now. I found myself wondering what it would be like to be with him. To have his hands and tongue running over my naked body and mouth... Before I knew it a moan loud enough to startle the cat in the next room escaped. I clamped a hand down over my mouth, feeling a wave of heat brought on not just by the hot water. If I didn't get a hold of myself soon, I was going to be a horny, wet mess when I had to face Alessandro again.

I couldn't help wondering if he was thinking of me while he was showering. Or was it more an out of sight, out of mind thing for guys? Was that kiss something he needed to get out of his system before we could move on into the friendzone? Or was it an indicator of more things to come? How did I even feel about him? Only hours ago I was breathing down fire and brimstone upon him. Now... well it was all different again. Things all turned on their head. There was no denying I was attracted to him. That had never once been brought into question. But was it all just purely physical? Where were my thoughts even going with this anyway? I shook my head in attempt to clear it of the confusion and turned off the tap. If Alessandro had come back here to stay for the full three months he'd originally intended to, then who knew what could happen in that time. But on the same token, could this even become more than just a fling anyway? Because eventually, whether I liked it or not, he would be returning to his home in Italy where his real life resided. Was I willing to allow it to just be a summer fling and nothing more? There were just too many questions based on just one kiss. One very steaming hot kiss.

I dressed in another peplum and some jeans and made my way back down stairs. I could hear voices coming from the library. Giuseppe was showing Alessandro all the work I'd done. It was almost complete. I moved to join them but then something stopped me and I hovered just outside the doorway as my name came up.

"If your mother was still around then Lizbeth is who she would have selected for you. I am convinced of this." He paused. "She's a good girl, Alessandro. You have so much in common and I've never seen a girl affect you as she does. How do you feel about her?"

My heart stopped. There was silence on Alessandro's end and I desperately wanted to peep around the corner to gauge his expression, but was too scared to move lest they spotted me. My heart sat in my throat, anxious to hear something from him. Anything. But as the seconds ticked on and the silence drew, the more my hope faded. Finally, Alessandro drawled something in Italian and the conversation shifted. I had no idea what they were talking about now and I'd already copped the curious glance of the housekeeper as she'd passed. Swallowing down a sudden bout of unease, I stepped up to the open door and gave it a knock. Both men snapped from their Italian and turned to face me, Giuseppe's smile wide and welcoming and Alessandro more subdued as per usual.

"I was just showing Alessandro all of your hard work, Lizbeth." Giuseppe grabbed my hand and planted a friendly kiss on each of my cheeks in greeting.

Alessandro nodded his approval and I went into explaining what I had done to organise the library. Even pointing out the little nook I had created for Alessandro's childhood books. Broken spines had been carefully repaired and torn pages patched up with invisible tape.

"I placed the bookmarks I found in the desk here." I opened a draw, revealing everything from bookmarks of Catholic saints and scriptures to scraps of paper and even the occasional bank note. "My favourites are these ones." I held up a handful of stick figure drawings all signed with Alessandro's name. Some of them contained little messages written in Italian, the only word I could understand being 'mamma'.

A smile tugged at Alessandro's lips as he regarded them. He ran a finger down the drawings, as though to reach out and connect with the memories associated with them.

"Alessandro would spend hours drawing in the library while Angelina read," said Giuseppe. "They were as book savvy as each other."

"Thank you for keeping them. The library looks incredible. You've done a fantastic job, Lizzie." Alessandro nodded. He was a man who didn't do feelings well, I noticed. But when he did express them, it was always with depth and meaning. I realised right then his really was a beautiful soul.

I smiled, feeling nothing but warmth and gratitude for the friendship he had so willingly extended.

"Not a problem at all." I chuckled. "It was killing me to see the library in such disorder. I blame the librarian in me. I still have a couple of boxes to finish off that I was planning on doing today."

He smirked at this. "No, you have other plans for today." It wasn't a suggestion. It was a definite.

"Oh?" I piqued an eyebrow. "Do fill me in on these important plans I have."

Alessandro stalked over to my side in two steps, then planting his hands on my shoulders he pivoted me toward the door. "You took me on tour of the mountains, now it's my turn to show you Sydney."

I laughed at this. "Alessandro, I already know Sydney. I'm there at least once a month."

There was a twinkle in his eye that reminded me of his father. He walked me to the base of the stairs that would lead up to the bedrooms. "Not as I know it, bella. Now get your shoes. We leave in five minutes."

And see Sydney as he knew it, we did. In celebration of our new friendship Alessandro treated me to a day of tours and wining and dining VIP style. We saw the usual sights – the harbour bridge, opera house and so on - but instead of street level, we were observing them through the window of an expensive restaurant. Instead of catching a ferry, we were hiring a private charter boat and dolphin spotting outside the harbour. Then the late afternoon was spent lounging about in our own secluded cove. The day couldn't have been more perfect if we tried - from the weather to the scenery, to the company himself. Alessandro spent the day being the perfect gentleman, catering to my every whim and need. It was purely indulgent and I had to admit I was revelling in every minute of it. Conversation came as easily as it had before our whole misunderstanding and the historians in us quickly came out with a vengeance.

"So basically Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth were crossing the Blue Mountains the same year that Pride and Prejudice was first released." Then I said as an afterthought, "And Napoleon was king of Italy."

Alessandro offered me a lazy smirk while he watched me through his designer aviators. The salty breeze swept through his hair and the sun was in the process of colouring his skin an even deeper shade of bronze. "But not for much longer."

I pondered on this for a moment. "I guess there would be a fair bit of French influence in Italian architecture and vice versa."

"The architectural styles are very broad in Italy," replied Alessandro.

He popped another olive into his mouth and lounged back against one of the cushions the crew had supplied us with while we lay about the deck. The boat bobbed in the water, its gentle sway combined with the warmth of the afternoon proving to be the ultimate relaxant. The only thing missing was someone to come along and massage my feet.

"It can change quite dramatically from region to region too. I have a house in Northern Italy that dates back to the Napoleonic era. When I bought it, it was in a sorry state. It was one of my first restorations."

"By house you actually mean..?"

"A ten bedroom villa."

I nodded, trying to resist the urge to giggle but failing miserably. "Only ten bedrooms? Good grief what do you even do with that many rooms?"

Alessandro was smiling with his eyes closed, head leaning back on the cushion. With his billion dollar looks, he seemed perfectly at home. "I rent it out. Its location makes for a good holiday destination and Italian families are very big, cara."

I couldn't argue with that logic. Ten bedrooms would house my extended family nicely. I wriggled my toes in the sun. I'd rolled up my jeans to my knees and my pasty calves were glinting in the sunlight.

"And how much would a holiday like that set me back?"

"For you, nothing at all."

I smirked. "Careful Alessandro, I might just take you up on that offer." Free luxury accommodation in Italy. God, it was good having friends in high places. "But just so you know, these days I don't consider anything less than twelve rooms, a library, a gym and a pool."

"Oooh." Alessandro's head came back up and he scratched his chin in mock contemplation. "That does narrow it down. Let's see... There is the house in Venice, the house in Rome, Masseria in Puglia. Then there is the island but you may need to rough it there as you call it, as I am still restoring that house."

I stared at him, slack-jawed and goggle-eyed. "And these are all your privately owned houses? Not places to do with your business empire?"

"I travel a lot." He shrugged. So cool. So casual. Like it was totally normal to have his life. "Sometimes it is nice to have a home to go to rather than staying at one of my hotels."

"Well I am obviously in the wrong business. A career in knowledge doesn't really pay all that much these days, all things considered. Sometimes if I'm doing a good job, they let me take a trip down to the State Library for extra training. At lunchtimes they provide these little sandwiches. It's all very posh."

Laughter rolled up from the back of Alessandro's throat. Yeah I wouldn't know posh if it slapped me in the face.

"But do they provide champagne?" He lifted his glass, pressing the bubbly to his lips while not taking his eyes off me. It was singularly the most seductive sip of champagne I had ever seen. I didn't even know you could make it seductive. "Because nothing is posh until it has champagne."

"Absolutely!" I retorted as if to say 'what sort of uncivilised brute do you take me for?!' "If by champagne you mean coffee. And by coffee you mean the instant stuff in styrofoam cups."

Another roll of laughter.

"It's not all bad! You get these little popsicle stick stirrers and you can go a little fancy with those. It's all in the way you stir it. If you hold it like this between your forefinger and thumb..." I demonstrated by holding an invisible stirrer over the top of my champagne glass. "It's all in the flick of the wrist. See? Alessandro! Pay attention!"

"Lizzie! You're killing me!"

"I'm glad I entertain you so," I said with a grin.

His laughter, unrestrained and genuine, was a howl. He was slapping his leg with one hand, the other holding his stomach while he fought to get himself back under control. To at least try and salvage the cool socialite image he'd worked so hard to maintain. Yeah fat chance of that, I thought. I know your secret now, you werewolf!

"Sorry to interrupt." A man dressed in the smart uniform of the yacht company appeared on the deck. He waited with well practiced patience as Alessandro and I took a moment to compose ourselves. "The captain has spotted the pod of dolphins again. He just wanted to know if you would like to say a quick goodbye to them before we head back to the harbour.

"Yes!" I burst to my feet just as the boat pitched and rolled about on a wave and I staggered backward several steps like I'd swallowed one too many champagne bubbles. Alessandro was on his feet in a heartbeat, hands catching me at the waist and steadying me. I fell back into his chest, dizzy from a mix of the swaying boat and Alessandro's touch. How was it that his hands fit perfectly around me?

"Steady, cara. We don't want you falling overboard," he breezed in my ear, sending a wave of heat through my poor, feeble body. Friendzone, Lizzie! Friendzone!

The employee led us around to the front of the boat (as you can see my knowledge of sailing terminology is through the roof) where the small pod of dolphins we encountered earlier were cruising toward us. Snouts popped out of the water to inspect us, swimming so close that if we weren't so high up I could reach out and touch them. I let out an involuntary squeal of delight when I noticed a mum with her baby. She was steering the baby away from the boat, cautioning it against getting too close.

"You are just too cute for words little dolphin! I will call you Squishy and you will be mine!"

"Squishy?" Alessandro snorted beside me. He was leaning over the rail, holding his sunglasses over his forehead as he strained to get a better look at the baby dolphin.

"Haven't you seen Finding Nemo?" I asked.

His raised eyebrow was the only response I needed. Of course he hadn't seen it.

"I was thinking something more along the lines of Delfino."

This time it was my turn to raise an eyebrow at him. "I'm no expert on your native tongue, Alessandro, but I'm pretty sure that's just Italian for dolphin."

He shrugged. "Seems appropriate don't you think?"

"We're not naming our baby dolphin 'Dolphin'!"

"That's not what I said! I said Delfino. Now say it with me, Del-fi-noh."

I gave him a whack on the arm, wanting to wipe that stupid, smug smirk off his face as he peered down at me.

"How is that any different to calling your cat Kitty?" he said.

"It's different!" I protested. "Kitty was actually my nickname as a kid. Long story."

"So you named your cat after yourself?"

"It was sentimental," I said then putting my serious hat on I skittered back to the topic at hand. "Now regarding the dolphin..."

"Okay, okay," he finally conceded. "How about... Prezioso?"

The smirk hadn't left his face, leading me to believe that what he'd said was equally as dumb a name and I glared at him. Alessandro held his chest in mock heartbreak.

"You wound me! That is a beautiful name and a term of endearment."

"Okay," I said. "I'll bite. What does it mean?"

"Precious."

Aw. I melted. "Prezi...?"

"Prezioso," he repeated.

"Prezioso," I grinned. "Perfect."

"Yes," he smiled, not taking his eyes off me. "Perfect."