Ezio stared at the dusty ceiling of his makeshift bedroom, his back against his mattress. He couldn't believe what had happened the night before between him and Ophelia. His feelings were mixed and he was unsure of how to face the day with her. All he knew was that it would be long before he could forget the events of the night before.

EZIO'S POV

I climbed up the ladder, being drawn in with Ophelia's gesture. Her petite hand stroked the air, wishing it was me. I had a stressful week; what better way to wind down than have my way with the beautiful woman who saved me?

But perhaps the idea was quite wrong… Should I act this way toward the woman who had done so much for me? But she seemed eager and interested… Perhaps I would be doing her well by answering her requests.

My mind was a confused jumble of conflicting thoughts. We'd just have a glass of wine and see where it would take us.

I walked over to the desk and picked up the bottle of aged red wine. "I do not have glasses, if that's okay, madonna," I told Ophelia, looking around to see no glasses in sight.

Ophelia smiled and shook her head in a quiet and playful manner. "I don't mind drinking from the bottle." She bit her bottom lip, hanging her head and looking up to me with sultry eyes. Oh how they made me melt.

I popped the cork from the bottle and handed it to Ophelia. She took it gingerly, taking a small drink from the bottle. Something clicked in my mind when I saw her drinking the sweet drink.

I can't do this.

Not only was this woman my savior, the reason I was alive, but she was soon to be drunk. I can admit to being a bit of a pig; I frequented the bordello in Firenze and hardly said no to a woman's advances. I could be a gentleman though. I knew where to draw a line, and much to my displeasure, that line was between Ophelia and I.

"Tell me, Ezio, how many woman have you been with?" Ophelia asked, her voice playful as she sat on the desk and crossed her legs, leaning back on one palm as she handed me the bottle.

I took the drink and proceeded to sip. I didn't want to drink too much and cloud my judgment.

"I won't lie; I have been with many women. But I assure you, I'm always charming," I flashed Ophelia a smile. Though I had no intentions of being intimate with Ophelia tonight, I hoped to one day. Never had I seen such a strong beauty.

Ophelia bit down on her lip again, the corners of her mouth curling up into a smile. "So you are quite experienced in…" Ophelia's eyes shot over to the bed.

I felt myself shiver. Never before had I been the one being charmed so intensively. She was making being the 'good guy' very difficult.

I flashed my most charming smile, taking another sip of the wine. "I, uh, guess you could say that."
"You don't sound so confident, bello," Ophelia teased me. She reached out for the bottle which I gladly handed over.

I decided I'd play along a bit. I didn't want to disappoint Ophelia or make a bad reputation for myself. I wanted to be a gentleman but still keep my manhood. "Well, madonna, I feel as though my performance speaks for itself." I shot Ophelia a wink to which I noticed made her cheeks blush a deep crimson. I walked toward her and put her chin in my hand. "Have I said something?" I teased her, looking into her beautiful green eyes. Those eyes were so mysterious and beckoning. I wanted to know the person behind them and the stories she had to tell. I wanted to know how her eyes came to be so smoldering, mysterious, and strong, yet, I could sense sadness in them. I knew that story, which only made me more confident in my decision to go to bed alone that night.

"Your words make me curious." I stroked Ophelia's cheek with my thumb as I noticed her looking down below my waist. I felt her gaze on me, admittedly getting me a little excited. I quickly dropped my hand from her chin and leaned against the desk. Ophelia took one more sip before putting the bottle down on the desk next to her.

She caught me off guard when I felt her hands on my shoulders, her fingers massaging the upper edges of my back and neck. Her eyes caught mine to which my gaze was caught completely in a trance.

OPHELIA POV

Something drew me in to Ezio. His voice was soothing and that made me comfortable. He had a way of being seductive without blatantly grabbing me. We had barely touched and I felt electricity running through each point of contact we had. I felt helpless; usually I led on the man and pulled away but I feared I couldn't this time. I don't think I wanted to.

I moved my hands form his shoulders and down across the front of his chest. His muscles were hard and felt great against my fingers, even if I was feeling them through a shirt. I became excited with the thought that his muscles would only grow more as his work as an assassin progressed. Training put a lot of muscle on a person. I could vouch for that personally.

I let out a small sigh as I observed the small triangle of bare chest that poked out around his neck from behind his white shirt. I longed to see more.

My fingers curled into themselves, gathering the fabric of the shirt. I flattened out my hands, pressing against the folds I had created in the fabric. His skin was poking out from the bottom of his shirt. I could see the outline of his abdominal muscles above the waistband of his low-sitting pants. The sight drove me while and I soon felt a heat building underneath my skin.

"Do you like what you see, bella?" Ezio asked, smiling at me. I had been looking down for longer than I had thought.

I looked up to him and bit my lip, partially in embarrassment, the other part being a habit of seduction. "Your muscles are…" I struggled to find an appropriate word to describe the sight I beheld. I became nervous as I settled upon a word. "Sexy."

Ezio's gaze suddenly became more intense. The power coming from his golden eyes pierced me. I suddenly felt myself moving closer to him, my legs uncrossing as the nestled on either side of his own. I allowed my hands to move underneath his shirt, feeling the rippled, perfectly bronze skin underneath.

Ezio let out a small chuckle as I felt a hand cup the side of my face. My skin became heated at the small touch. My lips parted as I leaned up to brush my nose up against Ezio's. I felt his hot, sweet breath against mine. His breath smelt of the wine we shared. I imagined his lips tasted of the drink.

Our eyes met again. We suddenly were engaged in a staring contest. I felt as though the looser would have to make the first move. Ezio made me feel nervous, which was rare for me. I didn't want to be the first one to dive in.

I couldn't help but blink. I closed my eyes and slowly pressed my lips against his. His lips pressed against mine. I felt electric. The blonde hairs on my arms stood up on end. A shiver shot down my spine. My hands under his shirt clawed down against his skin. I had never felt like this before.

Our kiss lasted a few more seconds before I was sent completely into shock. Ezio pulled away and sighed. "Ophelia… I cannot do this." Ezio stepped back from me, my hands slipping in disappointment from underneath his shirt.

I looked in bewilderment up at his golden eyes which had suddenly turned soft. "Ezio… I…" I couldn't find words. Never before had I been the one which became disappointed. Never before had the man stopped me.

Ezio looked apologetic and sincere. "Don't get me wrong, Ophelia. I find you beautiful. I have never seen such a beauty before. Just looking at you makes me feel… excited and privileged to have the pleasure of setting eyes on you." Ezio's words comforted me slightly, but still left me confused. "I just do not feel right doing this so soon after what has happened. Only a few days ago, you saved my life. I do not want to disrespect the woman who is my reason for being alive, especially since we have just met." Ezio suddenly took one of my hands. "One day, bella, if you would be willing at the time, I would be happy to have you."

I didn't know what to feel in that moment. I felt appreciative in that Ezio was being a respectful gentleman. But on the other hand, I wanted him to ravish me. I hadn't been told 'no' to before and I had suddenly been put in my place.

My anger took over and I stood up from the desk. "Ezio, when a woman wants you, you give yourself to her." I looked up at him, a serious look in my eyes. I didn't want to be made a fool. I didn't want to be embarrassed.

Ezio's face turned apologetic as his eyebrows turned down at the outer corners. "Ophelia, I just want to respect you. I owe you a lot."

I knew he was right, but I didn't want him to win this argument. Ezio was charming and was being quite the gentleman despite the rumors she had heard about his womanizing ways. "Then owe me this," I told him strongly. I walked toward him, my toes touching the tips of his.

Ezio's gaze turned toward the window though his body didn't move from mine. He let out a large sigh, having clearly thought it through. "I would not feel right… I am sorry Ophelia."

My eyebrows turned in and I moved away from him. I didn't say another word to him that night. Instead, I just returned to my chambers. I'd let him feel bad about making me angry, but I admittedly felt bad about being angry at a man who was only protecting me and my feelings.

Ezio stood up from his bed, stretching his arms. He slipped on a white shirt and brown pants before he headed downstairs for breakfast. His stomach dropped when he saw Ophelia down the hallway, heading toward the dining room. Ezio took in a hard swallow, bracing himself for the cold stares he would experience during breakfast. He felt his neck tightening; Ezio had become a little angry with Ophelia's actions last night.

The whole family was sitting around the table, eating pieces of bread, cheese, and cold meats. Ezio took the seat next to Maria. Moments later, Ophelia entered the room, dressed in a nightgown.

"Good morning!" Ophelia sweetly told the family. Everyone smiled up to her, returning the salutation. Ezio was unsure of what to do, so instead he shot Ophelia a small, but insincere smile. Ophelia thought a lot about Ezio's actions last night. She had been infuriated with his refusal. When she returned to her own chambers, she had difficulty falling asleep. Her feelings of guilt overwhelmed her anger. Now she could only thank Ezio for being such a gentleman. Ever since her family was taken from her, nobody had looked out for her in such a way like Ezio did last night.

The family ate in near silence. Occasionally, Mario would question one of them about their sleep last night and their plans for the day. He also announced to Ezio and Ophelia that the two would spend the day in the training ring with him and his mercenaries. Ezio was excited; he needed to blow off some steam and was eager to learn the techniques of the assassins.

Ophelia, too, was excited, but for different reasons. She saw the training session as an opportunity to brush up on her skills and to spend time with Ezio. She had realized that a certain softness was behind Ezio's charming and strong exterior. She wanted to understand that layer of him.

After breakfast and after Ophelia and Ezio dressed in their white and red robes and armor, the two met Mario in the training ring in the front of the villa. Mario was excited to see the two of them and soon commanded the two engage in a duel.

Ezio and Ophelia stood at opposite ends of the ring. Ophelia smiled at Ezio happily, unsheathing her sword. Ezio gave Ophelia a cold look before he unsheathed his own sword. In that moment, Ophelia realized she had angered Ezio and immediately regretted her actions of last night.

Ophelia took the first strike, Ezio blocking her attack with ease. Mario commanded Ezio dodge by sidestepping rather than relying on his sword to block Ophelia's strike. The three went through this technique until Ezio perfected it.

Training went on until the last beams of sun lit up the rooftops of Monteriggioni. Ezio was tired. Ophelia considered the activities as a warm up. Her stamina was built up much more than Ezio's. She also had two years of assassin life on Ezio. The two packed up their weapons and headed out of the ring. Ezio began moving up the stairs without a word to Ophelia. The two had only exchanged tips and concerns on technique and strategy and no personal conversation.

"Ezio!" Ophelia called behind him. She jogged as she caught up to him. He looked back behind him, stopping as Ophelia approached him.

"Si, Ophelia." Ezio's voice was low and serious, sounding almost as if he were annoyed.

"I… owe you an apology. My actions last night were unacceptable. You were respecting me and I apologize for not understanding that last night. I see that now," Ophelia's voice was apologetic. Her eyes spoke the same, too. Ezio looked down to Ophelia and his eyes immediately softened though his face stayed rigid. "I forgive you, Ophelia, but you must not get upset when people oppose you. I promise that I'm not a bad guy, despite what you may have heard."

Ophelia shook her head, a small smile creeping on her lips. "I've heard many things but an evil man, I have not heard. I was in the wrong. I have many… complicated feelings that I struggle with. You must be patient with me." Ophelia sighed and grabbed one of Ezio's hands. "I sincerely apologize, Ezio. I want to start over."

Her words made Ezio smile. He squeezed her petite hand and nodded his head. "And I too, Ophelia."