Falling Deep Into You Trilogy Box Set

by Terra Kelly

  Once they entered the city limits, he noticed Cristiano lean forward and rest his arms on the center console. “Z, do you remember anything about Toronto?”

  Zia had moved forward in her seat and was taking in all the sights. “No, nothing. I’ve tried to remember something, but my mind only takes me back to when we moved to St. Cloud.”

  Finley reached over, placed his hand on her leg and squeezed lightly. “Hey, you were four, remember? I don’t know if I could remember much before the age of five.”

  Cristiano laughed. “Heck, I don’t remember things that happened a year or two ago.”

  They all cracked up. Finley nodded. “You and me both, kid. Just wait till you get to be my age, it gets worse.” It was nice to hear the sounds coming from the car. He knew it was healthy for them both. Since they were almost to his home, they were in perfect sight of the downtown area. He pointed out the front window. “There’s the CN Tower. It’s our most popular landmark here.”

  Letizia ooooohhh’d. “Can we go to the top of the tower?”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “If you like that sort of thing.” That would be once it was safe enough to go, too. Finley was not much for heights and with the glass floor 113 stories above, he avoided it like the black plague.

  He noticed Letizia look back at Cristiano and snickered. “Are you chicken?”

  Finley’s eyes went wide. “What? Me? No!”

  Cristiano made a noise of disapproval. “Uh huh, I bet you’re scared. It’s just a building. What’s the big deal?”

  Finley sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. “Well, for one, walking on glass floors does not sound like a hoot. Plus, that sky pod looks like it was designed by a child.” He had never ventured up the tower and had not put it on the agenda for the future.

  Cristiano pushed at Finley’s arm. “You know what Ali always used to tell me?”

  Finley looked his way. “What?” He had had a funny feeling he would make his way up the damn tower soon. Great.

  Then in unison, Cristiano and Letizia both said, “You need to face your fears if you want to move forward in life.”

  Finley shook his head. “She said that, eh? Huh…” Well, lovely, he would be encouraged to face his fears, when all he wanted to do was look at that damn building from the ground…in his car…in a safe location.

  Instead of taking the road that would lead them to his house, he made a split-second decision. As he continued in the direction of the city, he realized he better give the team a heads up to their whereabouts. In the most casual way he sent a text message to Miles. Finley noticed Letizia look toward him, but then she turned her head and continued to soak up all the different sights.

  Finley: Hey man, taking them to our favorite Italian restaurant. They need to see people.

  Miles: What? Shit. Okay, I will go keep watch on the outside of the building. Be careful.

  Finley: Ten-four.

  He put his phone back in the cup holder on the center console. “So, Italian and dessert?” Finley loved the reaction he got at that comment.

  Letizia turned toward him. “What? Really? Is it okay?”

  Cristano let out a yell of excitement. “Oh man, you’re not teasing us, right?”

  Finley shook his head. “No teasing involved. The guys will keep an eye on the place while we dine inside. You need a good change of scenery.” He had to admit, he was nervous to take them to a public place, but it was also a good plan.

  The place was popular amongst the locals, hidden from the tourists because of where the building was positioned out of sight and off the beaten path of the city. Finley had his hand resting on the small of Letizia’s back as they walked into the entry way of the restaurant. It was still early, so the place was not busy just yet. The hostess was able to seat them immediately. Finley had requested a booth next to the exit.

  About a minute later, a twenty-something waitress walked up to take their drink orders. “Good afternoon. Hey, Finley. Can I get you all something to drink while you look over the menu?”

  Cristiano glanced up excitedly. “A chocolate shake, please.”

  Letizia smiled. “Oh, that sounds delicious. Make that two.”

  Finley shook his head. “Well hell, I don’t want to be the odd man out here.”

  The waitress laughed. “So, make that three, then?” Finley nodded.

  The menu was simple since it was a small mom-and-pop-location there were only a few options available daily, and they changed the choices each week. Finley was a sucker for their homemade ravioli and it didn’t matter what kind: He loved them all. The best one by far was the bourbon glazed pork and goat cheese ravioli. Hands down the best. Of course, they only offered it a few times a year.

  As the waitress placed their shakes in front of them. “Do you have any questions on the menu?”

  Letizia smiled. “Nope, I’ll take some of your homemade noodles drenched in that gorgeous bolognaise sauce.”

  The waitress nodded, then looked at Cristiano. “And for you?”

  Cristiano seemed to have a tough time deciding. “Can I have dessert?”

  Letizia said something, but Finley interrupted. “What looks good?” He grabbed her hand under the table and squeezed it.

  Cristiano pointed to the brownie sundae on the bottom of the menu. “Can I have that, please, but with extra caramel sauce?”

  The waitress laughed. “You’ve got it, kid. I like it, dessert for dinner.” Then she turned toward Finley. “The normal, right?”

  Finley pushed the menu towards the end of the table. “Of course. What’s the ravioli selection today?” He was secretly hoping for the bourbon glazed pork.

  The young woman smiled. “Butternut squash, pine nuts, and goat cheese.”

  Finley just moaned. “I’ll take that, please.”

  They all sat there for a moment in silence, then someone cleared their throat. “Fin?”

  A guy reached his hand forward. “Good to see you, man. Decided to not eat alone tonight?”

  Finley laughed. “Hey Johnny, how’s it going?” He slapped his hand onto the manager’s outstretched hand. “Yeah, yeah, one time I eat by myself and you’re still busting my balls.” Johnny was the owner of the place. Finley had connected with the guy immediately when he first found the hidden gem.

  He noticed Johnny look at Letizia a few seconds longer than necessary, then turn toward Cristiano. “So, who are the lucky new diners?”

  Cristiano was about to say something, but Finley interjected. “Just my friends. We’re all craving some homemade Italian.”

  Johnny put his hands up in the air in surrender. “Just friends. I hear you loud and clear, man.”

  Finley knew Johnny only from his visits to the restaurant, so he didn’t feel comfortable introducing Letizia and Cristiano. “How about bringing us some of that amazing homemade garlic bread you only share with the locals?”

  Before Johnny walked away to grab the bread, he took one more look at Letizia. “Man, you remind me of someone.”

  Letizia turned her head to the side. “Yeah? Who’s that?”

  Finley noticed Johnny lean up against the side of the booth and look off in the distance. “She was a special woman I adored.” Then he straightened. “But that was years ago. Okay, garlic bread coming right up.”

  Letizia scowled. “Fin, what was that about?”

  Finley had no idea what just happened, but he planned to look more into it. “Honestly, I have no idea.” He didn’t want them both feeling nervous throughout dinner. “I’m sure he thought about one of the many women he’s dated. You probably look like one of them.”

  Cristiano laughed. “Ha, Letizia, that guy has the hots for you.”

  Finley hushed the kid immediately. “Hey, keep it down, okay? Let’s avoid drawing attention to our table. Speaking of that, we have an appointment with my friend who’s a hairdresser. Tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.” He was a bit unsure of what their reaction would be to change their looks now they were in town and not th
e safe house.

  Letizia took a sip of her shake, cleared her throat and turned toward Finley. “I’m sorry, did we hear you right? We have hair appointments?”

  Finley gave the best puppy dog expression he could muster. “Um…yeah? If you want to leave the house and be seen in public, we need to think about altering your appearance.” He hoped that didn’t mean cutting off Letizia’s long brunette hair. Her hair was the one feature that drew him in every time...along with other things, of course.

  Cristiano just shrugged. “Whatever, it’ll grow back.” Then his eyes went wide. “Wait, could I color my hair?”

  Letizia laughed. “What, you want some crazy color?”

  Cris nodded. “Yeah, I could get a Mohawk and get my hair colored a bright red.”

  Finley burst out laughing. “Um, no. We have to reel you in there, kid.” He had to give the boy credit, that would alter his appearance drastically.

  Letizia just shook her head. “Yeah, bright red would grab everyone’s attention.” She touched Finley’s hand. “What do you think about auburn color for me, and shorter?”

  Finley groaned. “I guess. Make me a deal?” He grabbed her hand. “You’ll grow it back out when this all blows over?” He hoped they could get their lives back to normal … only time would tell.

  Letizia just smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe.”

  “Okay, here’s your room.” Finley walked down the stairs to the furnished basement. There was a private space that was usually used for guests, but he figured it would be the perfect place for a teenager. Plus, the farther away he kept the kid from his own room, the louder he could make Letizia moan. He had to shake his head at the thought.

  He watched as Cristiano ran ahead and opened the door. “Z, look!”

  Letizia glanced at Finley and then headed over to her cousin. “Wow, this is all yours?” She turned toward Finley. “Did you do all this?”

  Perhaps Finely went overboard for the kid, but seriously, he deserved it. He stepped up behind Letizia. “Yeah, well, Preslie and Vikki went shopping for me. I was too busy with the…” He was about to finish his sentence when the wind was knocked out of him. Both Cristiano and Letizia plowed into him full force and wrapped their arms around his body. “Hey, careful, I could break.”

  Cristiano looked up at Finley. “Thanks, Fin.”

  Letizia laughed. “Yeah, what he said.”

  Finley smiled. “You’re welcome.” He pulled his arms free and placed one around Letizia, then ruffled Cris’ hair. “Hey, want to hang here while I show your cousin her room?” He was saying a silent prayer that Cristiano would be okay with being left alone.

  Cris stepped back. “Are you kidding? Did you see all the Xbox games they bought?”

  Finley slapped his hand on Cristiano’s back. “Right, what was I thinking?” He turned with Letizia still nestled in the crook of his arm. “Oh, and you don’t have to worry about the volume, the room is far enough away.” Then he glanced at Zia and winked.

  Cristiano didn’t seem to hear that last sentence. He was too transfixed on the electronics scattered throughout the small space. Finley pressed Letizia’s body closer and kissed the top of her head. “Want to see your humble abode?”

  Letizia rested her head on his shoulder. “Yeah. I get my own room?” She sounded bummed.

  Finley started up the stairs with her. “Well, you have the choice of the room we set up for you…or my room.” He knew he couldn’t assume anything, especially after everything that happened. “You do have a fully loaded room just like Cristiano.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Men.”

  As they reached the landing, he surprised her by picking her up in his arms. She let out a yelp. “Men? Really?” He was tickling her sides, but had a good hold of her so she wouldn’t fall. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  He let up, and she took in a deep breath before speaking, “Because you know good and well I want to only be next to you.”

  He smiled. “Good. I was hoping you would say that.” He let her down and grabbed her hand. “Come on, I know just what you need.”

  Fourteen

  The master bedroom was at the end of the hall on the second floor and had two doors that gave way to an open space that was easily about 1,000 square feet. The space was huge. Letizia stepped through the doorway. “Holy wow, this is one serious room.” Her eyes roamed over every inch of the place. He had a king size sleigh bed, several pillows scattered around the mattress, and a gorgeous gray duvet making it all look oh-so-inviting. There was a couch, two overstuffed chairs, a desk, and a few other pieces of furniture. “So, this place is all yours? It seems too big to be for just one person.”

  Finley shrugged his shoulders. “All mine.”

  Letizia walked over to the bed and had to climb up carefully. “Why have so much space for one person?” She surely wasn’t complaining, but it seemed odd to have so much square footage. It had to get lonely.

  Finley sat down beside her on the bed. “I added-on to my parents’ home, it made sense to give it some bling.”

  Zia reached forward and grabbed the picture frame on the nightstand. “Who are these two beautiful souls?” She was holding a gold frame that seemed distressed and several years old. The picture was faded slightly, but you could clearly see two people laughing in the photo.

  Finley smiled. “My parents.”

  Letizia looked more closely at the image and could see the resemblance. Now she knew where he got those debonair looks from. His father was very handsome. Like father, like son. She placed the frame carefully back on the wood surface. “Are they still with you?”

  He shook his head. “No, I lost my parents several years ago.” She watched as he stood up and took a few steps toward the French doors that lead to the little patio. He had his arms crossed in front of his chest. “This was actually their house.”

  She nodded. “This whole house was theirs? I love you could keep it.”

  He turned toward her. “No, this room you’re in was their house. My parents always struggled. My dad was a cop; it was a family thing. My mom stayed home and cared for me and my sister. It was a small two bedrooms, one bath home, but we made it work. When they died, I don’t know, it made sense to add onto the place.”

  Letizia smiled. “I have a funny feeling your parents would adore what you’ve done to the house.” She was so surprised to learn that this one room she was standing in used to be a home for a family of four. She stepped up beside him and caught a glimpse of the landscape. “Wow, it’s beautiful out here. Did a bus come all the way out here to pick you up for school?”

  He inhaled and turned toward her. “No, no, we had to walk all the way to school during rain or shine.” Finley reached forward and tickled her sides. “Of course, a bus came this way, it’s only about 10 miles out from civilization.”

  Zia tried to pull back, but he had a firm grip. “Wait, wasn’t it a horse and buggy that would take you to school?” She teased.

  He looked shocked which really got Zia excited. He shook his head. “Hey, remember, I’m not that much older than you.”

  She sighed and reached up to touch the side of his face. “Tell me something else about you? Close with your sister? Are you an uncle yet?” Zia sounded excited to hear the answers.

  Finley cleared his throat and thought for a minute. Tilting his head to the side, “I was a nerd in school. Hated sports but loved band. My sister and I got along, but close is a big stretch. She has one child, but I don’t’ get to see them much since they live in Alberta now. I love watching movies, reading a good book, and going for a walk out back sometimes.” Shrugging his shoulders. “Sound good?”

  She laughed and teased him. “I can’t imagine you a nerd. Like not even a little.”

  Finley walked back to the bed. “Believe it.” Then he put his hands up in surrender. “Okay, no more questions about me.” In a husky voice and pointing at her, “You stay here.” Then she watched as he headed into the bathroom. A few
seconds later she could hear water running and had to smile—her long awaited bath.

  Letizia sat there on the edge of the oversized mattress and found herself transfixed on the image next to her. Looking at the picture a thought popped in her mind, one where her parents seemed so happy. How was it possible that so much happiness could be ripped from your soul in a matter of seconds? She wanted time back, a chance to tell her parents how her life had been.

  She was wiping the last tear from her cheek as Finley opened the bathroom door. “Zia, are you okay?”

  She nodded. “Yeah, yeah, memories. These days they seem to pop up whenever they choose.” From behind Finley she could see the flickering of lights in the darkened space. With a cheeky grin she asked, “What were you doing in there?”

  He laughed and reached for her hand. “Come on.”

  As she took each step, there was this scent that invaded her senses. “Lavender. Oh, I do adore it.” Then she stopped in the doorway and threw her hand over her mouth. “Oh my...” The room was covered in small and large candles on every flat surface available. “Fin!”

  Finley stepped in front of her. “Want me to help?”

  She gasped. Did she want him to help? Her mouth spoke before her brain registered a thought. “Yeah,” she rasped out. There was something about the room that sent shivers up and down her spine. She looked at the clothes she was wearing. Was she ready to bare it all with Fin, body and soul? She sucked in a breath and then let it out slowly. Reaching her hands down to the hem of her sweatshirt, she pulled the fabric up over her head. Once she was standing there in just a bra, she glanced up into Finley’s gaze. While keeping her eyes locked onto his, she moved her pants down over her hips. What came out of her mouth next was unexpected. “Want to join me?” The tub was big enough after all.