by Belle Ami
Angela opened her eyes and tried to orient herself to her surroundings. She was in her room, technically Alex’s guest room at Casa del Sole. Kicking free of the sheet, she realized she was nude. A flood of sensual images bombarded her, of Alex and her doing things she’d never thought herself capable of. They’d loved each other in every way possible and each time he’d brought her to bliss. Was it all a dream?
She shifted in bed and the sweetest ache she’d ever experienced tingled between her legs. No, not a dream. Dreams don’t leave your body feeling as though it’s been through a sensual marathon. A sleepy smile and a purr of contentment escaped.
She stretched, her back arching like a cat, and then peered over the side of the bed. Scattered about the floor was their clothing. Clothing that had been tossed without care as to where it might land. The evidence was clear, as were the vivid visions of yesterday and last night. History had repeated itself. Lovers in past lives, she and Alex were lovers once more.
She didn’t want to think about how those two past lives ended in tragedy. Right, now her foremost concern was Alex.
What do I say when I see him? How should I behave?
She was so absorbed in figuring that out, she didn’t hear the sound of rushing water coming from the bathroom. She sat up trying to recall what she said to him in the throes of passion.
This is a hell of a time to be having amnesia.
The bathroom door opened to a naked Alex vigorously towel drying his hair. She loved the deep, chestnut color of the thick waves, so incongruous to the rugged planes of his handsome face. Their eyes met and a huge smile spread across his face. “Well, good morning, beautiful.”
“Good morning,” she squeaked out. I sound like an idiot. She couldn’t stop gaping at his gorgeous body. She must have been blushing because she could feel the heat rising up her neck to her face. But, wow, was he beautiful. It was the first time she’d gotten a good look at him.
Seeing him naked, freshly scrubbed, a man in the full sense of the word, was arousing. Suddenly she was having difficulty breathing and her body heated like a kettle on a stove. Any minute she expected steam to come out of her ears and her lips to purse together in a whistle.
He dropped the towel at the foot of the bed clearly enjoying her discomposure. Then, like a tiger, he pounced, pulling her beneath him, her body and his aligned in all the right places. “Shall we pick up where we left off?” He wiggled his eyebrows in a mock lecherous look.
She giggled at his antics. “I… I… need to use the restroom.” She covered her mouth with her hand before he could land a kiss on her. She squirmed from his grasp, jumping out of the bed and taking the sheet with her. She wasn’t about to kiss Prince Charming with morning mouth.
His laugh rumbled from his chest as he tucked his muscled arms behind his head and crossed his ankles. He was perfectly relaxed, naked as a jaybird. “Take your time, Angel, I’m not going anywhere.”
As she fled, his words followed her. “No sense covering what I’ve already seen.”
Blowing out a breath, she closed the door behind her, pressing her back against it. Her knees shook, and her heart beat incalzando, faster and louder until she sank dizzily to the floor.
Be still my heart.
Even the battle scars on his leg, arm, and ribcage didn’t detract from his perfection, but rather enhanced her attraction to him.
In her art historian mind, she compared Alex’s masculine beauty to Michelangelo’s sculptures. Alex was lean and muscular, perfectly proportioned, but she’d already known that.
She needed to get her act together, regain her composure. One night does not a forever make. Forever?
Did I just presume that a permanent relationship with Alex was possible? Pull it together, girl. What you experienced was a mutual lust. We’ve been working shoulder to shoulder, infatuation was bound to develop.
Fact: The man is, for all intent and purposes, your boss.
Fact: Love affairs in the workplace rarely work out.
Fact: I’m scared to death of losing him.
Supernatural Fact: We were lovers in past lives.
Propping her elbows on her knees, she planted her chin on her palms and contemplated her delicious predicament. Alex clearly had his life ordered in a manner that worked for him. Single with no strings attached. Luxury apartment in Florence, fancy cars, country getaway. Exciting job that took him around the globe for a hefty fee and an extravagant expense account.
She, on the other hand, was just getting past the typical “starving” student mode. She’d already blown her first “real” career job. Well, that wasn’t her fault since her boss was a lecherous snake. She had maybe a thousand bucks in the bank. And no place to live. She could move back home to her Dad’s, but what would she do there, other than work at the local library?
Once the mystery is solved and we find the da Vinci… what happens after that? If we were lovers in our past lives, does that mean that solving this mystery will sever our connection?
She hadn’t thought of that before. She had no idea what would happen after… She didn’t want to lose him, but what if she did? What if everything fizzled out when the “excitement” of the mystery surrounding them was solved? Did the possibility of becoming an actual couple after this case even exist?
She shook her head and pushed her insecurities to the back of her mind. Hoisting herself up from the floor, she turned on the shower, needing to wash away her negative thoughts.
She emerged from the bathroom fresh from her shower with a towel snugly wrapped around her. Alex, as promised, hadn’t moved. He just grinned at her. “Come here.”
“Is that an order, boss?”
“Call it whatever you want. I just want you here.” His sexy tone vibrated through her.
She sat on the edge of the bed and tried not to look below his waist. “Is there something I can get you?” Jeez, you sound like a breathless Marilyn Monroe.
“You can stop pretending that yesterday and last night never happened.”
She sighed. “I know it happened and I loved it. We both did. There’s been a fire burning between us since we met. Now that we’ve extinguished it, we can return to finding what we came here to find, a missing da Vinci.”
She tried to read Alex’s face. His eyes held a dangerous gleam. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that. I haven’t extinguished a goddamn thing.” He pulled her down to him and crushed his mouth to hers. He didn’t let go of her until every muscle in her body went lax. When he broke the kiss, he held her firmly against him, nibbling on her lips.
“I’m starving, baby, and I need to replenish my strength. Get dressed and meet me downstairs for breakfast. We have a busy day. He punctuated his statement with one final kiss. He released her and jumped out of bed, scooping up his clothes from the floor. Without a thought to his nudity, he strolled out the door.
Chapter 13
Montefioralle, Italy
August 10, 2018
Angela pushed the swinging butler’s door open to the kitchen. She was greeted by the fragrance of basil, marjoram, oregano, thyme, and freshly ground coffee. Maria stood at the stove, one arm wrapped around a large metal bowl, her other hand holding a whisk as she whipped the eggs into a frothy foam. Alex sat at the kitchen table reading a newspaper with a large steaming mug of coffee before him. The moment she walked through the door he looked up. His smile like sunshine bathed her in warmth.
“Buongiorno, beautiful.”
“Buongiorno, Alex. Buongiorno, Maria.”
“Buongiorno, Signorina Angela”
“Come sit, baby. I’ll get you some coffee.” Alex stood and pulled a chair out for her.
“Thank you. Can I do anything to help?”
Alex returned with the coffee pot and filled her mug, then set the pot on a ceramic trivet on the table. “You sure can. You can sit here,
drink coffee, and keep me company. Believe me just looking at you makes the day better.” His strong hands rubbed her shoulders massaging them, and he bent and kissed her neck, breathing her in. His breath in her ear sent a shiver down her spine. “You smell delicious. If Maria wasn’t here, I might’ve had to make love to you on this table. Another time, perhaps,” he whispered, shattering her composure.
There was no doubt about it, their relationship had changed… intensified. The pulse of energy when he touched her had only grown stronger, his gaze smoldered hotter.
She looked up, just in time to receive the press of his lips on hers.
“Hmm, now that’s the best way to start a day.” He pulled back from their kiss and sat beside her.
“You said we have a busy day today. Care to share what you have in mind?” She struggled to calm her racing heart.
“I’ve been thinking about that déjà vu feeling we have about Montefioralle, and that dream you had yesterday.”
She shuddered. “It wasn’t just a dream, Alex, it was real. I know it happened.”
“I’ve been privy to your visions, they pack quite a punch. Although…” He grinned. “I kind of like what happened after you had the bad dream…”
“I do too…”
“That’s what I hoped you’d say because I sure as hell don’t regret one minute.” He leaned in and growled in her ear. “I couldn’t get enough of you last night, baby.”
“Is it warm in here?” She fanned herself as a flash of heat crept up her shoulders, neck, and face.
“No, I think it’s quite comfortable.” His face broke into a wide grin, making her shift in her seat.
“I’m sure you do.” She resisted the urge to reach under the table. Her impish side wanted to wipe the cocky look off his face with just one brush of her hand on his inner thigh. She heard the siren’s call of her past life—Sophia—guiding her wanton thoughts.
“We’ve got a lot of footwork to do today,” he told her. “First stop is the town hall. I want to check out the history of Casa del Sole, who owned it and when. We can also check birth and death records for Montefioralle in Greve. It’s about a thirty-minute walk uphill from Greve to Montefioralle. The church of Santo Stefano, in the old village, is the highest point and I’m sure they have records going back hundreds of years. On the way back, we can check out the old cemetery. Then lunch and a bottle of Chianti.”
She laughed, “You certainly know how to balance work with pleasure.”
“I think you’ll discover I’m an expert at that. And then…”
“And then… what?”
“And then I’m going to carry you upstairs to the bedroom, Scarlett, for our afternoon siesta.” He winked and tweaked a pretend mustache.
Angela burst into laughter.
“Like my Rhett Butler impression?”
“I wouldn’t quit your day job if I were you.”
He chuckled, tapping her nose.
“Maria arrived with a bright yellow frittata that looked as if she’d plucked the sun from the sky and offered it up for breakfast. It was layered with zucchini and cheese and crowned with fresh basil and parmesan. A basket filled with Italian breads, and a plate filled with an assortment of cheeses and a pot of plum preserves followed.
“Grazie, Maria. La seconda cosa migliore al mondo è la sua cucina.”
“Signor Alex, sei proprio un diavolo.” She left the kitchen shaking her head and giggling.
“What did you say to her? I think she called you a devil.” Angela lifted a slice of the fluffy egg and set it on his plate then lifted a second slice for herself.
“Just that the second-best thing in the world is her cooking.”
“What’s the first?” She smothered a crust of bread with plum preserves.
“Making love to you.”
“Alex!”
“What?” He stuffed a forkful of frittata in his mouth.
“I suppose she’s used to you bringing strange women home for the weekend.”
“She’s not used to anything of the kind. I’ve never brought anyone here before. This place is sacred to me. I’ve never wanted anything to tarnish what I feel when I’m here.”
A tingle ran up her spine, making her quiver. Does he have any idea what he does to me when he says things like that?
His expression grew serious and he leaned forward, clasping her hand in his. “For someone who can see her past lives, you sure can’t see the truth of your current one. I want more than a brief affair with you.”
“I guess, I’m just worried that our past lives might be exerting an undue influence over our current feelings.”
“Hey, where’s that tough woman who didn’t let a slimeball like Scordato get the best of her? The strong woman who, despite having these overwhelming visions, has the presence of mind to figure out what they mean? Where’s the confident woman willing to risk all to solve a five-hundred-year-old mystery? Or is it that you just don’t want me?”
Tears blurred her vision. “Stop it, Alex. What do you want me to say? That I can’t live without you? That I’ll give you my heart and if you break it, my bad?”
Alex stood abruptly, upending his chair. He pulled Angela out of her seat, causing her own chair to topple over, and wrapped his arms around her. She couldn’t have escaped if she wanted to. Which she didn’t.
“Look at me,” he ordered in a low voice. She tried to look away, but he tilted her chin up, forcing her to look him in the eye. “The truth is, I’m in deep. Do you understand what I’m saying? You’re the one who might break my heart. But I’m willing to risk it, because… Hell, I’m already in love with you.”
Her eyes widened at his declaration and she trembled.
“And fuck the past and whatever happened before. If it brought you to me in this lifetime, then I’m grateful, but the past has nothing to do with how I feel about you.”
Her throat constricted, swallowing whatever words she wanted to say. A single tear made its way down her cheek.
He cursed again and kissed the tear away, and then he kept going, planting kisses across her forehead, cheeks, chin, until he claimed her lips with a kiss that made the ground give way beneath her.
When they broke apart, she found her voice. “I’m so crazy about you—it takes my breath away.”
“Good. Because you do the same to me.” He dove in for one more quick kiss then righted her chair. “My lady, please sit and let’s finish eating. Although I could feast myself on your lips and body for days, right now, I’m in need of another form of sustenance.”
She nodded. It was all she could manage, she was still wobbly from his kiss.
They dug into the frittata with gusto. The melding of sautéed onions with the eggs, zucchini, basil, and cheese elicited moans of delight from Angela that made him regret choosing food over sex. He’d have to remedy that later.
“I’ll have to ask Maria to give me this recipe. Maybe even I could master this one.” Angela wiped her plate with a small crust of bread. Her phone vibrated on the table. She glanced it at. “Darn it! It’s my dad. I forgot to call him after we left Florence.”
“You better answer it.”
“Hi, Dad.” She listened. “I’m fine. I’m sorry I didn’t check in.” She nodded. “Yes, everything’s great with my new job…”
Alex watched her intently. She blew him a kiss. “My boss is amazing.”
He grinned.
“Scordato contacted you?” She glanced at Alex, her eyes filled with worry. Alex had already been attacked by the bastard’s minions in Florence, and that was one time too many. If Scordato was trying to hurt Angela’s dad, Alex would do everything in his power to protect him and Angela, painting or no painting.
She listened for several protracted minutes, her hand gripping the phone. “If he calls again, tell him nothing about where I am… yes, ju
st have him mail the check to you.” She nodded. “I’ll email you and fill you on what’s been happening… I know long distance calls are expensive… Give Misty a big hug from me… I love you, too, Dad,” she said in a thick voice.
Angela laid the phone on the table and looked at Alex.
He didn’t say a word, just searched her face and waited.
She took a deep breath. “Scordato called my dad, said I’d quit and left on bad terms. Just to worry him. Even though I’d already told Dad about working with you.”
She stood and began to pace. “He played the big man and told my dad he wanted to send me my last check and asked him where he should send it. My dad said he didn’t know, that this was all news to him. I told him… well, you heard the rest. Dad is no fool, he would never say anything to Scordato.”
She continued pacing. Alex got up from his chair and stood in her path. “It’s okay. I’ll contact the local authorities in your hometown to keep an eye on your dad. The board fired him. He just wants to fuck with us. He knew we were in Florence and he probably knows we’re here.”
“Why are you so calm?” Her lips were trembling, her eyes teary. “He already tried to hurt you once. What if he tries again?”
“If he tries again, I’ll deal with him. I have resources, too, Angela.” Alex enfolded her in his embrace, holding her tight, he kissed her cheek. “The sooner we find that painting the sooner we can move on with our lives and be rid of that bastard.”
“They’re in Montefioralle, at the detective’s vineyard.”
Scordato opened an app on his phone and tapped a telephone number. He waited while the tracking technology updated. In less than a minute, a map popped up with a blinking red dot indicating the approximate location of the cell belonging to Angela Renatus. Scordato was holed up at his cousin Enrico’s farmhouse, in Castellina, a perfect base for their operations.
