Hidden Heart

by Camelia Miron Skiba

  HIDDEN HEART

  Camelia Miron Skiba

  Copyright © 2011 by Camelia Miron Skiba

  Smashwords Edition

  Available in print at www.CameliaMironSkiba.com

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any similarities to actual persons, living or dead, real places or events are entirely coincidental. All characters, places and events are products of the author’s imagination.

  Prologue

  A sudden burst of heat spread through Tessa’s body causing her skin to tingle. The air gondola rattled and stopped midway to the station. Mount Etna’s rocky southeast slope overshadowed on the right side as another earthquake caused people inside to bounce around and struggle to stand up.

  Nice birthday present, Tessa. She looked around the small cabin. Six people, herself included, remained paralyzed in the cramped space and the look on each face spoke a thousand words. Sheer terror. Behind their air gondola, others jerked and bounced left and right in a suspended dance. From her spot at the front of the cabin she saw the cable car carrying her group of friends stopped at the bottom end-station. They looked so tiny in the distance.

  At least they’re all safe. She could’ve kicked herself for giving up her place in the other cabin; she would’ve been safely on the ground now. But once again she had hastily stepped aside for a couple to be together. Too late for regrets now; she forced herself to stay calm.

  The confined space appeared bigger with everyone glued to the windows and staring at the rift below. Dense birch trees would make their recovery harder—if the cable broke and the sky gondola tumbled to the ground. Breathe. In and out, everything will be all right. Another violent earthquake and the cabin rocked far to the right, then to the left as people collapsed on top of each other and screams pierced the air.

  Tessa struggled to keep her balance; her arms beat the air, in search of something to grab. Someone’s shirt was the only thing handy. It covered the hardest chest she’d ever felt, on a man who seemed a giant in contrast to the small space. The cabin swayed again and Tessa slid towards the opposite side. A strong hand reached out and pulled her back. She felt as if her shoulder dislocated. Sharp pain and a burning sensation spread down her arm, but she didn’t let go. A stranger’s embrace, thousands of meters above ground felt, oddly enough, safe.

  “Perdonami,” whispered a rich voice at her temple, a worried expression pasted across the man’s face. His black gaze bore in to her eyes searching for signs of pain.

  “I’m okay, thanks,” Tessa assured him.

  The cabin grunted, and for a split second it felt as if the cable snapped. It bounced up and down, then regained its floating position. This is it, I’m going to die. Scared out of her senses, Tessa threw her arms around the man’s neck and held her breath. His left hand held onto the metal bar while his right hugged her waist firmly against his body.

  At least I’ll die in someone’s arms. She dug-in closer. She didn’t care if it was appropriate or not. When she felt his embrace loosening, she tightened her grip around his neck.

  “Please, don’t let go of me,” Tessa murmured, eyes shut tight, her heart racing. As fear engulfed her, a second round of adrenaline spread through her body.

  “Piano, bella. Sei al sicuro,” the stranger whispered at her temple. Whatever he said, his voice had a calming effect on her nerves while his hand moved up and down on her lower back as if to prove she was safe.

  Time stood still—no one moved. Life stopped—no one spoke. How long since their lives were tossed around like dice across a craps table? A minute? Maybe two, three? It felt like the end would come any moment.

  Finally, the cable car began to move painfully slow and ten minutes later, they arrived at the base of Mount Etna. The cable car’s doors opened with a clicking sound. In their hurry to leave, people pushed one another and rushed to exit the minute they stepped on safe ground. Aligned vans and buses filled quickly with tourists and then sped away the minute everyone was on board.

  With shaky steps, Tessa walked the short distance to where her friends waited anxiously for her. I can’t believe I’m still alive!

  “Thank God, you are safe.” Isabella pulled her into a hug. The group circled Tessa and they all spoke at the same time.

  When Carlo’s turn came, he hugged her and claimed, “Cara mia, I would’ve died of misery if something would’ve happened to you.”

  Tessa smiled and rolled her eyes. She looked over Carlo’s shoulder at Lara, his pregnant wife and winked at her. “I bet your wife would’ve comforted you, silly!”

  Their van hummed, ready to follow the others. So far this trip had turned out to be her most adventurous—ever. Her thirtieth birthday would definitely be something to talk about for years to come.

  “I’ll have two drinks in your honor, Tessa; one for your birthday and one for surviving that nightmare.” Antonio hugged her tight, and then returned to his fiancée’s, Isabella, side.

  Tessa felt grateful to have such caring friends. They were all Italians and some of them lived nearby, in the little medieval town called Zafferana Etnea, where earthquakes happened frequently. The villagers and tour guides were used to feeling the earth rattling underneath their feet. But for tourists it wasn’t easy, especially stranded in some cable car thousands of meters above the ground.

  “Okay, now that we’ve survived, let’s get you to the hotel. We still have a party to go to, right?” Always levelheaded, Antonio took command and the group started for the van. But before Tessa climbed in, she saw her rescuer walking towards another van.

  He towered above all other tourists. His rigid, angular jaw softened when he caught her eyes. He pushed a hand through his dark and rebellious, shoulder-length hair and then raised a hand in a shy wave.

  She ran to him, threw her arms around his neck and placed a quick kiss on his left cheek. “Thank you for saving me. Too bad I don’t speak Italian. I would’ve invited you for a glass of champagne, even danced with you and spent the night in your arms.” She smiled then ran back to her friends. She wiped off her sweaty hands on her jeans and wished her heartbeat would calm down. I must be losing my mind; that was waaay out of character for me. She took her seat in the van, shrugged one shoulder and giggled against her palms.

  “Wow, who is that?” Isabella asked while the guys in their group whistled approvingly.

  Tessa struck a theatrical pose with arms raised in the air, then placed them on top of each other on her chest. “My hero.”

  The van drove away the minute its doors closed behind the last tourist.

  ***

  Alessandro entered his hotel room. How strange. I almost forgot how it feels to hold a woman—and such a beautiful woman. He turned on his laptop and scanned the hundred thirty-seven new messages in the inbox. Several of them required immediate reply, but he couldn’t concentrate on the emails; his thought drifted to the cable car and the near death experience.

  Frightening. Another brush with death. He stood, closed his laptop and walked to the little fridge. A cold beer would settle his nerves.

  He opened the double doors to the small balcony and leaned against the handrail. He watched as another van stopped in front of the hotel and more tourists descended. The beauty from the cable car, laughing with her friends, stepped from the van and gracefully walked toward the hotel. The light August breeze carried the sound of her spirited laugh as she disappeared inside the hotel.

  Alessandro came to Sicily determined to let go… to say goodbye. He made a promise long ago and finally felt he had the streng
th to keep his word. When he spread Rafaela’s ashes that afternoon atop the mountain his heart felt lighter, but his soul still ached with the emptiness he had endured the past two years, six months and twenty-four days. Is it ever going to be easier?

  He retreated to the room and tried to focus on work, but once again his thoughts slid sideways. That woman inside the cable car…her coffee-brown, wavy hair spilled over his arm and the feel of its silkiness against his skin…her shimmering, green eyes shaded by thick eyelashes and her honey tinted full lips…her breasts pressed firmly against his lower ribs, molding like a glove…This is total insanity! What’s happening to me?

  Maybe a shower would help, a cold one for sure. Alessandro went to the bathroom and turned on the water. As he undressed, her scent filled his senses. Man, she smelled so good! Her smell, a mixture of Jasmine and Sicilian oranges had impregnated his shirt. A smell he’d recognize even blindfolded. Lord, have mercy! Coldwater jets whipped at him. He needed to cool off not just his body but also his mind.

  It seemed this woman—whoever she was—sparked a desire he wasn’t prepared to ever feel again, needs he didn’t want to think he had and thoughts he didn’t want to deal with.

  ***

  “Hey, Tessa, guess who’s here?” Carlo leaned her way, pointed towards the bar and saluted someone.

  “What are you talking about?” Tessa shouted over the pounding of the Latino music. Colored light flashed to the rhythm of the music, making recognizing anyone impossible.

  “Look, your hero at the bar, on the left. We should invite him to join us.”

  “Yes, let’s thank him for saving our friend here.” Isabella waved animated.

  “You’re crazy, I don’t really know him. He just happened to be in the same cable car and saved me from crashing into the other people.”

  “He saved your life, how romantic!” Isabella fluttered her eyelashes, clapped her hands and giggled.

  “Oh, come on, let’s introduce the two of you!” Carlo stood, but Tessa immediately pulled him down next to her.

  “Silly, I don’t need you to be my matchmaker, thank you very much.” She felt her cheeks blush at the foolish idea.

  “Why not? Are you still moping after that mascalzone? Daniel never deserved you.”

  “Isabella, I’m not moping. What do you want me to do with the guy? How am I supposed to understand him? I don’t speak Italian.”

  “You are single now, why not have fun? Turning thirty means you should do something crazy.” Isabella leaned forward and wiggled her eyebrows. She waved again.

  This time she caught the stranger’s attention. He waved back. Mortified, Tessa tried to slide down in her chair. Did he see her?

  “Isa, leave her alone. She’ll find someone when she’s ready. You are a bad girl and you deserve a spanking.” Antonio pointed a finger at his fiancé and inclined his head.

  “A spanking. Happy to oblige later, amore mio,” Isabella’s mischievous laugh drowned behind the waves of music.

  ***

  Outside the club, the evening’s gentle summer wind carried the exhilarating music into the surrounding garden. Mount Etna’s heavy breathing could be clearly seen and the mountain reflected its grandiose height against the dark horizon. A pale moon and sparse lanterns gave the night a mysterious glow and the atmosphere seemed sexually charged; people kissed, touched, whispered, laughed.

  Tessa bent over the balcony’s banister and looked into the darkness below. Her feet hurt; dancing for an entire hour on high-heels no longer seemed like a good idea.

  “Nice evening. Would you care for some champagne?” asked a thickly accented Italian voice.

  Tessa straightened and turned. To her surprise, a handsome stranger stopped close to her, a bottle of champagne in one hand and two glasses in the other. The same stranger from the sky gondola, the same man she’d clung to for dear life only hours ago.

  “You speak English!” Her voice sounded jittery and she hated it. Oh, God I’m in trouble, so much trouble! Telling him earlier what she’d do with him, to him was one thing; him understanding was different, totally different. Butterflies filled her stomach and her heart drummed like the staccato bass of the music. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as she covered her face with both hands, then peeked through her fingers.

  A playful spark ignited his dark eyes while he tried to conceal a grin, failing miserably. He poured champagne in one glass and offered it to her. She accepted it with shaky hands, and took a sip. Sweet, bubbly expensive—her taste exactly.

  “Yes, as a matter of fact I do.” His voice had a buttery tone sounding like a lover’s whisper. He poured champagne for himself and placed the bottle on the nearby banister. He inclined his head slightly while sensual lips curved in a smile that revealed perfect teeth. Clinking his glass to hers, he said, “Happy birthday!”

  Words had never failed Tessa.

  Until now.

  Would she ever regain her voice?

  “I met Carlo, your friend at the bar.” He shrugged one shoulder with a sheepish grin. “We Italians tend to make friends fast. He told me about your birthday. I am glad the scare earlier did not stop you from celebrating.”

  Coming out of his mouth, English never sounded more alluring spoken with the sensual Italian accent.

  “My name is Alessandro, Alessandro Santinelli.”

  “I’m Tessa, Anastassia Cosma. I’m from Romania. I’m here with my friends on vacation.”

  He tilted his head, took her extended hand, lifted it slowly to his lips and kissed it with infinite gentleness. His lips felt warm and smooth on her hand, a touch that made her stomach tighten. Under any other circumstance, Tessa would have thought the gesture old fashioned, and perhaps would have burst out laughing, but coming from this man, it seemed smooth, gracious and right.

  “How is your shoulder?”

  “Oh, much better, thank you. I kept a pack of ice on it.” Tessa absent-mindedly rubbed her sore shoulder. The memory of her body pressed against his rushed through her mind.

  “So, you…where did you learn English so well?” her curiosity got the best of her.

  He raised one eyebrow and smiled. “As a child, my parents let me watch cartoons in English, but I didn’t understand a word. Since Batman was my favorite, I had no choice but master the language.” Alessandro looked like a child that just discovered ice cream.

  “How about you?”

  Tessa looked in her glass and couldn’t help but smile.

  “I had a crush on my second grade English teacher. He looked like Alain Delon, you know, the French actor. I figured if I did all my homework and studied hard, he’d notice me.”

  “Did he?”

  She laughed, throwing her head back. “I doubt it.”

  Alessandro chuckled. “So, you are from Romania, how is it there? I always wanted to visit your country.”

  “It’s nice, I guess. Depends on what you are expecting from such a trip, what you are looking for.”

  “I read a lot about the Roman Empire invading your country, centuries ago; I guess we have something in common; our ancestors are the same. I always wanted to see the ruins of Sarmisegetuza.” Alessandro brushed a hand through his hair then sampled his champagne. His eyes never left her face.

  Is he hitting on me? Alessandro seemed a remarkable, intelligent, funny man; too bad she didn’t believe in long-distance relationships.

  “That’s correct; interesting you know this.” Grateful he tried to make her comfortable and forget about her blunt outburst hours ago, Tessa knew she needed to clear her name.

  “Alessandro…listen, about what I said earlier today…” She drummed her nails on the champagne glass and looked inside as if a jinni would jump to her rescue. Attempting to win back her dignity she continued, “I had no idea you understood what I was saying, otherwise I never would have said what I did, but I…you have to forgive me for being so silly. I am so sorry!”

  A half-crooked, irresistible smile spread over his lips. �
�And I am not. Fulfilling the first part of your wish wasn’t that hard, was it?” He lifted his glass and pointed towards it. “Shall we dance?”

  As if someone waved a magic wand, the music switched to a bluesy tune.

  “Perfect timing,” Alessandro announced, took her glass and placed it next to his on the banister. He took her right hand into his left and placed his other hand on her lower back. He locked eyes with hers and waited.

  Tessa took a step closer and cupped his shoulder. Bulging muscles threatened to rip the soft fabric of his shirt. His scent reminded her of sandalwood and lemongrass—pure masculine.

  One step right, one step left, one step right, one step left. Nothing complicated. Yet his proximity made her forget about everything as the world around disappeared behind clouds of haze. His strong arms held her captive without force. Her knees weakened without buckling and a floating sensation took over her senses. His fire-burning stare hypnotized her, paralyzing her willpower. Warmth radiated from his body as she nestled in his embrace. No words needed, nothing else mattered.

  Alessandro spread his fingers on her lower back, hugging her closer. She felt as if she were pressed against a wall of rigid, resilient muscles. Instead of holding her hand lateral from their bodies, he pulled it in, resting it on his chest. She couldn’t tell if he was nervous, but she felt his rampant heartbeat. His hip felt hard against hers, his long powerful thighs brushed hers. With each gulp of air, Tessa’s breasts swelled, touching Alessandro’s ribs. With each touch, Alessandro’s breath quickened and a moan escaped his lips.

  One step right, one step left.

  A song finished as another started.

  He stopped and took her face between his hot palms, caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. He gently touched her, like one does a fragile Russian doll, a tingling sensation coursing through her body. He searched her face hungrily as if trying to memorize every single inch, every single feature and when his gaze stopped on her lips, Tessa’s heart skipped a beat.