By the time they reached the upstairs landing, Signora Vaccula caught up with them, holding a phone out to Winnie. “The signore wants to speak to you himself.”
She hesitated, then took the phone. “Domenico, I can’t tell you how sorry I am,” she blurted, her voice breaking up with anguish. “I wish I’d recognized Sam around the dig site. If only I’d realized he was capable of something like this –”
“Say no more,” he cut her off. “You could not have anticipated brother’s plans any more than I did my daughter’s. You had less chance, in fact, since you did not know he was here in Italy.”
His reassurances didn’t convince her, but she knew if she continued to apologize, he would just keep dismissing her concerns. She chose to let it stand. “How is Enza?”
“She’ll be fine. The doctors have sedated her. They say she will sleep through the night, so I am on my way home. I will check on your brother on the way out.”
As worried as she was about Sam, she couldn’t ask that of him. “That’s not necessary.”
“Consider it done. Also, I have given the police my statement affirming my belief that the three conspirators did not intend to harm anyone, only to uncover archaeological treasures. I am not sure Samuel and Enza can avoid a manslaughter charge, but of course I will use any influence I can to defend them.”
Her throat tightened. “Thank you,” she croaked.
“Get some sleep, and we will talk tomorrow.”
She hung up and handed the phone back to Signora Vaccula, thanking her with tears in her eyes.
As she and Chaz started down the hall again, she filled him in on the conversation. “I can’t believe he’s being so generous about Sam. Enza is just a teenager – and so used to rebelling against her father that this crazy plan probably didn’t seem like a big leap to her. My brother, on the other hand, is an adult and responsible for his decisions.”
“I suspect Dunk was the instigator. His role on ‘The Dig’ and his closeness to Enza gave him unmatched inside information and access to the property. Signore Rentino realizes that. The bloke is sharp as a tack, as much as I hate to admit it to you.”
The hint at possessiveness drew a weak smile from her. “He may have business smarts, but no one tosses out a pun like you do.”
“The straight path to your heart, if I recall.”
“Especially the Latin ones.” She leaned into him, and he put his arm around her as they continued walking.
After a beat, he said quietly, “Yet Dunk had it over me with his quasi-Italian slang.”
A pang of grief for the charming TV host hit her. “I'll miss him, in spite of everything. He was so full of life.”
“He was sort of a hero to me for so many years, yet he could have got all of us killed instead of just himself.”
She cringed. “Sam was the explosives guy.”
“They all knew that grenades would be destructive.” His expression hardened. “Even if they thought we were a safe distance from the explosion, they knew the site would suffer damage. They were obsessed with the dig but had no respect for the archaeology. As an archaeologist, I find that almost as hard to forgive as the risk to our lives.”
At her door, they stopped and looked at each other. With his face streaked with dust and his hair chaotic, he looked almost as abused as she felt. What little polish or composure she’d ever possessed had deserted her hours ago. She should have been mortified, but she needed his presence. “Stay with me?” she asked.
He broke into a smile. “Of course. Just let me swing by my room to pick up a few things. I’ll be back in five minutes.”
After making sure that she got into her room safely, he kissed her and left.
She went straight to the bathroom to wash her face, but when she saw her dust-caked reflection in the mirror, she opted for the quickest shower ever. As she lathered up both her hair and body with the same liquid soap, she fretted over Sam’s fate and how to break the news about him to Christina and their mother. On top of everything else, that prospect overwhelmed her. She would take the Scarlett O’Hara approach and think about it tomorrow.
While she was rushing to dry herself off, Chaz knocked at her door. She threw on a robe and let him in. Also damp and fresh-smelling, he had changed into a tee and shorts and had a duffel bag with him.
“Thank you for being here,” she said, patting down her head with a towel while she closed the door behind him. “Frankly, I’m surprised anyone’s even speaking to me.”
“Don’t count on much talking from me.” He set the bag down in a corner. “I’m shattered.”
“Me, too. Let me just get my hair under control. I’ll be right back.”
She didn’t even bother blow-drying, just brushed out her hair and put on her nightclothes. When she returned to the bedroom, Chaz was setting up the cot.
“What are you doing?”
“Setting up my bed.”
Seriously? She didn’t know if he meant to tease her, but no way would she let him sleep apart from her. “I thought you were ‘sleeping in the big bed’ this time.”
His gaze shot to meet hers. A smile tugged at one corner of his mouth. “I did say that, didn’t I?”
“You did.”
“Well, never let it be said I’m not a man of my word.” He folded the cot back up and rolled it into the closet.
She sat down on the mattress and watched him. When he closed the closet and approached the other side of the bed, a little thrill jolted her. She climbed under the covers and lay on her back, suddenly less tired.
When she felt the weight of his body pressing the mattress down beside her, excitement scintillated through her. Ridiculous. After everything that happened today, I still want him tonight. A nervous laugh slipped out of her.
She turned out the bedside lamp. “This feels surreal. Are you sure I’m not still hallucinating from the purple beer?”
“Not a chance.”
She rolled on her side to face him. As her eyes adjusted to the moonlight streaming through the French doors, she could make out that he was on his side, looking at her. After a second of hesitation, she lay her hand on his chest. She could feel his heart pounding against his ribcage. “I might be dizzy with exhaustion. But I think I’m just dizzy about you.”
He reached around her and pulled her close to him.
She slid her arms around him, too. Holding him felt amazing.
“Remember when everyone left the temple after the Roman meal, and you started flirting with me?” he asked quietly.
“Of course. I was hallucinating, not drunk. No black-outs.”
“The way you looked at me – I’d been waiting for that look for a long time.”
“I’d been struggling not to look at you like that for a long time.” She propped herself up on one elbow. “It’s a relief to let myself do it now.”
“When everyone came back, I thought you’d snap out of it. The drug wasn’t that strong.” He pushed her hair behind her ear, his gaze searching her features. “But you kept looking at me that way, the way you are now. Then you touched my face. That was an intense moment.”
The moment had been powerful for her, too. Replaying it in her mind intoxicated her again. Embarrassed by her vulnerability, she tried to make a joke. “I missed my chance to perform hieros gamos with you?”
“Now is your chance.” He looked into her eyes, his expression sober.
She heard her own intake of breath, felt liquid heat brim inside of her. How was it possible this delicious, young specimen of virility wanted her? Her head spun. “I thought you were ‘shattered,’ ” she said, offering him one last out.
“Not too shattered for sacred rites with you.” He pulled her close. “I want you to be mine, well and truly.”
A tingle shivered through her. “Yours? That sounds serious.”
“I wouldn’t be in bed with a friend and colleague if I wasn’t bloody serious. You think it’s easy to find a woman who laughs at Latin jokes?” His erection p
ressed into her belly, warm and insistent.
A rush of lust erased her last doubts. “I want you to be mine, too.”
She kissed him, savoring the touch and taste of his mouth, sinking her fingers into his damp hair, holding her body against the length of him, constantly aware of his arousal.
When she broke for air, he sowed kisses down her neck. Holding her close, he worked his way down to her breasts, sending sparks of pleasure through her.
She pulled him against her, moaning for him.
He slid his hand into her panties and dipped a finger inside her.
Sweet tension built in her.
She wanted him with her every step of the way. Pushing him onto his back, she swung one leg over him, straddling his pelvis. They still wore underwear. Only a couple thin layers of cotton separated them.
“No interruptions this time,” he whispered.
“Please, no.” She bent down to kiss him again, pressing her body into him.
He pushed back, jarring against her pelvic bone.
She reached down to straighten her panties, but on the way, her fingers brushed his erection, escaping the waistband of his underwear, slippery, ready.
He gasped.
Her needs got urgent. “Push your pants down.”
Unwilling to take the time to undress, she held herself up just enough for him to lift his hips and push his waistband down to his thighs.
She pulled the crotch of her panties to one side and guided him to the right place. Then she eased herself down on him and practically saw stars as he entered her.
“Ah,” he said. “Thank the gods.”
“Oh, yes.” He felt amazing. As she began to rock on him, she looked at his face and was surprised to see him give her a faint grin. The contrast of the familiar Chaz with the new experience amazed her. Strange that the person she’d thought of as a kid was her lover now. Strange but wonderful.
She took him deeper inside of her. The intensity of sensation jumped up a notch. She moved faster.
His grin faded. “Winnie …”
“No,” she said. “No more waiting.”
They climbed to ecstasy together. When he tensed and shuddered, he set off her orgasm, too. She tried not to shout out and wake the house, hoping they didn’t hear the little yelps that escaped her.
When the shivers ended, she lay on top him. Eventually, she rolled back to her side, still holding him against her. “Amazing. ... How did this ever happen? You were my student.”
“It took forever.” Pulling her close, he kissed her. “But as Caesar said at the Rubicon, “Alea jacta est. The die is cast.”
“Mm, thank you for casting it.” She felt dazed, if not hopelessly in love. “I just hope you won’t regret it.”
“Don’t be daft.” He propped his head up, leaning on one elbow to look at her. “You think I haven’t thought this through?”
“Have you?”
“I’ve been thinking about you for ages. You wouldn’t take a hint … until this trip. You finally gave me hope that you might see what I’ve known for a long time: We’re good together. The age difference is nothing.”
Her throat tightened up, this time with happiness. “I’m not sure how much my doubts even had to do with the age difference. After my failed marriage – on top of my dysfunctional family – I didn’t know if I believed in commitment.”
“Do you believe in it now?”
She looked into his eyes. “I believe it’s worth casting the die.”
“Good.” He held her gaze. “It’ll work.”
“I want that ... more than anything.”
“Me, too.” He kissed her again tenderly, then with increasing intensity.
This thing was more than she bargained for. It just might have been everything she wanted.
VENTIDUE
WHEN SHE WOKE up, sunlight was streaming through the window, Chaz was spooned behind her, and the bed felt luxurious. She hadn’t forgotten the nightmare outside of their cocoon, but as long as she had him, the rest of life was worth the trouble.
She shifted a little, and he snuggled closer to her. Realizing that he was awake, she reached back to touch his bristly face. “You feel so amazing. I never want to leave this bed again.”
He stretched to kiss her on the cheek. “I wish we didn’t have to.”
“But we do.” She fought to keep the negative feelings from taking over. “As furious as I am with Sam, I have to see how he is. And I have to call Christina and tell her about this mess.”
“I’ll go to the hospital with you. If you would rather see your brother alone, I can take myself off to visit Dr. Farber. And I can even call your sister for you, if it will help.”
She laughed. “I wouldn’t wish that on you. But I could use company for the hospital trip.” She rolled over to face him. “I wish I didn’t need you so much.”
“I’m glad you do.” He looked into her eyes. “I need to be needed.”
She allowed herself another few minutes to savor the feel of him, but checking up on Sam hung over her head, and she didn’t want to put if off any longer.
They agreed that she would have the first shower. She hurried through it, not in the mood to be fussy. While she dried off, she heard the door to the bedroom open and close. The tantalizing smell of coffee teased her nose.
She wrapped a towel around her and stepped out of the bathroom to find Chaz carrying a tray of cappuccino and croissants. “You got breakfast!”
“I also got an update from Signora Vaccula.” He set the tray down on the desk and handed her a cup of coffee. “Your brother had a good night. He and Enza are scheduled for more tests today, but it looks like they’ve escaped internal injuries. The broken bones and bruises will heal. And Dr. Farber is fine. He should be released anytime.”
“No more deaths then.” Relieved, she sank down on the bed and sipped her drink. “That’s some good news.”
“Sam and Enza are both cooperating with the police, as well. She admitted to helping Dunk find the explosives.” He sat down at the desk and stirred the other cappuccino. “It turns out they were the ones who dug the unauthorized hole the other night. They took a cache of grenades that she’d known about since childhood. Also, in Dunk’s apartment in the Borgo, the police found books on demolition, explosives and psychoactive drugs.”
She clapped her palm against her forehead. “I saw the demolition book when I was there. And, do you remember, our first night here, he mentioned reading up on World War II munitions? He definitely put some thought into his plans.”
He nodded. “It seems clear that he masterminded the scheme and lured Enza and Sam onboard as accomplices. I don’t know how they’ll fare in the courts, but Signore Rentino has some crack lawyers on the case.”
“It’s more than they deserve.” She swallowed some coffee, mulling over the new information about Dunk. It didn’t clear Sam of wrongdoing, so she wasn’t sure it made much difference to her. Why the hell had Sam come here anyway? He’d said something about helping make her work a tribute to their father. How on earth had he come up with such a crazy idea?
After eating, she dried her hair and dressed while Chaz took a turn in the shower. As she sat outside putting on her make-up, the sound of vehicles pulling past below drew her attention. Two bomb-squad vans passed the house and left the estate.
Chaz stepped onto the balcony, damp-haired and bare-chested. Involuntarily, her gaze swept from his face down his lean-muscled torso all the way to his bare feet poking out beneath black pants. A wave of love-crazed need for him rolled through her. She still could hardly believe he was with her.
Pushing those thoughts aside for the time being, she said, “The bomb squad is leaving, and we haven’t heard any more explosions.”
“More good news. And I like the way you’re looking at me.” He kissed her and grinned, rubbing a towel on his head. “I’ll be ready in five minutes.”
The drive to the hospital seemed to last forever. She didn’t know how she wo
uld act toward Sam when she saw him. On one hand, she loved him, and his physical, mental and legal predicaments tormented her. But why couldn’t he make more of an effort to use common sense? A man had died. Despite her love for him and awareness of his struggles, she couldn’t help but be appalled. To be honest with herself, she was tired of having to pick up the pieces of things he – and their father – destroyed. Hadn’t she endured enough? Didn’t she deserve to focus on her own life for a change?
Outside the hospital entrance, they encountered their boss, dressed in street clothes and carrying a roll bag. He looked well, and Winnie had never been so pleased to see him. “Will! They released you?”
“Yes, at last.” He rolled his eyes. “I was ready to go last night.”
“I’m so glad you’re OK.” She almost hugged him, but decided that would have gone a little too far. “I’m so sorry for the havoc my brother has wreaked.”
“That’s not your fault. Family.” He frowned, looking at Chaz, then back at her. “Look: My own brother is a hopeless alcoholic. Ten years ago, he hit his own kid backing out of the driveway in a drunken stupor.”
Her jaw dropped, partly in reaction to the story, but mostly over his confiding in her and Chaz. “I’m sorry, Will,” she said, touched.
He took in a long breath. “My niece is fine now. My brother, not so much.”
“We all have black sheep in the family,” Chaz said.
The chairman set his bag down on the sidewalk. “By the way, I made some calls this morning and got in touch with Dr. Lombardo. He was tight-lipped, but after I buttered him up with a bogus request for his expert opinion on some nonsense, he loosened up. He says he found your father’s journal in a crate of antiquities that he purchased on behalf of a local collector. He bought the lot from your brother.”
She clenched her fists. “I see. So Sam is involved in the black market, too. I don’t know what to expect next.”
“I also suspect that your brother forged the letters of recommendation in my name.”
Her jaw fell open. But as she absorbed the idea, it made sense. “Sam did say something last night about setting up the explosion to further my career. If he had in it him to do that, forgery would be nothing to him.”
The Five-Day Dig Page 22
