He nods. “To say the least. Can you believe everything that has happened?” He opens the car door for me. “You’ve done a fantastic job adapting to my crazy life. It’s almost like you’ve always been here.”
“It feels like that sometimes.”
Enzo drives us home as I grip the seat the whole way. I wonder if, after a week of this, I’ll get used to these tiny roads and aggressive driving. Arriving back at the house, we pack the kitchen with our purchases. I walk into our bedroom and pull out some books from my bag.
Enzo chose one about design in the hope that he could actually decompress enough to read. I flip it open and glance through the pages. It is full of beautiful buildings, houses and landscaping, along with some very technical descriptions of each one. Ah well, I guess that’s his idea of fun. I chose the latest trashy romance – my idea of fun.
Wandering back into the living room, I find my husband lighting a fire. He has set some candles on the little coffee table and poured two glasses of wine. Very romantic.
He turns and his eyes light up. “Ah, bella, there you are. It’s going to get cool tonight, so I made us a fire.”
“It’s lovely. I brought your book.”
“Excellent.” He gets up and wraps his arms around my waist. “I was thinking that after we relax and read for a while, maybe you’d like to join me for a bath before bed.”
I rub my nose against his. “I would very much enjoy that.”
“Mmm, something to look forward to, no?” Taking my hand, he leads me to the couch and hands me my wine. He lifts his glass for a toast. “To forever.”
“Forever. How do you say that in Italian?”
“Per sempre.”
I repeat, “Per sempre.”
“Earlier today, when we were eating, I just looked at you and I almost couldn’t believe my eyes,” he says, holding my hand. “You’re like this beautiful, loving angel that dropped into my world and took it over. You unnerve me, throw me off balance, and enrapture me in your incredible love. I never thought my life would be like this. I never even dreamed of a woman like you. I’m a better man because of you.”
My eyes fill with tears. “I… I don’t know what to say. All I can think is that we were supposed to meet that day, and we are meant to be in love, and this life – this incredible, whirlwind, passionate life – is ours. It’s real and I think we deserve it.”
“Yes, we are meant to be. I’ve never wanted someone else’s happiness like I want yours. It’s a little crazy almost how you make me feel.”
“I’m always making you crazy, remember?” I laugh. “Ever since the day you met me.”
“That is actually true.”
“I’m glad you rescued this damsel in distress.”
“I remember thinking how absolutely gorgeous you were, but after the wine I thought you might not make it safely to your destination.” He grins at me. “But, before you over-romanticize this, remember that my intentions towards you were not pure initially.”
“Let me be clear, my intentions towards you were far less than pure, too. I was torn between running away as fast as I could and trying my hardest to get in your bed.”
He laughs. “Avoiding sex with you was beyond difficult. I won’t tell you the dirty things I did to myself after leaving your presence.”
“As hard as it was, by the time we went there it was amazing. You were right to make us wait for emotions to develop. We both needed that.”
“Yes, we did. It’s also another reason why I knew we were going to be together. As interested as I was in your body, I knew I was even more interested in your character. And I was extremely interested in your body. I still am,” he chuckles.
I sigh. “I’m thankful we don’t have any self-imposed boundaries now.”
“As am I,” he replies, leaning over and kissing me, sweetly and softly. “Your lips, bella, they are so… mmm. There is nothing about you that I don’t adore.”
“I appreciate that about you, and I’ll try not to take advantage and get as fat as a cow.” I giggle.
“I doubt that will ever happen.”
I smile. “It won’t. I have an image to keep up. Being married to the world’s finest architect is a lot of pressure.”
Enzo’s face creases into a frown. “I hope you don’t really feel that way. There is no pressure. You can always be yourself.”
Ah dang, the conversation turned serious.
I take another sip of wine and reply, “I know you feel that way. But I snagged Phoenix’s most eligible bachelor and with that comes expectation. Don’t you think that every time I walk out of the house, people will be judging me? They will.”
“And what if they do? Who gives a damn?” he replies. “You’re a magnificent woman and you’re mine. Anyone else’s opinion is completely irrelevant.”
“I believe you. Still, I don’t want anyone writing that Enzo Milano married a fatty, or any other unflattering remarks.”
“God help the person who writes anything negative about you.” He’s as serious as he could possibly be.
I agree. God help the person that crosses him. Time to change the subject.
“Shall we read for a while, my love?” I suggest.
“Yes, lets.”
The hours pass quietly between us. We sit, cuddled together on the sofa in this lovely house, perched on top of a hill, high above the blue-green sea. The easy silence makes me want to stay here, cocooned in our own private world. For once, we have nothing to do and nowhere to be. This is the perfect place for us to spend our honeymoon. I hope this week goes as slow as the sun setting on a long summer day.
Leaning my head against my husband’s chest, I smile. The reciprocal grin I receive warms me, and I know this is the man for me, forever.
3 CHAPTER THREE
“Amore? Ava, wake up.” I hear Enzo’s sweet, accented voice coax me from sleep as the plane touches down once more in Phoenix. I sit up in my seat and begin to gather my things, smiling sweetly at my husband.
“Do you ever sleep on planes, babe?” I ask.
Enzo shakes his head. “Impossible,” he says, grinning. “More opportunity to watch you sleep though, no?”
“Ever the romantic, aren’t you?” I lean over and kiss his cheek. Arriving home feels bittersweet. The week in Italy was perfection but now it’s time to get back to the business of normal life. I’m still not quite sure what normal will look like for us.
“Bella, I need to drop you off at home and go over to Girasole. There is paperwork I need to sign that’s been waiting for me,” Enzo tells me, his tone apologetic.
“That’s cool, babe. I’ll just start unpacking and get settled in. Are you sure you don’t need to rest?” This man is always working. It’s amazing he was able not to for a whole week. One whole, glorious week of relaxation.
“I will rest later when I get back in your arms, my love.” He kisses my cheek before handing me my cashmere wrap.
I run my fingers through my hair and refresh my lip gloss. Glancing in my compact mirror, I notice my cheeks have a healthy flush to them. Must be the glow from being in love.
“Andiamo?” Enzo asks me, as he extends his hand for me to take. I stand and take it, happily reminded of the first time I held his hand. Hard to believe that was just four months ago.
“Everything is okay at Girasole?” I ask.
“Very much so. Just work piling up for me,” Enzo explains as we walk towards baggage claim. “I’m the only one that can sign certain documents. It’s my way of maintaining control.”
“I bet it was difficult for everyone to function without you for a week.”
He shrugs. “They will have to learn how. I plan to spend many more weeks of my life alone with my beautiful wife.”
“I look forward to that.”
We wait patiently for our luggage while Enzo calls Grayson to inform him of our arrival. No surprise, he is already pulling into the airport parking lot to pick us up. I watch my husband grab our bags from th
e luggage carousel, speaking rapidly on his cell phone. I’m sure his attention will have to shift back to his ever growing empire and I’m thankful I had it undivided for the time in Italy.
I look up to see Grayson striding towards us. I nudge Enzo’s arm to get his attention.
“Hello, Grayson.” I say, smiling.
“Mrs. Milano,” he politely nods towards me and takes a suitcase from Enzo.
Enzo continues his conversation. Judging from his expression, I’d say he’s not happy with the person on the other end of the phone.
“Ted, it’s quite simple. I asked that the contract include the casino clause, in case it is approved. I don’t want the contractor to be surprised. Is that too difficult for you to handle?”
I watch his face, cold and neutral, like the day I met him. I don’t know why, but I get a little thrill when he’s like this. Enzo takes my carryon bag from me and continues walking towards the parking lot.
“Did you confirm with Daxton or do I need to handle that as well?”
Wow, he’s really irritated. I can’t help but giggle out loud. Enzo turns to me, an amused expression on his face. Even Grayson seems to find it funny as we reach the car.
“Good, thank you. I fully expect I won’t be called about this issue again. Are we clear?” He nods his head, and then snaps his phone shut. “Am I entertaining you, signora?”
I shake my head. “I felt sorry for poor Ted.” I giggle again. “Okay, I didn’t. I thought it was funny. But I hope everything is okay.”
He smiles. “Everything is perfectly fine. Unfortunately, I have to remind people of my expectations from time to time.”
“Hmm, I wonder what your expectations of me are then. We’ve never discussed.”
He opens the door for me and I slide onto the leather seats. He quickly joins me as Grayson takes his position behind the wheel.
“My love, my only expectation of you is that you continue to be you.” He lifts my hand to his mouth and sweetly kisses it.
“No problem there. I couldn’t be anyone else.”
“Grayson, I need you to take Ava home and then I need to go to Girasole,” Enzo instructs.
“Certainly, sir.”
“Ava,” Enzo leans close to me and whispers in my ear, “this week was amazing. You must know that I absolutely adore you.”
I rub my lips against his cheek. “I do know this and I feel the same. I’ll be anxiously waiting for you to get home to me again.”
“Naked?” he asks, grinning.
“If that’s how you want me, then yes.”
“That is always how I want you, my love.”
“Well then, as you wish.” I laugh, using his words.
He laughs too, filling my heart with joy.
****
I finish unpacking my suitcase just as I hear the garage door open. Hurrying to the living room, I greet Enzo as he comes in.
“Ciao, amore,” he says as he approaches me.
“Ciao. Did you get your work done?”
“I did,” he says as he loosens his tie. “What have you been up to?”
“Just unpacking. I was going to call my parents and everyone else later.”
“You’re not naked,” he teases as he wraps his arms around my waist.
“No, I thought it might take you longer at Girasole.”
“I wanted to get back to you. We could get naked together. I could use a relaxing bath.”
“Sounds divine. Let’s go.”
We walk down the hallway to our bedroom, hand in hand. Enzo begins to fill the tub with hot, soapy water as I peel off my clothes. I can’t take my eyes off of him as he strips down revealing his incredibly toned physique.
I climb into the hot water, leaving room for Enzo behind me. He gets in and wraps his arms and legs around me.
“This is my absolute favorite place to be-wrapped in your arms and naked,” he says, laughing.
I lean back against him and smile, my hands swishing the water around us.
“Can we get a puppy, Enzo?” I ask suddenly.
“A puppy?” He looks down at me, his eyes revealing his surprise at my question.
“Yes. I need some life in this big house, besides us.”
“Cassandra and Chris will be here in a few weeks, no? That will be entertainment for you. Plus we’ll be starting our work at the new hotel in a few weeks. You’ll be too busy for a puppy.”
“If I’m too busy for a puppy, how will I have time for a baby?” I ask him innocently but clearly making my point.
Enzo narrows his eyes at me. “Well played, signora. You may have your puppy.”
Clapping my hands like an excited child, I twist my face to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.”
“What kind of dog do you want?”
“I don’t know. Can we go out and find one soon?”
He smiles at me. “Yes, amore…”
“Don’t you like animals?” I ask.
“I do. I’ve just never had one. With my travel schedule, it was impossible. You’ll remember that I didn’t even have a home until a few weeks ago.”
“True,” I reply. “I think I want a big dog, like a Labrador – a big, happy dog. And when we travel, Chris and Cassie can take care of it.”
“As you wish… let’s finish bathing then I’m taking you back to bed with me.”
“Sounds wonderful,” I say.
He kisses the top of my head. “When did you say Cassandra is coming?”
“She said sometime before Thanksgiving.”
He smiles. “That’s good. I was hoping we could have the main areas of the house designed before Christmas. Are you sure you don’t want to go to Italy?”
“Honestly? I don’t,” I admit. “I’m exhausted just thinking about it. I’d like to spend the holidays here with our family and friends. Is that okay?”
“Of course. Sofia will be sad, but we can make it up to her another time. If it will make you happy to stay here, we stay here.”
“Grazie,” I thank him, kissing his cheek.
“Prego. Now bed.”
I giggle, ready for more love making with this man I love.
****
“Are you almost ready, Ava?” Enzo calls to me as I finish brushing my teeth. He’s taking me downtown to see the location of the new hotel.
“Almost. Be right there,” I call back. I brush out my hair, dot some cream under my eyes, and swipe some gloss across my lips. I enter the bedroom and slide my feet into some shoes. Entering the living room, I find Enzo standing in the foyer with the car keys in his hand.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, tesoro,” I say as I kiss his cheek.
“It’s no problem but we should go. We’re meeting people.” He leads me to the car and opens my door for me. We drive quickly to our destination. Enzo moves into the right lane to exit the highway, and we pull into a paved drive where there is a large, empty piece of land. It is fenced off, with nothing but a sign in the dirt that says, ‘Future Disegno Inc. Property.’
Another car pulls up behind us, and two men get out. We get out of the car and Enzo greets them both. I immediately recognize his brother, Franco, but I’ve never seen the other man before.
“Ciao, Ava,” Franco says, kissing me on both cheeks.
I grin back at him. “Ciao, Franco.”
“Ava, this is Daxton Delaney,” he says.
The stranger extends his hand to me and his face breaks into a smile. “You can call me Dax. Pleased to meet you.”
Daxton is a tall man with broad shoulders and a muscular build, who looks like he spends more time in the gym than anywhere else. The man’s blond, spiky hair is set off by a deep tan, and he is wearing a tight black dress shirt and equally tight gray slacks. Daxton’s voice sounds like he comes from the south somewhere. He’s slick, in the worst way, and I do not like the way he looks at me. Feeling like the lone sheep in a wolf den, I instinctively move closer to Enzo.
“Likewise,” I reply, keeping my tone aloof.
My husband’s eyes shift back and forth between us, and I notice his demeanor cool considerably.
“Well, should we get to work?” Enzo asks, pulling me closer.
“Is your lovely wife joining us?” Dax drawls in a slightly salacious tone.
Enzo’s hand tightens on mine. Oh shit, this guy is pushing his jealousy button. He really has nothing to worry about; this guy is a joke.
“She is,” he replies, shifting his eyes to Franco, who smiles at me and says, “It’s great you could join us, Ava.”
“It’s my pleasure. Wherever Enzo goes is where I want to be too.” I squeeze his hand as we walk.
Dax glances at me, but then turns his attention to the open plot of land. “Well,” he announces, clapping his hands together once, “this is the location. I figured the main hotel would start in this area.”
Then he gestures to the left. “Back this way, we can build the pool and outdoor areas. I talked to the city again. They approved a casino if we want to go in that direction. It will require a sizeable amount of money for the permit, but it’s another amenity we could add.”
Enzo looks around and nods his head. “The casino is good news, don’t you think, Ava?”
“Yes, of course. It sounds fun…”
Dax agrees, “Yes, fun.”
Even with his sunglasses on, I can tell that Dax is staring at me, which is not going to be good.
“How big will it be, tesoro?” I ask, trying to break the tension.
“Twenty stories,” Enzo replies. “The entire footprint will cover several city blocks. This area is perfect. Just down the street from here is 44 Monroe, a luxury, residential high rise, and the neighborhood is flanked by trendy restaurants and shopping areas. We’re right off the highway, so it should be easy for people from the East and West valley to get here. I’d like people to think of this place as a vacation, without going too far away from home.”
He glances around before continuing, “It’s going to take the better part of a year to complete. I’d like it to be ready for a grand opening next New Year’s Eve. We’ll have a huge grand opening, bella.” While his eyes are smiling, his tone stays cool.
“So, we can go over the final plans and if you approve, we’ll be ready to break ground next week,” Dax says. “I’ll be here every day and every minute of the construction process.” He hands Enzo a roll of blueprints.
Turn Towards the Sun Book Two: After the Rain Page 5
