As she spoke, she spotted a light blue dot on the other side of the road and slipped carefully away towards it, trying not to frighten the Queen of Spain. All in all, she saw and photographed five species that were completely new to her as she strolled along the road with Corrado and Daisy. He was very good company, knowledgeable and considerate, and the dog was a delight. Although it was still immensely hot, she loved every moment of their walk and was genuinely sorry when the time came to return to the car.
Then, just as Corrado was bending down to open the tailgate, butterflies were suddenly blasted out of her mind as she had a startling flash of revelation. As her eyes alighted on her future brother-in-law’s damp back and broad shoulders, she knew she had a problem. The scales fell from her eyes – particularly when they alighted on his backside – and comprehension dawned. Corrado might not be interested in her in a romantic way, but she had just understood that the same could no longer be said about her. Whatever reservations she had voiced about drop-dead gorgeous men, indeed men in general, there could be no doubt about it. She now knew she could well be in imminent danger of falling for this particular drop-dead gorgeous man and things would become very complicated.
Of course, she told herself firmly, this had to be just lust. After all, there was no getting away from the fact that he was a very good-looking guy and she hadn’t had sex in months. As such, it was predictable. The very naughty thought occurred to her that she was only here for a few days and then she would return to the UK, safely out of his reach. A little fling with him might do her a lot of good. Then, no sooner had this thought crossed her mind than her subconscious hastened to point out the reasons why nothing could, or should, ever happen between them. First of all, his brother and her sister were getting married and this would only complicate things for everybody, particularly her sister. Second, he didn’t appear in the least bit interested in her in that way. And third, but even more importantly, she just wasn’t that sort of girl. Casual sex, however alluring, had never been her thing.
It was really, really annoying.
Chapter 5
When they got to Mario and Angie’s house, tucked away in a corner of the Country Club estate and well hidden from the restaurant and hotel, they found they weren’t the first guests to arrive. The smell of smoke from the back garden of the lovely old converted barn testified to the fact that there was going to be a barbecue. As they got out of the car, Angie and Mario appeared at the door and the dog made a beeline for Mario while Jo went over to give her little sister a hug.
‘Hi, Angie. I hope you aren’t too tired after all the activity today.’
Angie grinned back at her. ‘You sound more and more like Mum every time I see you, Jo. And I’m fine. It’s been busy, but it all went well and now we can relax.’
‘And you’re doing a barbecue? For how many?’
‘Oh, I don’t know. We’ve asked the people who’ve been helping with the show jumping today. With you two I expect there’ll be twenty or thirty people.’
‘Blimey, Angie, you’ll be exhausted!’
‘Calm down, ‘Mum’. We aren’t doing the food. Mario’s got the boys from the restaurant to help out. All I’ve got to do is avoid drinking too much and falling into the swimming pool.’ Angie glanced down at Jo’s handbag. ‘Bugger, I forgot to tell you to bring your swimming things. I tell you what, though, come in with me and I’ll sort you out with one of my bikinis. I’ve got a few and I’m sure one of them’ll fit you fine.’
Jo was torn. On the one hand, the idea of plunging into a cool swimming pool was very, very appealing, but on the other, the idea of appearing half-naked among a bunch of strangers was a bit daunting, particularly as, among them, would be Corrado. Still, she hugged Mario and then followed Angie up to her bedroom. Glancing back over her shoulder, she saw Corrado and his faithful hound heading round to the garden, the Labrador’s nostrils flared as she smelt the meat on the barbecue. Upstairs, Angie sifted through her wardrobe and the sisters chatted. They had always been close, although Angie mocked her big sister endlessly for being too serious, and it was good to hear how happy Angie sounded. And not just because of her new fiancé and her upcoming wedding.
Angie was a regular member of the British Olympic equestrian team and it had been this that had got her the job at the Country Club stables in the first place. Today’s event had been organised in conjunction with the Italian Equestrian Association and it was a chance for Italian Olympic hopefuls to showcase their skills. Clearly, the Country Club was establishing itself as one of the foremost centres for showjumping in Italy. Jo told Angie how happy she was for her and bullied her into phoning their mother there and then for a chat.
As Angie spoke on the phone, Jo tried a couple of bikinis on for size. One was a bit loose, but the other fitted her perfectly. There was just one problem: it was fairly minimal. Not obscene, but definitely on the scanty side. Jo felt pretty sure her mother wouldn’t approve and it was this, as much as anything, that persuaded her to go with it. She felt she had to prove her sister wrong. Of course she wasn’t just like their mum.
Angie checked Jo out as she finished the call to their mother and gave her a smile and a thumbs up. As she dropped the phone on the bed, she sounded impressed.
‘Wow, Jo, you look great in that. Have you lost weight?’
‘I don’t think so. Maybe a pound or two.’ In fact, over the past months since Christian’s departure she felt pretty sure she had lost a bit of weight, but had stubbornly refused to weigh herself. ‘Are you sure you don’t mind if I borrow it? If it looks good on me, it must look even better on you.’
Angie shook her head. ‘Not on your life. Besides, I’m wearing my new one.’ She slipped out of her dress and Jo was impressed. She was wearing a lovely red and white striped bikini that looked like it was made for her. Even better, it was even tinier than the one she had given Jo, so hopefully all eyes would be on Angie rather than her.
Jo stuffed her underwear into her handbag and both girls put their dresses back on over the bikinis before heading back downstairs. As they walked through the house, Jo told Angie about her afternoon with Corrado and would have dearly liked to get more detail on the whole Don Juan thing, but they were constantly surrounded by people so that had to wait. Mario appeared with glasses of cold white wine and then he and Angie took Jo round, introducing her to the other guests. Jo liked Mario a lot and could see that he and Angie were really happy together. If it hadn’t been her sister, she might even have felt a bit jealous of their happiness, but she did her best to dismiss Christian, and what might have been, from her mind.
Although the sun was dropping towards the horizon, it was still light and still very hot. One by one, the guests began to peel off their outer clothes and get in the pool to cool off. The pool itself was remarkably big for a private house, but Jo knew that Mario was a keen swimmer. She found herself wondering idly if his brother also liked the water and if he would make an appearance in a pair of swimming trunks. Whatever he thought of her, and however inadvisable it would be for her to give in to animal instincts, this was a sight she was dying to see. She couldn’t spot him among the guests in the garden and she was just beginning to wonder whether he had gone off, when there was a shout, a splash, a squeal and another splash.
Out of the corner of her eye, Jo spotted a black flash shoot across the lawn and belly flop into the pool, closely followed by her master. It all happened so fast that Jo didn’t even get the chance to see Corrado with his shirt off. It was only when he emerged from the pool, dragging a compliant but unrepentant Labrador behind him that Jo realised he was still wearing it. The soaked white cotton had turned transparent and she got a tantalising view of his body, registering the fact that she had been right about him working out. He looked amazing. He squelched up to Angie and Mario with the dog and proceeded to apologise.
‘Sorry, guys. She waited until I was on one leg, getting into my swimming things, and then she made a dash for it.’ He looked down
at the bedraggled dog and waved his finger at her. ‘We’ve been through this before, Daisy. Dog hair and filtration systems don’t mix. Are we clear?’
The dog looked up at him and Jo felt sure she could see a broad canine smile on her face. The next thing Daisy did was to shake herself violently, soaking all four of them and producing hoots of laughter from the other guests. Jo looked down at herself and then at her sister. They both looked like contestants in a Miss Wet T-Shirt competition and she was very relieved to be wearing a bikini underneath. Angie caught her eye, shrugged and grinned.
‘Is that dress cotton?’
Jo nodded.
‘Then slip it off and I’ll give it a short cycle in the washing machine, otherwise your eau de toilette will rapidly become eau de Labrador. In this heat, it’ll dry in next to no time.’ Seeing the doubt in Jo’s eyes, she was quick to reassure her. ‘It’s all right. You’ll have it back on within an hour or two, I promise. Mario, Corrado, let me have your shirts and I’ll stick them all in together.’
As she spoke, Angie slipped out of her dress and started collecting garments from the others. Jo saw Mario pull off his shirt and then his brother followed suit. Jo restrained a sigh and turned away so as to remove her own dress as discreetly as possible. As she turned back and handed it to Angie, she felt sure she caught Corrado’s eyes on her for a second before he turned back to his brother.
‘Here, Mario. Keep an eye on Daisy for me, will you? I’ve got a leash in the car. I think I’d better tie her to something or she’ll just go and jump in again.’
As he disappeared in the direction of the car, Jo couldn’t help admiring the V-shape of his back muscles and his powerful thighs. She immediately looked away, but not quick enough, as her eyes met her sister’s and she felt her cheeks redden. Angie collected the wet clothes and headed for the house. As she did so, she leaned towards Jo and whispered to her in English.
‘I think you and I should have a little talk.’
‘I’ll come and give you a hand with the washing machine.’
Jo followed Angie into the kitchen and from there to the utility room, deliberately closing the door securely behind them. As Angie prepared the washing machine, she glanced back over her shoulder towards Jo.
‘Corrado…’
‘What about him?’
‘I saw you looking at him and I recognise that look. It’s the same one you had on your face the first time you introduced me to Christian.’ Jo made to protest, but her sister knew her too well and held up a hand to stop her. ‘I don’t blame you, Jo, but you need to know about him.’
‘To know what?’
‘Don’t get your hopes up. The streets of Rome are littered with his victims.’
‘Victims? You make him sound like Jack the Ripper.’
‘Not in a physical sense, but emotionally he’s a killer.’ Angie spun the dial on the washing machine and pressed the start button. ‘You see, Jo, he’s a use-and-discard sort of guy. You know what I mean? Mario tells me he’s lost count of how many heartbroken girls he’s had to take under his wing after they’ve been dumped by Corrado after one or, at the most, two dates.’
‘So not interested in commitment?’ Jo wasn’t surprised, but this still didn’t explain why he had been so jumpy with her.
‘He just doesn’t believe in all that stuff.’
‘What stuff?’
‘Are you girls coming for a swim?’
They both spun round to find the door now open and Corrado leaning against the frame looking as appealing as ever. He was only wearing a pair of swimming shorts and his well-toned body was a very appealing golden-brown colour, not olive-skinned like so many Italians. In spite of what she had just been told, Jo couldn’t restrain an inward sigh of attraction. Meanwhile, Angie answered for them both.
‘The stuff in the washer should be ready in half an hour. Another half hour in the sun and it’ll all be dry. Yes, I’m ready for a swim. Coming, Jo? Here, take a towel.’
They filed out past Corrado into the sticky-hot Roman evening. The shadows were lengthening, but it was still sweltering and Jo was more than happy to follow her sister to the pool area. As she passed the table with a visibly miffed Labrador tied to it, she stopped to deposit her sandals, towel and bag. She bent down to give Daisy a stroke before leaving.
‘I’m sorry you can’t come with us, Daisy. Now, look after my bag, will you? It’s got my passport in it.’
‘Don’t worry about Daisy. I’ll take her down to the river for a proper swim later on.’ Corrado patted the dog on the head before leading the way to the pool. As he got there, he smiled at her and then dived smoothly into the water, surfacing a few seconds later, and looked back at her, running his fingers through his hair. ‘It’s deep this end, shallow the other end.’
Reluctantly, Jo tore her attention away from him. ‘I’ll start in the shallow end. I’d like to keep my hair dry, if possible.’
She and Angie walked down the steps until they were in up to their waists, before ducking down and floating in the slightly salty water. It was wonderfully refreshing after the oppressive heat outside and Jo just let herself relax as she reflected upon what her sister had told her. In essence it was the same thing she had heard from her mother. Corrado was what her gran would have termed a womaniser and, although the girls he discarded along the way were no doubt all far from unwilling, it was disappointing to hear about this flaw in such a cultured and pleasant man. The other thing that was more than a little annoying was the fact that he clearly didn’t see her in that light. While she had absolutely no desire to be taken advantage of and then discarded, it was a bit galling to feel that she didn’t match up to his high standards. She knew she was bright and she looked pretty good, so why not her?
She did a slow, lazy breast stroke up the pool to the other end and back again, keeping her hair out of the water and relishing the cool, refreshing feeling across her body. Finally, she settled on the bottom step at the shallow end where the water reached just up to her waist, rested back on her elbows and relaxed. A minute or two later, she was joined by Angie.
‘Cooled down?’
Jo nodded. ‘It’s wonderful.’ She glanced around carefully, but saw that they were alone. ‘So, tell me, Angie, what is it that Corrado does, exactly? I know he works in a company that’s looking for ways of eradicating plastics,’
‘He doesn’t just work in it. He owns it. Straight after university – did he tell you he went to Oxford? – he set up his company, doing clinical testing. It’s gone from strength to strength since then and they’ve just moved into brand-new custom-built laboratories.’ She caught Jo’s eye. ‘It’s really big business and he’s working on government projects as well. His company employs hundreds of people. In fact, I wouldn’t mind betting that half the women in Italy who find themselves peeing on a stick in the privacy of their bathrooms end up peeing on one of his.’
‘Wow!’ Jo was amazed. So her critique of millionaires earlier today must have seemed as if it was directed straight at him. Little wonder he had recoiled from her touch. ‘And he lives in a flat in Piazza Navona?’
‘He’s got a flat near there, but he’s also bought himself a lovely old house along the Appia Antica a couple of years ago.’
The penny dropped.
‘Not one with a stone gateway and a long gravel drive by any chance? And has he got a big blue Range-Rovery thing?’
‘So you’ve seen the place? It’s fabulous, isn’t it?’
Jo nodded. ‘And the flat in the city centre? Is that where he… entertains his lady friends?’
Angie grinned and nodded in return. ‘Mario calls it his scopodromo. The best translation I can come up with for that is “bonkodrome”, if you know what I mean.’
Jo groaned. ‘Oh, God… And yet, he’s so… so nice.’
‘He is! He’s a sweetie. He’s just wired differently from the rest of us.’
‘Who’s wired differently?’
They both looked up as Mario c
ame floating towards them. Angie gave him a grin.
‘Who do you think?’
Jo saw Mario roll his eyes.
‘Big brothers, eh? Who’d want one?’
Angie’s grin widened. ‘Or big sisters.’
Jo splashed her sister with water before returning to the matter in hand. ‘So, what’s his problem, Mario?’
Mario and Angie exchanged looks, and Angie answered for him.
‘Corrado doesn’t believe in love.’
‘He what?’
‘Love… he doesn’t believe it’s a thing.’ She smiled at Jo’s expression. ‘You see, he’s a scientist. He reckons love’s just an illusion, some sort of primitive urge to reproduce that’s designed to confuse the brain.’ She reached towards Mario and kissed him. ‘But we know he’s wrong.’
As she listened to her sister, Jo began to get an awkward feeling that she had heard this all before… from her own lips. How could it be that what had seemed so very sensible and logical when she had expounded it to Victoria sounded so wrong now? Or was he right? Had she also been right all along? Was it all just the brain playing tricks?
‘Maybe he’s got a point.’
Angie’s expression turned to one of barely-concealed exasperation.
‘Just because Christian turned out to be a bastard doesn’t mean you didn’t love him. Of course it’s a thing, Jo.’
‘I know…’ Jo nodded to herself. She really had loved Christian. Or had she? Had she just fooled herself that what she was feeling was anything other than lust? Or was it simply that she had enjoyed the reflected glory of being at the side of such a handsome man? Had he just been a rather fine-looking accessory? She shook her head and snorted. ‘In fact, I don’t think I know anything any more, Angie. But I know I need a drink.’
She climbed out of the pool and went back to where she had left her glass along with her bag and towel. She petted the dog and then took a big mouthful of white wine and immediately regretted it. It had rapidly warmed up in the sunshine into tasteless tepid mouthwash. She set it down again and dabbed herself with the towel until she felt dry enough to go and look for another glass of wine. As it turned out, she didn’t have to. As she put the towel down, a shadow fell across her. It was Corrado, with an ice bucket in his hands. Sticking out of it was the top of a bottle. Without a word, he picked up her glass, threw the remaining wine onto the grass and filled it with Prosecco.
Dreaming of Rome Page 7