by Lily Zante
She looked at him aghast. “I’m not accepting it if you won’t allow me to pay.”
“But there is no need. That would be silly.”
“I can’t be bought, Nico.”
He stopped, his mouth open. “I’m not buying you, Ava.” He silenced her with a simple kiss on her lips.
But the way her face remained clouded over told him this was not a good idea. Ava was the type of woman who liked to pay her way. This was yet another thing that set her apart from the gold diggers who normally sought him out.
He thought quickly, wondering what options he could help her with. That she was now thinking about living arrangements was a good sign. For now, this would be enough for him.
“We have several pensiones nearby. I’m assuming you would want to stay in Verona.”
“A pensione?” she mused. “I’d like that. A pensione would be better for me. More affordable. I love your beautiful hotel, but I need something practical if I’m to spend my time and hard-earned money on building up my business.”
“You can do whatever suits you best, Ava. It’s your choice. You could even stay with me, if you wanted to.” Just as he suspected, this final option threw her into turmoil, but he felt he had to offer it at least. She opened her mouth and started to reel off a list of reasons why staying with him was not an option, which made him smile. He put up one of his hands to calm her down. “You don’t have to. Though we do have many spare rooms for guests.” He stopped just as quickly, knowing exactly what kinds of thoughts his last comment would have evoked in her. “Before you say anything, Ava, I have never asked anyone to stay at my home before. I live with my father, but it’s a huge house. He lives on one floor and I live on another. You would not bump into him, in case that was something else you were worried about.”
“You’re being very presumptuous,” she exclaimed, her cheeks pink.
“No, no.” Nico shook his head. “I’m just giving you options. I’m telling you I don’t mind—”
“I’m sure you don’t.”
“It’s your choice. You could stay with us, if you so wish, or you could stay at the pensione. Or,” said Nico, leaning in close to her, “you could go back home and we’d never see each other again. It’s entirely up to you.” The last thing he wanted was for her to feel as though he had cajoled her into a decision.
A flicker of concern etched across her features. He could almost read her thoughts.
“I’ll stay,” she said finally. “But I will pay my way. And I won’t be here for long anyway. Two weeks at the most.”
Nico relaxed. She would be around for another few weeks, the thought of it made him feel better already. Putting her up in one of the many pensiones owned by the Cazales around Verona was easy enough to do. He would suggest the beautiful Villa Sagranosa; it was in a large estate with a few buildings in a row, all of which belonged to the Cazale family.
The Villa Sagranosa would be perfect, not only for its proximity to his hotel, but because it was one of their best. In a quiet location, with a vast lawn, gated—and therefore safe—and bordered by vineyards. She would love it. Maybe he assumed too much about the two of them, but it would give them the total privacy he hoped she wanted as much as he did.
“How much would a pensione cost? Because I will pay.”
“Of course,” he sighed and gave her a price. He would let her have it for nothing, but she was a stubborn and independent woman and if it made her feel better about the whole situation to pay, he would have to give in. There was no way he could now offer her anything free of charge.
But he would have his way also. He didn’t have to charge her full price either. She was starting out rebuilding her business, and whether she liked to think about it or not, it was going to cost money. Andrea’s products were not cheap and he knew shipping products over to the US would cost money, too. He made a mental note to ensure that he sorted out the shipping for her. He had many contacts on that side of the business.
“All right then. I’ll stay at the pensione.” Decision made. “Thank you,” she added, almost as an afterthought.
For now, though, they had a couple more days in Venice. Nico touched his lips to hers and drank in her sweet smell. He finally had a chance at something. He didn’t know if or whether they had any future. But with Ava staying on a little while longer, it was a start. In fact it was a very good start.
“Come on,” he said, taking her hand. “You must be hungry now. All this thinking and analyzing, it has made me hungry. Shall we go someplace to eat?” Nico knew of a very good restaurant nearby. In a place where every eatery was excellent, it was hard to stand out from the crowd.
Chapter 4
Their days in Venice ended up being like the honeymoon she never had. This time with a dream lover, to boot. Often, they would just follow the meandering paths, the labyrinth of canals and alleyways around the city, holding hands like star-crossed lovers. They reveled in the time and privacy they had together.
Nico knew Venice well and he delighted in taking her to places off the main island to the other smaller islands, where life was serene and unhurried compared to the constant buzz of life in Venice.
After that first shocking encounter with Connor, Ava never saw him again. She was apprehensive the next day when Nico insisted they go to see Torcello Island. She half-expected Connor to turn up. But he never did. And after a while, she forgot all about him.
Even though it took a long time to get to the island, the boat trip more than made up for it. Salt water sprayed her skin and hair and revitalized her spirits again.
They stopped off at the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta and marveled at the Venetian Byzantine architecture, with its mosaics and marble. Later they ate seared sea scallops in a tiny restaurant overlooking the river, with the constant burping and guzzling noises of the vaporetti in the background.
They watched glass being blown like balloons at a glass factory near Murano, and then they visited Burano, with its colorful riot of houses, and saw women making lace.
One day Nico took her to La Guidecca, with its laid-back charm and antique old-world ambiance. Ava felt as though they had taken a step back in time, to a world where smartphones and Wi-Fi never existed. It was available, because Nico needed to be in daily contact with the outside world, and he always made sure he was abreast of developments back at the Casa Adriana, but this quaint little place had an appeal that was endearing.
Here they walked the entire length of the island and entered the Hotel Cipriani where the staff fussed over Nico, and tended to his every need. He seemed to know people wherever they went; being the son of a hotel magnate definitely had its advantages.
If the island had taken Ava’s breath away, she was captivated by the majestic splendor of the Cipriani and its grounds. They spent hours walking around, kissing like teenagers on a first date amid the landscaped gardens. In the evening they ate lobster on the terrace overlooking the lagoon.
He showed her places that she would never have visited if she had been here alone, or with Connor.
The days meshed into one long, glorious and colorful cornucopia of sights and sounds and Ava was swept away in the dizzying giddiness of life and love with Nico in Venice.
Here, with just the two of them, it was sublime. She started to feel that she was on a honeymoon of sorts, or at least taking time away from life, and spending it with a man she had started to fall for.
Just as she was settling into a mode of happiness that was long overdue, their days in Venice came to an end and their “honeymoon” was over. It was time to head back.
Postponing her flight home had been the easy part. Telling her inquisitive mother she was staying here a bit longer, and then sounding vague about ‘why’, had been nothing short of difficult.
The truth was that Ava herself did not know how long she was going to stay in Verona. Nico always told her not to worry about the living arrangements, though she sensed he was a little hurt that she was not staying with him.
Too much was happening too fast and she had to put a brake on things. As much as she was coming to love their days together, Ava knew she also needed time away from Nico. Their time together was sometimes so intense, so heightened, that it made her giddy just being beside him. Nico was so passionate, so into her that she was finding it hard to be cautious. With him she lost her inhibitions and discovered a more sensual part of herself she had never known existed.
It was a feeling she had never encountered before. And it frightened her a little.
She needed time at the pensione by herself to recover.
The breakup with Connor had caused her to doubt herself, and she did not trust her emotions when it came to men. She was already having a hard time coming to grips with the fact that she was now on vacation and having way too much sex with a man she had only met recently.
Ava Ramirez did not do these things. Sometimes, when they finally went to sleep, she would wonder if this was a rebound relationship. Which meant what they had shared was nothing more than rebound sex. Rona, her older, protective sister, would describe it as such. Though Ava had no intention of telling Rona anything.
Was this fling with Nico nothing more than a feel-good holiday romance, albeit intense and hotly passionate? Nico oozed more passion from his finger than Connor ever had at all.
Perhaps once they were back from the headiness of Venice, and Nico was busy with the hotel, the ordinariness of daily life would ground them both. She might get a better picture of how things could be.
She shook her head, Venice did crazy things to a person and getting her to consider a future with Nico was one of them.
Spending time with Nico was a bonus, but that wasn’t the main reason she was extending her stay. Of course not.
She was staying longer because Andrea had the best products she had seen.
Chapter 5
Their return to the Casa Adriana in Verona late in the evening was permeated with a sense of sadness.
Even though Ava knew she was in trouble once again, because of the intensity of her feelings for Nico, she also knew she could not stop herself from falling further if she tried.
At the reception desk, Nico’s father was talking to Gina, their hard-working desk clerk. He turned and greeted the couple warmly as soon as he saw them.
Something about the quiet smile on his face made Ava feel comfortable around him. Nico had his father’s dark looks and she imagined that in his older years, Nico would look very similar to him. Both had those hypnotic dark eyes, the chiseled bone structure and the height. Nico’s father commanded respect; it was in the way he carried himself. Whereas, Nico was a younger, sexier version who captivated women wherever he went. She had seen it many times and, although she didn’t like the idea of it, she knew she had to get used to the fact.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again, my dear.” Edmondo held her gently around the arms and kissed her on each cheek. She smiled back meekly, unsure of how much he knew about the time she and Nico had spent together. Or the reason she was back.
“Nico tells me you will be staying with us a little longer, looking for some products for your store?”
“Yes, he was kind enough to take me to Montova. I found many beautiful things there that I know I can easily sell.”
“Good. Take your time, don’t rush. If you’ll excuse me.” He turned to Nico and they spoke in rapid Italian.
“Nice to see you again, Ms. Ramirez,” said Gina, unable to hide the joy from her voice. “Will you be staying here again?”
Nico cleared his throat and turned away from his father, who had walked back into his office. “No, Gina. I’ll take care of it.”
Gina walked up beside him and grabbed the diary from his hand swiftly. “According to this you’re still on your holiday. You start back tomorrow.” She ignored his look of astonishment and typed away on the keyboard as if he was not there. Nico was at a loss for words.
Ava coughed back a smile. “I think you’ve been dismissed.” She giggled.
She looked around her at the familiar lobby with its checked black and white marbled floor and the gleaming chandelier in the center. She had only been gone a matter of days, but now that she was back, it felt oddly familiar, as though she was coming home again. After the way in which she had left, she never imagined she would be back here—least of all with Nico.
It was strange how things had turned out for her. Now that she was back, it was time to look forward to building her future. Venice was a much treasured memory to take back home. Home. She didn’t like to think of home just yet. She was having the time of her life here for now and she was determined to enjoy the rest of it.
Now that he had been so casually dismissed from his own hotel, Nico walked Ava away from Gina’s prying ears. She could tell from the way he shifted from one foot to the other that he wanted to say something.
“Anything wrong?” she asked.
“I need to speak to my father. I won’t be long. Do you mind waiting here for me?”
“No, take your time.” She walked over to the far end, to a small seating area to the left of the hotel entrance. A snug of comfortable sofas appealed to her tired body. In between each sofa, orange glass lamps poured out warm, seductive lighting. The area begged her attendance and she plopped herself down, glad to have a couple minutes alone to collect her thoughts.
As comfortable as she felt at the Casa Adriana, there was no question about staying here. It was an expensive hotel, and she would never allow Nico to let her stay for free, or even at a reduced cost. She was beginning to feel a little unsettled and slightly out of sorts. Not knowing where she was staying, where her luggage would be going, made her tetchy.
Once Nico had finished, she would ask him to take her to the pensione. Ava knew all about the affordable self-contained little apartments that were cheaper to rent out than hotels. She would be able to afford this for a couple of weeks. It would include a kitchen, too, which meant she didn’t need to eat out all the time. This alone would be a huge money saver.
She did not have Nico’s wealth, inherited or otherwise, and she was not going to expect him to pay the whole time, even though, so far in the times they had been together, he had. She would not be bought and she intended for him to see how independent she was.
Stepping back into Nico’s everyday life felt awkward. She could tell he felt different, too. Gone was the softness and in its place tension had slowly crept into his face again as he prepared to meet with his father.
Things between her and Nico felt a little uneasy, or perhaps she felt unsure, looking at things in the cold light of day, now that she was no longer under the spell of the warm pinks and purple hues of the night sky in Venice. It was as if they had come to the end of their little mini-honeymoon.
But Ava knew that what they had shared was nothing like a honeymoon really. She was not deluded about what they had. It was strictly a holiday romance.
Who knew how long it would last?
Her cell phone rang out, breaking the silence of her thoughts, and as she reached for it, her heart flipped a little when she saw her mom’s name on the screen.
Nico slipped through the main office door, behind the reception desk. It led to a small hallway with two doors facing each other. On the left was Nico’s office, and directly opposite it was his father’s.
He had kept in regular contact with his father and with the goings on in the hotel while he was in Venice, but he knew his father expected some sort of debriefing now that he was back. “You look tired, Papa.”
Edmondo Cazale let out a sigh. “I am tired. I think I’ll make my way home.” He smiled, setting off a crinkling of creases along his eyes and mouth. “Venice worked out well, I see.” His father’s lips settled into a line as he waited to hear Nico’s version of events.
Nico shifted in his chair. “Yes.” He coughed lightly, not meeting his father’s eyes. “She’s an amazing woman.”
His father eyed him with interest, then picked at an imagina
ry bit of lint from the arm of his blazer. “She must be,” he said graciously. “I’ve never known you to go to such lengths chasing after a woman before.”
For all their earlier differences, and all the time he had been apart from his father while growing up, his father still knew him and there was no way Nico could hide much from him. This “thing” with Ava meant something to him and he wanted to get it off on the right start.
“Look, Papa. With my track record on women, I’m just as surprised by my actions. We parted on bad terms—all that mess with Silvia, the lies, the deception. I owed it to Ava to at least have her know that the week she spent here wasn’t a total lie. There is something about her I like.”
“There is a lot to like about her,” his father agreed, affectionately. Nico prayed his father wasn’t having visions of gardening with his grandchildren. Even Nico had not thought that far ahead.
“Goodnight, Papa.”
“Goodnight, Nico.”
Nico left his father’s office feeling a little better than when he had entered. Ava sat over in the corner on one of the sofas with her back to him, phone to her ear. He walked toward her.
“I don’t know, mom. Maybe in a few weeks’ time. Don’t worry. I can extend my ticket. Yes, I can work from here.” She nodded, a couple of times, yes’d and no’d and uh-huh’d.
“No! Nothing like that. Why would you say such a thing?” her voice was indignant. Her long, straight hair had fallen over her face and she tossed it away. In so doing, she caught sight of Nico behind her.
“Mom, this call is costing me a fortune. I have to go. Yes, of course I have a place to stay.”
Nico waited for her to finish the conversation, discreetly busying himself with his cell phone while Ava placated her mom, at least that was what it sounded like to him.
She finally ended the call and stood up, wearily, with a sigh of relief. “My mom wants to know why I’m extending my visit.”
He nodded his head. “You can’t blame her. If I had a daughter I’d want to know the same thing, too.” Their gazes locked, at the mention of something that far in the future, a future neither of them knew about.