She met Adelina’s gaze and realized that Adelina was staring at her. Was she thinking the same thing? That tourists dressed differently?
“Thank you, Adelina. The croissant was delicious.”
“Grazie.” She leaned closer to Emily and lowered her voice. “And the poppies?”
Emily felt her cheeks heat up. “The poppies were beautiful. Thank you.”
She smiled and nodded. “You have a handsome gentleman trying for your affection. You should visit Casa Dei Desideri.”
“Mama!” Serafina snapped, then said something quickly in Italian, to which Adelina responded just as adamantly. Serafina frowned, then said something else in Italian. Luca’s head swooped from side to side, following the heated discussion between the two women.
Adelina patted Emily’s back and said something just above a whisper in Italian. Whatever it was, it caused Serafina to blush, too.
“Careful, Emily,” Serafina said with a warm smile. “My mother is a matchmaker at heart.”
“What is Casa Dei Desideri?” Emily asked. And why did it make Serafina blush? “I don’t remember seeing that on any of the tourist maps.”
Adelina’s lips curved into a smile. Her gaze softened, and when she spoke, her voice was smooth as butter and filled with wonder. “This is not a tourist destination. This is something passed secretly from mothers to daughters. Women to women.”
Emily leaned in closer, wanting all of the juicy details she smelled coming her way.
“It is known as the House of Wishes. You want true love? You make your wish there. You want a baby…” She turned a loving gaze toward Luca. Serafina blushed again. “You make your wish there.”
“So, it’s like a wishing well?”
Adelina shook her head. “No, bella. There is no well. Just an old house and a tree. Women come from all over and leave a piece of their heart there, and their wishes have come true. I found my Marcello that way. Serafina became pregnant with Luca after wishing.”
“Mama!” Serafina followed that up with something in Italian that made them both smile; then she turned a shy smile toward Emily.
“Ah, Serafina. That is how the wishes work. We will continue to wish every morning and every evening for Dante’s safe return, and you mark my word. He will return.” She made a tsk sound with her tongue and shifted her eyes to Emily.
“Only wishes of the heart will come true. Wishes that cannot be bought or sold. Wishes that cannot be manipulated, but can only be felt.” She pressed her hand to her heart and looked up at the ceiling as Marcello came around the side of the porch with Dae. Adelina lowered her eyes and smiled at her husband. “Wishes of love, bella.”
Wishes of love. Tuscany was overwhelmingly romantic. Emily’s pulse sped up when her eyes met Dae’s. His hair was tousled, as if he’d run a hand through it while it was still wet. He was clean-shaven and somehow still managed to look rugged and edgy. The top buttons of his white shirt were open, revealing a patch of his tanned chest and a sprinkling of chest hair. His sleeves were rolled up and pushed above his elbows to the base of his bulging biceps. He looked even more handsome than he had last night.
“Il mio amore.” Marcello spread his arms wide. “Are you filling our guest’s mind with silliness?”
Adelina shook her head and mumbled something as she headed back into the house.
“Ah, il mio ometto.” Marcello swept Luca into his arms and kissed him on both cheeks. Luca squealed with glee. Marcello turned a smile toward Emily. “My little man. That’s my Luca.”
Emily’s heart warmed for the baby who was so loved and for the grandfather who adored him. Luca’s father might not be there, but there was no shortage of love toward the little boy.
Dae strode across the floor, all edgy confidence and sultry eyes. His deep voice slithered over her. “Il mio dolce Emily.”
My sweet Emily. The endearment sent goose bumps up her arms. He leaned down and kissed her on each cheek. She assumed this was out of respect for Serafina and Marcello, and she wished they’d been alone. The butterflies in her stomach had awakened with the sound of his voice, and she wanted nothing more than to be in his arms, to have his lips on hers again.
She could not be trusted around this tantalizing creature, and instead of that freaking her out, as it probably would have a week ago, she welcomed it. And she didn’t want to be trusted.
Marcello spoke animatedly to his grandson as he left the room in the direction of Adelina. Serafina stood quietly, smoothed her dress, and smiled at Emily as she followed her father into the house.
“Hi.”
He pulled out the chair beside her and sat down, his knee brushing hers. “Did you sleep well?”
“I did.” Fibber! She’d tossed and turned all night, thinking about him. Wanting him. “Thank you for an amazing day, and the flowers were the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me.”
“I’m glad you liked them. I only wish I were there to see your face when you first walked into your room, but I knew if I were, I’d never leave.”
She forced herself to concentrate on anything but the idea of him in her bed. It didn’t work. “Did…Uh…Did you sleep well?”
Dae put both hands on her thighs and leaned in close. “It took every bit of restraint not to come through that wall.” Then he slid his hand to the nape of her neck and pulled her into a deep, delicious kiss. They both came away dizzy. He touched his forehead to hers and breathed her name. “Emily.”
“I know,” was all she could manage. She did know. She could feel the air palpitating around them. Her body felt heavy with desire. Every inch of her yearned for him in a way that she’d never known and had no desire to fight.
An hour later they were driving toward the town of Poppi to see the medieval Poppi Castle. Dae drove with the windows down, one hand holding Emily’s, which she realized, as she stared at his thick wrist, she’d come to expect. Wow, that happened fast. There were a few things she’d come to expect from Dae. His furtive glances when he thought she didn’t notice. It was like he had a direct line to all the sensitive nerves between her thighs, which took notice every time she fell under his heated gaze. She knew he’d kiss her every time he greeted her, and when they had to part, for even a few minutes, he squeezed her hand and searched her eyes, as if to say, Don’t disappear on me.
“What made you pick the Poppi Castle as our destination? Did you already have a trip to it planned?” She loved the way the side of his mouth kicked up as her question registered. He looked like he was conjuring up a mischievous response.
“To be honest, when I came to Tuscany, I didn’t have anything planned except work. But then I met this adorably sexy woman who just happened to be an architect, and I was lucky enough to gain her attention and the promise of an afternoon together, which I hope to turn into many more before I have to return to the States. I chose the castle mainly because of the architecture. For you, sweet one. But I have to admit, I was intrigued by the history, too.”
She tucked her hair behind her ear and sat up straighter, trying her best to look a little less like she was swooning, which she totally was. “Mr. Bray, might you be referring to the legend of Lady Matilda?”
He squeezed her hand. “The one and only.”
“So you have a thing for women who commit adultery and then slaughter the men they’ve slept with?” The legend of Lady Matilda had always fascinated her. Lady Matilda was supposedly the most beautiful maiden in the land. She was forced to marry the most powerful man in Poppi at a young age, whom she felt no love for. She envied the carefree lives of the commoners who lived outside the cold stone walls, and eventually, that envy led to her demise.
Dae’s laugh rumbled through the car. “Actually, I currently have a thing for a petite brunette who I hope doesn’t sleep with men and then lead them over a trapped door, where they fall to horrible, bloody deaths, landing on razor blades and broken glass.”
Emily cringed at his impeccably accurate and gruesome description. She
gazed out the window as the car darkened. The trees that lined the narrow street leading to the castle had formed an arch over the road, stealing their sunshine.
“I’d never do that,” Emily said quietly. “I’d go for a quick, less bloody death, like poison.”
He laughed. “Then you’d probably design an immaculate crypt for the bodies. Remind me to check my food from now on.”
“You know the castle is haunted, right? The townspeople noticed that men were mysteriously disappearing after spending a night with Matilda, and they stormed the castle and locked her in the tower to die. Supposedly, tourists have seen her ghost.”
Dae parked the car in the lot at the top of the old town of Poppi. The view was magnificent, spanning beyond the castle to the rooftops of villas and shops, and farther still, to miles of fields and farms.
“I’ve heard of the sightings, and you, my lady, are about to find out for yourself if it’s true. I booked us a private tour.” He stepped from the car, leaving her looking after him with a slack jaw.
A private tour?
She watched him walk around the car. She should be ashamed at the way she was practically drooling over his broad shoulders and amazing ass. And the way his hair shielded his eyes was almost too sexy.
He opened the car door and folded her into his arms. She already felt like she belonged there, resting against his chest, gazing up at his stubbly jawline. She wanted to kiss it. Rise up on her toes and kiss a path from one side to the other. Her hands found his waist, and she felt her stomach flutter.
Okay, Emily, chill. She tried to distract herself with thoughts of the tour.
“But they don’t do private tours,” she said. “I tried to book a small tour group and was told that during this busy tourist season, they only gave standard tours.”
Dae kissed her softly. “Obviously, you don’t have the right connections.”
“Connections. Right. I thought this was your first time here.”
“It is.” He turned her in his arms so she had a full view of the castle, her back nestled against his chest. “Stop worrying about logistics and look at that view. Think you can scale the castle walls?”
“Maybe,” she lied.
He kissed her neck. “I doubt there’s much you can’t do.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere. How did you really get a private tour?” she pushed.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and turned with her in his arms, so their backs were facing the castle. “Smile, baby.”
She did, despite wanting an answer to her question, and he clicked a picture.
“I can’t tell you all my secrets.” He took her hand and led her out of the parking lot. “Come on. Let’s go explore.”
It was amazing how cobblestone streets could change the way a place felt. If these same streets were paved instead of cobblestone, Emily was sure she wouldn’t feel like she’d been plunked down in a fairy-tale land of romance. It was stupid, really. They were nothing more than stones, and yet she felt even more swoony than she had at the car. She glanced at Dae, and he caught her looking and flashed a smile.
Okay, maybe it has nothing at all to do with the streets and everything to do with you.
The wide, hilly walk to the castle opened into a grass and stone courtyard. Emily and Dae held hands on the way up to the entrance. There were people milling about on the lawn, but it wasn’t as crowded as the cathedral had been. Emily shielded her eyes from the sun and looked up at the bell tower.
“I can only imagine how lonely Lady Matilda must have been. I know I shouldn’t, but I kind of feel sorry for her. Look at this place. It’s magnificent, but can you imagine being left alone with only your thoughts while your disinterested bastard of a husband was away on military assignments? With no one to talk to, no one to share meals with or...” She turned toward Dae and was struck by the intensity of his gaze.
“She killed men. Dozens of them.”
“Yes, I know that. Obviously, she was crazy, and she probably deserved to be bricked up in the bell tower to die a lonely death, but come on. She was stolen away to sleep with a man more than twice her age. A cold, angry man who was part of the family that ruled this area with an iron fist. She was left with only the guards to watch over her. Maybe that’s what drove her over the edge. Knowing that outside these thick stone walls life went on for people. They laughed and loved. Women kissed the men they fell in love with. They slept beside their husbands, hugged their children. What must it have been like for her?”
Dae pulled her close and kissed her temple. “We’ll never know what it was that drove her over the edge, but I love that you have such a big heart that you want to find a redeeming quality in her.”
“I don’t think it’s a redeeming quality. I think part of who we are and how we act comes from what we know. We are products of our families and our surroundings. How we spend our days definitely has an impact on how we act, don’t you think?”
At the entrance to the castle, Dae stopped and touched her cheek. She loved how often he touched her. He had said he was affectionate, but she’d rarely met any man as affectionate as her own family was. Dae was every bit as touchy-feely.
“I do think that’s true,” he said. “Especially after spending time with you.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him close. “I feel the same way.”
THE PRIVATE TOUR Dae had arranged turned out to be the perfect way to spend the day. Without throngs of people around, they were able to take as much time as they wanted in each area of the castle and were able to focus more on getting to know each other. Dae loved watching Emily take in the architecture and listening to her explaining the history and significance of the designs throughout the castle. Emily was in her element, and her face lit up as she stroked the cold stone, rattling off facts as if she were reading from a book specifically on the architectural design of Poppi Castle. Their tour guide, a short, heavyset man, was more than happy to let Emily share her knowledge. Watching her speak with confidence and enthusiasm, Dae found it easy to imagine her speaking at conferences and quickly earning the respect of the attendees.
They spent hours inside the castle, toured the bell tower and the grounds. They examined the areas that were used as the castle’s prison hundreds of years ago and took pictures in most of the rooms. Dae’s favorite picture was the one they took in front of the grand stone stairwell, which Emily deemed too impressive for words. He knew the image would relay the excitement in her voice. She was so easy to be with. Every little thing she did made him want her even more. It was all those things—her Emilyisms—that were coiling themselves around his heart. The adorable way she trapped her lower lip between her teeth when she accidentally made a double entendre. The way she touched his side when she wanted to show him something. Hell, even the way her eyes grew serious as she explained the history of the castle captured his attention. But what he liked most about Emily was that she was real. She didn’t pretend to be something she wasn’t, and she didn’t try to impress him. She was as vulnerable as she was strong, as witty as she was serious, and after watching her roll her eyes at her brothers’ texts, which she graciously checked only once—her love for them overrode the irritation in her exasperated sigh—he sensed that she was loyal to the core. By the time they left, Dae was completely and utterly enthralled with her.
After eating a late lunch in Poppi and exploring the city until the sun began to set, they headed back toward the villa. Dae wasn’t ready for their date to be over, especially since he’d have to spend most of the day tomorrow doing research on the property he was there to assess. The idea of being away from Emily made the muscles in his neck cord up. He glanced at her, resting against the headrest, her eyes closed. A slight smile curved her lips. She looked relaxed and happy, and she was stunning.
“Tired?”
“No,” she said softly, eyes still closed. “Just relaxed. I think it’s been years since I’ve felt so relaxed.”
“Are yo
u up for a stroll by the river?”
Her eyes opened wide, like he’d offered her a pot of gold. “Definitely.”
Fifteen minutes later they’d parked in a quaint town that bordered the river, and with the sun kissing the horizon, they headed across the cobblestone street toward a tree-lined path along the river.
“Thanks for an amazing day,” Emily said as she gazed up at him.
Dae put his arm around her and pulled her close. “Thank you. But the day’s not over yet.” He kissed her temple, inhaling her floral and feminine scent. Pure Emily.
She leaned her head against his side as they walked along the water.
“Do I get to choose our day tomorrow?” Emily asked.
“I’m sorry, Em, but I have some things I need to do for work tomorrow.”
Her grip on him eased. “Of course. I shouldn’t have assumed…”
Dae stopped walking and turned her in his arms so she was facing him. Then he pulled her close and used his index finger to lift her chin so he could look into her disappointed eyes.
“You should assume. I want you to assume. I just need to do some research to decide if I’m taking on this job or not, and that’s going to take a few hours. Why don’t we try to get together in the evening?” Damn, he wished he could blow off his meetings. He felt a twinge of guilt not telling Emily that the meetings were about a demolition job. He needed to talk with her about that and was waiting for the right opening to do so.
“Sure, but don’t feel pressure. I don’t mean to monopolize your vacation.”
“Em, this wasn’t a vacation. It was a work trip, and then I met you. And you are far more interesting than my work could ever be. Please, monopolize me.” He pressed his lips to hers and smiled against them as her arms circled his neck.
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