by SJ
Feeling annoyed at his thoughts, he leaned forward to adjust something in front of him. The evening ahead was one to enjoy, for heaven’s sake! And he was determined to do just that—and to make sure that Emily had a good time, too. When he’d first seen her yesterday—was it only yesterday? he asked himself—she’d had the usual instant effect on him, arousing an animal instinct of wanting to get close, even to possess. But there was this elusiveness about her which continued to intrigue him. And he had to penetrate it somehow, if only to convince himself that he could find out what it was, what lay behind the rather enigmatic expression he’d noted on her fine, perfect features.
Realizing that they’d not exchanged a word for the last few minutes, Emily said, without looking across at him, ‘I hope today hasn’t been too boring for you, Giovanni. I’m sure there were far more interesting things for you to do than transporting me around and hanging about…’
He interrupted her at once. ‘I’m seldom bored, Emily. And I certainly wasn’t today. I’m only too pleased that I was able to be of some use to you.’
‘That’s what you seem to do quite a lot of—being of use to people,’ Emily said. ‘Your friend who owns the shop and the restaurant seems to make good use of you when you’re in Rome.’ Now she did look across at him, chiding herself for the sensuous pleasure she was experiencing at being close to him, of seeing the strong brown hands on the steering wheel, his taut, muscular thighs visible beneath the fine fabric of his trousers. She swallowed, trying to think of Coral, and where Nico might be taking her tonight.
‘Oh, well, my friends are good to me too, when I need them,’ he said. Then, ‘Are you hungry, Emily—would you like dinner straight away, or shall we go for a walk first?’
‘I’d like to eat now-then maybe walk off my meal later!’ Emily replied. ‘Lunch does seem quite a long time ago.’
‘Good. That suits me, too.’ He smiled at her with that certain, gentle smile which had the effect of making Emily’s pulse quicken. It was true, she thought—that Italian men had that certain something which could melt a woman’s heart. She’d never really believed it, but now she was experiencing it first-hand…Giovanni exuded that courteous roguishness which personified the Italian male.
After he’d parked the car, they strolled along side by side, through streets which—although less busy—still seemed to ooze with the warm friendliness of the timeless city. They passed one or two families with small children in tow, couples sightseeing hand in hand, and now and then a cheerful group of young Italian men, maybe hopeful of a romantic assignation later, all adding to the laid-back atmosphere of the evening.
Walking along beside Giovanni, Emily felt a surge of unexpected happiness ripple through her. Being in the sole company of the most handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on was something she had not anticipated when she and Coral had left Heathrow the other day. She was not meant to be here enjoying herself—she was employed purely on a business basis. And she realized that it was the first time since starting the job that anyone had invited her out, or treated her as Giovanni was doing. She met plenty of pleasant—and not so pleasant—people during the course of an assignment, but no one had ever asked her out to dinner or treated her other than formally. But maybe that was down to her, she acknowledged. Although there were certain guidelines laid down by the company which she should conform to—mostly in her own interests—she was also aware that she seemed to have developed a natural antipathy to showing undue familiarity with people—notably with men. She hoped she wasn’t thought of as stand-offish. Then she shrugged inwardly. So what? It was far safer, emotionally and in every other way, to keep slightly detached, to keep her distance. To try and enjoy life on the margins.
But, despite these thoughts, Emily was acutely aware that, although he was walking very closely by her side, Giovanni had not attempted to take her hand in his—and for a ridiculous moment she wished that he would! She could still recall the touch of his fingers on hers as he’d passed over the gift she’d bought at the shop yesterday—strong, protective fingers, sensitive and warm. Then she bit her lip. These thoughts must be thanks to the relaxed evening atmosphere, or to the occasional sight of two young lovers, their bodies entwined, as they passed, she thought.
He glanced down at her. ‘Although I don’t know your particular likes and dislikes, Emily,’ he said, ‘I’m pretty sure you’ll approve of my choice of venue for tonight. There are so many places to choose from, of course, but we have to start somewhere.’
Emily smiled up quickly. ‘It’ll be great to have someone…to have you,’ she amended, ‘to make the decision for me. I’m only just getting used to being totally independent in strange places, to try and find my own way around. And, although it’s getting easier, sometimes it can be…uncomfortable.’ She didn’t add that she frequently felt very homesick and wished that she was back in the comparative solitude and safety of the art gallery. But she’d made the decision to spread her wings, to search life out instead of waiting for it to find her—and you didn’t do that by hiding away in the cool, protective atmosphere of an art gallery.
When they arrived at the restaurant, Emily knew straight away that she was going to love it. It was on the top floor of the Hotel Hassler Roma and, as they were shown to a table by the window, soft piano music started to play quietly. Giovanni held out a chair for Emily to sit down and she glanced up at him appreciatively.
‘This is…lovely, Giovanni,’ she said, her eyes moist and shining with unaffected pleasure.
He returned her glance, his seductive lips parted in a brief smile. ‘I had a feeling it would be right for you, Emily,’ he murmured, pausing for a moment with his hand resting lightly on her bare shoulder, and she shivered instinctively.
‘You’re not cold?’ he enquired, moving away to sit down opposite her. ‘You haven’t brought a wrap with you?’
‘No—no, I’m not cold! It’s…I’m just excited to be here,’ she said quickly.
He looked across at her thoughtfully. The gentle light from the single candle on the table seemed to enhance the delicate curve of her cheek, accentuating the length of her dark eyelashes. He picked up his copy of the menu which the waiter had just given them, trying to concentrate on the selection of dishes on offer.
‘You’ve obviously been here before, Giovanni,’ Emily said with her eyes on her own menu. ‘What do you recommend amongst all this?’
‘I can recommend just about everything,’ he said at once, ‘but it depends on what you feel like.’
After a few moments, Emily put down her menu. ‘I’ve made my decision,’ she said lightly. ‘I’ve decided that you can order for both of us.’ She paused. ‘And I shall trust your choice unequivocally.’
He shrugged, grinning across at her. ‘Well, if you’re going to live dangerously, here goes,’ he said. ‘And anyway, in all matters, large or small, I like to think that any woman is perfectly safe in my hands.’
Just then, the waiter came to their table and, as Giovanni gave their order for wine, Emily gazed out of the window, swaying her shoulders lightly to the rhythm of the popular medley the pianist was playing. The hotel was situated at a spot overlooking the Spanish Steps, affording a bird’s eye view of the mellow roofs of old Rome, and Emily felt grateful, again, for having met Giovanni—because he was right. She would probably have never come across this charming restaurant, and at this moment, with stars beginning to pin-prick the darkening night sky outside, and the soft lighting and friendly atmosphere in the candlelit room, Emily felt as if she had been transported to an enchanted island. And she didn’t want to be rescued from it—not just yet!
Giovanni broke into her reverie. ‘I’ve ordered white wine, Emily,’ he said, ‘and for the meal, I thought grilled tuna with tomatoes and taggia olives, followed by suckling pig in sweet milk sounded about right. Plus a mixed salad.’ He paused. ‘I hope you approve.’
‘Heartily.’ Emily smiled.
‘And we’ll consider dessert later,�
�� Giovanni went on as the waiter departed. ‘Their chocolate mousse with hot chocolate sauce is a known favourite,’ he added.
‘Well, if I’ve room, that will certainly be the one for me,’ Emily said lightly, and he grinned.
‘I thought so,’ he said. ‘That’s why I mentioned it.’
Emily kept her eyes lowered for a moment. If he thought he knew her so well, she’d better watch what she said in future. This man seemed able to infiltrate her persona without even trying. He was getting close—dangerously close—she thought. But…she’d relax and enjoy it—just for tonight. There was no harm in accepting the fact that she was liking the feelings which Giovanni was arousing in her—the sense that she was not only liked, but that she was desired. And, in any case, these trifling few days would soon pass into history and would simply come in the category of harmless holiday meetings which never came to anything—and which never meant anything. Which was exactly how she wanted it. This time tomorrow she’d be back in the flat—alone—because Coral was going to spend the weekend with her parents, with just the unpacking and the laundry to fill her thoughts.
Their wine arrived and Giovanni raised his glass. ‘Let’s drink to…let’s drink to this evening,’ he murmured.
Emily picked up her own glass and gently clinked it against his. ‘To this evening,’ she replied slowly, letting the sparkling bubbles tease her lips and tongue. ‘This is wonderful,’ she added.
When the food arrived, Emily looked down at her plate. ‘This is rather…generous…’ she said. ‘I hope I can manage it all.’
‘Do your best,’ Giovanni said as he unfolded his napkin. ‘You look to me as if you need just a little building up, Emily.’
But he didn’t mean that, and shouldn’t have said it, he thought as he watched her for a second. It was true that she had a slender figure—unlike many of his compatriots, who were more generously endowed, but she possessed the most exquisite curves and, in his experienced opinion, they were all in the right places!
Presently, he said, ‘So, where are they sending you next, Emily?’
Emily picked up her glass to take a sip of wine. ‘I’m not sure,’ she replied. ‘I shall know when I go back to work on Monday. But I normally spend the following week in the office after I’ve been away—to report back.’ She picked up her knife and fork again. ‘What about you, Giovanni? When do you expect to leave Rome?’ As soon as she’d said that, Emily wished that she hadn’t because it looked as if she was trying to find out when he’d be in London.
‘Oh, well, that’s largely up to me,’ he said casually. ‘But I’ll probably be there in the next week or so.’ He leaned across to top up her glass. ‘I have a flat in London, so I can come and go as I please.’
Hmm, Emily thought. A flat in London, and he’d said he’d a flat here in Rome too—all the education he spoke of had obviously provided him with a very sound income! She would find it difficult to be able to afford a flat of her own—sharing the rent and expenses with Coral was the only way it could work for her.
At that moment her mobile rang and, frowning, Emily reached into her bag to answer it. She hoped it wasn’t Coral to say she’d landed herself in some sort of fix!
It wasn’t Coral—it was Paul. And Emily smiled involuntarily at the sound of her brother’s voice.
‘Hi, Emmy,’ Paul said. ‘Just checking up—you’re due home tomorrow, aren’t you?’
‘Paul! How good to hear you,’ Emily said, smiling across at Giovanni briefly.
‘Has it all gone well?’ Paul wanted to know. ‘Found your way around OK? Where are you now?’
‘Everything’s gone like…like a dream,’ Emily said, ‘and I’m sitting in a lovely restaurant having the most fabulous meal…’
‘Is Coral there? Let me have a word,’ Paul said. He and Coral had always got on well.
‘Oh…well…Coral’s not with me,’ Emily said casually. ‘We’ve sort of…parted company, just for this evening…’
‘Oh? You’re on your own?’
‘No—not exactly…I’m having dinner with…with a friend.’
There was silence for a second. ‘Someone you know?’
‘Well, I do now.’ Emily smiled, looking across at Giovanni again. She wished Paul wouldn’t worry about her like this. ‘I’ve met Giovanni…Giovanni Boselli,’ she said hurriedly, ‘and Giovanni has been a great help in finding me a couple of places I couldn’t locate, and now we’re enjoying a fantastic meal, Paul…I must bring you here one day.’
She could just imagine the expression on Paul’s face. Where his sister was concerned, he saw predatory males on every corner.
‘Oh…well, then,’ Paul said. ‘Have a good time, and safe travelling tomorrow, Emmy. I’ll ring you later on…’ He paused, lowering his voice. ‘Take care, won’t you…be careful, Emmy.’ Then, ‘Dad sends his love, by the way.’
They ended the call and Emily replaced the phone in her bag, not looking at Giovanni, but she knew he hadn’t taken his eyes off her. She decided not to tell him that Paul was her brother. Let him think what he liked. And, for a ridiculous moment, Giovanni felt a surge of jealousy run through him at the way Emily’s eyes had lit up as she’d spoken to the man at the other end. It had to mean that it was someone special…even though she’d said she wasn’t in a relationship at the moment.
By the time they’d finished the meal—with neither of them having the chocolate mousse—it was almost midnight, and reluctantly they left the restaurant and began strolling back to where Giovanni had parked his car. Emily sighed, taking a deep breath as she looked up at the sky.
‘This evening has been the perfect way to end my tour,’ she said. ‘Thank you, Giovanni.’
‘I consider it to have been a…privilege to have your company, Emily,’ he replied, and there was no teasing note in his voice as he said it.
What happened in the next couple of seconds would always remain a blur in Emily’s memory—but, without any warning at all, her ankle suddenly twisted horribly and with surprising force—so that she found herself sprawling to the ground, her arms flailing helplessly at something, anything, to help her. And, although Giovanni had been walking very close beside her, he was not able to do a thing to stop her falling. Then, with an incoherent curse, he sprang forward and grabbed hold of her and pulled her to her feet.
With a gasp of unbelievable pain, Emily tried to put her foot to the ground, but could only lean against him as he held her in a tight, protective embrace. ‘Oh,’ she said, gritting her teeth to stop from shrieking aloud, ‘what on earth did I trip over?’
Still holding her, he glanced down at the pavement. ‘Well, these slabs are very uneven—look at that one—that’s what you must have caught your foot on.’ He looked down at her, resting his chin on her head for a second. ‘How…how bad do you think it is, Emily? Can you put any weight on it?’
Now her ankle was throbbing with hammer blows and, for a terrible moment, Emily felt her head swimming. She hoped she wasn’t going to disgrace herself and faint in public! ‘This has happened to me before,’ she admitted. ‘Perhaps I’ve weakened this ankle, so I’ll have to be more careful in future.’ With her full weight against him for support, she looked up into his eyes and, even in the dim mellowness of the street lighting, he could see that her face was ashen.
‘Come on,’ he said. ‘We’re very close to my flat. You need to sit down for a few minutes and recover.’ With his arm firmly around her waist, he almost carried Emily the length of the street and around the corner. Half hopping, half walking, Emily was in no position to suggest any alternative, and in a couple of minutes they reached an ancient stone archway through which she could see a discreet block of shuttered dwellings.
‘Mine’s on the ground floor,’ Giovanni said, ‘so there are no steps to negotiate.’
Although the building was unprepossessing from the outside, inside it was a different matter. Giovanni gently guided Emily across the large tile-floored sitting room to lie her down on
an elegant chaise longue.
‘There, keep your feet up for a few minutes and let’s see what you’ve done to yourself,’ he said.
As he switched on the numerous table lamps, the room was immediately swathed in a gentle, soothing glow and, in spite of feeling extremely shaky, Emily couldn’t help admiring her surroundings. It was a cool, comfortable room and clearly very expensively furnished.
He came over and knelt down beside her, not removing her sandal but taking her ankle very carefully in his warm hands. ‘Can you move it about, Emily?’ he asked. ‘Try to turn it—very gently—from side to side.’ He peered at it more closely. ‘It does look rather swollen,’ he added.
Emily did as she was told. ‘Well, I’m sure it’s not broken,’ she said, ‘and, as I said, this has happened before. I think I’ve probably just sprained it again, that’s all.’ She looked at him ruefully. ‘Sorry to be such a pain, Giovanni…’
‘Wasn’t your fault,’ he said. ‘That could happen to anybody.’ He massaged her foot gently for a few moments, smoothing it rhythmically with the palms of both hands. ‘It does feel hot,’ he said. He stood up and looked down into her upturned face, relieved to see that some colour had returned to her cheeks. ‘I’ll get an ice pack from the fridge to put on it…and would you like a glass of water—or anything else?’ he asked.
She smiled up. ‘Yes—some water, please,’ she said, thankful that her heart rate had lessened and that the feeling of dizziness had passed.
Left by herself for a few moments, Emily had a good look around her. It was quite obviously a man’s abode, she thought, having very few frills or ornaments—apart from several framed photographs displayed on a large mahogany cabinet. There was one of two little girls in swimsuits on a beach somewhere, and someone else crouching and hugging a dog around its neck, but in the front was one of a beautiful dark-eyed girl with a generous smile. She was obviously someone rather special, Emily thought—no doubt one of Giovanni’s many girlfriends…Then her gaze flickered to a smaller one of Giovanni with his arm held protectively around the shoulders of the same girl, who was looking up at him adoringly.