by Jane Blythe
“Next time?” Florence asked, sticking her head around her bedroom door.
“One visit to Italy is never enough. When I take you back, not only will we explore Tuscany, but I’ll take you to Rome, and Milan, and along the Amalfi Coast, and we’ll need at least a couple of weeks to enjoy Venice.” Italy was one of his favorite countries, he’d loved living there and continued to vacation there at least once a year. Of all the cities he loved in Italy, Venice was his favorite. There was just something about wandering its little streets, crossing bridges over the canals, and eating bowls of ice cream worth fifty Euros in St Mark’s Square that was magical in that kind of way you could never get enough of. He couldn’t wait to share that with Florence. He’d take her for a romantic gondola ride, they’d explore the Basilica and the Doge’s Palace, and each and every one of the islands that made up Venice, including his personal favorite, Burano with all its colorful houses.
“Awfully presumptuous of you to assume that I’ll go back to Italy with you again.”
“Hey, you're the one that calls me cocky,” he reminded her with a teasing smile. “Princess, you aren’t just going to go back to Italy with me, you’re going to travel the world with me. Remember, I saved your life, you’re my responsibility, it’s my job to make sure you travel the world and unlock all its secrets.” Traveling with his parents had opened his eyes to all the world had to offer, from cozy little towns in England to thousand-year-old pyramids in Egypt, he’d loved every second of those vacations, especially just being together as a family. Now he wanted to share that with Florence and the family they would have one day.
The thought of having a family with her didn't even surprise him.
He was in deep.
Already falling for her.
One day, they’d get married and have children, and he’d take his family to all the places he loved, sharing those experiences with them and watching the wonder and joy on their faces that he knew his parents had loved seeing on his.
When his father had died, he’d felt so alone in the world, no family left, but Florence was going to change that. She was already his, all he had to do was hope that this romantic trip to Florence was enough to convince her of that.
* * * * *
9:07 P.M.
Florence, Italy
“I can't believe we’re here,” Florence said as she tried to take in everything around her all at once. Everything had happened so quickly. Just ten hours ago she’d been woken by a knock at her door, and now she was in Italy.
In Italy.
It didn't seem real.
She’d quickly thrown on a pair of white jeans, black knee-high boots that were warm and comfortable, a blue sweater that she knew made her eyes shimmer like a summer sky, she’d added a blue woolen beanie, scarf, and gloves, and her favorite black coat that reached to mid-thigh and would provide extra warmth. Traffic had been virtually non-existent, and by the time they climbed on board Eli’s plane, barely thirty minutes had passed.
She had never been on a private jet before, and she was sure she’d made a fool of herself, with her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide, staring in shock at the gorgeous and luxurious interior.
Eli hadn't seemed to mind, just guided her to a leather seat, sat her down, and buckled her seatbelt for her because she was still staring in awe at the plane, and then took the seat beside her. The ten-hour flight had flown by, Eli had told her all about Italy and by the time the plane had landed, she’d been bursting with excitement.
And now they were here.
Standing in the Piazza Del Duomo Giovanni in front of the amazing Baptistery of St John and it all felt so surreal.
“Have you been inside?” she asked, unable to take her eyes off the interesting building. It was octagonal, the walls clad in marble, and Eli had already told her on the plane that it was almost a thousand years old.
“On one of my trips here I did.”
“The doors are amazing.” Made of bronze with panels depicting the life of Jesus Christ, she was pretty sure she could study them for hours and still miss some of the many intricate details.
“Yeah, they are. Not as amazing as you though,” he teased.
She threw a quick grin his way, then turned to take in the Florence Cathedral. It had taken around one hundred and fifty years to build the gothic church, the dome was huge, and the pink and green marble on the walls was stunning. “It’s so beautiful, I could stare at it forever.”
“I wish we had more time, when we come back I’ll book us a couple of weeks just in Florence,” Eli promised, and she didn't even bother this time to tell him it was mighty cocky of him to just assume that they would come back here together. They only had about ninety minutes to take in as much of Florence as they could before they were off to the Villa Il Leccio for a special dinner, and then back to the airport to head home.
“Where are we going next?” she asked, knowing she sounded like a kid on Christmas morning and not even caring. Growing up the way she had, Florence had never expected to travel the world visiting cities that had been around for hundreds of years. Her trip to London had been fun, and she’d done a little sightseeing, but mostly it had been a work trip, and she’d spent the majority of time in various seminars.
“We’re going to walk through the Piazza Della Repubblica, and then down to the Piazza Signoria where the Palazzo Vecchio is. In the Piazza there’s the Neptune Fountain and a copy of the David statue, and since I can't take you to see the real thing, I thought that was the next best thing.”
Hand in hand they strolled through the quiet streets, it was late, and there weren't many people about, and yet she didn't feel unsafe in the least. The streets were old and mostly stone, and the buildings looked like something from another world. Everywhere she looked there was something that caught her attention, and she was sure that Eli must be getting tired of her constant squeals of excitement.
She was never like this, all giddy and smiley. She worked hard, and while she had fun with her friends, most of her time was spent on work. She’d had to fight to get to where she was in life, and since her childhood hadn't been one filled with fun moments, she wasn't accustomed to just letting her hair down and relaxing.
Casting a surreptitious glance Eli’s way, she saw him watching her with a bemused expression. Their lives had been so different. He’d grown up in various cities across the globe, traveled to the places on most people’s bucket lists, and had never known a time where he couldn’t have or do whatever he wanted.
Her life had been the opposite.
They’d had no money, lived in a trailer in the middle of a field, they had no electricity, no running water, she’d owned a total of about four outfits—something the other girls at school had teased her mercilessly about—and rarely had enough to eat. She’d been a scrawny little thing, pitied by the other adults in her home town of River’s End and mocked by the children, and even though she now had enough money for the necessities of life she was still short, with small breasts and no womanly curves. She definitely wasn't beautiful, although she supposed she wasn't ugly either, and she didn't think of herself as sexy or attractive.
Doubt crept into her mind.
She was so far out of Eli’s league they weren't even in the same universe. He could have anyone, why was he putting all this effort and interest into her? It seemed a bit extravagant if all he wanted was sex, and he claimed that he saw a future for them, but she wasn't sure. She liked him, yes, and they unquestionably had chemistry in spades, she found conversing with him to be easy, and he made her feel things no other man ever had. But …
“Stop thinking.” Eli stopped walking, hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her close so she was flush up against his body. “You’re worrying about nothing.” He touched a soft kiss to the tip of her nose and then moved to her lips, kissing her sensuously. “You’re beautiful, I'm not only glad to have you holding my hand walking the streets of Florence, I feel honored that someone so smart, and sexy, an
d tough is even giving me the time of day. I don’t care about our differences, Florence. I love seeing how excited you are, how enthusiastic about everything you're seeing, it’s endearing and sweet, and this is the most perfect Valentine’s Day I could have imagined. To be honest, I'm the one who should be worrying.”
“Why?”
“Because now I've got to find a way to top this every Valentine’s Day.” He gave her that cute lopsided grin of his. “Seriously, Florence, I see a future for us. Just relax and let it happen, stop fighting it.”
He was right.
She had to find a way to let go of her insecurities.
It was hard, having spent two-thirds of her life being put down and ignored, but if she wanted a future, she was going to have to find a way to work past it.
Standing on tiptoes, she whispered her lips across his. “Thank you. Not just for this amazing date, but for not giving up on me. It means more than you can know.”
“Anytime, princess, I’ll never give up on you.”
Reassured that she was making a mountain out of a molehill and creating problems that weren't there, just because they came from two different worlds didn't mean they couldn’t work as a couple. Eli didn't want her to be anything but herself, she just had to keep reminding herself of that.
When she finished gushing over the statues in the Piazza Signoria, they walked down and crossed over the Ponte Vecchio. Even though it was late and the shops were all closed, it was fascinating to cross over a bridge that had first been constructed before the year one thousand.
Eli continued to talk about the history of the sights they were walking past and by the time they walked up to the Palazzo Pitti, a renaissance palace built in the mid fourteen hundreds, and bought by the Medici family in the sixteenth century, it was time for their sightseeing to end.
“This was magical, it’s like traveling back in time,” she said, as she snuggled close to Eli to ward off the cold as they strolled down to where Eli’s car would pick them up to take them to the farm for a late dinner.
“There are so many places in the world I want to show you. If you're going to be as adorably curious and excited like you were tonight, then I'm going to have a hard time keeping my hands off you.” The look he had on his face when he looked down at her was hungry like he couldn’t wait to devour her. Florence knew that when it came to the two of them having sex the ball was in her court. He wanted it, but was holding back because he knew she wasn't ready, and as much as she wanted to be ready she wasn't quite there yet. It was a big step, it wouldn’t be like sex with her other partners, there was so much pressure. If they didn't connect in the way she knew Eli thought they would, then she was afraid he would walk away.
“You did an excellent job keeping your hands to yourself,” she teased to force herself to lighten her mood.
“That sounds like a challenge. Perfect timing,” Eli said as the car pulled up to the curb. “We have nearly thirty minutes to make out before we get to the farm.”
That was all it took for her body to be instantly on edge, ready and waiting with needy anticipation for Eli’s touch.
* * * * *
11:54 P.M.
Florence, Italy
“I don’t want to leave.”
The words were music to his ears. “I know, me either, I wish we could stay here forever, but unfortunately, you have work, and I have work. But we’ll come back and stay for a while so you can see everything you want to see.”
“I look forward to it,” Florence said with a tired smile. It had been a long day, a ten-hour plane ride, two hours walking through the quiet streets of Florence, the drive to the Villa, dinner under the stars, they’d talked and laughed and made out a little, he couldn’t be more thrilled with how the date had turned out. It had exceeded even his wildest dreams. That Florence was no longer disputing that he planned on taking many vacations with her made it even better.
“We have to get going soon, it’ll take us about thirty minutes to get back to the airport.” Eli was every bit as reluctant to return to real life as Florence was, but he knew her, and he knew that any longer in the beautiful Tuscan countryside and she’d start getting antsy about her job and the case she was working.
“Just a few more minutes.”
They were curled up side by side on a bench on the back patio, they had blankets on their laps, the Italian countryside in front of them, stars sparkling down on them, and the most delicious meal of pasta in a spicy tomato sauce, and gelato. The meal had been the perfect ending to a perfect day.
A few more minutes passed in silence while they soaked up the vibes, preparing to return to the real world. This break had been exactly what he needed. To keep himself busy after his father’s death he’d been working sixteen plus hour days, seven days a week, he’d needed a timeout, and he and Florence had grown so much closer.
“Alright, princess, it’s time to go.”
“Okay,” she said, sighing as she stood.
“Better button this up.” He stood too and reached out to button up her coat, tucking the ends of her scarf underneath, then tugging her beanie down to cover her ears. Eli let his fingers trace the silky smooth skin of her face, and couldn’t resist curling his hand around her neck and drawing her in for a kiss.
Reluctantly, they joined hands and walked around the side of the house to meet the car.
The ride to the airport was filled with a companionable silence, but Eli intended to get Florence talking once they were on the plane. He wanted to know more about her, specifically about her fears of the two of them as a couple. But for right now, he wanted her to enjoy her final view of Italy.
Holding hands, they left the warmth of the car and hurried into the plane. Instead of taking seats in the main cabin, Eli led her through to the bedroom at the back.
“You have a bed on here?” Florence asked when she saw it. “Why didn't you show me this on the way here?”
“Because we wouldn’t have left it when we got to Florence. Once I get you naked, I intend to take my time exploring every single inch of that perfect body of yours with my hands and my tongue.”
“Ten hours wouldn’t have been enough time?” Florence snickered.
“Princess, a thousand hours wouldn’t be enough time for me to explore your body.”
Her cheeks turned pink in that cute way they did when she was embarrassed, and he had to wonder again why such a beautiful, sexy woman got embarrassed so easily when they talked about sex. She had to know how attractive she was, didn't she?
Not for the first time he had to wonder just how bad her childhood had been.
“Come on, let’s sit.” He shed his coat, and Florence did the same, then he led her to the bed, and when he sat, back up against the headboard, legs stretched out, she sat beside him. Eli wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and she immediately snuggled against his side.
“I can't believe this is how you fly, this plane is amazing, how am I ever going to fly coach again after this?”
“That is something you won't have to worry about, if my plane is unavailable, I fly first class, which means now so do you. So …” he dragged out the word as his hand traced lazily up and down her arm.
“What?” She moved back a little so she could look up at him, those suspicious crinkles in her forehead back.
“Nothing to worry about.” He touched his thumb to her forehead and smoothed the lines away. “I just want to know more about you.”
“By that I assume you mean you have questions about my childhood.” Although her voice was neutral, he felt her stiffen and knew this was a topic she didn't enjoy discussing.
“You said that you and your brother basically raised yourselves because your mother wasn't much of a mother to you. How bad were things?” he asked, thinking he may as well just ask, there was no point in beating around the bush, and he’d always been taught that being direct was the best approach in pretty much every situation.
Florence sighed then rested her head on hi
s shoulder, a move he suspected was mostly so she didn't have to look him in the eye when she spoke. “Things were pretty bad. My mom was a bartender who was really more of a hooker. What money she made she spent on booze, so Fletcher and I went hungry a lot, and we didn't have many clothes. Our trailer didn't have electricity or running water. When my mom was home, she was preoccupied with whatever man she was dating at the time. Fletcher spent most of his time at his best friend’s house, so most of the time I was alone. I used to go to the library a lot, I liked to read, and it was quiet—and warm. I wanted out of that life, I didn't want to be my mom when I grew up.”
It was hard to swallow past the tightness in his chest. As a child, his biggest concern had been playing football with his friends after school and keeping up with the newest video games. He had never once, even before his father’s company took off and they were wealthy, had to worry about where his next meal was coming from, and he’d taken things like hot showers and switching on a light once the sun went down for granted.
“I'm sorry, honey,” he said, touching his lips to the top of her head. “I hate that you grew up that way.”
Florence shrugged. “It was what it was, both Fletcher and I broke the cycle.”
“Your brother still lives where you grew up?”
“Yeah, he’s a deputy in River’s End. I can't stand that town, I hardly ever go back there, usually when we catch up, he comes to me or we meet somewhere halfway between us. Things were different for him, he was close with his best friend’s family, he’d sleep there most nights, eat there, take showers there, but I didn't really have friends, girls can be mean, and the teasing was pretty bad.”
Eli shoved away the arrow of anger. “His friend’s mom didn't make sure you were looked after as well?”