Evie marveled at how relaxed she felt here, even despite the tense situation they faced with trying to find Angelo. Being in Italy was good for her. It felt like it was good for her soul in ways and she'd love to come back to go to all the places she wouldn't see. Being here also made her look at the way her life had been for the last couple of years.
She'd worked hard to get to where she was, too hard maybe. While she'd achieved a lot she could be proud of, she felt she missed out on a lot too. It would be good to see her family and friends more. When she'd first moved to New York, she tried to make it back to see them every other week, but that hadn't happened since last year, and now it was practically the end of summer. She wanted to change that. There was nothing like doing what you love, but other things were important too.
She shuffled against the plaid blanket Lucy had brought out as she watched Gage and Lucy coming out of the water. They made their way back to her laughing.
"Sweetie, aren't you going to go in?" Lucy asked.
"No, it's more fun to watch you guys."
"How could it be more fun?" Gage smirked.
"I have a thing about the sea. It's safer if I stay here," she replied. "I can't swim very well either."
"I'll take you." Gage offered.
"Excellent." Lucy beamed.
"No, no. I'm fine." She tried to protest, but to her surprise, Gage leaned forward and took hold of both her hands to pull her up.
"You can't come to Tuscany and not go in the sea." He told her shaking his head.
Lucy shook her head too and smiled. "You can't dear. Go on with Gage he'll make sure that you're safe. I'll pack up here and get everything back in the house."
Evie's stomach filled with nerves at the thought of Lucy leaving them alone, and she noticed that Gage still held onto her hand.
Before she could answer or protest he pulled her along, tugging her towards the shoreline. She was alright stepping in and allowing the warm water to wash over her feet, but as she went further and the water surrounded her knees, she stopped.
"I can't." She shook her head and gripped onto his arm.
"Hey, there's nothing to be scared of."
"There could be sharks." She winced, genuinely scared that there might be. She would have at least liked to read about what to expect here first before venturing into the water. There could be sharks in there and then she'd end up like her friend's cousin. Granted he was deep sea diving but still, it wasn't entirely impossible.
Gage smiled down at her. "Then you're with the right person." He tugged on her hand, but she pulled him back again.
"Gage I don't know if I can." She didn't. The sea was warm and felt nice against her skin, but she was too wary, and yes, scared.
"Hop on my back." He smiled.
"What? No. That's ridiculous."
"It's not, just do it." He gave her one of his cheeky smiles. "Come on it can't be worse than the other morning, and on the plus side this time you're wearing clothes."
She smacked his chest coming in contact with his rock hard abs that were indeed as rock hard as they looked.
"That is not funny. I was terrified. I could have died."
"Okay, I'll stop teasing." He smiled then lowered next to her so she could get on his back. "Come on, hop on."
She looked at him before her, looking strong and formidable as the wave washed over his shoulders unable to move him. When he looked up at her, his blue gaze took her in just like it did days ago and there was a twinkle in his eye that drew her to him. She found herself unable to say no.
Evie slipped her arms around his neck and secured herself to him while he held her legs. As soon as she was on, he stood up and walked in further and deeper until they were completely immersed. Because he was so tall, he could stand and not be fully covered, and she was at a height where she could just focus on enjoying herself.
"Oh my gosh." She breathed as a wave swept over them, sweeping over her with its melodious music.
This was absolutely different to just lingering by the shore or sitting on the beach. It was also different to her usual floating about in a pool when she did get the chance to swim.
The sea felt alive and ... incredible, and it was sparkling against the gentle light the sun gave as it took its time in easing itself to set.
She moved her head closer to him as a particularly fierce looking wave came their way and that was when she heard it...
Or felt it?
She wasn't sure which it was, but as she rested her cheek against the side of
his wet hair the most amazing music rippled in fields of energy from him.
This had never happened to her before. She'd never seen or felt music coming from a person, and the lure and mystery of it captured her heart and held her there... It felt like it was the symphony she'd been searching for her whole life and truly rivaled everything else she'd previously composed. It was remarkable, and she saw the whole piece from start to finish.
She pressed her cheek to him relishing the sound and immersing herself in the warmth that surrounded his presence. It reached into her, swelled her heart, and overwhelmed her to the point where she completely forgot that she'd ever had any other feelings towards Gage than what she felt right now.
He released one of her legs so he could touch her arm.
"Are you okay Princess? We can make our way back if you want." He ran his finger along the edge of her forearm.
"No, I'm okay," she replied on the edge of a breath. When she moved her head, he turned slightly to look up at her, checking she was okay.
She gazed down at him, taking in the perfect features of his handsome face. The prominent ridge of his thick brows, his deep-set sapphire eyes surrounded by thick lashes, his sharp cheekbones that led down to his chiseled jaw and the playful smile that danced upon his lips. She felt breathless as he continued to look at her and her heart skittered as he turned his smile up a notch.
"What'd I do now? You're giving me that look again like you don't know what to do with me."
"No, it's nothing," she replied.
"Okay, I'll go out a little bit further. Just hold on to me."
"Okay." Evie would gladly hold on.
Chapter 8
Should she be worried about this?
This newfound admiration for Gage that she never expected to experience in a million years. But it wasn't just admiration. Admiring someone was different. You respected what they did and their personality. This feeling she had included admiration; she just wasn't sure what the feeling was. One thing was certain, and that was he was no longer that person he used to be. This Gage might look like that person she used to know, but he wasn't him.
They'd been out here for hours now, and once again she was having a great time with him. They stayed in the sea until it turned dark and a whole other host of fears filled her mind about swimming around in the dark. Then they went back to the beach where they changed, moved their stuff to the bonfire pit, and set up a small fire. It was there that he regaled her with tales of his adventures as they sat on the sand by the fire.
Everything he told her sounded so farfetched. Like bungee jumping, skydiving and jumping from planes onto mountains so he could snowboard down their slopes. It sounded like something from one of those T.V shows, like Adrenaline Junkies.
Now he was telling her about his football fights and how he'd broken his nose at least five times and dislocated his shoulder hundreds of times.
"You just pop it right back in." He beamed as if there was nothing to it, flicking the end of his T-shirt. She cringed and shuddered at the thought although it was intriguing to hear what he'd done.
"Didn't you go to the hospital?"
"Nah. Too much time and they'd probably sign me off. They don't call me Gage Force for nothing."
She'd heard that name on a few occasions. Most often when she'd gone to visit Lucy, and she was watching him play on ESPN.
"You are something else," she giggled.
"Exactly." He smiled.
"We should have marshmallows for this." He motioned towards the fire.
"I don't know what those taste like." She thought they looked weird so had never tried them, and the gooey insides put her off even more.
Gage looked at her like she'd just said something entirely ridiculous. "Woman, what they hell? How could you not know what marshmallows taste like? They're amazing. That's like saying you've never had chocolate. You're telling me you've never even had a hot chocolate with marshmallows?" He narrowed his eyes at her.
She shook her head. "They look like bird droppings."
He laughed. "Even the pink ones?"
"They have pink ones?" She didn't know that. She'd only ever seen them in white.
"Yes. Okay, the next time I go into town I'll pick up some pink ones just for you and make you a mean hot chocolate. I'll also get the big white ones. Before we leave here, we'll have them on a bonfire."
She smiled at the thought of him making something for her. "Okay, that sounds nice."
"That's it... You aren't going to do your usual protest?" He chuckled.
"No. I'll try it." She offered a small smile.
"Cool. So, now I know you don't like lizards, never tried marshmallows, and you seem to be wary of the sea. Apart from music and Lucy, and Italy, I have no idea what else you like." He did that sexy half smile thing that usually accompanied tilting his head to the side.
She bit the inside of her lip as her cheeks flushed. He'd caught her off guard with wanting to know what she liked. When she thought about it, she'd gotten to know so much about him over the last few days. More than she'd ever known in the last twenty-five years. Evie had gotten lost in listening to him and hadn't really shared anything about herself other than how she saw music and composed.
Compared to him she was boring, and she feared he might think that when he noticed she had nothing to share.
"I... well. I don't get to do much. I like shopping." She loved shopping, but that wasn't exactly unique or interesting. "And um..."
Wow, she was boring. He was looking at her with anticipation, waiting to hear. The fire flickered and the shadows danced across his face.
"Travelling," she added. "Although I don't do much of the traveling part, but I will. I spend a lot of time working."
He nodded. "Yes. It seems so." He shuffled and looked up to the night sky. Then a smile spread across his face. "Come here, let me show you something you'll like."
"What is it?" She moved over to him.
"The stars," he smiled.
She looked up and saw that the clear sky was filled. It was different here than in New York, or even Chicago. It was like looking at a piece of black glass with diamonds splashed over it. "You know the stars?"
"Every last one. My dad taught me. It was the last thing I remember about him. He loved taking me camping, and we'd always star gaze."
She smiled at the beauty in that.
"That sounds amazing."
"I'll teach you. Unless... if you'd like to go back." A curious expression crossed his face. "You haven't said, but I wouldn't want to upset Mr. Evie by keeping you out too late. He might want you to check in with him."
Mr. Evie.
She had to give him credit for his originality, but then she couldn't see him asking anyone if they were single. She was sure that the women he talked to were available, and if they weren't, they'd certainly become available after he'd worked his charm on them. She thought she was immune to his charm but no. It was working its way into her, pushing against any logical resistance she'd set up.
"There is no Mr. Evie," she replied, getting lost in his gaze. "Will Mrs. Gage mind you being out so late with some girl on the beach, stargazing?"
He laughed and did that thing that paralyzed her earlier. He took a lock of her hair and curled it around his thumb. Earlier she pulled back, but she wouldn't be doing that now.
"No princess, there is no Mrs. Gage." His eyes never left hers as he brought her hair up to his nose. "Yet."
A new and unexpected warmth surged through her. It was the way he said it that caught her attention, and the way he looked at her. His stare overwhelmed her, and she found he could hardly breathe.
* * *
Gage watched Evie go up the winding staircase allowing his eyes to drift over her shamelessly. Long, velvet hair flowed down her back from her ponytail, once again drawing his attention to her perfectly rounded behind that looked even better in those shorts. Her elegant, swanlike, exquisite beauty was built to drive a man wild, and mindless. Mindless against everything.
He didn't want to say goodnight but thought it was best to cut their stargazing session short.
Something happened to him every time he came in contact with her, and now he couldn't even control the sneaky sessions he'd usually allow himself of checking her out. Now he'd find himself staring uncontrollably and not even bothering to look away when she caught him. Like now, she looked behind her as she got to the top of the staircase and he couldn't look away.
The other day he thought he was in a new kind of trouble, now he realized he definitely was.
The problem was he wanted her, and he shouldn't. Evie wasn't just some person or some woman he could pass the time with and have fun. She meant a lot to his grandmother, and she was starting to mean something to him too.
He'd always thought she was beautiful and he'd liked her strong-willed personality, but during the time that they'd been here, he'd gotten to know her. The real her. The woman behind the strong façade, the woman behind the music that was so enchanting and riveting. He liked everything, everything about her.
It was only when she disappeared around the corner that he moved and made his way into the dining room.
His grandmother was in there. She wore her fluffy yellow dressing gown and had her hair braided to the side in one single plait that ran down to her waist.
"Make you a sandwich?" she offered with a warm smile. She seemed to be in a better mood than earlier. He was right in thinking that the break would do her good, she seemed more at ease.
"I'd love one," he replied.
He missed having someone to look after him, and having her make a fuss over him. It was one of the things he looked forward to when he went home to see her. It didn't matter how old he got, or what he was doing in life she looked after him just the same as she had when he was little.
The earliest memory he had of his parents was him asking to go to see his Grams because he wanted some of her amazing pumpkin pie, which she would always make in the shape of something to fascinate him.
She still made that for him now too. He sat around the dining table as she went into the kitchen. Minutes later she returned with a man-sized sandwich of ham, and cheese with pickles in one of those fluffy hearty Italian baguettes. It was just the thing he needed.
"Thank you so much. This looks fantastic." He complimented as she set the plate before him.
"You're very welcome my darling," she said, tapping the top of his head. She sat opposite him with a cup of tea.
"Was there any messages while I was away?" he asked.
"A couple. They weren't anybody we're looking for. That list is getting shorter and shorter." She looked at him with sad eyes.
He was hoping they'd find one of the sisters by now, and yes, he feared that they'd get to the end of the list and the trail would run cold. They'd have to start all over again. From scratch.
If that happened, he thought he'd have to get a private investigator involved. He didn't think they could keep looking like this and it wasn't doing his grandmother any good. If they got to the end of that list and they found nothing he knew it would stress her out to no end. It was stressing her out now, that's why he had to keep her spirits up.
"That just means we'll be closer to finding them." He offered, reaching across the table and giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
"Your positivity reminds me of your father. And you look just like him." She smiled. Gage had been told that a lot, he just wished things
turned out differently, and his parents were still in his life. He might have been young when they were taken from him, but he knew he loved them. All he had now was fragmented memories and images from the past. He thought that when he remembered his father he saw himself in him.
"I guess." He returned the warm smile she offered.
A disconcerted look crossed over her face as she grumbled, "with the exception of all those tattoos." That disgruntled look from earlier returned to her face. "Your father would never dream of getting anything of the sort, and your mother would give you such a telling off if she saw them."
He was used to her talking like that, like his parents were still alive. She kept them alive in his memory for him, and she was totally serious too. She absolutely hated tattoos. She said it reminded her of the macho type sailors in the war who were complete chauvinist and what she called ingrates.
"I promise I won't get anymore."
"You said that last time," she scolded frowning. "And the time before. How many do you have now?" She drew her brows together.
"A couple." He chuckled.
"A couple is two, you are covered."
He had ten. That wasn't covered. He had planned to get another one, but maybe this time he could keep his promise to her. "Okay, I seriously promise this time." He crossed his fingers together and held them at his heart.
"You'd better keep it. At least Evie agrees with me."
Gage laughed. Evie only agreed with her because she'd been put on the spot. The way she'd looked at him told him different. She didn't think he was a hooligan, and he knew she liked his tattoos as well as the rest of him.
"Yes, Evie agrees with you." He nodded, indulging her.
An excited look flickered in her eyes as an idea seemed to come to her.
"Gage, why don't you take her sightseeing? You two should go and see the sights in Italy. Florence, Venice, Milan. She'd love that. I could do the calls, and you guys could go out for a day, or two."
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