Italian Undercover Affair

by Jayne Castel

  Sabrina gritted her teeth and, picking up the basket, made her way to the kitchen. Maurizio was there, cooking up a vat of spaghetti, but he thankfully ignored her. After the incident at the tram stop, he had taken to pretending she didn’t exist, which suited her just fine.

  Reaching for a fresh loaf of bread—one that Bruno had been keeping for any customers he didn’t want to alienate—Sabrina let out a sigh. She couldn’t let this place get on top of her. She just had to keep her temper with Bruno until the end of the week.

  Just two more days and I’m free of this place.

  She was still buzzing after getting the text from Il Pomodorino—the Michelin-starred restaurant just two blocks from The Spanish Steps. They had offered her a waitressing position. And since Bruno only paid her cash-in-hand, with no contract, she would wait until the end of her Friday shift to tell him.

  This stroke of good fortune was just what she needed. She didn’t regret her decision to leave New York and make a new life for herself here—but even so, the past few weeks hadn’t been easy. First this job, which was slowly starting to grind her down, and then her encounter with Adriano.

  Even now, a couple of days later, his cruelty still stung. Perhaps, Liliana was right—he’d only acted that way because deep down he cared for her—but it provided cold comfort now. She needed to put it all behind her and focus on the future. A new job in a restaurant she could be proud to work in, with decent pay and a contract, was just what she needed.

  Sabrina placed the freshly cut slices of bread in the basket and carried it out to the German couple who had sent back the stale basket. Sabrina placed the bread in the center of the table with an apologetic smile.

  “Here you are. I’m so sorry.”

  They were both gracious enough but the fact that she had to apologize on behalf of Bruno rankled. Sabrina shot a venomous look back at the counter, where her boss was still on the phone.

  He should be doing this.

  Sabrina stalked back to the kitchen, retrieved two insipid bowls of spaghetti from the pass, and made her way over to two French girls seated by the window. After serving them, she glanced at her watch. She’d been nearly three hours without a rest—time to take a well-deserved break. She was dying for a coffee.

  “I’m taking ten minutes,” she informed Bruno as she took off her apron and hung it up behind him. He broke off his telephone call and muttered something to her but she ignored him. Sandro, his golden boy, had called in sick at the last minute—again—so he would have to look after the diners for once.

  Sabrina stepped outside and welcomed the sting of cool air on her heated cheeks. This time of year in New York, it was bitterly cold. She much preferred a Roman winter.

  Leaving Da Maria behind, Sabrina wandered down the street to a small coffee bar on the corner, where she ordered herself a caffè macchiato. She then sipped it at the bar and chatted to Ieva, the friendly Lithuanian girl who worked there, for a few minutes.

  “You look like you need that coffee,” Ieva observed with a grin.

  “Do I ever. The slave-driver I work for would have me working a full shift without a break if I let him.”

  Iva rolled her eyes in sympathy.

  “Don’t worry. By the end of the week, I’ll be free of him.”

  “Really—so you found another job?”

  “I did. I start Saturday and I’m counting down the days.”

  “Lucky you,” Ieva replied before leaning close and whispering. “I wish I could chuck this job in.” Her gaze then swiveled left to where her boss was chatting up an English tourist. “I get sick of watching Pietro try to pick up women all day.”

  Sabrina’s gaze followed Ieva’s. Oblivious to their stares, Pietro smiled at the pretty English girl who was trying to enjoy her drink at a nearby table.

  “Your eyes—they are as blue as the sea,” he crooned.

  Sabrina choked back a laugh and turned back to Ieva. “Please tell me he hasn’t used that line on you?”

  Ieva gave her a sly smile in response. “He did, but since I told him my boyfriend was a member of the Lithuanian mafia he’s left me alone.”

  Ten minutes later, bolstered by her chat to Ieva, Sabrina wandered back to the restaurant with a jaunty stride. She was just crossing the terrace and heading to the door when a man called her name.

  “Sabrina.”

  She halted, her breathing hitching in her throat. Through the glass, she could see Bruno serving the German couple. He was red in the face and arguing with them about something. He glanced up and caught her eye, his glower speaking volumes.

  Ignoring him, Sabrina turned to face Adriano Bellini.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Sabrina met Adriano’s gaze and tried to ignore the sudden pounding of her heart. Dressed in black, he looked dangerous. The serious look on his face only made him look more intimidating.

  “What do you want?” she managed finally.

  She watched him swallow, clearly uncomfortable, before he answered. “I need to speak to you.”

  Sabrina’s gaze narrowed as anger bubbled up inside her. She’d contained herself until now, had managed not to let her emotions take over, but the matter-of-fact tone he used now enraged her. She was sick of being mistreated.

  “Do you have more insults to hurl at me?”

  His dark gaze widened in surprise.

  “Was there something you left out the other day?” she continued.

  He shook his head. “I’m not here to attack you.”

  Sabrina folded her arms across her chest, her frown deepening. “Why then?”

  “I told you … can we talk?”

  “I’m in the middle of my shift.”

  “Surely you can take a break?”

  “I just have.”

  At that moment, the door behind Sabrina opened and Bruno stuck his head out. He scowled at her. “Sabrina! Get inside—I don’t pay you to stand around talking.”

  Anger still simmering, Sabrina whipped around and fixed her employer in a gimlet stare. “I’ll be inside in two minutes.”

  “We need you now!”

  Sabrina shook her head, the resentment that had been bubbling away inside her for weeks now, rising to the surface. “Two minutes,” she repeated, biting off each word. Then, to make it clear she was not about to negotiate with him, she turned her back on Bruno. Behind her, she heard her employer curse under his breath. The door banged shut as he retreated inside.

  Sabrina’s attention returned to Adriano, who looked as if he was suppressing a smile. His amusement irked her. “You have two minutes,” she snapped, “so you’d better talk fast.”

  His gaze widened and his amusement faded. “I’ve really hurt you, haven’t I?”

  Sabrina took a deep breath and tried to quell the panic rising within her. It was easier to stay angry; if she started talking about the past her brittle façade would crumble. She didn’t want him to see just how deeply he’d wounded her the other night.

  “I hurt you,” she replied eventually. “I suppose it’s only fair.”

  He watched her a moment before shaking his head. “I lashed out unnecessarily the other day. There’s no excuse for it other than I didn’t expect to see you back in Rome. I was unprepared for how I’d react.”

  Sabrina didn’t reply. Instead, she remained silent, watching as Adriano paused to collect his thoughts.

  “First, I just want to say I’m sorry for that,” he said finally. “I wasn’t thinking straight.”

  Sabrina inclined her head slightly. “Clearly.”

  “I know you told the truth about not giving those court details to Helen,” he continued. “It was only later that I realized, but surely you can see why I didn’t believe you at the time.”

  Sabrina nodded. As angry as she was at him right now, she couldn’t blame him for that. “I shouldn’t have tried to explain myself,” she admitted quietly. “It only made things worse.” She stopped there before meeting his gaze squarely. “If there’s just
one thing I want you to believe it’s that I didn’t come to Rome planning on any of this. I was hired to do a job but seducing you was never part of it.”

  His mouth quirked. “Seducing me?”

  Sabrina felt her face go hot, and she suddenly wished the cobblestones beneath her feet would open up and swallow her. She felt like she was standing naked in front of him. She’d had enough of being mocked.

  “Whatever you want to call it then,” she snapped before turning to go.

  Adriano caught her by the arm and gently pulled her round to face him. They were standing close, as close as they’d been the other night—although there was no anger in his eyes now, only sadness.

  “Please, can we talk properly … later, after your shift?”

  “What is there left to say?”

  Adriano smiled tightly. “More than you realize. Please, Sabrina.”

  She almost refused him, but something in his voice stopped her. Against her better judgement, she found herself nodding. “I finish at 10.30.”

  Adriano nodded and, releasing her arm, stepped back. “I’ll be waiting.”

  Sabrina removed her apron and hung it up on a peg behind the cash desk. She pulled on her jacket, retrieved her bag, and stood waiting for Bruno to pay her for her shift. He paid all his wait-staff on a daily basis. Cash in hand at the end of each shift.

  Keeping her expression neutral, Sabrina watched Bruno take his time to wander over to the desk. As usual, he had his cell phone glued to his ear. He opened the till and withdrew a handful of grubby twenty euro notes. He finished his conversation, plucked four notes off the top, and handed them to Sabrina.

  She took them before casting him a quizzical look. “I did eight hours today,” she reminded him. There should be another sixteen euros here.”

  Bruno’s face twisted. “You took too long over your break so I docked your pay.”

  Sabrina stared at him a moment before she gave a rueful shake of her head and put the money away.

  “I was going to wait until Friday,” she said finally, “but another day working for you is one day too many. Get yourself another waitress. I’m not coming back tomorrow.”

  Bruno gave a nasty laugh, not remotely fazed. “And where do you think you’re going?”

  “I’ve found another job,” she told him coldly. She turned and walked away, ignoring Maurizio’s glare from the kitchen. Behind her, Bruno muttered an insult but she ignored him. Stepping outside into the chill night air, Sabrina felt a weight lift from her shoulders.

  I should have done that sooner.

  Her gaze shifted to the dark silhouette of a man, standing near the bar opposite, and her elation turned to nervousness. Adriano Bellini stepped into the light of a street lamp, his handsome face cast into shadow.

  “Are you ready?” he asked, his tone belying the faintest uncertainty. Sabrina paused, surprised. He thought she had changed her mind about that drink. Maybe, he wasn’t as sure of himself as he made out.

  Sabrina walked across the restaurant terrace toward him and schooled her features into a neutral expression. “Let’s go.”

  Adriano took her to a jazz bar three streets away. It was a quiet night, and although a lone saxophonist played in the corner, there were few patrons to appreciate the music.

  They took a seat in a booth and waited for the waitress to come over and take their orders. Sabrina ordered a Campari and soda while Adriano asked for a double malted beer.

  Alone once more, an uncomfortable silence settled between them. Sabrina leaned back against the upholstered leather and glanced up at Adriano’s face. Immediately, she regretted the action. He was watching her, his gaze brooding and intense.

  To mask her discomfort, Sabrina frowned. “Well, I’m here. What is it you wanted?”

  Adriano’s gaze narrowed at her tone. “Why are you working in that dump? With your skills, you could do much better.”

  “It was only a temporary measure,” Sabrina replied coolly. “I’ve found another job actually—I start at Il Pomodorino on Saturday.”

  His eyebrows rose. “Il Pomodorino?”

  “There was only so much of Da Maria I could take. I quit tonight at the end of my shift.”

  He smiled for the first time all evening. “Well done.”

  The waiter appeared with their drinks. Sabrina took a sip of her Campari and soda, enjoying the bitterness on her palate. She then met Adriano’s gaze once more.

  “You haven’t answered my question,” she said. “Why did you want to speak to me?”

  He took a sip of beer before answering. “I was waiting. You looked ready to snap my head off.”

  Sabrina raised an eyebrow but said nothing, instead waiting for Adriano to continue. He could hardly be surprised at her defensiveness. The mellow strains of the sax caressed the air around them and, despite her nervousness at being alone with Adriano, Sabrina felt herself beginning to relax.

  “I wanted to believe the worst of you,” he said finally, breaking the silence between them. “It was easier that way.”

  Sabrina took another sip of her drink and nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

  “After Helen left me, I swore I’d never let another woman in,” Adriano continued. He stared down at the wooden table that stretched between them, as if it was hard to say the words. “I decided that my work would be my life—and I was fine that way . . . until I met you.” His gaze flicked up to meet hers. “You caught me off-guard. It was so easy to like you, to want you, to be with you. For a short while I almost believed I could be happy.”

  His words felt like knives, slowly twisting in the center of Sabrina’s chest. Her eyes suddenly stung with tears, and she only just managed to blink them back. “I’m so sorry for hurting you,” she whispered.

  Adriano swallowed and looked away. “I don’t need you to apologize again—I’m just trying to tell you how I feel.” He exhaled and leaned back against his seat. “Afterward, I thought I could go back to my old life, but I couldn’t. You changed something in me, Sabrina. You turned me into a human being, and I hated you for it.”

  A heavy silence feel between them then, filled with things unsaid.

  “What about your son?” Sabrina asked, desperate to change the direction their conversation was headed. “Did you win the case against Helen?”

  Adriano nodded. “Luca lives with me now, although Helen has visiting rights when she’s in Rome.”

  This news caused warmth to radiate out from the center of Sabrina’s chest. “How’s it working out?”

  “Good—I’ve had to make changes to my life. I’ve reduced my hours at the restaurant. Daniele proved he can be trusted again. It was time. Luca is much happier.”

  “And you?” As soon as Sabrina asked the question, she regretted it.

  Adriano’s gaze ensnared hers, and they stared at each other across the table. Their surroundings faded; the mellow jazz, the rise and fall of voices around them all disappeared. Adriano’s face had tensed and the fingers that gripped his beer glass had gone white.

  “What about me?”

  “Are you happier?”

  Adriano’s mouth twisted into a bitter smile. He held her gaze for a moment longer before he looked away and raked a hand through his hair. “Sabrina,” he growled her name like a curse, his entire body tensing. “Do I look happy to you?”

  Sabrina stared at him, fervently wishing she could take back that stupid question. Was she trying to enrage him? When Adriano looked back at her again, she was shocked to see his eyes glittered with tears.

  “Sabrina … I have never been so miserable,” he said softly.

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Sabrina took a gulp of Campari in an effort to calm her nerves. Her stomach was now pitching. She hated to see him suffer, and to know she was to blame.

  “Is it my fault?” she asked finally, wretched.

  Adriano shook his head vehemently. “No—it’s mine.”

  “But, I never wanted to hurt you like this. You must
wish you’d never met me.”

  He reached out across the table and took her hand, squeezing tightly. “You were the best thing that ever happened to me,” he rasped. “You still are.”

  Sabrina stared at him. “I don’t understand …”

  Adriano’s mouth twisted. “Thirty-five years old and I’d never been in love—not really. Then I met you and everything changed. You stripped away all of the walls I’d built around myself. You let me just be me. I only realized the truth after I drove you away, and even then I didn’t want to admit it to myself.”

  Sabrina stifled a gasp of surprise. Was she hearing correctly?

  “When I saw you the other day, it brought it all back,” Adriano continued. “There was no hiding from the truth any more. I need to tell you that I love you, so you understand why I was so vicious. I thought it would make me feel better but I only felt worse.”

  Sabrina gently squeezed his hand back; the strength and warmth of his fingers were her anchor in the sea of emotions that surged within her. She was at a loss for words. She wanted to tell him that she loved him too—that nothing had changed for her part. However, she was also aware that he might have been telling her this to unburden himself. Just because he loved her didn’t mean he still wanted her.

  They sat in silence for a while, each loath to break the fragile connection between them. Eventually, Adriano drained his glass and reached for his jacket.

  “I need some air—can I walk you to the tram?”

  Sabrina nodded, disappointment flooding through her that the intimacy of the moment had shattered. She wanted to tell him she understood but her tongue felt glued to the roof of her mouth. She felt light-headed and a little sick; maybe she too needed some fresh air. The intensity of what had just passed between her and Adriano had drained them both.

  Outside, the air had a bite to it. Adriano turned his collar up against it and offered his arm to Sabrina. Wordlessly, she took it, enjoying the feel of his arm through hers and the warmth of his body, so close she could smell the male musk of his skin. Her stomach leaped, as if she had just jumped off a high wall. Even months later, his closeness had an explosive effect on her.