by Jayne Castel
They had been walking a few minutes when Adriano spoke again. “Do you remember what you said to me, when you came to my restaurant the last time?”
Sabrina nodded, heat rising to her cheeks. The humiliation of laying herself bare only to be rejected still burned.
“You said you loved me. Do you still feel that way or have I ruined everything?”
Sabrina slipped her arm from his and stopped. She looked up at him with his handsome face partly shadowed in the dimly lit street.
Her earlier fears dissolved. The tears she’d been holding back ever since he’d admitted how he felt back in the jazz bar, spilled over. She scrubbed at them, wishing this didn’t feel so raw. “Love isn’t like a tap,” she replied. “I can’t just turn it on and off whenever I want.” She heard the tremble in her voice and wished she had more poise, more self-control.
“So you still love me?”
Sabrina stared at him. On the street behind them, a police car rocketed past, sirens blaring, but both of them were oblivious to it. Adriano raised his hand and stroked her cheek, wiping away her tears. She could see the tension in his face, and when their gazes met, she realized that he was just as terrified as she was.
“I never stopped loving you,” she whispered. “Not for a moment.”
Here was his chance. She’d just opened up to him; if he wanted to turn on her and grind her into the dirt he’d never have a better opportunity. It would be the perfect revenge for what she’d done to him. Sabrina inhaled deeply and waited for the axe to fall.
Instead, Adriano smiled, his eyes gleaming in the street lights. “Despite the fact I’m an asshole with a terrible temper?”
Sabrina sniffed. “Yes, despite all that.”
“I’ve always been stubborn—but this time it almost cost me dearly.”
“It’s not too late, Adriano,” she whispered.
Hope flickered in his dark gaze. “Can we start again? Can we try and fix this?”
Sabrina nodded, smiling through her tears. “I thought you’d never ask.”
A shadow lifted from Adriano’s gaze. He pulled her to him, his mouth slanting over hers. Sabrina reached up to meet him, rising up on her toes as she linked her arms around his neck and returned his kiss. She clung to him as he kissed her hungrily. His hands spread out over her back, pressing her hard against him. The world dissolved; all that existed was her and Adriano. She melted against him, drinking him in.
When they broke apart, they were both breathing hard.
Sabrina gave a soft, shaky laugh, pushing her hair out of her eyes and watching him under lowered lids. “Well Signor Bellini, that’s certainly a good start.”
“That’s only the beginning,” he growled. He slid one hand up her nape and tangled it into her hair while he raised his other hand to her face, tracing her lower lip with his thumb. “I’m going to spend the rest of my life making sure you know how much I love you.”
Epilogue
Six months later …
Sabrina watched the sunset. The sun was sinking behind the glittering rim of the sea to the west, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. Breathless, she gazed at the view, watching as a small boat slid into view across the gilded sea.
She stood high on the cliffs of Capri, surrounded by Mediterranean woodland and the din of cicadas. The beauty of this island was famed, but the loveliness of her surroundings surpassed all expectations. The island perched above the surrounding sea, its rocky shores and tree-clad slopes a mecca for tourists. Yet, despite its small size, Capri seemed to absorb them all. Sabrina had only been on the island a few hours, and already she was in love with it.
A soft, warm breeze feathered Sabrina’s cheeks, relieving the late summer heat, as she turned and made her way back along the stony path, away from the belvedere—the lookout. The path took her along the hillside, just above a row of villas and gardens. Eventually, she entered Anacapri—the least touristy of the island’s three villages. Perched high above the rest of Capri, the village was a loop of narrow streets, intersected by small piazzas. Everywhere you looked, the views were jaw dropping. A sun-seared hill rose above the village, where a cable car took tourists up to the highest point of the island.
Sabrina craned her neck to watch it and smiled. Tomorrow, she would convince Adriano to get over his fear of heights and take that cable car with her. Maybe after that they could take a boat trip to the famous Blue Grotto.
They’d checked in to their hotel earlier that afternoon—a gracious white building with an uninterrupted view north over the Mediterranean—after a journey by hydrofoil from Naples—a trip that Sabrina had enjoyed immensely. A week of lazy days, sunshine, and good food lay ahead of them.
Sabrina wandered through the streets of Anacapri, where old women sat outside their doorways on plastic chairs, catching up on the day’s events, and locals did their grocery shopping after work. She passed a group of boys playing soccer in one of the alleyways. There wasn’t a lot of space, and they’d resorted to using a stack of garbage cans as goal posts, but they looked like they were having fun all the same. Further on, she came across a cat basking on the top of a wall in the late afternoon sun.
It was a relaxing scene and a few gears slower than Rome’s frenetic pace. It had been a busy last six months and both she and Adriano were overdue a break.
Sabrina’s smile widened as she thought about the last few months—they’d been the best of her life. The night she quit her job at Da Maria had been a turning point. She had started her new job at Il Pomodorino two nights later and had never looked back. Two months after that, she’d been promoted to maître d’ and was now the restaurant’s head waiter.
She and Adriano had also never looked back since that night. She had initially worried that the past would prove to be an obstacle between them, that he wouldn’t find it easy to forgive and forget, but the opposite proved true. It was as if a great weight had lifted from Adriano’s shoulders. Admitting his true feelings for her had freed him from a self-imposed prison. His capacity to love, to give of himself, had surprised her.
She was supposed to be meeting him now, in Piazza Boffe, in the heart of the village. After they’d freshened up at the hotel earlier, Sabrina had let him take a nap while she took a walk. Despite the changes he’d made in his life, he still worked too hard. Exhaustion had hit him the moment they’d stepped off the hydrofoil.
Adriano was waiting for her as she entered the square. He was sitting on a park bench, chatting to an old man. Unnoticed, she walked across the cobbled expanse toward him, drinking him in. The sight of him still made her catch her breath.
He saw her then, his gaze tracking her approach. Bidding the elderly man a good evening, he rose to his feet and closed the gap between them in a few strides. He leaned in for a kiss, his lips soft and warm on hers.
“Sorry I’m late,” Sabrina breathed. “The belvedere was further away than I thought.”
Adriano smiled. “Was it worth the walk?”
“Absolutely—I’m taking you there first thing tomorrow.”
“Great idea.” He looped his arm through hers. “Are you ready for an aperitivo?”
Sabrina nodded, glancing up at him with a smile. “Absolutely.”
They strolled down the street leading off Piazza Boffe and wandered for a bit until they came to a small whitewashed bar with tables outside. Bougainvillea spilled over the wall behind it, in a riot of deep-pink flowers. They took a seat outside, where they could watch the world go by, and ordered drinks.
Adriano then leaned back in his seat and gave a slow, languorous stretch. “I haven’t slept that well in years.”
Sabrina grinned. “It’s because you’re on holiday. My blood-pressure dropped the moment we stepped off the hydrofoil.”
“So you’re pleased you came?” he asked.
Sabrina gave him an arch look. “I’m not the one who has to be bullied into taking a vacation.”
Adriano chuckled. “Point taken. Remind me to listen to you i
n future.”
Their drinks arrived then, and the waiter placed a plate of crostini smeared with olive paste before them, to enjoy with their aperitivi. Adriano had ordered a beer, whereas she’d ordered her usual—Campari and soda. Sabrina took a sip of her drink and sighed. She’d never really enjoyed Campari before moving to Italy but now she loved it. Its bitterness suited the heat of the Mediterranean summer.
“Old habits die hard you know,” Adriano said gently, his gaze meeting hers. “For years, I never took breaks. I was always too busy.”
Sabrina placed a hand over his. “Meanwhile, life passes you by.”
Adriano took her hand and entwined his fingers with hers, an act that caused her pulse to quicken. “Not anymore.”
He reached into his back pocket and withdrew a small velvet box. Sabrina stared at him, her lips parting—this was the last thing she’d expected this evening. Adriano released her hand and got up from his chair, before dropping onto one knee before her. He opened the box to reveal a glittering diamond ring.
“I thought I’d better do this properly,” he said with a nervous grin. “I didn’t want you to think Italian men aren’t romantic.”
Sabrina stared at him, speechless. “Adriano …” she began, but he interrupted her.
“Will you marry me, Sabrina?” he asked. “I will do everything in my power to make you happy.”
Sabrina blinked as her vision blurred with tears. “Idiota—I’m already happy.”
A shadow settled over his face. “We’ll still have to wait another year before we can get married. In Italy, it takes three before couples can divorce. Helen and I have only been separated two years.”
Sabrina leaned forward and cupped his face with her hands. He’d recently shaved but she could still feel the rasp of his stubble against her palms. “That doesn’t matter to me,” she said gently. “I’ve waited my life to meet you—what’s another year?”
He smiled, his eyes glittering. “So that’s a yes?”
Sabrina laughed and threw her arms around his neck. “Of course it is!”
***
Thank you for reading ITALIAN UNDERCOVER AFFAIR. I hope you enjoyed Adriano and Sabrina’s rocky romance—and the fact they got there in the end.
Rome is a setting close to my heart. I lived in Italy for a decade and spent most of those years in Rome. The places I mention in the novel—from Piazza Navona and Trastevere to Porta Portese market and Isola Tiberina—are all part of a landscape that is very dear to me. Rome isn’t romantic like Paris, or cool like London—instead it’s a sexy, sultry city that’s perfect for a fiery romance. I hope I managed to transport you there!
As many of you will know, I am an indie author, so if you enjoyed this novel please leave an honest review on Amazon or Goodreads. It would mean a lot to me—and will ensure others find the book too!
Thank you for your support.
Jayne
***
More by Jayne Castel
Passionate, brooding heroes. Fiery, independent heroines. Unforgettable Italian settings that will transport you...
From Rome's dolce vita and the gritty streets of Naples, to the rolling hills of Tuscany and the twisting canals of Venice—Jayne Castel's contemporary romance novellas set in Italy will sweep you away.
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Vanessa Woods' romantic holiday in Tuscany with her boyfriend is quickly turning into a disaster. When her relationship disintegrates, it takes a few days in Florence, and a young chef named Marco Tirelli to take Vanessa's Tuscan holiday in an entirely unexpected direction...
Venetian Distraction
Faye Wilson is in Venice for the Biennale, to do a story on one of Italy's most promising young artists - Massimiliano Paolini. When the interview escalates into an argument, Faye storms off, determined never to set eyes on Max Paolini again. However, she doesn't suspect what the evening has in store for her...
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Omnibus: Italian Romance & Passion
Buy now from Amazon for US$2.99 (Kindle edition)
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Florentine Awakening
Venetian Distraction
Sensuality/heat level: SWEET (SWEET - sensual - sizzle)
Historical Romances set in 7th Century Anglo-Saxon England
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