“Come on, get up, tesoro. We have to go,” he said as he jumped off the bed.
“Go? Go where?”
“You’ll see. Come on, we have to go now if we want to be there before the sun sets.”
“You’re being weird. How long are we going to be ‘there’?” Stella asked, making air quotes and getting up from the bed.
“I love it when you do that with your fingers,” Max said, as he came to her and wrapped her in his arms for a quick kiss. Then he grabbed her hand and almost dragged her out of his bedroom.
“Wait – you didn’t answer my question. If we’re going to stay overnight, I’m going to need some stuff and I really don’t want to go back to ...”
“I took care of it. Packed you a bag for a few days; it’s in the boot,” he interrupted her and grinned.
“How about your job? How about Aunt Niki? I can’t just disappear; I have to tell her ...”
“Took care of all that, too. Now stop talking and worrying and get in the car.”
Stella did as she was told. Once in the car she relaxed and even smiled.
“You’re sexy when you’re bossy,” she teased Max, as he climbed into the driver’s seat.
He laughed and pressed the ignition button, backing the car off the driveway and onto the road.
“I have a request,” Stella said as they sped along the highway, while she was looking out of the window and admiring the picturesque Italian countryside. She had no idea where they were going, because Max refused to tell her, and frankly she didn’t care. The more distance he put between her and Lisa, the better she felt.
“What is it, babe?”
“I don’t want to talk about what happened today. None of it. I need some time before I can even begin to think about it.”
“No worries.” He squeezed her hand over the gear lever and they drove in comfortable silence the rest of the way.
“OK, we’re almost there,” Max said as he pulled the car over. Stella looked around – they were still in the middle of nowhere: just the road and fields around it. She must have looked confused, because Max laughed and said,
“We’re almost there. I need to do something first before we drive the rest of the way.” He opened the glove compartment and took out a black satin sleeping mask. “Put this on.”
“When I said I liked it when you’re bossy, I didn’t have S&M in mind.”
Max rolled his eyes, but couldn’t hide his smile.
“Let me rephrase: put this on, please.”
Sighing, Stella put the mask on.
“Can you see anything?”
“No.”
“Good.”
He started the engine again and they drove for about ten more minutes before they took a sharp turn and reduced their speed considerably. The road they were on now was quite uneven and bumpy and Stella assumed it was some kind of smaller, side road. She had given up asking any more questions, because Max wasn’t caving in. He took his surprise very seriously and was completely immune to her probing for information. Thankfully, they didn’t drive on that road for too long, because Stella was already feeling a bit carsick. Soon, the car stopped and Max switched off the engine.
“We’re here,” he whispered in her ear, and Stella started.
“I hate this thing,” she said, pointing at the mask.
“Maybe I can change your opinion later,” Max said in a low, seductive voice and Stella’s heart did a somersault. How did he manage to get her so excited with a single sentence? “Wait here; I’ll open the door for you.”
When the door opened, Stella instinctively extended her hand and he took it in his. He led her a few steps, then stopped and removed her mask.
The view in front of her took her breath away. They were in the middle of a picture postcard! And not just any postcard, but the very beautiful ones you send to people you don’t really like to make them envious of your perfect holiday.
They were standing by the road in the middle of a field that was the most amazing green colour Stella had ever seen. In the distance there were hills and a fir forest, and the winding, single-lane road they’ve been driving on. At the end of the road was a house, or rather a villa. It looked quite big even from that far away.
“Where are we?”
“Tuscany.” Max looked so pleased with himself and with the fact that Stella was speechless. “Come on, let’s get back in the car. I just wanted to show you the view from here.”
“Where are we going now?”
Max pointed towards the villa instead of replying. Stella took one last look around, trying to imprint the scenery in her brain forever – the endless fields, the orange sun that had just kissed the tops of the hills in the distance, the amazing fresh-air smell, the natural silence.
They parked in the driveway a few minutes later. Max took their bags from the boot and headed to the front door, fishing in his pocket to get the key out. Stella stepped out of the car and looked around. The place was magical! There were huge trees surrounding the grounds around the house, giving it an enclosed feel. They surely weren’t planted there for privacy, because there were fields all around them and nothing else. But still, it felt kind of cosy.
The villa didn’t seem anything special from the outside; it was a big, boxy building made of grey stone. However, there were huge windows along the walls that looked quite modern, so Stella was curious as to what she’d find inside.
Max unlocked the door and walked in, leaving it open for her. When she walked through the threshold, Stella’s mouth flew open and stayed like that for a while. The house was incredible inside. They had stepped into a large space that was a living room, dining room and kitchen all in one. It was very modern, with hardwood floors, plainly plastered walls and those big windows that let in so much light. The sitting area consisted of two overstuffed sofas, a lot of beanbags and a leather recliner. There was a gas fireplace and a flat-screen TV over it. The kitchen was compact and separated from the sitting area by a bar and four stools. On the other side there was a big dining table with eight chairs.
The decor was minimalist, but comfortable. However, Stella couldn’t find any personal touches anywhere – no photos, no magazines or books scattered around, nothing on the counters in the kitchen. It looked too clean and mess-free.
“What is this place?” she asked Max when he left their bags on the floor and went to open the glass doors leading to the back garden.
“It’s Beppe’s.” That was all he said, as he unlocked the doors. The whole wall leading to the garden disappeared as Max slid all six glass panels to the side. Stella joined him, unable to resist the urge to look outside any longer. She walked out onto a stone patio area. A luscious green lawn spread beyond it right up to the trees circling the garden. On her left she saw an oval swimming pool, with an alcove right next to it. Looking closer, she noticed it wasn’t just an alcove – there was a jacuzzi tub inside. Raising an eyebrow at Max, who was watching her reaction, Stella pointed to the jacuzzi.
“Like I said – it’s Beppe’s,” said Max, and grinned.
“Why doesn’t he live here, then?”
“Can you see Beppe living in the middle of nowhere full time? He’d go crazy in two days max.”
“Then why did he buy it?” Stella hated to pry, but it seemed odd to buy such a huge house, in Tuscany no less, and not live in it.
“He didn’t. His grandfather left it to him.” Max answered her question, but it was obvious by his tone of voice and rigid stance that he didn’t want to elaborate any further. Stella let him be. Why did it matter, anyway? They were in this beautiful house all by themselves; everything else was irrelevant.
“How long can we stay?” she asked.
“However long you want. I called Antonio before we left and he must have stocked the fridge for us. It’ll last us at least a few days. But we can always go into town and buy more food, or anything else we need.” Max moved behind her and circled her waist with his arms, resting his chin on top of her
head.
“How about your job? When do you have to be back?”
“Don’t worry about it, babe; we stay as long as you want. I mean it.” He kissed the side of her neck and squeezed his arms more tightly around her.
“Who’s Antonio?”
“He and his wife Cristina are the housekeepers.”
“You mean we aren’t alone here?” Stella couldn’t hide the disappointment in her voice. Max chuckled.
“We are. They live in the other house, right next to the vineyard.”
“Another house? Vineyard? How big is this property, exactly?”
“Big. I’ll take you to see how they make the wine tomorrow if you want. They’d love to meet you.”
“Do they have one of those enormous tubs full of grapes that you can mash with your feet?” Stella’s eyes lit up with excitement. She’d always wanted to do that, ever since she’d seen it in a movie once. It seemed like an extraordinary experience.
Max laughed again.
“They do. They keep one for entertainment, I guess, since nobody uses that method to make wine anymore. But it’s too early for harvesting the grapes; they usually start in mid-August.” He pecked the side of her neck again. “We can come back in August if you want.”
“I’d love that.”
Stella turned her head to face him and couldn’t hide her delighted grin. Thankful to Max that he’d gone to all this trouble to clear his schedule and take her away from her problems, Stella kissed his cheek tenderly and whispered,
“Thanks.” He nodded, accepting her gratitude and, tugging on her hand, led her back inside.
“You hungry?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Good, ‘cos I’m starving. Let me see what I can make.” He opened the fridge and started taking stuff out. “If you want you can go upstairs and unpack, take a shower or something. I’ll make us something to eat in the meantime.”
How was it even possible for such a wonderful man to exist? He was considerate, generous, caring, passionate, incredibly sexy and charismatic – and he cooked! Stella had yet to find a flaw in him.
“You’re staring at me again,” he said, producing a devilish grin and startling Stella out of her thoughts. “I’d give anything to find out what brought that dreamy expression on your face.”
“You,” she said, her smile vanishing unexpectedly and her face growing serious. Sensing the change, Max covered the distance between them in a few long strides and crushed his mouth onto hers. Stella responded immediately, opening her lips to him and allowing him full access to her mouth, her tongue – her soul. He grabbed her hair at the back of her neck, pulling it back and exposing her throat and her jaw for him to explore with hungry kisses. There was something desperate, animalistic, about the way he had reacted to her single-word admission. Stella opened her eyes, trying to regain her senses and saw Max trailing his tongue along her neck, watching her. His hazel eyes were unfocused, anxious and glazed with need. There was something much deeper going on behind them, but Stella was too worn out and too afraid to walk into that right now.
“Max ...” she said, her voice coming out raspy. He moved his lips back to hers and slowed down, kissing her tenderly, trying to regain control. His hands moved to the side of her face, cupping her cheeks as he pressed his forehead to hers, breathing heavily. Stella pressed her hand on his chest and felt his heart beating in a frantic rhythm.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, still not letting go of her.
“Don’t be.” Stella moved her hand from his chest to his cheek, brushing it with her fingers.
“I know we came here to get your mind off things and the last thing you need is me all over you like that – but it’s just that I can’t control myself around you. Especially when you get all dreamy and sexy and thinking about me.”
“It won’t happen again,” Stella said, and the horrified look in Max’s eyes made her laugh. “I’m joking! I couldn’t help it even if I wanted to. Ever since I saw you that day on the beach, all I think about is you.”
Max took a step back and grinned, his eyes glowing with delight. “Me too. Do you still have that yellow dress you wore that day? I’d love to peel it off you.”
“Wait – you remember me?” Stella had always thought that Max hadn’t paid any attention to her that day and that he only remembered their first ‘official’ encounter on the beach the next day, when she’d injured her foot.
“Of course I remember you. You stared at me open-mouthed for a long time, babe.”
“Hey,” Stella slapped his upper arm playfully. “You were coming out of the sea in slow motion, all tanned and gorgeous and wet. What was I supposed to do?”
“I’m pretty sure I was moving at normal speed.”
“Not how I saw it.” She winked at him and he beamed. “And besides, there must be a ton of other women staring at you all the time. I thought you were used to it.”
“Not all women who stare at me have long, lean legs, incredible caramel hair, pale flawless skin and look amazingly cute in a short yellow dress.” As he spoke, Max moved closer to her again, emphasising each word by trailing his eyes along Stella’s body.
“When I saw you the next day all alone on the beach, I couldn’t believe my luck. When you injured your foot, I had the chance to play your hero. Take care of you,” he said, and moved even closer. Stella could feel his breath over her lips and her heart sped up again. “I was such a fool not to ask you out that day, but it didn’t feel right to bandage your foot and hit on you in the same five minutes. When I saw you at Lisa’s house, I knew there was a reason why you kept appearing in my life.”
He brushed his lips over hers and Stella was mesmerised by his words, his mouth, the way he looked at her. She stood frozen in place, unable to move away. Unwilling to move away. “I think it’s a good idea for you to go and unpack, because if you stay here I can’t promise I’ll resist throwing you over my shoulder and taking you to the bedroom myself.” He kissed the skin under her ear and she shuddered.
Right. Move. Unpack. Shower. Definitely shower.
“Where’s the bedroom?” she asked breathlessly.
“Upstairs, second door on your left.” Max smiled and, giving her one last peck on the cheek, went back to making their dinner.
“Max, this is the second amazing meal you’ve cooked for me. I can’t believe you aren’t a chef, just like Gia. You’ve got some special skills.”
He’d made lasagne, baked garlic bread from scratch and a huge salad with the most mouth-watering dressing Stella had ever tasted.
“I considered it for a while. My dad was a chef, and both Gia and I loved to watch him cook. I guess after he died I couldn’t bring myself to do something that reminded me of him every day.” Every time Max spoke of his dad, an unmistakable shadow of sadness appeared on his face. Stella knew it would never go away, no matter how much time passed. “Gia, on the other hand, was more determined than ever to be a chef. She was seventeen when he died and about to apply for colleges. All her efforts went into getting good grades and being accepted at the Institute of Culinary Arts. I guess everyone deals with grief differently – I wanted to forget, while all she wanted to do was remember him.”
Stella could absolutely relate to that and for the first time since her dad and her brother died, she felt ready to talk about it with someone besides her mother.
“You’re right; everyone grieves in their own way. After the accident Niki took Lisa away, leaving every single thing that reminded her of her husband behind, including me and my mum. Mum, though, felt she needed to be reminded of her son and her husband every day and refused to move. But in the end, it doesn’t matter where you live or what you do. You remember the people you’ve lost every single day, whether you want to or not. I guess all we can do is continue with our lives as best we can and come to terms with the fact that although we’ll never forget them, they’re never coming back.”
Max nodded, but kept silent, as if processing Stella�
��s words. They finished their lasagne in silence and even though it wasn’t uncomfortable, Stella felt Max withdrawing. He had a tendency to do that sometimes – think so hard about something that all his other senses shut down. Right now Stella needed him there, not locked in his head, and the distant vibe he was projecting was unbearable.
“So, tell me more about this house. When did Beppe renovate it? Everything looks new in here.” Max took a sip of his drink, trying to focus all his thoughts on the present before he spoke.
“About three years ago. He hired contractors to do it, but he was here on site almost every day. I tagged along and was fascinated. I asked so many questions and wanted to be involved in everything that was going on that I drove everyone insane. At one point the project manager threatened to quit if I didn’t back off.” Stella laughed because she could totally imagine Max doing that. She knew from personal experience how determined he was when he decided he wanted something, and he’d try everything until he got it.
“My guess is you didn’t leave him alone, did you?”
“Not a chance,” he said and grinned, seeming delighted that she knew how he’d reacted. “I turned on the charm and he was eating out of my hand for the next three weeks.”
“Sometimes I think you have no conception of what the word ‘no’ means.”
“Oh, I do know what it means. I just don’t like it,” he said and winked at her.
“Was that why you decided you wanted to pursue that kind of career?” Stella asked, leading the conversation back on track.
“I’ve always been interested in buildings, I guess. But yeah, that was the moment I realised I didn’t want to build new ones. I’d rather save the neglected ones. In Italy there are so many amazing old houses, left to rot under the elements. Not many people want to take on such projects, because it’s hard – most of those houses are listed buildings and there are a lot of bureaucratic issues, lots of permits to apply for. On the plus side, they’re very cheap to buy and usually come with a lot of land.”
Stella’s heart swelled as Max spoke. The need to help and protect was deeply ingrained in his DNA. If he wanted to make a career in property development, it would be so much easier to build new houses from scratch. But no, he had to save the old ones, breathe new life into them. Make them happy.
In a heartbeat (Heartbeat #1) Page 25