Lost in Italy

by Stacey Joy Netzel

  “Tell me about it.”

  He’d descended the first step and she shifted her gaze to see he stared at her, not the view. Their gazes locked. Nothing but complete honesty glowed in his hazel eyes. Until a spark lit and flared. Suddenly, every argument she’d used to keep herself from kissing the man became the very reasons why she should.

  He didn’t move and she knew the next step was up to her. Carpe diem. A term she was familiar with in theory, but not in practice. Her heart raced erratically. She shifted to the edge of the stair. Even with the added height of the step, he still had a good two inches on her. She lifted her arms to rest on his shoulders, linking her hands behind his head. He remained so still she’d swear he held his breath.

  The entire world narrowed down to just the two of them as she leaned in until her lips hovered above his. “Thank you for this morning.”

  “I’d say anytime, but—”

  She pressed her mouth to his, cutting off the unwelcome reminder of their limited time.

  Now that she’d made the first move, he slanted his mouth over hers, demanding entry with his tongue. Rough whiskers rasped against her skin, but she didn’t mind his dominance. Being wanted by this man was a heady sensation, one that no longer had anything to do with his international fame.

  Trent’s fingers splayed across her back, strong and sure and warm. Hers twined in the soft thickness of his dark hair, urging him ever closer. He tasted of the coffee and sweet pastries they’d enjoyed for breakfast. She craved more as her tongue explored the smooth line of his teeth. Rising on her tiptoes, pressed against him from chest to hip, she sought to gain back some control. After all, it was her kiss.

  But he pressed back, dueling with her; giving little, taking more. And when he blocked one of her advances and countered with his own, she felt his mouth curve into a grin. He was cocky even in the middle of a kiss. But it felt so good to give in. Live in the moment and enjoy what was right in front of her, without having planned things out to the last detail.

  At some point, the dynamics changed. He eased his possession, delved deeper, laved slower until the sensual glide of his tongue against hers made it impossible not to imagine what he would feel like inside her.

  Passion rose, robbing her of oxygen, leaving her lightheaded. Desire throbbed in her most sensitive places, all the more acute for the firm press of his growing arousal against her belly.

  A soft, helpless sound of pleasure vibrated in her throat. Had his arms not supported her, her weakened knees would’ve betrayed her, leaving her in a melted puddle at his feet.

  He answered with his own groan of raw need, burying his face against her neck. “God, Halli, we should’ve done this at the boat.”

  She dragged air into her aching lungs, clearing the fog from her brain. She’d never experienced such a forceful, primal reaction to anyone. If they had kissed on the boat, she knew exactly where it would’ve led. Another notch on the bedpost for the playboy—in the easy conquest column, no less—and nothing but heartache for her.

  One amazing memory to haunt her dreams for years to come.

  In the ensuing silence, Trent wished he could take the words back. She hadn’t moved from his embrace. With her arms wrapped around his neck, every luscious curve still clung to him, heating him almost beyond endurance. Every chest-heaving breath she took sent fresh spikes of desire screaming through his veins. And yet, he sensed her withdrawal as if she’d physically stepped ten yards back.

  The interlude was over. Reality returned with a huge dose of regret. Not for kissing her, but because they’d say goodbye and he wouldn’t get to do it again.

  He ran his hands up the length of her back, over her shoulders, and along her arms as she eased her body away. Her lips were slightly swollen, red, and glistening. They begged for more, but he wasn’t so sure he could handle another kiss without spontaneously combusting, or taking her right here in the garden. He bit back a groan at that thought.

  Down swept lashes hid her blue eyes, and color stained her cheeks. The contrast between her blushing shyness and that fiery kiss turned him on even more.

  He dipped his chin, caught her eye, and summoned a teasing smile. “Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

  She laughed softly, breathlessly. “Not bad at all.”

  At least she didn’t deny having enjoyed herself. That might have pissed him off. As it was, this time his smile took no effort at all. He secured her hand in his and didn’t let go as he led her down the steps to loop around Villa Melzi, back to the car.

  “I think we made some great progress here today,” he said matter-of-factly. “You trusted me. You enjoyed a surprise. And most importantly, you finally came to terms with how much you want me.”

  “Your conceit knows no bounds.”

  He discovered he’d do just about anything to keep her laughing as they finished their private tour. It was pathetic, really. He felt like a horny teenager on the two minute drive back to the boat so she could change and get her camera. All he could think about was carrying her below deck and picking up where they’d left off at the top of the garden steps.

  But time ticked relentlessly, and though she didn’t say it, he knew she was anxious to meet up with her family again. He wished he had equal enthusiasm. There was no reason not to, since he’d be rid of her and the responsibility of keeping her safe. That alone should have had him running for the car to be on their way.

  That, and his investigation, like she’d said. He needed to go back to his place and see if by some miracle the voice recording was still there to back up her video. He had to figure out exactly how much Lapaglia knew about his involvement. He wanted to follow up on a comment Lorenzo had said into the mic yesterday morning about a new shipment of animals. And he couldn’t do any of that with her at his side.

  Take any one of those reasons and he should have no qualms about saying goodbye to the uptight Halliwell Sanders.

  Unfortunately, she’d gotten under his skin. And no matter how much he tried to convince himself not to worry about the meeting in front of the consulate, after their surprise guests last night, his gut told him to proceed with caution.

  Chapter 14

  To Trent’s relief, Halli sat mute on the way to Milan. After the sensual energy that pulsated between them as she carefully changed the bandage on his arm, he needed some distance. Physically, that problem would be solved in the next twenty minutes, but it unnerved him that his earlier teasing about missing her was completely true.

  Didn’t help that the blouse he’d bought her brought out the blue in her eyes in the most amazing way. Not to mention, with its cross wrap and side tie, the silky material molded her breasts almost as much as the Wet & Wild shirt.

  He fought against a sideways, downward glance. She was a distraction he didn’t need right now, damn it. The emotional distance her silence created was definitely for the best.

  He’d been to the US Consulate General in Milan a time or two since purchasing his villa, and only took two wrong turns on the confusing one-ways before getting them on the right track. A couple blocks from the government building, he pulled the car over near a pay phone. Removing his cap, he ran a hand through his hair and resettled the hat, keeping the visor low over the spare pair of sunglasses he’d snagged off the boat.

  Halli leaned forward to look at the buildings around them. “Is this it?”

  “Not quite.” Trent chose his words carefully. “I think we should try your brother’s cell again. He may not have gotten your message.”

  “They’ll be there,” she stated. And then he thought she added under her breath, “They have to be.”

  “Then let’s find out where they want to meet. It’ll save some time driving around.”

  “I told them in front of the building. It can’t be that big. I’d rather just go see if they’re there. How much farther is it?”

  “A few blocks, but—”

  “Then let’s go.”

  The ball of lead in Trent’s sto
mach refused to budge. In fact, it’d gotten heavier the closer they got to the city. He wasn’t sure if it stemmed from the imminent meeting with her family, or the idea that she was about to walk out of his life for good.

  His hands tightened on the steering wheel. This was absurd. He made friends with people and said goodbye all the time in his line of work. A few months, weeks, sometimes only days, on set and everyone went their separate ways. Halli was no different.

  Yes she is.

  He ignored that voice, turning his attention to another issue that’d occurred to him during the drive to the city. The reason he’d secretly hidden the video SD card, his one remaining concrete piece of evidence, back at the boat. When he got justice for Sean and Lorenzo, he’d find a way to return her family memories.

  “Listen, even if your brother and sister are here—”

  “They are.”

  “—have you thought about the rest of your situation?”

  “The rest of my situation?” she repeated with a frown.

  “I don’t want to scare you, but you do realize that after what happened at the Torno police station, these guys know exactly who you are, right?”

  Silence.

  “You gave them a copy of your passport.” Voicing that fact out loud triggered a click in his brain. That must be why he didn’t feel right about leaving her. Because even after she was back with her family, she wouldn’t be safe. Not because he didn’t want to say goodbye. Not because he was going to miss her. “They’ve got your full name, your address back in Wisconsin, everything. And they know what you recorded.”

  “Stop.”

  “I’m serious, Halli. You’ll still have to—”

  “Trent. I want to go now.”

  “No, damn it!” He struck the steering wheel with the heel of his hand. Tension pulsed through the interior of the car, stimulating the hairs on his arm. “You need to listen to me and understand—”

  “I understand, okay? I get it.” She took a deep breath, but stared straight ahead. “Now quit ruining everything and take me to the consulate like you promised.”

  Ruining everything? All he was doing was trying to look out for her. His frustration mounted, but if she didn’t want his help, what could he do? He was done forcing anything on her.

  After a quick check of the mirrors, he shot back out into traffic and made the final turn onto Via Princepe Amedeo. Buildings rose up along either side of the narrow, one-way street. Five stories high on the right, with the consulate up ahead on the left in a more modern high-rise.

  Halli obviously spotted the American flag flying above a first-floor, side entrance, because she needlessly exclaimed, “There it is!”

  She sat forward, and he just knew she was scanning the area for Ben and Rachel. He slowed down on his way past the consulate entrance, but didn’t see anyone resembling either of her siblings in the video.

  “Pull over and I can wait for them here.” She’d already unbuckled her seat belt.

  He kept driving. “Hold on. I want to take a drive around the block first.”

  “Why?”

  “Just humor me, okay?”

  She sat back with a huff, arms crossed over her chest.

  As he made a left hand turn onto the one-way Via Montebello, he noted his windbreaker folded on her lap. “Do me a favor and put that jacket on.”

  “I’m not cold.”

  “Just do it. And put the hood up.” He reached up to tug at the bill of his hat, though it really couldn’t go much lower.

  “You’re acting like we’re on some sort of covert operation,” she complained.

  That was just it, he wasn’t acting at all. Surprisingly, though, she did as he asked, and pulled the hood up over her head without further prompting.

  Coming up on the next intersection, he eased his foot off the gas and flipped the lever for the left turn signal again. Like many larger cities in Italy, the narrow streets were hell to navigate with the number of cars and the endless confusion of one-ways merging into two-ways. Looked like they’d have a wait up ahead before the two-way traffic allowed them to continue.

  A pedestrian with a backpack slung over one shoulder darted between two parked cars. Trent braked hard to avoid hitting the guy, automatically reaching a hand to brace Halli. Good thing, since she hadn’t refastened her seatbelt. However, his palm collided with the silky blouse and soft curves of her chest. In a different situation, he might have enjoyed the accidental contact. Now, he jerked his hand back lest she think he did it on purpose.

  That’s when he spotted her sister, sitting on one of the cement barricades partitioning off the small plaza in front of the building that housed the Consulate. She sat straight and stiff, one forearm across her middle to brace the elbow of her other arm as she chewed on her thumbnail. Halli’s brother Ben was nowhere to be seen.

  Red flags exploded like fireworks.

  Trent’s gaze darted to the traffic ahead and back to Rachel again. Maybe Halli’s sister routinely indulged that particular nervous habit. Then again, maybe she had a specific reason to be edgy. Trent kept driving. Given the past twenty-four hours, he preferred to err on the side of caution.

  “There! That’s Rachel right there.” Halli bounced in her seat like an excited kid. “I told you they’d be here!”

  Trent stepped on the gas and switched the signal to a right hand turn. A horn bleeped, conveying the annoyance of the driver on their rear end who’d darted over to go around them. Rachel’s head jerked in their direction, but she focused on the car behind him. Thankfully his lane scrabble drew no more notice as more horns blared ahead and behind them.

  Halli spun around as Trent drove past her sister. “What are you doing?”

  “Just hold on a sec.” Trent took the right turn, checked traffic, his review and side mirrors. No one seemed to be following them. He pulled over in the first parking spot he saw and jammed the car into park. A yank on the review mirror confirmed her sister hadn’t moved.

  Halli, on the other hand, dove for the door and had one foot out of the vehicle before Trent caught hold of her arm.

  She fought him. “Let me go!”

  “Jesus, Halli, stop for just a moment.” He hauled her back into the car and growled, “Shut the door.”

  She rounded on him, blue eyes snapping with fury. “What the heck is your problem?”

  “Something doesn’t feel right.”

  “Tell me about it. You’re holding me hostage again!”

  “Don’t start. Now shut your door until I can figure out what the hell is going on.”

  “There’s nothing going on—”

  He felt below his seat, located the pistol with its silencer, and brought it up to wedge between his thigh and the seat, the grip free for an easy grab. Halli’s eyes grew round as saucers. He hadn’t let her see him stow the gun in the car when they’d left the boat.

  “Shut the door.”

  The car rocked with the force of her compliance. Trent drew a deep breath, glancing around to see what kind of attention they’d drawn. Apparently, they were nothing out of the ordinary, because no one cast them anything other than a cursory glance. Especially now that she’d finally listened to him.

  For good measure, he thumbed the automatic locks. “Now look,” he commanded. He sunk lower in his seat and twisted around to focus on Rachel, who was just barely visible beyond the corner of the building at the end of the block. “What do you notice about your sister?”

  Halli stubbornly remained facing forward. “That she’s sitting there all alone probably scared to death wondering if I’m okay. This has nothing to do with—”

  “Dammit, Halli, look at her.”

  She turned her head to glare at him, then sighed with annoyance, grasped the headrest, and pulled herself around. “Just like I said. She looks worried.”

  “She’s wearing the same clothes she had on in your video. And where’s your brother?”

  “They were probably looking for me all night. Ben’s proba
bly checking inside right now while Rachel waits outside so they don’t miss me.”

  “Clearly they got your message to meet here, so they knew you were okay and would’ve had no reason to stay up all night looking.”

  “Maybe they didn’t get it until this morning.”

  Trent held his frustration in check at her single-minded belief that today would be the end of her troubles. Unfortunately, he’d bet a hell of a lot of money they were far from over. And, unfortunately, it was up to him to spell it out, letter by un-sugar-coated letter.

  “Okay, then, tell me this. Where’s their Fiat?”

  “Their what?”

  “The blue rental car your brother was driving. I don’t see it anywhere.”

  “Maybe they parked around the corner—I don’t know! Trent, please, let me go to my sister.”

  Halli didn’t know what else to do other than beg, but Trent was relentless with his suspicions, hurling question after question after each explanation she lobbed back.

  “I watched that video yesterday,” he stated in a low, ominous tone. “Your sister was obsessed with a hair dryer. Don’t you think she would’ve changed her clothes at the very least?”

  A ripple of fear cascaded down her spine. Oh, God, he was right. She stared through the back window at Rachel across the street, all alone, and suddenly looking more terrified than worried.

  “What are you saying?” She knew the answer, just couldn’t wrap her mind around it.

  “I’m saying, we can’t rush in there after Lapaglia’s goons showed up at my villa out of the blue last night. Somehow they connected you to me. Now how exactly do you suppose that happened?”

  Her hand covered her mouth. “Ben’s phone.”

  “Exactly.”

  “But…I never said your name, and I didn’t leave your number because I didn’t know it. How could—”

  “My guess is your brother and sister came back looking for you yesterday morning and found Lapaglia instead. After you left that message for Ben, and assuming his phone records incoming calls, Lapaglia easily could’ve run a check with his police contacts for the info on where the call came from.”