Page 10

Oh good. This is going to be fun.
“Where are you off to looking like the cat who got to the saucer of cream?” Elio asks as I pass him.
“Wouldn’t you like to know? I’ll send the car back to you later. I found something much more entertaining than a wedding reception to keep me occupied.”
My brother peers over my shoulder at Mia, who’s waiting for me at the exit.
“I see,” he smirks. “Stunning creature. That didn’t take you long.”
“I always take what I want, little brother,” I smile back.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Have fun.”
“I intend to.”
“Be a gentleman,” he chuckles.
“Oh, shut up, you fool.”
3
MIA
What the hell am I doing? I hardly know this man. Sure, his rugged good looks and raw sex appeal alone are enough to bring any woman to her knees, but I’m not that kind of woman. Or am I?
It’s been a terrible year. I’ve suffered enough emotionally for two lifetimes. I deserve a little fun; letting down my hair is just what the doctor ordered. Still. I'd hate for Dante to think that I’m some sort of a loose tart, ready to give myself to anyone with an irresistible smile and the voice of an angel.
But here I am, in the back of a luxury SUV with a man I barely know, wishing more than anything that he would touch me. No, ravish me, is more correct.
“That’s me over there,” he says, pointing to a villa on a hillside.
Wow. Nice place. I bet that set him back a good few thousand euros.
“You must have quite the view over the town from up here,” I say, trying to sound calm when inside my heart is racing wildly.
“I do. We’ll see the whole of Erice tonight under the light of the full moon.”
The only thing I want to see by the light of the moon is your naked body, beautiful stranger.
“I look forward to it. Did you grow up here?” I ask, trying desperately to replace the image of him in my head.
“No. I grew up in Palermo, sixty-nine kilometers away from Erice.”
“Oh, it’s a big city, isn’t it?”
“It is. My family has lived there for four generations. My grandfather worked as a civil servant.”
“How wonderful. To have such a rich history, I mean. Are your folks still there?”
“No. My mother lives with my brother and me in Rome. My father died a few years ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
The car stops, and Dante gets out. I wait for him to open the door for me. I’m not about to compromise on good manners. They say it’s the little things about a man’s actions that speak volumes about his character. So far, Dante is ‘t doing too badly. My mother taught me to make a man work for it. She’d be appalled if she knew what I wanted to do to Dante.
My sexy host leads me to the front door of the villa. Dante must be a somebody somewhere, because he is never alone. I’ve noticed two men close to his side all night. Sure, they watch him discreetly from a distance at times, but nevertheless. Once we’re inside the house, the men peel off, leaving Dante and me all alone. Hhmm. What to do now?
“Would you like me to show you around?”