Page 10 of The Virgin’s Dance with the Devil (The Martinelli Wedding #3)

“I can’t pretend my past doesn’t exist,” he said in his most solemn voice.

“I’ve done bad things. I’ve hurt people.

I’ve extorted, used violence… I would imagine most of the stories you’ve heard about me are true.

” He smiled wryly. “Although one must always account for embellishment. But those th ings are in my past. My future is right here.” A future that would hopefully consist of Mattia’s Swiss chalet and Tommaso’s Ferrari, and not the loss of his Neiman Marcus.

“Isn’t the whole of Christianity based on the forgiveness of our sins? ” he cajoled.

Whatever answer she would have given had to wait as their coffees were brought to their table.

After adding a couple of sugars to his coffee, he was taking a sip of it when she said, “I never did tell you that I once wanted to be a nun, did I.”

He eyed her contemplatively. Anyone else making a statement like that would have received laughter. In this case, it was Marisa who laughed, and just like that, the tension that had been practically vibrating from her since he’d joined her in the church lifted.

This time, she was the one to reach across the table for his hand.

“I was a very devout child,” she said. “My first holy communion was the pinnacle of my childhood – I genuinely could not wait to join everyone else in taking communion each week. When it came to my confirmation, I was even more intense. That date I told you about…”

“With the gag-making kisser?” he teased.

She grinned and nodded. “That came within a month of my confirmation, and as I was already caught up in a religious fervour, I decided the church was my calling and that as soon as I was old enough, I would join a convent and dedicate my life to God.”

“How long did that idea last?”

“Two years.”

He raised an eyebrow. “That long? What made you change your mind?”

“It was more of a gradual realisation that I wasn’t cut out for it and would make a terrible nun than anything specific.

I’m not great at forgiveness when someone hurts someone I love, which isn’t a great quality for a nun, and also, I made quite a dramatic announcement to my family about it, so there was some embarrassment about changing my mind – I’m afraid the sin of pride is strong in me. ”

He laughed, enjoying the dry way she was relating her story, although he wished he’d done some mugging up on bible stories so he could dazzle her with them. “That must be the only sin you are guilty of.”

“I’ve been guilty of a number of them,” she admitted wryly.

“Impossible.”

“I’m human, Rico. I believe in the bible’s teachings and try to follow them, but not blindly – I have a mind too, and free will, and why would we be given those things if not to use them?”

Smiling, he rubbed his thumb over the soft skin of her hand. “I’m very glad you changed your mind.”

She returned the smile “So am I. Ultimately, my wanting-to-be-a-nun phase was a form of teenage rebellion. All teenagers have moments when they want to escape the world and hide, and I hit upon the most extreme form of it.”

His phone buzzed. He sighed. Though he wanted nothing more than to ignore it, tonight was casino night for all the wedding guests, and Rico was in charge.

He read the message and then met Marisa’s stare. “I need to go back.”

How he enjoyed the way her shoulders slumped at this.

He covered both her slender hands. “I’m going to be busy for a few hours, but I’m free this afternoon. Shall we go back to the beach? It’s looking to be a beautiful day.”

And how he loved the longing in her eyes at this. “What about the boat trip?”

Ah, yes, the afternoon sojourn to the tiny island of Nerano on his father’s new toy of a super-yacht. “There’s going to be hundreds of people going. No one will miss us.”

“They’ll miss you.”

He shrugged. “If they miss me, they miss me.” He finished his coffee. “Walk back with me?”

She hesitated a moment before nodding.

Accardiano’s streets were busier than when they’d entered the café, the sun higher and bright enough for them both to put their sunglasses on.

They headed back onto the main road that led to the hotel and were walking past the designer boutiques lining this stretch of it when Marisa’s fingers brushed against his.

Rico’s heart jolted, warmth spreading through him when her hand slipped into his.

Their hands remained clasped until they reached the high white wall that ran the perimeter of The Bianchi.

Pulling her to the side to stand beneath the row of fig trees that ran that wall’s perimeter, Rico cupped her cheeks and brought his face close to hers. “Meet me outside the side exit of the ballroom at one? The door that leads out to the staff quarters?”

Her dark eyes were alive with trepidation and excitement. “Okay,” she whispered.

He brushed a kiss on her succulent lips, held it just long enough to infuse his senses with her delicate scent, then disappeared through the gates.

The side exit of the ballroom opened into a small staff courtyard. The butterflies in Marisa’s stomach and chest as she approached it were so strong she could hardly breathe. They’d been there since Rico had materialised in the church beside her .

Her question had been answered in the most terrifying way possible. But also in the most thrilling way.

The door opened before she reached it. Blood rushed to her head.

He smiled to see her, a wide smile that made his piercing eyes dance.

“All done?” she asked, striving for nonchalance, even though she didn’t know why.

“I’ll have to go back later, but for now, my time is entirely yours.”

The hotel’s grounds were deserted. The only people they passed as they took the scenic route to the beach’s pathway were staff.

Not everyone had gone on the boat trip, of course.

Marisa’s parents had begged off – sometimes Parkinson’s came in handy as a ready-made excuse – and were planning to spend the afternoon relaxing on their balcony.

They didn’t know she had no plans to go on the boat trip either.

Neither did Luisa, which only added to Marisa’s guilt.

Was this how her old friends had felt when they’d skipped school and loitered around the local town hoping not to get caught by someone who knew their parents?

She’d never bunked off school. Had never done anything that would cause her parents a moment of worry.

When they learned about Rico, it would give them twenty-five years of worry in one hit.

But that was something to worry about later. For now, it was just her and Rico enjoying a few snatched hours together, and she didn’t want anything to spoil it.

“Have you started reading the book?” she asked as they reached the path.

“Last night,” he said.

“And?”

“I’m enjoying it.”

“You sound surprised.”

“I am.” He caught her eye and grinned. “I would love the power of time travel.”

“What would you do with it?”

“Visit you as a child like Henry does with Clare – I’m very curious about the sort of child you were.”

Her cheeks warming with pleasure, she squeezed his fingers. “A very boring, very good child.”

“I can imagine. I bet you never broke the rules or even pushed against them.”

“Never.”

“And I bet I was the kind of boy you avoided.”

“You were one of the bad boys, so yes. I’ve always been frightened of rule breakers.”

“Because you’re frightened of the temptation we bring?”

Having never considered this, she thought about it and muttered, “Maybe.”

“Do you know what I think?”

She shook her head.

“That if we’d known each other as children, I’d have teased you mercilessly. I’d have pulled your hair and called you names and made you cry.”

“Why would you have done that?”

“Because I would have fancied you, and that’s how boys express their feelings to girls, and I would have shown off mercilessly around you too. I would have climbed the highest tree or taken any dare in the hope of getting your attention and impressing you.”

It was an image that made her smile. She’d known boys like Rico.

They’d been the risk takers, the boys whose cheekiness meant they got away with more than other kids did, but who had an edge about them everyone instinctively knew not to mess with.

“If we’d known each other as children, you wouldn’t have even noticed me.

I was the girl who spent her lunch breaks hiding in the school library.

I was invisible to everyone.” Whereas he’d been the boy all the girls, good and bad, wanted.

The air of danger about him made him close to being irresistible, and it was painful to recognise she was no more immune to him than all the women – and there had been many of them – who’d come before her.

“I noticed you the moment you arrived at Siena and Niccolo’s engagement party. You could never be invisible to me.”

Her cheeks warmed all over again.

The first thing she noticed when they reached the beach was that all the drapes of the Bali beds were tied back.

Apart from the lone barman, they had the beach entirely to themselves.