Page 20 of Under Her Skin

“Just as…acquaintances. We met at the auction.” So, a little lie, but it didn’t matter. “He was kind enough to tell me all about your beef withhim.”

Arturo snorted. “I bet hedid.”

Hero half-grinned at him. “You don’t have to worry…he’s kind of acreep.”

“You’re not wrong.” Arturo laughed, looking relieved. “So…he told you aboutFlavia?”

She nodded. “Arturo, I’m so very sorry. Why didn’t you say anything? Especially after I told you about Tom andBeth.”

“I didn’t want to freak you out,” headmitted.

“Because we lookalike?”

Arturo nodded. “You do. When I saw you that first time, I thought I’d seen her ghost. But, Hero, listen. You are two totally different people, and I know that. Your resemblance to Flavia is incidental to how I feel about you, I swear. Iswear.”

She nodded but wanted more than that. “What kind of woman wasshe?”

“First of all, let me say this. You are a woman. Flavia was a girl. She was eighteen when she was murdered. And she…I loved her, I truly loved her, and she loved me. But she also loved men and loved sex, and after her death, I found out she had been sleeping with George, too. He was my friend at the time, and I believe he enjoyed telling me that my sainted girlfriend had been a cheater. As you can imagine…we’ve rarely spokensince.”

“What an asshole,” Hero shook her head. “What a spiteful, needless thing to do.” She put her hand on his face. “You’re a million times the man he is,Turo.”

Arturo smiled. “I like that. You calling me Turo.” He leaned in slowly, and she met him halfway, giving permission for the soft kiss, but then his smile faded. “They never caught the killer, and I never found out why she died. Maybe it was another jealous lover? I don’t know. The polizia found nothing.” He shook his head. “I still have nightmares about her end…her terrible fear andpain.”

Hero felt sick. Tell him. Tell him about the notes, the threats…but she couldn’t do it. Couldn’t give him that kind of worry again. She kissed him softly. “I’m so sorry,Turo.”

Arturo wrapped his arms around her. “You make it better,caramia.”

She leaned into him and sighed. “I hope I do. You make my pain go away, Turo. I hope, one day, I could do the same foryou.”

“You alreadyhave.”

They made love again, and this time, it wasn’t the frenzied fucking of before; it was something more, the forging of a deeper connection, their gazes neverparting.

At nine o’clock, Arturo took her on the boat trip around the lake, and they snuggled down in their seats, enjoying the night, laughing together, hands clasped. It was the perfect end to an intense day, and Hero felt herself relaxing with this man. She still had to tell him about the apartment, but she had decided if he really wanted it…she didn’t want to lose him over it. They could work somethingout.

From the otherend of the boat, he watched them. There was something different about the way they were together now: a new understanding, a newcloseness.

Perfect.

He wondered if Hero Donati would scream when he drove his knife into her over and over and overagain…

ChapterEleven

Hero packed the last of her things into her bag and threw it over her shoulder. She glanced around the hotel room which had been her home for the last ten days and felt nervous. Today, she would move into the Patrizzi apartment, and later, she would tell Arturo what she had done. She couldn’t justify spending any more money on hotel rooms now. She had a five-million-euro apartment, and she had to livethere.

The cab took her to the apartment, and she opened the door and stepped into her new home. It echoed with silence, but with the furniture in place, it had the beginnings of a realhome.

She pushed open the doors to the small balcony and stepped out into the air, breathing in great lungfuls of air.Home. She couldn’t help the small thrill that ran through her, but it was tempered with sadness. Tonight, she would tell Arturo, and it would either be the end of them…or the beginning of somethingelse.

Her cell phonerang.

“Finally.” Hero said as her sister saidhello.

“Don’t be a pain, my phone got dropped in thebath.”

“You meanyoudropped it in thebath.”

She grinned as Imelda sighed. “Fine. How areyou?”