She stared at the object as if it were a mirage. She accepted the bag from his hands and brushed her fingers over the rim.
Lorenzo will never cease to amaze me.
“I could kiss you—” She winced at the choice of words.
Lorenzo shook with laughter. “We’re on dry land now. Go right ahead.”
Her head spun.A rush of adrenaline surged through her body. She rose, and the towel dropped to the sand. They moved closer to one another. The warm caramel color of his eyes invited her in. The ends of his sun-kissed curls were matted against his forehead. Her breathing slowed.
“This is for everything you’ve done today,” she whispered.
They were millimeters from one another. Intuitively, she reached up and wrapped her arms around him, feeling the hard, defined muscles of his chest through his wetsuit. His own hands trailed from her shoulders to the small of her back. She shivered in excitement. Sabrina had waited so long for this moment.
Lorenzo lowered his mouth toward her. He brushed his hand against the side of her face, hesitating ever so slightly. Their lips met. The wisps of his facial scruff were scratchy against her skin. Heat coursed through her body, her pulse beating wildly against her ribs. She tasted mint.
I’ve never been kissed so tenderly before.
Their foreheads touched.
“Sabrina, what you do to me?.?.?.”
His mouth moved down her jawline to the side of her neck. She arched her head back to grant him access, savoring the moment.
This is even better than I pictured, even if he isn’t in Regency menswear.
Sabrina’s eyes fluttered. Like a gentle rain, his lips caressed hers. Slowly, the intensity began to build, and as Lorenzo moved in for a second kiss, the rain had turned into a full-on thunderstorm. Jolts of electric energy shot through their bodies, lighting up the grayest sky. Their hammering pulses were as loud as any thunder.
As they broke apart, both breathing heavily, Lorenzo asked, “Why do you have to be going to Florence? Could I bribe you to stay in the Cinque Terre?” Their bodies remained pressed up against one another.
“I promised my friend Nora. I can’t rescind a promise.” She rested her head on his chest.
“A promise is a promise,” he groaned. They broke apart. “Can I come and see you before you leave tomorrow?”
Sabrina nodded. “I’m not leaving until the afternoon. Can you find an excuse to visit Castillo Roccio?”
Lorenzo smirked. “Si. Giulia never turns down an extra pair of hands in the kitchen.”
Sabrina attempted her best impersonation of an Italian accent. “Perfecto.”
“You are adorable.” He kissed her forehead and cupped her cheeks. “We need to work on your pronunciation. Come on. We can do so in the kayak. We have a few more places yet to visit. If we don’t go now, we’ll never leave the beach.” They brushed the sand off their wetsuits, and he picked up her towel.
I wouldn’t mind spending all day here on the beach with you.
Reluctantly, she picked up the plastic bag and followed Lorenzo to the kayak.
Eleven
There is No Changing the Past
From her position on the chaise sofa by the lobby window, Sabrina gave up her guise of reading and watched the lanky form of Lorenzo at long last slip outside from the kitchen’s back door. His sleeves were still rolled up from assisting Giulia with the washing up. She’d waited all afternoon to have some alone time with him.
The front door to the hotel opened. Nora jogged into the lobby of Castillo Roccia wearing an asymmetrical magenta dress, a black blazer with gold buttons, and a pair of champagne, pointed-toe ballet flats. She breathed deeply through her nose, hands on her hips, catching her breath. “Sorry I’m late.”
Sabrina’s heart sank.
Today is not at all going the way we had planned. First Lorenzo was unable to escape his parents. Then we got caught up with Giulia. Now it’s Nora. When she said she was going to be late, I assumed it would be more like an hour or two rather than five minutes. I’m going to have to find a way to stall her for time with Lorenzo.
Sabrina turned her attention to her friend and let out a wolf whistle. “Fancy.”
