“Spoken like a true gentleman.”
“I’m glad you think so. Now, I believe I need to feed m’lady.”
“Feed me to the sharks more like.” We both laugh at my remark. “Do I look okay?”
“You look beautiful. You always do. Let’s get out of here.”
And that’s all the encouragement I need to follow Gio out of my hotel room, try to forget about the butterflies swirling around my stomach, and raise my head high.
***
We walk into Gio’s house and I’ve never felt as nervous as I do right now. I can smell the wonderful aroma coming from the kitchen. We walk in and Lucca and Margo are busy cooking at the stove. Gio tightens his grip on my hand and I follow him like a little lost puppy.
“Good morning.” Margo comes around the counter and rubs her hands down her apron. She quickly envelopes Gio in a warm hug and comes over to do the same to me. “It’s wonderful to see you again, my dear.”
“Grazie, Margo.”
“Come on. Have a seat, love birds. I’ve been slaving over the stove all morning,” Lucca breaks the moment and we all laugh. Margo picks up her towel and flicks Lucca’s bare legs playfully.
“He hasn’t burnt the bacon is what he’s trying to tell you.” Margo winks at me. “Go, have a seat outside. Your father is outside already. Lucca and I will bring out the food.”
“Can I help?” I ask over the counter.
“No. Absolutely not. You’re a guest. Go sit and take the weight off your feet.”
Giovani pulls my hand softly and I smile from Margo to him. Before we reach the patio, Gio pulls me in to place a soft kiss on my lips. I feel the heat creep up my neck, but I quickly forget that when someone clears their throat.
Gio and I part slightly, but he doesn’t remove his hand from mine. He keeps a tight grip of it and leads me to the table confidently.
“Good morning.” Gio speaks first as he pulls out a chair for me.
“Morning. You must have been out early,” says Alex.
Gio shrugs his shoulders. “I didn’t sleep here.”
Alex looks between Gio and me as if he’s assessing us and lifts his orange juice to take a drink. I’m pretty sure he took a drink to stop himself from saying anything uncalled for.
“Harls, coffee for you, right?” asks Lucca as he places down a pot of coffee on the table.
“You know me too well. We haven’t had a chance to grab a coffee this morning.”
“I thought as much. Here you go.” Lucca holds out a large mug of coffee and I take it like my life depends on it. Spending time with Gio is making me a little more laid back and easier going, but coffee is still a necessity. It’s my lifeline to get through the day.
“So, what do you all have planned for today?” asks Alex.
I sip at my coffee, hoping it makes me invisible, and watch the interaction between father and sons.
“Lucca is taking Harleigh for lunch while I catch up on some paperwork. What do you and Mum have on the agenda?” Gio asks.
Gio pours his own coffee and sits back in his seat.
“We might go exploring for a while. Have some lunch and see what happens next. Maybe you’d like to show us this new bar of yours.”
“Maybe. Yeah. That’s some of the paperwork I’ve got to sign today. Lucca has signed his part. Once we get the keys, if you’re still here, we can take you over to see it.”
“I think your mother plans on being here for two weeks.”
At the thought of Alex and Margo being here for two weeks, my heart misses a beat. I just hope I can see the true person behind Alex’s mask, because he always shows a different person, and I don’t know who he is.
