CHAPTER TWELVE
Kathleen opened her eyes and, for a moment, fought through the fog to remember where she was. The ornate ceiling above her wasn’t familiar, and the luxurious sheet under her fingertips was white, not the rose paisley set on her bed at home. She blinked, and everything came rushing back. She was at the Jasmine Door in Lake Lugano.
She’d been mugged. Twice.
She couldn’t trust the cops.
She thought she could trust Enzo Valardi, but the jury was still out on that.
She raised her arm to push her hair out of her eyes and winced when pain flared across her shoulder. What had seemed like light bruising yesterday felt sharper now, her body reminding her just how close she’d come to danger.
Glancing at the clock.Good heavens! Already past nine in the morning.She hadn’t intended to fall asleep last night, at least, not when she’d stormed upstairs. But between the stress, the jet lag, and everything else, she supposed her body had finally given her no choice.
She swung her legs over the side of the bed and padded into the bathroom. A few minutes later, she decided she needed coffee.Desperately.
That was the thing about having a two-floor hotel room, lovely in theory, but it meant more moving around than she had the energy for this morning. She tugged at the neck of the oversized T-shirt she’d slept in, pulling it down just enough to glance at her back in the mirror. No visible bruises. That was something, at least. Aspirin would take care of the rest.
She opened the bedroom door and headed down the stairs. There was a coffee maker behind the bar in the corner, and she made a beeline for it. But when she glanced at the machine, she frowned. It was empty, yet she smelled fresh coffee. What the hell? Her heart started pounding against her ribs as she turned and immediately gasped. Enzo was sitting at the dining table, leaning back casually in his chair, watching her.
“I didn’t know you were here,” she blurted, startled.
He didn’t move, just tipped his chin toward the carafe on the table. “Coffee,” he said simply.
“Uh… thanks.”
She tried to tug the hem of her T-shirt lower, wishing she’d thought to put on something, anything, more appropriate. Vulnerability made her want to fidget, but she forced herself to stay still as his gaze slid slowly over her from the messy fall of her hair down to her bare legs and back up again, leaving a trail of heat in its wake.
“You look well rested,” he said finally, voice smooth, deep. “Or at least… better than yesterday.”
“Thanks?” she managed. “Although somehow that sounded less like a compliment and more like a mild insult.
Enzo grinned. “No insult intended. Just an observation.”
Part of her wanted to retreat upstairs, slam the door, and hide under the covers. But something about his quietconfidence, the way he looked at her, as if he saw more than she wanted him to, made that option feel like surrender. And she refused to give him that satisfaction.
Instead, she walked to the table, poured herself a cup of coffee, and settled in a chair across from him.
“So…” she asked, lifting the mug to her lips, “Did you stay here all night?”
“Yes.” His expression didn’t shift. “I slept on the couch.”
“I see.” She tilted her head, narrowing her eyes slightly. “But you’re wearing different clothes.”
“Yes,” he said, a faint smile ghosting across his lips. “I do have a room here. I went down and changed early this morning.”
He was in jeans now, paired with another snowy-white shirt, the sleeves rolled up casually, exposing his forearms. She caught herself staring longer than she should have, and forced her gaze back to her coffee.
“So, what’s under the silver lids?” she asked, nodding at the table. Four gleaming cloches waited, and her stomach growled in anticipation.
He grinned, and God help her, it was the kind of grin that hinted at trouble and made her knees weak. “Lift them and find out.”
She started to reach for one, but he leaned forward and lifted the two farthest lids for her. “Eggs, bacon, toast… and antipasti,” he said with a little flourish.
Her stomach growled again, this time loudly enough for the world to hear.
“Hungry, huh?” His eyes danced, teasing.
Heat climbed into her cheeks. She managed a nod.
