Chapter 27
By the time she was ready to leave, Colette couldn’t quite believe the sight that looked back at her from the mirror as she smoothed the creases in her dress.
The old mousy girl from Brighton was gone.
The dress did exactly what they’d said it would, bringing out her slender waist and the slight fullness in her hips. It even managed to make her bust seem fuller without looking trashy.
Thanks to Annie, the waves of her hair were completely smoothed out, and the crown pinned up in a neat chignon, while the remainder cascaded over her shoulders.
Despite her concerns, Kim had done an equally miraculous job on her make-up. It felt as if there was nothing on her face at all.
For the first time in Colette’s life, she looked and felt subtly, effortlessly … glamorous. It was a heady feeling.
‘Ready?’ Kim’s voice called from downstairs. ‘Taxi’s here.’
‘Coming,’ she called back, and brand-new Colette got ready to face the world.
The two enjoyed a lively meal at a small seafood trattoria just outside the main town, somewhere near the water. But Colette couldn’t concentrate too much on the food (which, in truth, paled in comparison to Luca’s).
He truly had a way of making her feel like she was the only woman in the room, if not the world.
When they’d finished eating, he asked if she wanted to go for a walk ‘beneath the stars’.
She smiled at the romance of it all as he led her by the hand while they made their way down the stone steps to a small bay, and didn’t say a word as they walked along towards a nearby pier. In turn, Colette didn’t feel the need to fill the silence with unnecessary chatter.
She was enjoying the quiet company he offered, but even more so, she was enjoying the feeling of her hand in his. He had big hands that completely enveloped her own, and they were warm and comforting as his fingers intertwined with hers.
The lights from nearby houses and buildings above the shore reflected on the water as they made their way along to the end of a pier that branched off to the right. The water lapped at the wooden structure but held firm as they stood upon it.
‘It’s so beautiful here,’ Colette said softly as she leaned against the rail and looked down into the dark depths.
‘Not as beautiful as you,’ Luca replied, as he moved closer to her, his hands finding their way into her hair and moving the strands back over her shoulder as she turned to face him.
‘Thank you,’ she replied with an automatic blush.
‘It’s the truth,’ he insisted, as he gazed into her eyes.
‘Why do you say such lovely things?’ she found herself asking as she looked at this impossibly handsome man beside her. ‘Is this a game? Am I a game?’
A tiny smile flashed across Luca’s face for a moment before it disappeared. ‘You really don’t see you,’ he muttered, and gently repeated the words he’d said before.
Colette’s breath caught as he moved from her side to stand directly behind her, his arms wrapping around her waist, pulling her against his body. Then his mouth whispered against her ear.
‘I won’t lie to you, Colette. I’ve been with a lot of women in my life,’ he admitted.
Her heart sank. Why was he telling her this? Was it so she could prepare herself for the inevitable let-down in store? Clearly Kim and Annie hadn’t transformed her in the way she’d hoped.
‘Lots of women,’ he continued. ‘But they were all fake. Plastic dolls looking for someone to buy them whatever they wanted. They weren’t like you. You are honest about yourself. I remember that first day I saw you sitting in Aunt Elene’s restaurant. You didn’t act like most tourists, who think that because they’ve watched a few movies or looked at a few pictures they know everything about Italy and life here. You took my aunt’s advice and let her guide you. I liked that.’ Colette could hear the smile in his voice. ‘I also liked the outfit you were wearing. Also the face you made when you tasted the limoncello. It was a photograph.’
‘Really?’ Colette questioned as she turned to look at him. It was a mistake. His face was so close that when she turned, their noses met and her breath hitched.
She could feel the heat begin to rise from her neck up to her face as she quickly turned away, much to Luca’s amusement.
‘You really do blush so easily,’ he commented as he pulled her closer.
‘I can’t help it. You unsettle me,’ she admitted.
‘In a good way, I hope.’
