His expression tightened as he mulled over her question. ‘Now it is. At the time, I don’t think I really understood what physical connection meant to me.’ He threw his hands over his eyes in embarrassment. ‘God, listen to me over here.’
‘No, don’t be like that.’ She pulled his hands from his face. ‘It’s important that you own these needs. We aren’t getting younger. If this is something you want for yourself, then fight for it.’
‘Sarah, you have been more tender and more sensitive to my physical needs these past few days than I think anyone has been . . . since . . . I can’t even remember when,’ he said.
She felt a rush of blood flush her cheeks. ‘Sorry. I’m just being myself.’ Her eyes darted across his face.
‘There’s nothing to worry about. You make me feel very cared for.’
‘Well, good,’ she said. ‘We are in this together. We need to look out for each other first and foremost.’
‘How did we end up on this tangent?’
‘Saverio the arsehole.’
‘Right. Well, the less said about him, the better.’ He gathered a few of the pages from the floor. ‘What are these?’
‘Just some ideas for dressing the rooms.’ She refreshed the iPad and handed it to him. ‘This is Pinterest. I’ve been collecting images and ideas for colour schemes, possible textures, fixtures. It’s called an aesthetic board.’
He scrolled up and down the page, amazed. ‘Thank God I’ve got you here to take care of all this. It looks perfect.’
‘Leave it with me. I’ll turn this rubble into a palazzo fit for a queen.’ Without thinking, she leaned across and gave Matthew a gentle caress across his back.
Her tender gesture lingered on his skin through the thin cotton of his t-shirt. He gave her an inconspicuous glance over his shoulder as she continued to scroll. There was something so nurturing and feminine about her.
All he knew was it wasnotpart of his plan – but he wanted more.
undici
‘They’re lovers, not fighters,’ Sarah said later that afternoon as they waited for the call to connect. ‘They will just love y—’
Suddenly, there they were.
‘Bumblebee, you look so lovely,’ Sandra said, bundled up in bed with her husband, dimly lit by the gentle light of their bedside lamps. ‘Oh, she looks happy. Don’t you think she looks happy?’ She turned to ask Graham.
‘She’s always happy. Since the day she was born.’
Sarah’s cheeks warmed. ‘Hey, you two.’ She gave a meek wave. ‘This is Matthew.’ Reaching around his shoulders, Sarah drew him close for a sideways hug. ‘Matthew, Sandra and Graham. AKA Mum and Dad.’
‘Great to meet you,’ said Matthew.
The top left corner of Sandra’s grin curled upwards. ‘Wonderful to meetyou, darling.’
Her eyes suddenly fixed on Sarah’s. Sarah gave her mum a knowing look which read,I know what you’re thinking, Mum, and now’s not the time.
‘So, how’s it all been going for you both?’ Graham asked, looking between the two.
‘Well, we’ve had a little change of plans, actually,’ Sarah said, running her hand up and down Matthew’s left forearm. ‘We aren’t in Florence. Long story. We’re actually in a little town called Fiorellino sul Monte, on the Tuscan–Umbrian border.’
‘Is that far from Florence?’ Graham asked.
Matthew answered. ‘About an hour and a half on the freeway.’
‘What are you doing there, sweetheart?’ Sandra’s eyes narrowed slightly.
‘We’re about to renovate a villa. An entire estate, actually.’ Sarah couldn’t help but laugh. ‘We’ve got three months to turn this place from rubble to inhabitable, including the grounds, then we need to facilitate it as a hotel for the following six months. I’ll send some pics through later. If we can pull all this off, Matthew might just be able to claim his inheritance.’ She went on to explain what had happened at the meeting, about Luca and Silvia and the current state of Convento delle Viole.
Graham and Sandra looked between themselves.
