He stepped forward again to catch her face in his hands. ‘You are truly a stunning woman. Inside and out. You are compassionate, courageous, kind-hearted and I’m attracted to every inch of you to the point of madness.’ As he dropped his forehead to rest against hers, her heart gave a little flip. ‘You stir things in me I’ve never felt before. Ever.’ Running his hands down her back, over her bottom and around the sides of her hips, he added, ‘And I’ll keep these exactly as they are, thankyouvery much.’
Sarah laughed. ‘Good, because I wasn’t planning on making any changes.’
‘Please don’t.’ Matthew pulled back just enough to catch a few strands of her hair from her eyes, then lowered his lips to hers. Intimate and tender, there was something different about his kiss. His kisses of the past had always been a prelude, but this kiss was standalone. Visible. Very public. It silenced Sarah and took her by surprise, causing her pulse to race. His right hand held her cheek, while his left found its way up her neck and tousled her hair.
There was an all-encompassing force behind Matthew’s embrace, and Sarah succumbed to it immediately. His scent – the citrusy brightness of his cologne and the musk of his skin – caused her to feel slightly dizzy. Slowly, he withdrew and the two caught their breath, eyes darting across each other’s faces. His attention dropped to her mouth, and he traced her delicious lower lip with the pad of his right thumb. ‘Sarah,’ he softly panted. ‘I . . . um . . .’ Their eyes locked again. ‘I think—’
‘Dio!’ Angelo appeared at the doorway behind them, looking less than impressed at the sight of the crates in the driveway.
Matthew exhaled in frustration as the moment was pulled out from under them.
Sarah ran her hands down the front of his chest, feeling his heart pound under her fingers. Drawing him tantalisingly close, she whispered, ‘To be continued.’
After a tense afternoon spent cleaning the mess Silvia had left behind and tending to the arrival of six new guests, both Matthew and Sarah were exhausted.
Angelo had finally left for the day. Sarah had assured him that she could deal with the supper clean-up and Matthew refused to let him water the garden. It could wait.
Both had struggled to keep their minds on their many tasks. Longing stares and meaningful glances had punctuated the remainder of their day. Matthew had stumbled through the afternoon, distracted and clumsy, so unlike himself. Sarah, meanwhile, couldn’t get that kiss out of her mind; his intensity, his strength and the ill-timed interruption. Unhelpful thoughts taunted her for the hours that followed. She wanted to finish that kiss, and she needed to know what it was he was so intent on telling her.
‘Can you do me a favour?’ Matthew’s head appeared around the kitchen door as she scraped the dinner dishes.
‘Sure thing.’
‘Can you meet me down by the olive grove in half an hour?’
She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head to the side. ‘Yes. Why?’
‘Just meet me there. Ok?’
‘Ok.’ She noted the time on her watch.
He disappeared and a flurry of butterflies found its way to her stomach.
Making her way down the back garden, Sarah was suddenly filled with nervous energy at the prospect of seeing Matthew. There was something about that kiss she couldn’t put her finger on, but whatever it was, she was ready to devour another.
Approaching the shelf, she gazed down across the dark valley. Fiorellino sul Monte’s many lights twinkled on the horizon. Staring up at the night sky, she wrapped her pashmina around her shoulders to keep the fresh air at bay. Much cooler than inside the villa, her skin had dotted itself with goosebumps to help shield her from the change. September, and autumn, had finally arrived.
Finding the rusty handrail that led to the olive grove, she made her way down the stairs, mindful of the darkness. Suddenly, a few rows of trees deep, Sarah spotted the soft glow of lanterns hidden among the grass. There, gently illuminated by the light, stood Matthew, his hand outstretched in her direction.
‘Oh my . . .’ Sarah exhaled, overwhelmed by the scene. ‘This is beautiful.’ Her heart caught its previous anxious rhythm.
‘If this is what it takes to get some private time with you, uninterrupted and not surrounded by the four walls of our bedroom, so be it,’ he said.
‘I’m so glad to hear you say that. I feel like we get no privacy other than at bedtime.’
He took her by the hand and led her to a small clearing. On the grass between the olive trees, he had set up a special place for them. A blanket, fleecy throw and pillows, all perfectly brought together by the warm light of four lanterns, one at each corner of the blanket. They sat down facing each other, and his hands made themselves comfortable on her thighs.
‘Surely no one can find us here,’ he said.
Sarah stifled a giggle. ‘You’ve gone and jinxed us now.’
‘Christ, don’t say that.’ He threw his head back, grunting in frustration. ‘Sarah, today . . .’ The butterflies returned to her stomach. ‘I was so upset by what happened—’
‘Shh,’ she said, silencing him with a quick palm across his mouth. ‘Let’s not get back into that.’
Matthew’s eyes echoed the flicker of flames from the lanterns, and his shoulders dropped in defeat. ‘I meant every single word I said today. Honestly.’
Sarah felt a rush of blood to her cheeks. ‘I don’t think anyone has ever said so many lovely things to me . . . ever.’ She dropped her gaze to her hands, which fidgeted in her lap. ‘Matthew, no one has ever kissed me like you did today. I’ve been replaying it over and over in my mind.’ She brought both hands to her lips and closed her eyes. ‘It was so perfect.’
