"Of course."
With a nod, he left the room.
Viola wisely said nothing, but hope sprang inside her heart. Jacklyn was right. There really was something here.
*****
He had to stop himself several times from getting up to see for himself if she was still here. The men who had come to dinner were business associates. McDermot Enterprises had interests in things as far reaching as oil and gas, real estate, including several hotels, a share in a shipping line and cruise line, a pharmaceutical company, and an airline. They had started out with real estate and branched out over the years into other things.
They took over limping companies, straightened them out, and either sold them for a profit or added them to the company's growing list of assets.
A vineyard in Italy was their latest venture, hence the visit from the men who had flown in from Tuscany.
He answered the questions absently, all the while toying with the stem of his wine glass, his mind on other matters. They adjourned to the vast living room where the fire blazed cheerfully inside the hearth and glowed on the silken wallpaper and expensive artworks. The men exclaimed and gushed over the desserts, greedily consuming everything and complimenting the chef.
It was then that he decided to excuse himself to see if she was still around. His mother had confided that she was in the library.
"The poor thing looked tuckered out. I told her to have a glass of wine and rest before the journey back. She deserves it."
She was propped up on cushions on one of the silk sofas, with a wall of books behind her. She had taken off her shoes and covered herself with a throw blanket. An empty wine glass was on the table at her head, and she was sleeping.
The glow from the lamp cast a shadow over her face. He ventured further in, curious eyes taking in the flawlessness of her skin and the lashes making shadows on her cheeks. He felt a clutch in his gut as his eyes strayed to her lips. She was wearingjust a lip gloss that had been eaten off a long time ago, leaving her lips bare.
To his shocked surprise, the yearning to touch her was so fierce, he had to slide his hands into the pockets of his navy dress pants and clench his fingers.
As if aware of his presence, her eyelids flickered open, mahogany eyes blinking him into focus.
"I must have fallen asleep." Her voice was husky and much too alluring.
"You must have. Ah, I just came to let you know that the men were impressed. They ate everything. Giovanni wants to marry you."
Her smile came quickly, the dimple in her left cheek flashing.
"Did you tell him I lived in Italy for a while and had my fill of Italians?"
"No." He watched her swing her legs off the sofa and slide into her shoes. She stretched sinuously, the movement causing himto focus on her small breasts. Dragging his eyes away, he strode over to look out the window.
"It's a pretty night. Winter will be here all too soon."
"Please don't remind me." He heard when she got up and turned to face her.
"You're leaving."
"I need to get home. I have some things to do, a big order for tomorrow first thing, and then get some much needed sleep. Will you help me take my things out to the car?"
"Of course."
They wound their way through the hallway and into the kitchen. She started hauling off stuff that was sitting on the counter immediately, causing him to frown.
"You carted all of that in here?" he asked, looking at her petite form.
"I'm stronger than I look." She grinned. "And besides, one of your gardeners helped me. Coming?"
He hefted a big box of pots and pans. "You do realize we have all these things here, right?"
"Habit." She grunted as she lifted a large bag of paraphernalia she always carried around with her. "I never know what I'm going to need on the spur of the moment."
They made their way through to the front door where a maid was waiting to open the doors for them.
