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‘Don’t cancel,’ he called out, watching as she halted just for a second and her shoulders stiffened.

He stood for a moment before he summoned his driver.

Still tasting her on his lips.

Still aching in his groin.

But a little closer to peace.

Chapter Four

GABE AWOKE EARLY, as he always did.

Yet for once it was not work that was on his mind. He read his messages—and there were many—so forgoing his shave and morning run for the sake of a quick online meeting, he first showered and dressed and headed down to the servants’ floor where his governante, Signora Maria, was preparing Geo’s breakfast tray.

‘Signor Gabriel—’ she beamed ‘—did you sleep well?’

‘Perfectly,’ Gabe lied, for there was no such thing as sleeping well, especially here. ‘I’ll take that in to him,’ he said, relieving Maria of the tray. ‘Put a cup on for me.’

‘I’ll get more pastries.’

‘No need,’ Gabe said; they both knew that his grandfather was barely eating.

He took the stairs rather than the elevator up to the top floor, then regretted it, for he had to walk down the long corridor to his grandfather’s wing. Past the lounge where his mother would play piano, past mementos and silver-framed photos. Even the corridor that led to the nursery…but he did not turn his head to look, for it was more than he could bear.

‘Buongiorno, Geo…’

By mutual consent he didn’t call him Nonno, but that didn’t mean that love wasn’t there. The paths to their hearts were littered with memories and pain, and Geo wanted to linger on that path and endlessly weep, whereas Gabe refused to go there.

Having called to him, he went in, trying not to let his expression show the shock at how frail his grandfather looked, nor his silent anger, especially that he had simply given in.

‘Breakfast.’

‘I’m really not hungry.’

‘Okay—why don’t we go down to the terrazzo?’ Gabe suggested, nodding to the wheelchair that was rarely used these days. ‘We can have coffee there.’

‘I am not sitting out there in my robe.’

‘Then I can call the nurse—you could get dressed.’

‘Pah…’ he dismissed.

Geo tried to lift the coffee, but his hands shook too badly and without a word Gabe assisted him.

‘Thank you,’ he said, but when Gabe tried to feed him a pastry, he pushed it away. ‘Don’t baby me.’

‘Very well,’ Gabe said and put the pastry down.

‘Donatella is coming in later.’

‘Why?’

‘She helps Eduardo.’ And just as Gabe was about to voice his protest, very surprisingly, his grandfather suddenly smiled. ‘Contessa—’ he chuckled ‘—that is what the staff call her now. Of course, they think I don’t know that, but I hear a few teasing whispers behind Donatella’s back—Eduardo especially.’

‘Really?’ Gabe smiled at the thought. He could not imagine the very formal Eduardo cracking a joke. ‘You cannot blame them for that.’

‘Indeed,’ Geo sighed. ‘She has always had her sights on you.’