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He dropped her arm, and she felt stupid for pushing things.

Gabe felt like a bastard for sulking and going into himself, but he couldn’t just have sex, not with her. Last night’s kiss and this morning’s tryst told him it wouldn’t be his usual sex.

He wanted to kiss her all over, to lose himself and make love like he never did, wanted to sink into her pleasure, and if it confused the hell out of him, then what might it do to her?

She was a kinder soul than he…thought the best of people when he thought the worst.

Gabe glanced over and saw that she was sulking too, and the poor thing was melting in that dress. He thought of her shorts and top, and that carrot-orange thing from last night that she called coral. Like some clown car she jumped out with another mistake…

And perhaps they weren’t so aimlessly wandering after all, because he was peering into the darkened window of a boutique.

‘They do exceptional pieces here.’

‘It’s closed,’ she pointed out, a little relieved that it was because certainly she wasn’t going to shop for clothes with someone as elegant and as stunning as him. ‘Anyway…’ She could not afford the local linen, but Gabe was pressing on the intercom and talking in rapid Italian.

It would seem it wasn’t closed for him.

‘Gabe…’ She was flustered now. ‘I can’t afford to shop here.’ There were no prices on the few pieces in the window, but she’d seen some of the prices here and if Gabe himself thought this place was exceptional… ‘I really can’t.’

‘There won’t be anything to buy here,’ he said, ‘just a few off-the-peg items…’ He wrinkled that Roman nose in slight disdain, and instead of offending, it made her laugh. ‘But if you have no idea about clothes they can help you, make suggestions about colours and such.’

‘I’m sure they’ve got better things to do.’

‘Believe me, the Rinaldis are good customers here.’

The Rinaldis must be, because the door clicked open and soon they were heading up very rickety steps to a workshop where Gabe was greeted like a long-lost friend.

In rapid Italian, he explained the situation. Well, she picked up a little of what was said, that his friend was considering a few pieces, just trying on for today.

‘Of course.’ An elderly lady looked her up and down and then called for a younger woman, who came over with swatches of fabric.

‘I’ll leave you to it,’ Gabe said. ‘Say an hour?’

It was the most incredible hour, and surprisingly undaunting. She tried on capri pants, skirts and tops in sands and taupes, midnight blue to the palest pink.

‘Put this on,’ Rosa, the older woman, said, and she handed her a giant man’s jacket, but as she slipped it on, she knew why.

Dusty rose was her colour.

‘Oh!’ She’d steered away from pinks and reds given she easily blushed, but this was perfect against her pale skin.

‘Now try this,’ Rosa said, and she pulled on a white halter-neck dress that slid like cool silk down her body. She should be too pale for white, yet it brought out the cream of her skin.

‘It’s stunning…’ She was enjoying herself, Stella realised, for the first time, that trying on clothes was fun, under these wonderful ladies’ guidance.

She stepped out of the tiny cubicle, smiling and excited about clothes for the first time, startling when she saw Gabe, and for just a second she fractured, the smile collapsing from her face, a flash of despair that he had spurned her. Rejected her. Did not want her. Then the bright smile returned. ‘You’re back.’

Gabe said nothing, just nodded and then asked Rosa if there was a fridge he could use.

‘I’ll take it…’ Rosa held out her hands.

‘No, no,’ Gabe said and was shown to a small kitchenette, where he placed the meal he had asked a favourite restaurant of his grandfather’s to prepare, in the hope it might tempt him to eat.

Really, he needed a moment to collect himself.

He had known Stella was beautiful and hadn’t really been playing Pygmalion by bringing her here; for one thing, he had no intention of paying. Okay, he’d perhaps thought he’d order a couple of pieces to start her on her way. Yes, she tore at his heart a touch, which he usually disallowed…

Gabe stood staring blankly into the fridge.