Lost in Italy (25 page)

As they continued, though, everything slowly faded into the background.  Everything except Trent.  The low timbre of his voice.  The warmth of his body against her back.  The alluring scent of whatever understated cologne clung to his skin.  It dawned on her that maybe it was just him.  He’d been dunked in the lake last night and still his heated masculine scent nearly overwhelmed her good sense when she’d given him that comforting hug.

“Okay.  You can open your eyes.”

The rest of the world rushed back in, overloading her brain.  She allowed a few heartbeats to settle her nerves, then lifted her lashes.  Unexpected beauty robbed her of adequate words.  Only a soft gasp passed her lips.

“Halliwell Sanders, I give you the Japanese gardens of Villa Melzi.”

They stood in the center of a stone bridge spanning the middle of a long, narrow lily pond.  Intricate scrolled ironwork provided railings on either side.  Colors from shoreline flowers and surrounding trees reflected on the glass-smooth surface of the murky, sun-lit water.

Hand over her mouth, she slowly spun in a circle to take it all in, noting they were completely alone.  Too early for the popular tourist attraction to be open to the general public she distinctly remembered from her hours of trip planning.  Through the red, yellow, and green leafed branches, she could just make out the mountains standing sentinel over the small villages and shimmering waters of Lake Como.

Lago de Como
the Italian’s preferred, and today, it sounded better to her, too.

“Good surprise?” Trent asked from behind.

She blinked away the mist blurring her vision.  “The best ever.”

“You said you were hightailing it back to the States, so while it’s not the Villa Carlotta, I thought you might still enjoy it.  We’ve got about a half hour to explore before we have to leave for Milan.”

Still slightly breathless, she turned to face him, hands clasped together in front of her.  “Believe me, it’s so much better than the Villa Carlotta.”

He lounged casually against the railing, thumbs hooked in the front pockets of his jeans.  Standing there, sunlight glinting off his tousled hair because he had yet to put his baseball cap back on, he rivaled the magnificence of their surroundings.

He also looked like the cat that ate the canary, thoroughly satisfied with his good deed.  She decided she didn’t care.

“Do I get my kiss now?”

His cocky confidence brought her up short.  “No.”

“You know you want to.”

Maybe she did care.  She’d seen the women he dated and knew she didn’t come close to their beauty or sophistication.

Again, she reminded herself his interest was nothing more than an answer to the challenge she presented and she did her best to resist his magnetism.  “You’re a real piece of work, you know that?”  She kept her tone light.

“What?” he asked innocently.

“Don’t
what
me.  Once we get to Milan, that’ll be it, we won’t ever see each other again.  You’ll continue your investigation, I’ll go home.  Just because you’ve charmed me with this last ditch effort to get a little something doesn’t mean I’m going to simply fall into your arms.” 
No matter how much I want to
.

“Are we talking about sex again?”

Her face heated, but she forced a smile while walking across the bridge.  “We weren’t talking about it the first time.”

He laughed after her.  “You know, I think I might actually miss you.”

She snorted.

“I’m serious,” he insisted as he fell into step beside her.

“You said I was a pain in the ass.”

“Well…yeah.”

“You’re no picnic, either.”

“I believe the correct terminology is
egotistical jerk
.”

Did she detect a hint of bruised ego under his smiling sarcasm?  No.  Of course not.  Trent Tomlin wouldn’t care what she thought of him, though it wasn’t even true anymore.

The two of them walked together, enjoying the quiet, perfectly manicured gardens for a little while before she asked, “So how do you know Giovani and Concetta?”

“They’re George’s parents.”

“The non-Clooney George?”

“Yeah.  Giovanni has tended these gardens since he was a teenager.”

Explained where Giovani had disappeared to.  “Everything is just so beautiful.”

Rounding a corner of the walkway, Halli stopped short at the top of a long stone stairway, lit by sunlight.  The view over the lake took her breath away and her hand rose to her heart.  “Oh,
wow.
”

“Tell me about it.”

He’d descended the first step and she shifted her gaze to see he stared at her, not the view.  Their gazes locked.  Nothing but complete honesty glowed in his hazel eyes.  Until a spark lit and flared.  Suddenly, every argument she’d used to keep herself from kissing the man became the very reasons why she should.

He didn’t move and she knew the next step was up to her. 
Carpe diem
.  A term she was familiar with in theory, but not in practice.  Her heart raced erratically.  She shifted to the edge of the stair.  Even with the added height of the step, he still had a good two inches on her.  She lifted her arms to rest on his shoulders, linking her hands behind his head.  He remained so still she’d swear he held his breath.

The entire world narrowed down to just the two of them as she leaned in until her lips hovered above his.  “Thank you for this morning.”

“I’d say anytime, but—”

She pressed her mouth to his, cutting off the unwelcome reminder of their limited time.

Now that she’d made the first move, he slanted his mouth over hers, demanding entry with his tongue.  Rough whiskers rasped against her skin, but she didn’t mind his dominance.  Being wanted by this man was a heady sensation, one that no longer had anything to do with his international fame.

Trent’s fingers splayed across her back, strong and sure and warm.  Hers twined in the soft thickness of his dark hair, urging him ever closer.  He tasted of the coffee and sweet pastries they’d enjoyed for breakfast.  She craved more as her tongue explored the smooth line of his teeth.  Rising on her tiptoes, pressed against him from chest to hip, she sought to gain back some control.  After all, it was
her
kiss.

But he pressed back, dueling with her; giving little, taking more.  And when he blocked one of her advances and countered with his own, she felt his mouth curve into a grin.  He was cocky even in the middle of a kiss.  But it felt so good to give in.  Live in the moment and enjoy what was right in front of her, without having planned things out to the last detail.

At some point, the dynamics changed.  He eased his possession, delved deeper, laved slower until the sensual glide of his tongue against hers made it impossible not to imagine what he would feel like inside her.

Passion rose, robbing her of oxygen, leaving her lightheaded.  Desire throbbed in her most sensitive places, all the more acute for the firm press of his growing arousal against her belly.

A soft, helpless sound of pleasure vibrated in her throat.  Had his arms not supported her, her weakened knees would’ve betrayed her, leaving her in a melted puddle at his feet.

He answered with his own groan of raw need, burying his face against her neck.  “God, Halli, we should’ve done this at the boat.”

She dragged air into her aching lungs, clearing the fog from her brain.  She’d never experienced such a forceful, primal reaction to anyone.  If they had kissed on the boat, she knew exactly where it would’ve led.  Another notch on the bedpost for the playboy—in the easy conquest column, no less—and nothing but heartache for her.

One amazing memory to haunt her dreams for years to come.

In the ensuing silence, Trent wished he could take the words back.  She hadn’t moved from his embrace.  With her arms wrapped around his neck, every luscious curve still clung to him, heating him almost beyond endurance.  Every chest-heaving breath she took sent fresh spikes of desire screaming through his veins.  And yet, he sensed her withdrawal as if she’d physically stepped ten yards back.

The interlude was over.  Reality returned with a huge dose of regret.  Not for kissing her, but because they’d say goodbye and he wouldn’t get to do it again.

He ran his hands up the length of her back, over her shoulders, and along her arms as she eased her body away.  Her lips were slightly swollen, red, and glistening.  They begged for more, but he wasn’t so sure he could handle another kiss without spontaneously combusting, or taking her right here in the garden.  He bit back a groan at that thought.

Down swept lashes hid her blue eyes, and color stained her cheeks.  The contrast between her blushing shyness and that fiery kiss turned him on even more.

He dipped his chin, caught her eye, and summoned a teasing smile.  “Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

She laughed softly, breathlessly.  “Not bad at all.”

At least she didn’t deny having enjoyed herself.  That might have pissed him off.  As it was, this time his smile took no effort at all.  He secured her hand in his and didn’t let go as he led her down the steps to loop around Villa Melzi, back to the car.

“I think we made some great progress here today,” he said matter-of-factly.  “You trusted me.  You enjoyed a surprise.  And most importantly, you finally came to terms with how much you want me.”

“Your conceit knows no bounds.”

He discovered he’d do just about anything to keep her laughing as they finished their private tour.  It was pathetic, really.  He felt like a horny teenager on the two minute drive back to the boat so she could change and get her camera.  All he could think about was carrying her below deck and picking up where they’d left off at the top of the garden steps.

But time ticked relentlessly, and though she didn’t say it, he knew she was anxious to meet up with her family again.  He wished he had equal enthusiasm.  There was no reason not to, since he’d be rid of her and the responsibility of keeping her safe.  That alone should have had him running for the car to be on their way.

That, and his investigation, like she’d said.  He needed to go back to his place and see if by some miracle the voice recording was still there to back up her video.  He had to figure out exactly how much Lapaglia knew about his involvement.  He wanted to follow up on a comment Lorenzo had said into the mic yesterday morning about a new shipment of animals.  And he couldn’t do any of that with her at his side.

Take any
one
of those reasons and he should have no qualms about saying goodbye to the uptight Halliwell Sanders.

Unfortunately, she’d gotten under his skin.  And no matter how much he tried to convince himself not to worry about the meeting in front of the consulate, after their surprise guests last night, his gut told him to proceed with caution.

Chapter 14

To Trent’s relief, Halli sat mute on the way to Milan.  After the sensual energy that pulsated between them as she carefully changed the bandage on his arm, he needed some distance.  Physically, that problem would be solved in the next twenty minutes, but it unnerved him that his earlier teasing about missing her was completely true.

Didn’t help that the blouse he’d bought her brought out the blue in her eyes in the most amazing way.  Not to mention, with its cross wrap and side tie, the silky material molded her breasts almost as much as the
Wet & Wild
shirt.

He fought against a sideways, downward glance.  She was a distraction he didn’t need right now, damn it.  The emotional distance her silence created was definitely for the best.

He’d been to the US Consulate General in Milan a time or two since purchasing his villa, and only took two wrong turns on the confusing one-ways before getting them on the right track.  A couple blocks from the government building, he pulled the car over near a pay phone.  Removing his cap, he ran a hand through his hair and resettled the hat, keeping the visor low over the spare pair of sunglasses he’d snagged off the boat.

Halli leaned forward to look at the buildings around them.  “Is this it?”

“Not quite.”  Trent chose his words carefully.  “I think we should try your brother’s cell again.  He may not have gotten your message.”

“They’ll be there,” she stated.  And then he thought she added under her breath, “
They have to be
.”

“Then let’s find out where they want to meet.  It’ll save some time driving around.”

“I told them in front of the building.  It can’t be that big.  I’d rather just go see if they’re there.  How much farther is it?”

“A few blocks, but—”

“Then let’s go.”

The ball of lead in Trent’s stomach refused to budge.  In fact, it’d gotten heavier the closer they got to the city.  He wasn’t sure if it stemmed from the imminent meeting with her family, or the idea that she was about to walk out of his life for good.

His hands tightened on the steering wheel.  This was absurd.  He made friends with people and said goodbye all the time in his line of work.  A few months, weeks, sometimes only days, on set and everyone went their separate ways.  Halli was no different.