Chapter 3
Dom woke early, early enough to see the sunrise, and smiled. It was going to be a gorgeous day. He had barely been able to sleep. The couch was too small, and he was acutely aware of the petite woman in his bed. He brewed coffee and sat out on the back porch to enjoy the ocean view. Something about the silence of the morning made him relax enough to think through the last night. Anna. Just outside of his cabin was a large expanse of birch trees and past that, there was a great cliff and some body of water. He never ventured too far to see where the edge of the cliff was, for fear that Gelato might tip over. Here on his porch and at the right angle, he could see the shimmer of the wave breaks against the shore.
He was attracted to her, and something told him it was more than a physical attraction, but he wasn’t sure why. He was in no way a ladies’ man so to speak, and although he hadn't found the love of his life before, he still held out hope. Women never made it hard for him to know they were interested, but he was a true romantic. He had sex and was not opposed to a one-night stand, but he liked knowing that one day he would be with a woman for the rest of his life.
“Mind if I join you?”
Her voice came from the open patio door.
“Sure.”
She held a steaming cup of coffee cupped in her hand as she stood in front of him in the white t-shirt he'd loaned her. The morning air was still cold; he could tell from the noticeable way her nipples stuck out. Her hair was in a messy bun, and her blue eyes sparkled in the rising sun. She was fucking beautiful, and he couldn’t take his eyes from her.
“Good morning,” she said, smiling once she was seated, coffee safely on the side of the chair.
It was a good morning.
“And good morning to you, big guy,” she said, rubbing Gelato’s big head. He leaned into it, getting all the attention he could before she sat back and sipped her coffee. He complained but calmed when she continued to rub his head with her foot.
“He is huge. What breed is he?”
“Tibetan Mastiff.”
“Are they naturally this big?”
“Sure are. Gelato was actually the runt of his litter, if you can believe that. His siblings are huge compared to him.”
“Wow. I can’t imagine anything any bigger than this.”
“He’s a big softie. I keep him around because he’s a great partner and guard dog.”
“I bet,” she said, taking in the size of his paws. “If I tried to rob your house and saw him, I’d turn right back around.”
Dom changed the subject. “How did you sleep?”
“Like the dead. I felt bad at first, because I figured you weren’t comfortable on the couch, but then I fell right to sleep. I must have been more tired than I knew.”
He could understand that. Some days he worked so hard that he didn’t even remember falling asleep.
“Have you eaten yet?”
“No. I was waiting for you,” he said, noticing how she watched him. “What?”
She smiled. “I like your accent. Where are you from?”
“I’m Italian,” he said, keeping clear of things that didn’t need to be said.
Like why he was here instead of there.
“Tell me about Italy?”
She tilted her head to one side while listening
“It’s beautiful. The food is wonderful, and the people are more passionate. Have you ever been?” He smiled, turning the focus back to her.
It was always a pleasure to see Italy through new eyes. He could easily picture the lavish sports cars seen regularly on the street, and the colorful clothing women wore. The smell of his mamma baking and the sound of his uncles cursing at the missteps of soccer teams. Gelato made with milk, not cream, and the salt on his skin from the beach. It was all too much, and his heart jerked in his chest for dredging such memories up.
“No. I’ve only seen pictures online. It looks unbelievable. One day I’m going to go.”
“You should, but not alone. Men will be throwing themselves at your feet.”
She giggled as he stood up. “I’m going to make us some breakfast. Are you allergic to anything or prefer not to eat certain things?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I’ll eat just about anything.”
“Great.”
She followed him into the house, setting her mug on the counter. “Would you happen to have a small USB cord?”
“I think so. Why?” He looked over his shoulder while pulling ingredients from the pantry.
“I would like to see if I can upload my pictures. I need to make sure my camera isn’t damaged.”
“Let me see,” he said, walking towards the bedroom. Her camera looked expensive, and he wasn’t sure what cord she might need, so he grabbed all the ones that could be connected to the computer. “Is it one of these?”
She sat at the table with the camera as he booted his computer and typed in his password. “Here you go.”
“This works,” she said, holding a cord up with a smile.
“Great. Do whatever you need to do.”
She worked without talking, and Dom found he appreciated the quiet companionship.
“Hey, can I use your phone?” she said, looking up from the computer.
“Sure. Let’s see if it has a signal yet.” He turned it on and held it up, trying to get more signal. “It looks like it’s working now. Here. Type in a number to see if works.”
She dialed and smiled after a few seconds. “Hey.”
Dom went back to cooking, trying his best not to eavesdrop, but he couldn't help himself.
“I got your email. I know I said I would text you, but I lost my cell. I’m alright, and some guy rescued me. I'm staying with him until I find my car later today.”
He turned and leaned against the oven, watching her from his view in the kitchen. She sniffed the air with her eyes closed. Dom was looking forward to her tasting the food and confirming if it was as good as it smelled.
“I’m not sure where it is, but we’ll find it.”
Dom turned the skillet off and grabbed the plates and silverware.
“Hey. I've got to go. I’ll call you when I’m home.” There was a small pause. “What? I can’t hear you. Love you, Rach. Bye.”
She stood up, closing the computer and set it in the living room. “Thanks for letting me use that.”
“No problem. You find what you were looking for?”
“Sure did. Just checked my email and a few message boards.”
“Great,” he said, standing at her chair, waiting to help her sit down.
“Guess chivalry isn’t dead, huh?”
He chuckled. “Not for Italians.”
She smiled at the plate. “So what is this?”
“Garlic zucchini frittata.”
“Smells great.”
“Let’s hope it tastes that way, too.”
She giggled, cutting with her fork. “It will. I’m sure of it.”
They ate in silence, and only when her plate was clear did she say, “Told you.”
He smiled. “You’re too kind.”
“I hope you don’t mind if I eat and run.”
He did, but he couldn’t say that. “Of course not. I’m sure you have places to go.” And no reason to stay, he added without saying it out loud.
“I would like to find my car, and maybe the other things I lost.”
He could help with that. He wanted to help her, and he was interested in any way he could make the time they spent together last longer.
“Well let me clean up and then well be on our way,” he said, rubbing a hand over his dark stubble.