Chapter 5
Nico and Kat’s return from their honeymoon was celebrated all over Monterra. The local news channels behaved as if there were no other newsworthy stories to broadcast. I was certain that a welcome home party had been thrown for them, but no invitation ever arrived for me—not that it came as a surprise.
I’d thrown myself into getting ready for classes by buying practically an entire new wardrobe. And when I wasn’t spending money, I had Alessandro to cheer me up, who, it turned out, was actually far better at bringing a smile to my face than a new pair of shoes. Between classes and spending time with Alessandro, I hardly ever thought about Nico or Kat even though their faces seemed to be plastered everywhere in Monterra. What few invitations I did get to parties or social events I declined to attend for fear of running into them. I was also well aware that word had gotten out about how badly I had treated Kat. It seemed like everyone in Monterra loved her, which meant they hated me.
Surprisingly, I didn’t care all that much. I liked wearing comfortable clothing instead of dresses I could hardly breathe in and shoes that hurt my feet. My mother didn’t share my sentiments. She called me one morning as I was getting out of bed. I almost didn’t pick up the phone, but I knew she’d only keep calling.
“Good morning, mother,” I said as I pressed the phone to my ear.
“What is going in with you dear?”
“What ever are you talking about?” I said, even though I knew full well what my mother was referring to.
“Your father and I hardly hear from you. You haven’t been attending any events, it’s like you’ve disappeared off the planet.”
“Perhaps you’re being a bit melodramatic. I’ve been busy with my studies. Isn’t that what you and Dad wanted?”
“Yes, but…”
“Listen, Mum. I’m fine. But I’ve really got to go or I’ll be late for class.”
“Well, okay. If you say so.”
Maybe I should’ve felt a bit more guilty about lying to my mother, but I was too excited about my lunch date with Alessandro later to care that I’d only told my mother I’d be late for class just to get off the phone with her.
An hour later, Alessandro showed up at my apartment to take me to lunch. I opened the door to find him standing there with two motorcycle helmets.
“What are those for?” I asked tentatively.
He leaned in to give me a kiss before answering. “They go on your head to protect you from head injuries just in case of an accident,” he teased.
“Very funny,” I said, still eyeing those helmets with apprehension. “I’ve never been on a motorcycle before.”
“Then it’s a lucky thing you’re not the one driving,” Alessandro said continuing with his jokes. He noticed my hesitant expression. “C’mon, you have to give it a try. I swear there’s nothing more distracting than the adrenaline rush of a motorcycle ride.”
“Or a few broken bones.”
“I’d never let that happen to you, bellissima.”
“Well, all right,” I said, reaching for the smaller of the two helmets.
I followed Alessandro out to the street where his motorcycle was parked. My heart thudded as I got on behind him.
“Hold on tight,” he said. Once I had my arms wrapped around him, he headed off. Alessandro drove away from the shops and restaurants of downtown and into the countryside going slowly enough that I was able to truly appreciate the beauty of Monterra. Finally, he turned off the road and drove in through a giant set of wrought iron gates that read Cantina Russo.
“Where are we going?”
“I promised you lunch.”
“At a winery?”
“The Russo’s serve the best pasta, in not just Monterra, but all of Europe. And the views…you’ll never want to go back to England.”
Part of me already didn’t. The past few weeks I’d spent with Alessandro had been perfect. But I knew eventually the bubble the two of us had been sharing would have to pop. He wasn’t the type of man I could bring home to meet my parents and I suspected I wasn’t the girl his family imagined him with, either.
Alessandro drove up a long, winding hill, finally stopping at what looked almost like a barn with a shop attached to it. He parked his motorcycle, helped me off and took my hand. We walked inside the shop, where an older lady stood in front of some shelves stacking bottles of wine. She turned as she heard the two of us come in.
Her face brightened and she came over to us with her arms open wide. “Alessandro.” She gave him a bear hug and a kiss on each cheek. She spoke Italian so fast that I could barely catch a word she said.
Alessandro introduced the two of us and then I also received a warm hug and several kisses on my cheeks. Mrs. Russo led us to the barn, which was stacked high with barrels of wine. I saw nothing that looked like a restaurant until we stepped out through the back door of the barn and onto a large patio. Several tables were set up with crisp white linens, floral bouquets and rustic tableware. But it was the view that truly amazed. As far as the eye could see grape vines stretched out across the rolling hills.
Mrs. Russo said something to Alessandro quickly in Italian before rushing off. He pulled out a chair for me and I sat down.
“This place is absolutely gorgeous,” I said.
“It’s very exclusive also. The Russos hold weddings and parties here. When I told Signora Russo I wanted to show you around the winery she insisted on making us a private lunch first.”
For the first time in forever I was completely speechless. It wasn’t my money or title that had brought me to one of the most beautiful places I’d ever seen. It was Alessandro and Mrs. Russo’s clear affection for him that had gained me entrance to this little slice of paradise.
For the next few minutes there was a flurry of activity as Mrs. Russo and one of her helpers returned with wine bottles, a basket of bread and, eventually, our meal. A plate of steaming pasta sat in front of me making my mouth water with its divine aroma.
“So what do you think?” Alessandro said after I took my first bite.
“I…I really don’t know what to say. Everything is amazing, this place, the wine, the food.”
Alessandro smiled and my heart, which had already liquefied into a massive puddle, melted a little bit more.
“Why are you doing all this for me?” I asked. “I don’t get what’s in it for you?”
Alessandro frowned. “I don’t know what you mean?”
“You take me to the nicest places and never let me pay even though…well, I’m not trying to be rude, but I’ve got quite a bit more money than you do.” I was too embarrassed to go on and mention that the two of us hadn’t moved beyond kissing and fondling and for all Alessandro knew we never would. “What I’m trying to say is that you’ve been so nice and I feel like I haven’t offered you anything in return.”
“You underestimate yourself Claire. You’ve convinced yourself that there’s nothing more to you than your money and title, but you’re wrong. Whether you believe it or not, I enjoy spending time with you. And as for the money part, I may not be a rich man, but I have enough, and my mother raised me to be a gentleman.”
“Yes. She certainly did.”
Alessandro leaned back in his chair. “The thing is, when you said you needed to be distracted, I understood how you felt. Our reasons were different, but I know how it feels to want nothing more than to find someone that will take your mind off your troubles.”
“So you’ve had your heart broken by someone before? Do tell.”
“I have, but it isn’t the way you’re thinking,” Alessandro said, his expression changing. “When my mother died, I was devastated. She was very special and losing her was hard on my father and brothers. It felt like our family was falling apart without her. I finally left home because I couldn’t take being around all that unhappiness.”
I reached across the table for Alessandro’s hand, feeling both sad for him and terrible that I’d been so upset over Nico when he’d lost so much more than I had. Giving up on the idea of becoming a princess was nothing compared to losing someone you loved. All of a sudden I felt silly and childish for even caring that Nico had married someone else. Hearing Alessandro talk about the heartbreak he felt after his mother died put things into perspective for me.
“What happened to her?”
“She had cancer,” Alessandro said. I could hear the pain in his voice. “My mother never liked doctors. By the time she found out it was too late. She died a few months later.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, knowing that my words were woefully inadequate, but unable to come up with more. I wasn’t used to conversations like this, to opening up or having other people open up to me, but somehow Alessandro got me to do all sorts of things I wasn’t used to.
“It’s all right now. Things are better. I took the time I needed to heal, and after I did, I realized how much I missed my family and the farm and came back home. At the time, leaving was the right thing to do. I needed to be someplace else. I needed a change of scenery, but eventually I realized Monterra is my home and always will be.”
“So you don’t think you’ll ever leave again?” I asked, knowing that his answer probably didn’t matter. Even if he agreed to come to England with me after I finished my studies, my parents would never approve. The thought made my heart sink, because the better I got to know Alessandro, the harder the idea of saying goodbye to him became.
“No. I love it here too much.” Alessandro swept his arm out to his side. “Just look at this place. How could I not?”
“I suppose you do have a point.” Monterra was beautiful, but so were many other parts of Europe, including England. Yet somehow I got the feeling that Alessandro wouldn’t agree. His heart was here, in the country he was born and raised in, and truthfully, a part of me admired his passion.
After finishing almost my entire plate of pasta I was sure I had no room for more food, but when Mrs. Russo brought out tiramisu for dessert, I could hardly say no. After lunch she took us on a mini-tour of her family’s vineyard before leaving me and Alessandro to explore on our own. As we walked by some vines heavy with reddish-blue grapes Alessandro plucked one and fed it to me.
“What do you think?”
“Delicious,” I said, pulling him closer and giving him a devilish smile. “But I know something that tastes even better.” As I planted my lips on Alessandro’s his arms came around me. I wound my fingers through his hair as he deepened the kiss. My breath hitched when he lowered his head and grazed his tongue over the hollow of my neck. I ran my hands over the rippling muscles in his arms and then his chest. I’d never seen him without his shirt but decided then and there we were long overdue for a beach date. I could feel how well sculpted he was under his clothing.
“You drive me crazy, Alessandro,” I whispered, caught up in the passionate way he was making me feel.
“Not as crazy as you drive me, bellissima.”
I could’ve spent hours walking through the hills of the Russo vineyards, stopping every few feet to kiss Alessandro. But there were only so many hours in the day and as the sun started to go down I knew it was time to go home.
We said goodbye to Mrs. Russo. I thanked her profusely for not only cooking one of the best meals I’d ever had, but for her hospitality. This time when she gave me a hug and kissed my cheeks I returned her affections without feeling stiff and awkward the way I did when we’d first met. Her open heart awed me. I thought I had a lot of childhood friends, but none of them showed me the kind of love that Mrs. Russo showed Alessandro.
After Alessandro and I returned to my apartment, he walked me to my door. I unlocked it but instead of following me inside, Alessandro started to back away.
“You’re not coming in?” I asked. He almost always did after one of our dates, sometimes staying until close to midnight watching TV with me and talking. I’d thought of asking him to spend the night a few times, but I was afraid he’d think me unfair that I wanted to fall asleep in his arms when I wasn’t ready to give him more.
“Not tonight, bellissima. After those kisses at the vineyard, what we both need is for me to go home and throw myself into a cold shower.”
“Are you upset with me that I’m not ready for more?”
Alessandro walked up to me and rested the palm of his hand on my cheek. “Never. But I’m going to give you a fair warning. Things have changed for me. I want to be more than just your distraction. I want to be your man. I want you to desire me the way I desire you. I know you think it can’t work between the two of us, but you’re wrong, and one way or another I’ll find a way to prove it to you.”
Without giving me a chance to reply, Alessandro turned around and walked away leaving me standing there with my mouth open. I wanted to chase after him, to tell him that there was nothing to figure out, that I wanted him, too, but my feet remained frozen in place. I was just too afraid.