Page 21 of His UnBearable Touch

“Yes, well,” he began to explain, “while we have a number of pieces ready for performance, I was quite taken with your rendition of ‘Swan,’ and feel that it would be the perfect piece to end the performance.”

Allegra felt her face warm with a blush. “I would be honored.”

“Good,” she heard a slight squeak of chair legs on the linoleum floor as Essa stood up, “I’d like to schedule some rehearsals and…”

“Yes,” Allegra struggled to concentrate on his words, “whatever you need. Thank you.”

She felt a gentle touch on her shoulder. “Just keep doing what you’re doing, Allegra. You’ll see more of these opportunities come your way.”

* * *

When he’d taken her to the rehearsal hall that morning, Valerio had asked Natale to come along with them and had to endure more than his fair share of taunting from Uberto. His younger brother had called Salvatore’s mate their chaperone.

While the term fit in its definition, he knew that Uberto had missed the point entirely. Natale hadn’t gone along to keep the two apart, he’d asked her to come to ease the tension in the car.

Being in such a closed space with Allegra was going to be hard enough, but his bear, who had been exceedingly patient since the incident in the subway, was now riding Valerio hard. Hard enough that after holding Allegra in his arms for just a few hours, he wasn’t quite sure that he had the ability to let her walk away at the door.

Natale was the perfect person to keep the bear in check, it recognized her as family and didn’t see her as an obstacle.

Now, standing outside the rehearsal hall, it was all he could do to keep himself outside the door, shoes planted on the cold fall concrete sidewalk.

He watched as half a dozen people exited the building from the door before him, and then there was a long gap before another nine left the building. The final person from that group was the Oboe player he’d met the day before.

“Well hello there, tall dark and,” she looked up into his face and he saw her smile fall a little, “sadly not interested.”

He cleared his throat and looked back toward the door before looking back at her. “Is Allegra finished?”

Linda sighed. “Don’t I wish.”

Valerio felt an odd sensation in his middle. “Is something wrong with Allegra?”

The question seemed to catch her by surprise. “Wrong?” She made a vague gesture with her hands before she shrugged. “No, she’s just talking with someone about her new schedule.”

That caught his interest. “New schedule?”

Linda’s teeth locked together for a moment. “I think I’ll let her tell you the good news,” she sighed. “I have to get home.” She left a moment or two before the door opened again.

Allegra stepped outside, holding onto the arm of a woman quite a few years older than her.

Valerio opened the door and held it for them, earning him a bright smile from the other woman.

“The man you were telling me about,” she stage-whispered into Allegra’s ear, “would he be tall, muscular, and devastatingly handsome?”

Allegra gave it a moment’s thought. “Tall, yes… muscular, very… and handsome?” She turned slightly and he thought she might be using her hearing to listen for a reaction from him. “He certainly makes my head spin and my insides all tingly.”

“Oh,” the other woman leaned closer and laughed, “then I think he’s standing just to your left. And my, my,” she sighed out loud, “he would make my insides tingly too, if I didn’t already have a love of my own.” She held out her hand to shake and he took it. “I’m Jane South.”

Allegra nodded toward the other woman. “She’s a wizard on the piano.”

“You’re just fluffing up my ego and I love you for it.” She pressed a kiss on Allegra’s cheek. “If you need to adjust any of the rehearsal times, just call me. I put my information into your phone.” Holding out Allegra’s hand to Valerio, Jane stepped away when he stepped closer. “You,” she settled her direct gaze on his face, “take good care of your lady.”

She walked off down the street whistling a jaunty melody.

He would have been content, tucking her arm into the crook of his to walk her to their waiting car, but it seemed that Allegra wasn’t. Turning toward him, she lifted her arm to wrap around his neck, using contact with his chest and then his shoulder to judge the distance.

He tensed until he drew in her scent, enjoying the sweet spice of her skin under the familiar floral soap that Natale liked to use. He held still, keeping a tight rein on his control, until she turned her head to lay her cheek against his chest.

The bear within him was a step behind his human half in that moment as Valerio wrapped his arms around Allegra and pulled her in close, burying his face against her neck where it met her shoulder.

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