Page 11 of His to Honor

“So what? I’m a tourist and I want to seeThe Birth of Venus. I don’t care if some guy trying to feed his family wants to take me for a few bucks for some shitty souvenirs.”

“No, I’m not taking you.” His tone suggests he’s digging in his heels, but I know how to make him change his mind. Pushing Matteo’s buttons doesn’t require a genius level of thought.

“Then I’ll call your cousin. He was kind enough to give me his number when he dropped me off here last night.”

Matteo scowls. “You are not calling Damiano.”

I cross my arms over my chest. Matteo is about to find out I can be manipulative when I want to be. “You said I couldn’t leave unescorted. If Damiano takes me to Florence, you can rest easy that I’m protected and I’ll get to spend the day with a sexy Italian.”

Matteo grinds his teeth audibly, making me shudder. “You think Damiano’s sexy?”

“Don’t you? He sure looks like he knows how to show a girl a good time.”

“Is that so?”

I know I’m poking a bear now. Matteo doesn’t take well to competition, even if there’s never been anything sexual between us—until last night, that is. “Yeah, he’s got a commanding nature. I’ll bet if he bent a girl over his desk…”

Before I can finish whatever dangerous taunt was going to come out of my mouth, Matteo startles me by jumping out of his chair. He slams the palms of his hands down on the table and glares at me. He closes his eyes. His chest heaves up and down and I can tell he’s trying to calm himself. “Be ready in thirty minutes. If you want to see the sights, I’ll show you the fucking sights.”

With that, he stalks off and I can’t help wondering just what the hell I’ve got myself into.

CHAPTER 4

Matteo

Steepling my fingers, I watch Giulia cross the table at the restaurant I brought her to. Despite my initial reluctance, I enjoyed our whirlwind tour of the Uffizi Gallery and allowed Giulia to talk me into going to the Pitti Palace as well. We stopped for a quick coffee, but haven’t eaten since breakfast, so I wanted to bring her to a place where she could get the authentic Tuscan cuisine she said she wanted to try.

As she scans the menu, I can’t help thinking how different she is. It’s not just her hair. Her clothes are new. She’s wearing eye-catching purple cropped pants that match her hair and a gauzy white blouse, a departure from the grays and blacks she used to camouflage her incredible body with. Her demeanor has also changed. She’s less self-conscious. Giulia was always fun to be around, but shyness held her back. She’s definitely more confident than before. I have to admit I find her boldness alluring.

“I’ve wanted to see Botticelli’s paintings since I was a kid.” Giulia sets down the leather-bound menu. “But they paled in comparison with that Titian.”

“Uh-huh.” I actually have no idea which painting she’s talking about. There were dozens of masterpieces in the gallery, but I noticed few of them. My attention was focused on the woman in front of me. I always recognized Giulia’s beauty, but never imagined wanting to fuck her. Our relationship started when we were too young to know about physical attraction, but when I developed an awareness of sex, I marked her as off limits. Unwilling to risk our close bond for what might be only fleeting pleasure, I convinced myself friendship was all I wanted from her.

Then one stupid remark changed things. Not seeing her for the last few months has created enough of a distance between us for me to see Giulia differently. Her turning up in Tuscany has thrown me completely off balance. I want her more than I’ve ever wanted a woman.

“Thanks for playing tourists with me.” Giulia reaches for the bottle of San Pellegrino on the table, but I grab it first and pour her a glass. Now that all thoughts of getting rid of her have left my mind, I can be chivalrous. “I know it’s not your thing.”

She nods in thanks as I slide the glass of water to her.

“I can appreciate beauty, Giulia.”

As she meets my eye, she smiles wryly. “I’m glad you found something to admire.”

“I found it a long time ago. I was just too blind to see it.”

Shit. Even to my own ears, that sounded cheesy. There’s an awkward silence as Giulia looks at anything but me. This restaurant has an amazing view of the Ponte Vecchio and the River Arno that flows beneath it, but I refuse to believe she’s so mesmerized she can’t even blink. Her whole body has gone stiff. Fortunately, the waiter arrives at the table and breaks the tension.

“What can I get for you,SignoreVolante?” he asks.

“I’ll take the veal saltimbocca with a side of steamed broccoli and the lady will have…”

“The same, but could I have it with French fries instead of broccoli?” She grimaces as if she expects the waiter to pass judgment on her for the culinary faux pas. He does look snooty with his long straight nose and downturned lips, but I’ve been here before and Alberto’s a good guy.

“Of course,signorina.”

“And bring us a bottle of the Valpolicella.” It comes from a vineyard my cousin Lorenzo owns near Verona. He’s Damiano’s younger brother and second in command. There’s another brother, Gabriele, who controls their operations in Rome. I haven’t seen him at all during this trip. Apparently, he’s become something of a recluse since he was attacked and left with severe scarring on his face.

“Si, signore.” Alberto bows low, then turns and walks away.

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