Page 28 of Destino

“Would you like it drive it?”

“No thanks. These roads are kind of narrow and scary.”

“Hold on.”

The car spit a cloud of dust and gravel as he wheeled it around and zoomed toward the open gates. Mira’s heart lodged in her throat. “Could you slow down please?”

He nodded and eased them into a manageable speed. “We’ll dine atVilla Melzi. I’ve had it arranged. I believe your friend and Lorenzo will take the yacht out.”

“Wait? We’re splitting up?”

“Is that a problem?” he asked.

She chewed on the inside of her jaw. “I suppose not.”

“I was hoping to take you on a tour of the eastern hamlets, especially after seeing your sketch this morning. It’s what you see from your window.”

“Oh. Okay.” She tried to force the nervous quiver from her voice. She needed to be confident. The man made her anxiety spike. Again she wondered about his interest in her. It couldn’t possibly be her lease. And she did see him with a drop dead beautiful Italian girl, so he couldn’t be lonely.Stop it Mira. It’s just breakfast and a tour not a proposal.She closed her eyes and forced herself to relax.

“Do you design men's clothes?” he asked.

“I do.”

“Maybe you can design something for me?”

“I’m expensive.”

Giovanni chuckled. “A lady of your talents should be.”

Mira blushed and looked away, back out the window. They glided along until they entered the city. The cobblestone roadway made him more careful of his speed. From her peripheral view, she could see him shifting gears. Looking down at his strong powerful hand, she noticed the ring with the B on it, and she wondered about him.

“Is that a family heirloom?” she asked pointing to the ring.

He looked to his hand then at her. “It belonged to my father.”

“It’s beautiful, you two close?”

“I loved him very much,” he answered.

His car phone began to chime, and she saw his hand leave the gearshift and him navigate the car with one hand while he picked it up with the other. She wondered more about his life and the kind of man he was. Deciding before she went any further with him that she would ask. He spoke in Italian, and Mira stared at his profile. When his gaze slipped to her instead of the road, she glanced away. She didn’t need an interpreter to know that the call wasn’t good news. Hanging up the phone, he down shifted.

“Is everything okay?”

“It will be,” he said, and a hint of a smile tugged the corner of his mouth. She smiled back and relaxed in the soft leather of the bucket seat that seemed to be molded to her body perfectly. The day had promise.

Chapter Four

Mira admired the leafy groves of cypress until palms disappeared behind the looming architecture of the city. Every block shaped building in an array of colors from rose pink to mango stood at least four-stories tall with flat rust shingled roofs. Tourists and locals mixed along the sidewalks or zipped by on motor scooters. To her right, Lake Como glistened with still waters. She could see a few yachts with open sails resting lazily upon the deep blue under the morning sun. A ferry blew its horn as it approached the pier to unload anxious travelers. The car coasted into a reduced speed.

“You arranged breakfast for us here?” she asked, the question nearly stalled in her throat and nervous energy swelled into a tight ball in the center of her tummy. Of course, she didn’t want to sound undeserving. However, the small lakefront town of Bellagio nestled between volcanic shaped mountains, two distinct lakes, and covered in bright colorful flowers, evoked such romance it was hard not to notice. Had he seriously gone this far to get her alone in a setting such as this? They really didn’t know each other, and she hadn’t been gracious about his advances so far.

“I wanted to be alone with you.” The words slipped from his mouth in a husky voice that caused her to glance over, intrigued. Mira stifled a smile over the intense way he focused on the road. Did he always take himself so seriously?

“It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?”

He didn’t respond.

“Why do they call Bellagio the Pearl of the Lake?”

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