Every time they returned to the chalet, they’d make a sandwich, then lie on the floor in front of the fire and listen to music from his radio. He’d start to kiss her and she’d kiss him back, but he never tried to do anything more. She ended up taking long, hot showers, then getting into bed with the novels she’d brought.
After a week had gone by, they had news. When she appeared in the kitchen to fix breakfast dressed in wool pants and a cherry-red sweater, Stefano was waiting for her in trousers and a tan sport shirt. The sight of him always made her breath catch, but there was a different aura about him this morning.
“We have phone service.”
No.
“Enzo called me a minute ago and the snow has been cleared from the mountain road enough for him to make it up here. He’ll be bringing my car.” Stefano sounded so happy, her heart plunged to her feet.
She reached for an apple. Their supply had grown low. “How soon are you expecting him so I can start packing?”
He rubbed the front of his chest in an absent gesture. “I was waiting to talk it over with you. Do you want to take the driving tour I’d planned for us?”
Lanza had to suppress a moan. “I’ll do whatever you’d like.” Did he want to leave? She couldn’t bear it.
His dark eyes narrowed on her features. “We’ll take Fausto with us when we drop Enzo back at his office. Then I’ll drive you to one of my favorite restaurants for a big lunch and we’ll talk about plans.”
“Does this mean you’ll be assigning security for us?” She dreaded the idea of it. Here they’d been free of everything and everyo
ne. “I guess you’ll have to because people will recognize us. Our secret will be out.”
“Not if we disguise ourselves in our ski outfits and sunglasses. We’ll look like typical tourists. On our way out of the city we’ll leave our little fox at the wildlife shelter. I’ll make a donation so they’ll look after him.”
That last comment told her he’d gotten attached to Fausto, but she still felt ill. This was the end of her idyll, the happiest time she’d ever had in her life, all because of Stefano. With the opening of the road, this whole glorious time had come to an end.
“Go ahead and call Enzo back. I’ll get started packing.”
With a heart so heavy she wanted to die, Lanza hurried to the bedroom and began putting things in her suitcase. It didn’t take long since she hadn’t worn the clothes meant for the tropics. Once she’d packed her cosmetics, she was ready.
An hour later, after making the bed, she put her hair in a braid. No one would recognize her wearing her hair like that. She slipped on Carla’s ski outfit and carried her cases to the stairs. Lanza found Stefano in the kitchen making coffee. He handed her a mug to drink.
“I’ll take the box downstairs to load in the car.”
Lanza followed with her cases. He must have already taken his down. She couldn’t look at the Christmas tree in the corner of the living room. It hurt too terribly. She was in excruciating pain when she remembered the thrilling moments in here they’d shared, especially the rapture she’d experienced in his arms. Sobs welled in her throat. Somehow she had to find a way to stifle them.
Enzo’s voice carried as she reached the door entrance. The two men sounded thrilled to see each other. She opened it into the sunlight and walked out to the car, glad for her sunglasses.
“Buon giorno, Enzo,” she called to him. Today he appeared without a ski hat and was dressed in a suit and tie. Stefano had told her they’d be driving him to the bank.”
“Lanza—” He hurried around the car toward her. “I hope you don’t mind my calling you that.”
“I want you to.”
He smiled. “It’s good to see you again, but I have to admit I wouldn’t have recognized you in that outfit.”
“Or my braid?” she teased.
“Exactly.” His blue eyes played over her with even more masculine interest than before. “I’m sorry you had to wait so long to be rescued.”
“Since you’ve stayed at this chalet many, many times, then you know how comfortable we’ve been. We appreciate your coming.”
“It’s my pleasure, believe me.” Stefano had already put the box on the back seat of the car. No man on the planet could look as jaw-droppingly handsome as her husband in his ski clothes and sunglasses. She opened the car door and got in next to it.
Her husband walked over to her. “I’d like you to ride in front with me.”
He didn’t need to keep up the pretense in front of his friend. She fastened her seat belt. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to be by Fausto until we have to say goodbye to him. Will that be all right?”
Lanza heard him take in a quick breath. “Of course.” He shut the door and put their luggage in the back end of the vehicle. Then he slid behind the wheel.