“Excuse my compatriots,signorina.”
All hint of his Italian accent disappears when he speaks English, though the timbre of his voice is no less intoxicating.
I take the opportunity to stand, holding my hand up to shield the late evening sun from my eyes, only for my breath to desert my lungs because standing before me isthemost gorgeous man I’ve ever seen.
He is over a foot taller than me, with black hair that falls forward across his brow, giving him an almost boyish charm. A white shirt and beige pants cover his muscular frame like they’ve been made to fit his body.
Dark brown eyes brimming with concern hold me their willing captive before he glances down, a slow smile spreading across his handsome face. My lips answer of their own accord.
“Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome.” He dips his head in silent acknowledgment of mygratitude, his grin broadening. “I’m afraid I never learned the language.”
What I don’t add is that Nico purposefully forbade me from learning Italian to ensure I wouldn’t understand anything discussed at the meetings he’d bring me to. It suited him to have me on his arm, parading me past other men in the organization who openly lusted after the woman who warmed his bed.
The woman who was, for all intents, his property. Signed, sealed, and delivered.
And he’d only gotten worse since his father—probably the only person who’d been able to keep him in check—had died almost a year ago.
Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome gestures in the direction the elderly man and his friend have sauntered.
“Lazise is always bustling with tourists. To be honest, it’s surprising that man didn’t speak English.”
“I’m just thankful that you were here to save the day, or else I might have ended up in the lake.” His chest rumbles with a deep chuckle as I smile gratefully and extend my right hand.
“I’m Elodie.”
His eyes deepen in intensity, the chocolatey brown melting into obsidian as my savior slides his palms alongside mine. The simple touch makes my skin feel electrified. Like he’s awakened something deep inside me.
“Rafe.”
Our gazes hold for a long moment as his eyes search mine. I can feel my brow pucker as a feeling of déjà vu flows through me, knocking my equilibrium utterly off-kilter.
I sway to the side, perilously close to the edge of the pier, before the hand lightly holding mine increases its grip, drawing me closer until I’m flush against his hard body.
His heady masculine scent fills my senses, grounding me in a way I’ve never experienced before as he whispers across the top of my head.
“Ti salvero, Stellina.”
The Pandora’s Box in my head rattles slightly as something about those words tugs at the edges of my memory. Words IknowI’ve heard before, but I just can’t place when.
I tilt my head to one side as memories form in my mind’s eye of a clear night sky littered with stars. A smile on my lips. A warm hand on my cheek…
But without warning, an image of Nico rises to the forefront, and panic fills my chest, making it hard to breathe.
More than a little shaken at the turn of events, I quickly step back out of Rafe’s hold to look up from beneath my lashes, my breath coming in short bursts. “Apologies. I felt a little lightheaded just then. I forgot I skipped lunch earlier.”
Dropping down to my haunches, I grab my discarded cell and crossbody bag with shaky hands, somehow managing to upend the contents in my rush.
Rafe crouches beside me, placing his hands over mine. My eyes trace the back of his right hand that’s covered entirely in a beautifully detailed rose tattoo. “Take a deep breath, Elodie.”
I close my eyes, allowing this stranger's calming voice to soothe me. To chase away my demons. And I do as he instructs, taking several slow breaths until my racing heart has stopped galloping.
Only then do I lift my eyes to his. His forehead creases in concern, but it’s the care in his eyes that fills me with a feeling suspiciously like hope.
Something I haven’t felt in a long, long time, and I rapidly diffuse it with my signature sarcasm.
“Do you roam the promenade in a bid to rescue damsels in distress often?”
A flash of perfect white teeth paired with a low chuckle encourages me to continue, tucking my hair behind my ear with a wry grin. “You’re really well versed, you know. You’ve undoubtedly perfected your routine because I’msold.”
