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She laughed quietly. The urge to take her in his arms and kiss her had become a viable pain he couldn’t endure much longer. So much for his plan to slow things down. Driven by his desire to be with her despite his reservations, he brought up an idea he’d promised himself he wouldn’t do.
“Fausta? Before I have to go back in and check on a new hospitalized patient, I wanted to ask if you have plans for this coming Saturday.”
She’d started to clean things up. “That depends,” she said with an alluring smile that made his heart thud.
“I wondered if you’d like to drive to Biella with me. While I call on my patients, we’ll visit the pig farm.”
Her blue eyes danced. “There’s nothing I’d like more than to see some cute little pigs!”
You’ve done it now, Barsotti. But he didn’t care. Insane as it was, he needed to be alone with her away from their world. “It’ll be a two-hour drive both ways. Can you be ready by nine? We’ll stop to eat along the way.”
“I’m always up early and will wait outside the entrance.”
“Bene.” He got to his feet and picked up the sack. She folded the blanket and they went back inside as far as the cloakroom. When she lifted her eyes to him, Nico could see a nerve throbbing in the base of her throat. “See you on Saturday.”
After they said good-night, he conferred with his colleague over a patient, then drove to his apartment and phoned Enzo, who sounded ecstatic to hear from him.
Knowing that he would be with her all day Saturday was the only thing that helped him get through the rest of his week.
After letting the older man know he’d be driving to Biella and would be bringing someone with him this time, Nico got ready for bed, almost feverish in anticipation of being with Fausta.
When he drove up to the side of the palace on Saturday morning, there she was with molten gold hair, dressed in jeans and walking boots. She’d worn a long-sleeved kelly green pullover that revealed the feminine mold of her body. She carried a jacket over her arm and looked like she was ready for a day in the country. Every exquisite detail about her spoke to him.
Nico jumped out of the car and walked around to open the passenger door for her with the palace guard looking on. “Buon giorno, Fausta.” He put her j
acket on the back seat before getting in behind the wheel.
“I’m so glad you asked me to come with you today. I’m thrilled to be getting out of the city.”
“After the antiseptic halls of the hospital, I am too.”
They took off and headed for the highway taking them out of the city. He was aware of security following them, but he didn’t care. This morning she smelled like wildflowers in a meadow. Nico had never been with a woman like her. Moreover, he’d never done anything this exciting. She’d wanted to come with him. Nothing else mattered.
All the way to the border and beyond, the trees were in blossom with pink and white petals. She let out a sigh. “It’s a beautiful June day already. Only a few white clouds are hanging in the sky. Everything is green and lush. I can’t tell you how happy I am to be out in nature like this.”
Her words painted a picture. “You took the words out of my mouth.” They traveled past manicured farms that displayed a picture-book quality. “Does your family know you’re with me?”
“I’m sure they do.”
By now they probably knew all about him and didn’t approve. Nico didn’t want to think about it, but it was hard to look past the demands of her royal background. “I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry. Let’s stop in the next village and get some food we can eat in the car.”
“I was hoping you’d suggest it.”
They came to a hamlet and found delectable rabbit quiche with rosemary, black raspberry fruit tarts and sodas at a little local deli.
“This food is divine.” En route she ate and drank with the same relish he did. “I know we’re traveling to Biella. You said the orphanage wasn’t that far from there. Could we see it too?”
He sucked in his breath. “You want to go to Mottalciata? The population is only about fifteen hundred people.”
“You really did grow up in a small village, but it’s part of your childhood. I’d love to at least drive by it.”
“If you want, then we’ll go there first.”
Before long they reached the village in question. “This place, plus the Barsotti farm on the outskirts of Biella, made up my only world until I went to the university in Turin, Italy.”
She looped some of that diaphanous hair behind her ear. “I haven’t been to Turin in years. By now it’s probably grown to a million people.”
“Most likely.”
