AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘I told you I wouldn’t drink much.’
‘Have you had breakfast?’
‘Would you believe that I have? Maria insisted on cooking an omelette.’
‘Who’s Maria?’
‘Sergio’s housekeeper. She wanted to pack me a picnic lunch, but I said no to that. So, are you ready to go? First, we’re going over to Bellagio. You can’t visit Lake Como without visiting the town of Bellagio. It’s called “the pearl of Lake Como”.’
‘Sounds lovely.’
‘It is. Very old, of course, but fascinating. Seeing all the main places of interest there will take us all morning. We’ll have lunch there, too. Their restaurants are second to none. Then after lunch we’ll motor down to Como. That’s a beautiful town. After that I’ll take you for a leisurely drive around the whole lake. You can see a lot from the water. I’ll show you Sergio’s villa, plus the one next door, the countess’s. It’s very grand. That’s where they’re having the wedding and the reception afterwards.’
‘It’s not going to be a big wedding, is it?’
Alex laughed. ‘Hardly. Counting the celebrant and the photographer, there’ll be just eleven of us. So don’t start stressing that it’s some huge celebrity shindig, because it isn’t.’
Harriet had to admit she was relieved. She hadn’t packed a dress suitable for a seriously formal do. But she had brought along her red cocktail dress, the one Alex had admired. That would do.
‘Now, are you ready to go? You look ready. And you look very lovely, might I add. If I hadn’t had our itinerary all worked out, I’d whisk you off upstairs for a quickie.’
‘I don’t much like quickies,’ Harriet said, doing her best to ignore the wild jab of desire coursing through her veins.
He chuckled. ‘You are such a little liar. I’m almost tempted to show you just how much. But I think I’ll make you wait.’
‘I can wait,’ she told him. ‘Provided you give me a little taster occasionally.’
‘And what would that involve?’
‘Nothing much. Just hold my hand and kiss me at regular intervals so that I don’t go cold on you.’
‘Done!’
* * *
Alex hadn’t enjoyed himself so much in years. He’d been to Lake Como a few times as Sergio’s guest, and he’d seen the various sights on offer, but there was something about seeing them through Harriet’s delighted eyes which made the experience even more pleasurable, and infinitely more satisfying. Of course, it didn’t hurt holding her hand or kissing her more times than he could count. By the time they docked at the hotel jetty in the late afternoon, he was more than ready to steer her up the amazing staircase to her room without further ado.
She made no objection to sharing a shower with him, or having what turned out to be a quickie under the jets of hot water, Alex coming with a speed that bothered him a bit, knowing that Harriet had been left panting and unsatisfied. Still, he made it up to her afterwards with an hour of leisurely love-play in bed, during which she came three times before he reached for a condom once more.
‘Hate to love you and leave you,’ he said afterwards, ‘but I don’t want to drive that boat across the lake at night. Sergio is a nervous enough bridegroom without my adding to his worries, so I promised I’d be back before dark.’
Harriet propped herself up on one elbow and watched him dress.
‘How am I getting to the wedding?’ she asked.
‘Sergio’s booked you a water taxi for ten. It’ll bring you to his villa. I’ll meet you down at his jetty and we’ll all go over to the countess’s place together.’
‘I still can’t believe how amazing her place is. I mean, Sergio’s villa was grand enough, but hers is like a palace.’
‘It is magnificent, but it’s not as big as it looks. The setting up against the hillside makes it look larger.’
When Harriet reached for her phone and took a photo of him, he groaned. ‘Will you stop doing that? You’ve already taken heaps of photos of me today.’
‘Yes, but none with your shirt off.’
‘I hope none of them shows up on social media,’ he warned her.
Harriet shrugged. ‘I’m not into social media on a personal basis. It has its uses, but I don’t particularly want to give other people—even friends—a blow-by-blow description of my life.’
‘Sensible girl. But, to be on the safe side, perhaps you’d better not take any snaps at the wedding tomorrow. Sergio has a passion for privacy.’
