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It made him doubly glad that he had lied about the photographs not bothering him. He would never tell Louisa, but seeing the pictures actually bothered him a great deal, although not for the reason she thought. It was his expression in the photographs, a dazed, trancelike appearance that upset him the most. He’d been photographed by the press dozens of times, but never could he remember seeing a shot where he could be seen looking so intently at his partner. Then again, he couldn’t remember ever sharing a dance as memorable as the one he shared with Louisa either. Looking at the photograph had brought every detail back into focus, from the softness of her silk gown to the floral scent of her hairspray as she curled into his neck.
Unfortunately, Louisa’s reaction was far different. Even though he expected her to get upset, he was surprised at the disappointment her response left in his stomach. Clearly, being the one who usually kept the emotional distance, Nico wasn’t used to a woman’s disinterest.
Sensing her attention about to return to the headlines, Nico gathered the newspaper and folded it in two. “No more gossip,” he said, slapping the paper on the countertop. “We move on to better topics. You need to finish your breakfast. Today is a workday. If you’re serious about earning your keep, then we need to get to the winery.”
“Are you always this bossy with your houseguests?” she asked, the smile staying in place.
“Only the Americans,” Nico countered. What would she say if she discovered she was the first woman to be one of his houseguests? Not even Floriana had been given such an honor. Since his parents had moved away, Nico had preferred the house to remain a place of peace and tranquility, something it had never been when he was a child.
And didn’t Louisa, with her damp hair and bare feet, look as if she belonged to the place. The novelty of having company, he decided. Other women would look equally at home, if he ever bothered to invite them.
But would other women engender such a strong desire to protect them? Last night, he’d literally found himself patrolling the house, and again first thing this morning. Frankly, he was surprised he hadn’t stood guard outside Louisa’s bedroom door to keep her safe.
Keep her safe or keep her from leaving? The dread that gripped him when she mentioned going to Florence was no less today than it had been yesterday. He wished he understood why her leaving Monte Calanetti disturbed him so much.
He looked past her shoulder to the back door and the thin dark line scored in the wood just to the left of the doorknob. A reminder of the time his mother had thrown a carving knife at his father’s disappearing back. “Did you sleep well?” he heard himself ask.
“Okay,” she said. “It’s never easy sleeping the first night in a new place and all.”
“Perhaps, after a full day’s work, tonight will be better.” For both of them. Wiping his mouth, he tossed the napkin onto his empty plate and stood up. “Speaking of...we have a busy day. Get your shoes on and I’ll show you what you’ll be doing for me.”
* * *
Beyond the vineyards themselves, Amatucci Vineyards had two primary sections. There was a medieval stone villa that housed the store and wine-tasting rooms as well as a modern production facility. It was to the second building that Nico and Louisa headed, cutting through the rear garden and vines. Something else Louisa had been too stressed out to appreciate yesterday. Unlike the villa, which was stately and ripe with family heirlooms, Nico’s garden was a breathtaking display of natural beauty. The vines draping the pergola beams had minds of their own, their branches dipping and weaving into a unique overhead tapestry. Likewise, urns had been placed around the terracotta terrace, their roses and olive plants spiraling up cedar trellises with stunning wildness.
“I like to be reminded of how rugged the hills can be,” Nico said when she complimented him. Rugged was a good word and fit him perfectly, she thought, dodging a low-hanging branch. Nico was earthy and independent. Civilized, but not completely.
“Most of the employees are in the field at this time of day,” Nico told her as he unlocked the facility door. “I’ll set you up in one of the back offices so you’ll have maximum privacy. I also sent an email to the staff last night reminding them that I expect professionalism and discretion at all times, and that I won’t tolerate gossip.”
“Sounds like you’ve thought of everything.” Swooping in to take control... A tightness found its way into her stomach, which she immediately pushed aside. Not the same thing, she silently snapped. Stop comparing.
The door opened into a small receiving room dominated by filing cabinets and a cluttered metal desk at which a lanky young man too big for his chair sat reading. Behind him a glass window looked out over a warehouse-sized room full of gleaming stainless-steel processing machines.
