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‘What makes you so sure there’s something I’m not telling you?’
‘The look on your face.’ Her arms slid around his neck.
‘Tell me.’
There was no easy way to break news he knew she didn’t want to hear. ‘I need to go back for a while. A crisis is brewing with the Sardinia development that needs my attention. Mi dispiace, angelo mia. I’m sorry.’
He expected disappointment but instead she smiled. ‘It’s fine. We knew we couldn’t stay here for ever.’ It was a brave statement that concealed her disappointment and Cristiano swore under his breath.
‘Don’t tell me it’s fine while all the time thinking something different. Tell me what you’re thinking. I want to know.’
‘All right.’ She sat back on her heels, a gleam of humour lighting her eyes. ‘I’m thinking I don’t want you to go. I want us to stay here for ever.’
He breathed a sigh of relief. ‘At least now I know you’re being honest.’
‘But we both know it isn’t practical to stay here. And this deal is really important to you, I understand that. I know how long you waited for this one. You can’t delegate it to anyone else.’
He took her face in his hands and kissed her hard. ‘Whatever the world throws at us, it doesn’t change how much I love you. Tell me you understand that.’
‘Yes.’
Over the past few days she’d opened up more than she had at any time in their marriage but he was under no illusions. When Laurel felt threatened, she closed the world out. That was the way she protected herself. Here, he’d refused to let her hide but he was realistic enough to know that once they were back in the busy world they inhabited, things would change.
‘One week,’ he promised against her lips, ‘we’ll go back for one week. And we will be together at the beginning and end of every day. Breakfast every morning and dinner every evening. Sardinia is only a short hop away from Sicily. I won’t be gone long. That’s a promise.’
CHAPTER TEN
Laurel watched as Cristiano sent an email with one hand while tying the knot of his silk tie with the other. A cup of cold coffee lay untouched on the table because he hadn’t had a moment to drink it. From the moment they’d arrived back at the Palazzo Ferrara, the Palermo home that had been in his family for generations, he’d been swamped with work.
She felt a sharp pang of longing for the simplicity of their life in Taormina, missing the closeness and the lack of outside intrusion. Now she had to share him with a million other people. Yes, he’d kept to his promise of sharing breakfast and dinner with her but last night’s dinner hadn’t been served until gone eleven o’clock.
And the grandeur of the Palazzo unsettled her.
Her eyes roved over the priceless art on the walls. Cristiano was a renowned collector and she knew he was responsible for much of the restoration of the Palazzo. But although he spent time here when he needed to be in the city, she knew his preference would always be the villa at the Ferrara Spa and their new home in Taormina.
Their home.
Thinking of somewhere as home sent a warm feeling flowing through her. Watching as he took a phone call, switching easily between English and Italian, she felt her insides soften because this incredible man was hers. Yes, he was a workaholic but she loved his energy and his utter commitment to a task. And to his family. Cristiano was big on responsibility and commitment and those had been rare qualities in her life before she’d met him. He was offering her that part of himself.
Laurel took over tying his tie, ducking as he gesticulated with his hands and let out a stream of angry Italian to the person on the end of the phone.
When he finally cut the connection he was visibly angry.
‘Lawyers!’ His jaw clenched, he stood still while she straightened his tie. ‘They are enough to drive a man to drink. I have to fly to Sardinia and I’d planned to spend the afternoon with you. I was going to take you shopping and spoil you.’
‘I’ll be fine. Dani is back from her honeymoon and we’re meeting at the Spa later for manicures and a girly chat. I also promised Santo I’d take a look at the health club at the Resort. I’m going to do a workout, observe some of the trainers in action. Make some recommendations. Then I’m going to find myself an empty office and answer all those emails I’ve been ignoring since we went to Taormina.’
Cristiano frowned. ‘You can use my office, but I don’t want you to have to work today.’
‘I don’t have to work. I want to work.’ Laurel stood back, wondering if there was ever going to be a time when she didn’t go weak at the knees when she looked at him. ‘There. You look smart.’
Sinfully handsome, she thought.
Hers.
‘Grazie.’ Distracted, Cristiano reached for his jacket. ‘I will be back in time to take you for dinner tonight and that’s a promise. I’ve discovered a new restaurant—’
‘In that case I’ll buy a new dress.’
