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He pulled back and then turned. ‘Hey...’ He smiled. ‘Matteo.’ Dante appeared to remember his manners then, but she knew he had lost them long ago, and was certain that kiss had been for an audience. ‘This is Alicia. Alicia, this is my brother Matteo and his wife, Rosa...’
She was blushing through the introductions, as if embarrassed that they had been caught kissing, except in reality it was a blush of anger.
‘We were just about to get a coffee,’ Matteo said. ‘Join us?’
‘We’d love to,’ Dante responded. ‘But Alicia is tired, and we haven’t even been home since we touched down.’
‘For sure.’
‘We’ll see you tomorrow,’ Dante said.
‘You knew, didn’t you...?’ she said once they were a suitable distance away. ‘That’s why you kissed me then.’
‘No,’ he said. ‘Had I known my brother was here I would really not have been making out with you for some kick.’ He looked at her. ‘Don’t act as though I’m some sleaze. You didn’t mind the prospect of a morning shag when you wanted something from me.’
It was as simple as sex to him.
And she’d let him think it was the same for her.
‘Come on.’
They walked through the cobbled streets and ancient archways towards his residence. Then there were some narrow, rather steep steps that seemed to stretch for ever and she actually paused midway.
‘Do you have to carry your supermodels up these?’ Alicia asked.
‘No, we stay at the hotel, where I have a private elevator to the penthouse,’ Dante informed her. ‘Keep going,’ he said, ‘we’re almost there.’
And then he put her out of her misery.
‘There is an easier way in, but if we’d taken it then you would have missed out on this view.’
‘Oh!’ The whole of Sicily was stretched out before them, so glorious it brought a fresh batch of tears to her eyes. ‘I’ve never seen it...’ She was breathless. ‘I mean...’
‘I know what you mean.’ Dante said. ‘The best views are from a distance.’
She looked at the little fishing boats bobbing alongside yachts in the harbour, and beyond to the ships in their channels, and then back to the sight of the island she loved so. ‘I lived there for eighteen years and I’ve never really seen it—well, not like this...’
It was like a portrait, or something from a picture book, except there was wind on her face and salt in the air and the images were real. It was home, and Alicia knew then how very much she had missed it.
‘Can you see...?’ She hesitated. ‘Can you see it from here?’
‘No,’ he said. ‘It’s too far to the south, tucked away around there.’ He pointed. ‘It’s just a couple of hours drive away, though.’ They both drank in the majesty. ‘Wait till tonight, when it’s all lit up,’ he added. ‘I hope the sky behaves while you’re here.’
Being back was even more emotional than she’d anticipated, and as they walked on to his residence for the first time Alicia was actually pondering that drive.
‘I’ll take you into town later,’ he said, ‘so you can see the hotel.’
‘Is it yours or still with your family?’
‘Always mine. They’ve never seen it.’ He took a breath and softened his stance. ‘There is a little north-south divide with my dear stepmother. One both she and my father are perhaps coming to regret.’
‘In what way?’
‘Just leave it.’ He gave her no more than that. ‘We always knew God was in his heaven here.’
There was not enough room in her mind to dwell on it. There was the thrill of being back, the absolute beauty of Ortigia, the splendour of his home and simply being here with him.
‘It’s incredible.’ Alicia looked up. ‘Was it really a palace?’
