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He flashed her a heart-stopping smile.
“Buongiorno, mia vita.”
It took several moments before she could get her mouth to work. Her peripheral vision grew dark; the only thing in her focus was the man standing before her. “Vito? Is it really you?”
He spread his arms out, his grin growing wider. “None other.”
“But how? What are you doing here?”
“I stopped by the shop first. Talbot’s Expert Plumbing. Your uncle told me where I could find you.”
Okay. “No, I mean, what are you doing here? In Boston?”
“Ah, see, that question might take a bit of explaining.”
“Perhaps you could give me the overall gist.”
“Nothing felt right after you left, cara. The city I loved suddenly became empty, much smaller all of a sudden once you were gone. Lonelier.” He paused to run a finger down her cheek and along her jaw. Her skin warmed wherever he touched it. “Then there was the painting I’d begun of you.”
“What about it?”
“I wanted badly to finish work on it, because it reminded me of you. But I couldn’t bear to uncover it. Because it reminded me of you.”
He stopped speaking and blew out a frustrated breath. “I’m not explaining at all well, am I?”
“No, no. You’re doing fine. Don’t stop, please.”
Vito chuckled then stepped closer to where she still stood dumbfounded and unable to move so much as a muscle. “I’ll do better, cara,” he said on a soft whisper. “I’ll show you.”
As he took her in his arms Maya thought for certain none of this could be real. That she was, indeed, going mad. But then Vito took her lips with his and she couldn’t think at all.
When they finally parted, Vito drew her even tighter against him, nuzzling his chin against her hair. Then spoke softly on a whisper in her ear in Italian. Maya didn’t need a translator to understand his words.
“Ti amo.” I love you.
EPILOGUE
“I DON’T KNOW about this, Vito. Last time I attempted getting into one of these things it didn’t go so well.” Although she had ended up meeting Vito as a result.
Still, Maya wasn’t so sure a gondola ride was the best way to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the day they’d first met. Vito was trying to be romantic, but all she could focus on was making sure not to reenact the scene where she’d fallen into the water.
“The difference this time is that I’m by your side, cara. I won’t let you fall.”
That wasn’t the only difference. “Also, I’m quite sober this time around,” she reminded him with a laugh.
Vito hopped into the boat first then helpfully lifted her in. “See? That went pretty smoothly.”
“Thank goodness.”
She sat next to Vito on the padded seat and let him pull her into his arms. Slowly, the gondolier began navigating them through the Venice canals.
“Why was it so important that we do this today, anyhow?” Maya asked, though now that the initial boarding was over, she found herself thoroughly enjoying the outing. The splendor of Venetian architecture still took her breath away.
“You need to get used to gondola rides if you’re going to be living in Venice part-time.”
“I suppose that’s fair. After all, you’ve had to get used to Boston rush-hour traffic.”
“Hardly the same.”
Maya nestled closer against his length as they approached the waters by St. Mark’s and the palazzo. The setting sun had turned the sky above to a striking shade of gold. Moments later, they were heading under the Bridge of Sighs.
“Do you remember the legend I told you about this bridge all those months ago?” Vito asked her.
“I do, as a matter of fact. The legend says that a couple on a gondola as it sails under the Bridge of Sighs will share eternal happiness if they happen to share a kiss just as the bells of St. Mark’s Cathedral are ringing.”
“Very romantic, sì?”
“Yes, it is,” Maya agreed. “I also remember discussing that it was statistically almost impossible. Too many random variables.”
Vito sighed. “I suppose you’re right.” He sounded so disappointed that Maya couldn’t restrain her laughter. “That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try, however,” she suggested, not that she needed an excuse to kiss this man.
