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I pivoted toward the open door. “In inglese, per favore. My fiancée does not speak Italian.”
“So sorry. I forget.” Tommaso, my head staff member to the Italian estate, made praying hands and bowed his head. “I’m sorry to interrupt but the car is ready.”
“Thank you. We will be down shortly.”
“Grazie mille, Tommaso and buongiorno to you!” Isabelle called out as he exited.
I shook my head, trying hard not to laugh.
“I’ve been working hard on learning all of it, but get things mixed up a lot.”
I held my arm out. She slid into my hug, wrapping her arms around my waist. I gripped her hips, pressing my lips to hers. “You’ll learn. It takes time.”
“So, where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.”
He took my hand, guiding me down the stairs, through the house, and outside to the waiting row of SUVs. I had only seen it at nighttime when we got in late the night before. I stopped short of the vehicle and spun around on my heels. The little pieces of loose gravel crunched under my shoes.
A castle?! Maybe a palace?!Either way, I could not wrap my head around it. It was no dream, but it sure seemed like one. I had visited many castles and palaces in my life, but you had to stay on a path throughout. The good places were always locked or roped off with guards standing nearby ready to eject anyone who got the nerve to trespass to jump on the seven-hundred-year-old chairs and beds.
It was a masterpiece. A true work of traditional Mediterranean architecture. I could stand in that spot, staring at it all day, but a hand tugged on mine. I turned around to see Valentino, the human masterpiece, smiling a crooked smile at me.
“Are you ready?”
I nodded, beaming as I got into the back of the SUV. Once Valentino was in, the driver followed the identical vehicle in front of us. Valentino rested his hand on my thigh. I tucked my fingers under his palm as I gazed out the window, memorizing every small detail we passed.
The green gardens, the bright flowers, the endless rows of grapevines across the open field toward the back of the property. The perfectly landscaped grounds. Our home back in New York was so much like this but this was all new to me. We had just pulled out of the long driveway, and I was already in love with the country.
I knew he was watching me. I could feel his eyes burning a hole in the back of my head. Each turn we took, I basked in the moment as we rode toward our first stop. Finally, the colosseum came into view and the driver pulled over. Joseph and Noah jumped out of the other cars and marched towards us, opening our doors. I stepped out, looking up with my hand over my eyes, shielding my view from the sun.
I took my sunglasses from my bag and slipped them on. Valentino laid his palm on my lower back, guiding me toward the entrance. Our four security guards stuck close by with Joseph guiding the way. Noah made sure to stay to my right, not allowing any passing person to get too close.
An employee sped over speaking Italian to Joseph and Valentino. Soon, I realized they were discussing an earlier arrangement. The guide took us through the entrance. We came to a stop at the railing above the tunnels beneath. The overpowering atmosphere surrounding us, caused me to become almost breathless. The amount of history here was rich. It was almost hard to take it all in. I was overwhelmed in a good way.
Valentino gripped the railing on either side of me and placed his lips next to my ear. “What do you think, bella?”
“It’s…a lot and beautiful.”
“I’ve never been here.”
I spun around, mouth agape. “What?!” I lowered my voice. “How?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t really do the tourist things when I lived here. Not even field trips. Would you like to see the tunnels beneath?”
“Do you even have to ask.” I giggled. “Let me get a few photos.”
Valentino slid his phone from his pocket and twisted my body. He was not one to think about taking photos of us. It was usually me, though he never objected. He held his phone in the air, aiming it down at us. I leaned in close. He took a photo of us smiling then he pressed his lips to my cheek and took a second one before putting his phone away.
“Now you can take whichever others you want.”
After taking several photos, we were led through the tunnels underneath. The guide spewed facts about the Roman Empire and rooms within the walls. I tried my best to understand him. His accent was thicker than Valentino’s, so it was a bit hard.
My feet were already killing me by the time we had finished and were back where we had come in. Once we left, we did a little shopping which required more walking before he took me to a café. We dined on an array of traditional Italian dishes. It tasted nothing like anything I had tried in America. Even the authentic restaurants in New York did not compare to the food here.
Several hours later, more shopping, and three more tourist attractions, we returned to the castle. Both exhausted, we ate a quick dinner before showering and getting in bed. I snuggled up in his arms, too tired to even initiate sex. We were still jet-lagged. Before I could even give him a goodnight kiss, I fell asleep.
“Good morning.” Valentino’s lips brushed mine.
