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‘I know you two, yes. Give him my love.’
‘I will.’
The doorbell sounding caused my heart to jolt up into my throat.
‘So much for meeting me there.’ I cast my eyes up to the large face of the clock that dominated one of the walls of my bedroom and checked the time. ‘And you’re early,’ I grumbled into the bright, sunshine filled room, refusing to move until I was ready. I stretched my face into position to receive the final lick of black mascara from the wand I was holding.
‘Looks like they’ve decided to meet me here… I’ll Facetime you later.’ I looked back at Mia.
‘Okay…’ I saw her brow furrow at me in question and then, as she threw a look over her shoulder in silent question, I understood that Gabriel was in the room with her. When her question wasn’t answered, she turned back to face the screen. ‘You know, I only spoke to Mum about an hour ago, she said nothing about changing their plans today. In fact, she said she was looking forward to seeing you for the first time as you walk into the Royal Festival Hall as part of the graduation procession.’ Mia’s face looked thoughtful as her mind ran into overdrive, and I knew by the way my heart was beating strongly in my chest that my face was mirroring hers.
‘Oh, you know them, they always change their minds last minute.’ I shrugged at her, trying to take us back to just a few seconds before, hopefully conveying that I hadn’t a care in the world. When the skin on my cheeks started burning, I understood that I wasn’t going to be able to disguise my apprehension, and even more disturbingly my excitement, for very much longer. ‘Must go. Ciao, bella.’
I blew her a quick kiss and closed my laptop.
I screwed the mascara wand down and after standing back to check my reflection in the long mirror, I confirmed that my black robe was hanging correctly over the turquoise shot silk, knee-length, Bardot style fitted dress that I’d chosen for today. Then I smoothed the dress down over my thighs and flicked my hands through my long hair, which I’d worn loose especially for today. My thick mane of hair would never have allowed for a mortar board to be attached otherwise.
Expelling a loud sigh as I tried to calm down the nerves that were threatening to engulf me, I slipped my feet into the matching three-inch heels, put on my missing jewellery, and retrieved my clutch bag from the end of my bed, before scurrying to my front room and looking down into the road through the wooden-shuttered bay window.
When I couldn’t find my parents’ car in the place my papa’s driver always parked, my heartbeat ramped up a notch. As I stared harder up the short road, I realised that it wasn’t anywhere to be found, because we hadn’t arranged to meet here in the first place.
The doorbell rang again, sounding out its operator’s impatience and I looked out into the street in the other direction, hoping to find my papa’s silver Bentley. Instead, my eyes found an expensive looking black car, sitting in the middle of the road and blocking what was fortunately one of the quieter streets of London. Craning my neck a little, after refusing to put my fingertips onto the wood in front of me in case I was seen, I caught sight of a large man, dressed in what was without a doubt a handmade, navy blue Italian suit. He jogged down the stone steps that led up to my front door until his feet found the pavement, and my heart momentarily stopped beating.
I forced my gaze back to the man as he turned around to look once again at the door. Then, as if he knew exactly where to find me standing behind the deliberately angled, white shutters, he leant back against his shiny car, crossed his arms over the front of his perfectly ironed white shirt and open suit jacket and stared straight at my window. As if I needed any confirmation of what I already knew, my gaze went straight to his tattoo-covered hands, with the large, blood-red garnet of his family’s ring on his right hand, the titanium wedding band on his left and, as if he knew instinctively where to look, the eyes of my husband found my own.
When my heart restarted, after I’d let out a loud gasp and dropped my clutch to the floor, it started with a completely different rhythm. Instantly, my body felt as if I was out jogging on a cold crisp morning, struggling to draw in enough oxygen. In those few seconds, I understood that although it may have been five years since I’d last set eyes on him, nothing had changed between us.
I was standing behind the bricks and mortar of a house that had stood for two centuries, withstood the Blitz of the second world war, but I might as well have been stripped naked in front of him. The connection between us hadn’t been extinguished, despite my many prayers over the years. The boy I’d dreamt about, the young man I’d loved, who had grown into a man I both loved and hated with an intense passion, still held me firmly in his grasp.
There will always be an us, Serafina.The words he’d said to me on our parting came back at me now and my body trembled with the intensity they still held.
I wanted to run, but instead I dipped my head in resignation. The longer I took to go out to him, the more power he’d think he had over me. I didn’t want to give him any further insights into my thoughts or the way I felt than was necessary.
Moving quickly, I ducked down to retrieve my clutch and took a few moments to compose myself. When I stood up again, I made myself stand as tall as my five-foot-three height would allow and walked with determination to the door. Pulling it open sharply, I rapidly matched his scrutiny with my own. I offered him no greeting and no smile of encouragement, just an acceptance of the inevitable. With his eyes raking over me as he took all of me in, I deliberately took each step down to my fate with calculated caution, using muscle memory alone. I knew I could give no quarter, so I looked intently back at him as I continued, until finally I was stood directly in front of him, with barely a centimetre between our bodies.
Summoning every ounce of courage I knew I had in me, I slowly lifted my chin up following the path of his six-foot-seven frame. My eyes travelled up his tie, which I hadn’t noticed until then, and saw that it was made of the exact same material as my designer dress. Rather than make comment, I chose to accept it without expressing surprise in any words or hopefully showing it on my face.
Because deep down it was no surprise. I may not have caught sight of him over the past few years, but I had thought I’d felt him nearby and although I had surmised that I must be dreaming, I’d occasionally thought I’d smelt his signature cologne. And I’d have been a fool to believe he hadn’t been periodically keeping tabs on me and I was nobody’s fool, at least not anymore.
I didn’t see his arm lift in my peripheral vision, so as his forefinger and thumb connected with my chin to lift my gaze to his more quickly than I’d intended, I inadvertently jumped, feeling as though my skin had been singed on our very first contact. As his other muscular arm wrapped possessively around me, pulling me into him and closing the gap between us, I expelled all the air in my lungs and breathed in the warm air that had just left his body. Hints of citrus consumed my senses. With the most dangerous man I’d ever known holding me tightly and with his large frame looming over me, I looked up.
Our eyes connected and such was the power between our union, I had to fight not to pull away. The second I saw the tell-tale crinkles form in the corner of his eyes, I knew he’d read my badly concealed emotions and I vowed there and then to get better at hiding my feelings.
His hand moved away from my chin and he trailed his knuckles roughly down my neck, until his thumb pushed into the hollow at the base of my throat.
‘Hello, little bird. I kept my promise... you got your dream.’ I swept my tongue over my bottom lip, tasting the minty breath he’d just expelled. ‘It’s time for you to come home.’
Destiny had indeed come calling.
PARTONE
CHAPTER ONE
SALVATORE
Fourteen Years Old
The warmthof the early morning sunrise stirred me from an uncomfortable and fitful couple of hours dozing. I stretched out my long limbs to relieve their ache and looked out to sea to watch the sun rise over the horizon and, for a few seconds, lost myself as I appreciated the beauty of my country of birth. As the fingers of sunlight travelled further up my body, holding me captive, I was reminded of what I was here for. I stilled and strained my ears to hear if the Giordano villa was rousing. It wasn’t long before I heard the tell-tale noise of the maids sweeping the extensive patio, which would soon be followed by the pool cleaner doing his jobs. Ten minutes later, the family would come outside to sit and eat breakfast together. I knew this, because it was my third early morning sitting amongst the rocks that covered the coastline.
