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After Alessio finished his laps in the pool, he climbed out and reached for a towel. I couldn’t keep my eyes from flicking to his strong body, watching as beads of water rolled down his ripped torso and muscled thighs, reminding me of the sweat dripping down his body as it pounded between my legs. I felt my core tighten and heat rush through me.
As I watched him, he walked over to me. “Sorry the dog keeps hanging around. He likes to be near people.”
Juliana chipped in, “He likes to be nearyou, Alessio, as he knows you like him really. That’s why he always heads for your sun lounger.”
“I don’t mind him while he’s asleep,” I said, and it was true. “I’ve never drawn an animal before, so it’s a bit of a challenge—how to get the texture of the fur right and the expression on his face. I hope he stays still for long enough.”
“Don’t worry, he’s a lazy thing, so he’ll probably be asleep for ages unless he smells food,” commented Alessio drily.
Alessio sat on a free sun lounger and just watched me while I drew, and for once I didn’t mind his eyes on me.
ALESSIO
Since I had started taking Cate for a run every morning, I had begun to see a bit more light behind her hazel eyes.
And today, while I had been watching her draw, I had enjoyed the look of peace on her face and had allowed that peace to filter through to me. I just wanted her to be happy while she was here, while she was with me.
I still found it hard to believe that I had fallen for this girl. I had reached the age of twenty-six and never been in love before now. I had believed that in our violent world, the fewer people I was close to, the simpler things would be for me. Until now, I had let in no one except for my closest family, but Cate had torn down that barrier for me, making me want to get close to her and show her my love.
Juliana had once told me that falling in love could also make you hurt, and now I understood what she meant.
I loved Cate, and it hurt me to see her still sometimes battling her feelings for me.
***
The next day, I decided that taking Cate somewhere out of the villa might be good for her mood. “I thought I would take you into Positano if you’d like that? Today is Ferrogosto, the festival for the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.”
“I’d love that,” said Cate, showing probably the most enthusiasm I’d seen in her since we’d arrived in Italy.
We took a car and I drove along the winding coastal roads until we came to Positano.
“This had always been one of the places in Italy I’ve wanted to visit,” Cate exclaimed as she took in the view. Positano was one of the main towns on the Amalfi Coast, its pastel-colored villas stacked on the almost-vertical cliffs and looking out over the Mediterranean Sea.
After parking the car, I took Cate’s hand and led her down the steep cobbles to the Church of Santa Adelina Assunta, one of Positano’s most iconic sights. It was a grand building situated right in the center of Positano, just a short distance from Marina Grande beach.
Cate looked up at the church’s majestic blue, yellow and green tiled dome, which looked stunning as it glinted in the strong Mediterranean sunlight.
“Would you like to look inside?”
She smiled up at me. “That would be great.”
Still grasping her hand, we walked into the beautiful white and gold interior of the church. “It’s still early, so the special services to celebrate the festival haven’t started yet.”
“It’s absolutely beautiful,” breathed Cate. “Do you know anything about its history?”
“The church was founded in the second half of the 10th century as a Benedictine Abbey,” I told her.
We walked along the central nave to the front of the church, and Cate gazed at the icon above the altar.
“In the 12th century, the icon of the Virgin was aboard a cargo ship sailing around the coast. The winds suddenly died, and the ship became stuck off the coast of Positano. According to the legend, the sailors heard a voice calling, ‘Posa, posa!’”
“That means, ‘Put me down, put me down’, right?” asked Cate.
“Yes. And when the captain of the ship understood that the icon wanted to go ashore at this location, the winds picked up again immediately. Then the ship docked so that the sailors could bring the icon into the town. This led to the people of Positano choosing the Virgin Mary as their patron saint, and the Archbishop of Amalfi dedicated this church in her honor.”
“You know a lot about this area.”
“It interests me. I love it here in Italy. When we have children, I plan to bring them here regularly on vacation so that they can understand their heritage.”
