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Alessio’s flaming eyes fixed on her, his phone still glued to his ear as he rasped in Sicilian, ‘This is unacceptable. I need to get out of here.’
In the throbbing silence, she heard a hesitant voice make a suggestion he evidently found displeasing, and his already statue-like form stiffened further.
‘Absolutely not. You will get off the phone and find a different solution. One that doesn’t involve—Ciao?Ciao?’ He yanked down the phone and stared at the screen, incredulity mounting on his face.‘Figghiu ri—!’He bit off the end of the epithet, his lips thinning until they were a white tense line as he sucked in a long, sustained breath.
‘I’m guessing saying good morning won’t go down well right now?’
Dark eyes regarding her from beneath thunderous eyebrows, his fingers tightened around his phone. ‘No,duci. It is far from a good morning.’
Every instinct screamed at her to leave, but her body refused to obey. ‘I was about to get myself some coffee. Do you want one?’
For another uncomfortable beat, he stared at her as if having a hard time deciphering her words. Giada pivoted towards the stairs, concluding that he’d either ignore her or take her up on her offer.
She was nearing the top when she felt his presence behind her.
She concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other and thankfully made it to the kitchen without stumbling. Relieved that the elaborate coffeemaker had already been set up to dispense the heavenly nectar, she glanced over her shoulder at him. ‘Double espresso?’
A flash of surprise lit his eyes before he gave a single, curt nod. While she busied herself making their beverages, he prowled from one end of the kitchen to the other.
The moment she turned with his espresso, he stopped moving, his eyes once more riveted to her. Giada didn’t want to know why his singular focus affected her so viscerally.
It meant nothing. Absolutely nothing.
And yet her belly flipped as she handed him his cup. Watched him stare into its black depths for a handful of seconds before he tossed it back in one brazen swallow.
An act she found far too sexy for her sanity.
Cradling her own cup of standard coffee—if the rich smooth Java the likes of which she’d never tasted before could be called standard—she attempted to alleviate the tension whipping around the room.
‘More problems with Massimo?’
Impatient irritation flashed across his face. ‘I haven’t spoken to my brother this morning. There’s no point now.’
‘Oh, I...’ She frowned. ‘Wait, what do you mean there’s no point?’
Narrowed gold eyes bored into her, as if trying to decipher what seemed to be a ridiculous question to him. ‘Have you looked outside at all?’
‘Outside?’ she echoed. ‘No. Why would I need to—?’ Giada turned as she spoke.
At first, she couldn’t tell what he meant. Then, obviously impatient with her inability to grasp his meaning quickly, Alessio stalked to where she stood, took her by the elbow and marched her to the window.
Where she bore witness to the near apocalyptic white-out that stretched as far as the eye could see.
It was eerie in its beauty and terrifying in its meaning. Because she’d seen this type of snowstorm before, but thousands of miles away, in the Antarctic, where it was a run-of-the-mill occurrence. Where it was common and expected and often even celebrated from a safe distance.
But here? Now? The unwelcome implications tumbled through her head.
Her gaze flew to his, probably seeking some reassurance that her eyes were deceiving her even as she shook her head. ‘No,’ she breathed, her voice diminished with shock.
Which seemed to please him if the sinister smile that danced around his no longer thinned lips was an indication. ‘Oh, yes,duci,’ he stated with cold finality. ‘Courtesy of a freak storm last night, we’re snowed in. Which means neither you nor I are going anywhere any time soon.’
For a full minute, panic prevented her vocal cords from working. When they did, her frantic gaze returned to the window. ‘That’s impossible.’
The warmth of his breath brushed her ear a second before he responded, ‘Not only is it possible, we’re about to be hit by a harder one in the next hour. If you don’t believe me, just look up.’
She did. And her stomach fell. Snow-laden clouds overhead hung thick and low, a sure sign that another fierce storm was imminent.
She sucked in a panicked breath and turned to him. ‘So what’s the plan? How do we get out of here?’
