Page 8 of Giorgio
He had paid for parking and met her in the area where she would be checking in for her flight.
“I might. We are early.”
She nodded. “I prebooked already, so I just need to check my bags.”
“Two suitcases.” His dark brown eyes went to the luggage. All around them, the hustle and bustle of travelers was going on. On their left, a couple were saying their goodbyes with enough intimacy to cause those watching them to avert their eyes.
A mother, hauling her toddler and carrying a car seat rushed past them to get in line. This was not her first international flight, but it felt as if she was leaving everything familiar and stepping into unknown territory.
A sudden feeling of nostalgia swamped her, and she almost told her brother that she had changed her mind. There was this nagging feeling that her life was about to be irrevocably changed.But she knew if she once voiced her concern to him, he would scoff and accuse her of trying to get out of the trip. Perhaps she was being fanciful.
“Thanks for everything,” she murmured instead.
“No thanks are necessary.” Lifting her chin, he studied her face closely. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I am going to miss you.”
“You’ll be gone for only three weeks. Stop being so sappy.”
“You are a jerk.”
“That I am, but you still love me.” Bending his head, he brushed his lips against hers. “Now off you go and call me as soon as you land.”
“Even if you are tucked up in bed with the flavor of the week?” She asked teasingly.
“I am free of all and any flavor this week.” Turning her around, he pointed her to the line. “Safe travel.”
By the time she was through with depositing her luggage at the counter, he was still there, waving at her.
Taking a deep breath, she went through the checkpoint and tried to ignore the nagging feeling that something was going to happen.
*****
Alfredo rolled off the woman and went immediately to search for his clothing, which was strewn all over the carpeted floor.
Propping herself up on the mounds of pillows, Viola watched as he slipped into his underwear and then his trousers. She was his best kept secret and when the affair started, she had not minded one bit, but after six months, she was beginning to wonder if this was all she was good for. She had done the unthinkable and fallen in love with him.
Oh, he had leveled with her of course, telling her that there could never be a future between them, and she had told him she understood, and she had at first.
He loved his wife, the woman had been his epic love, but she had been dead for a very long time, and it was frustrating that no matter what she did, it was not working. She wanted to be the second Signora Russo and not just because of the elevation in status. She wanted the man just as badly.
“You are leaving?”
Another thing he had warned her about was that he would not tolerate questions and was not into explaining his movements. He provided for her- she couldn’t complain about that aspect of it.
He had set her up in an apartment owned by his company and she had an account at one of his department stores. He would drop by with gifts of jewelry, and she had an account where money was transferred. She lacked nothing, except the love of the man himself.
“Yes.” Sitting on the plush loveseat, he dragged on his shoes, before looking over at her. His dark eyes wandered over the lush body that was uncovered to the waist. The stirring of lust was ignored and controlled.
His wife Maria was the only woman who had the power to bring him to his knees. He had been so crazy about her that he had proposed at their first meeting.
“I have a dinner engagement.”
“You could always come back tonight.”
He shook his head as she knew he would and reached for his flawlessly cut jacket. “That’s not going to be possible.”
Forcing herself not to appear bereft when he headed for the door, she shoved the sheets off and swung her legs off the bed, intercepting him as he reached the door. Inching her way between him and the doorframe, she pressed herself against his body, arms going around his neck.