in Milan today. I thought you’d like to know that Giulietta Russo is doing just fine and they expect her to make a full recovery from her heart attack.’
She smiled back. ‘That’s great news. Thanks for telling me.’
‘Though I admit, it wasn’t the only reason I called by.’ He took a sip of his own drink—also mineral water, she noticed. ‘I wondered if you might be free the day after tomorrow—if you’d like to come to Pompeii with me.’
He was asking her on a date?
Her first thought was, Yes, please. Her second was more sensible: despite Tamsin’s suggestion, she really wasn’t here in Naples to have a fling. And the fact that she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Orlando meant she really ought to steer clear: things could get way too complicated, and right now there were enough complications in her life.
She took a sip of iced water to give her a breathing space. The answer was no—but nicely. Because in other circumstances it would definitely have been yes.
‘It’s very kind of you to ask,’ she said, ‘but I’m not in the market for a date.’
He looked pointedly at her left hand. ‘Not married. So you’re involved with someone at home—someone who couldn’t join you here in Italy?’
‘No. I’m single,’ she admitted.
‘As am I. So what’s the harm? You’re here on holiday, yes?’
‘Not exactly,’ she hedged.
‘Business, then?’
She shook her head. ‘It’s personal. But I can’t really talk about it right now. I need to get some things straight in my head.’
‘It sounds,’ Orlando said thoughtfully, ‘as if you could use a friend. A sounding-board, you could say. Someone who’s not involved.’
Lord, he was acute. That was exactly what she needed. Someone who was objective, who could see things more clearly than she could right now.
‘You barely know me, I admit—but I think we could be friends. And, as a medico di famiglia, I’m a good listener.’ He spread his hands. ‘Come to Pompeii with me. We can potter around among the ruins and eat gelati…and you can talk to me, knowing that whatever you tell me won’t go any further.’
Tempting. So tempting
But Eleanor wasn’t sure she could handle the beginning of a relationship as well as everything else—even if it was just temporary, a holiday fling.
‘As friends,’ he added, almost as if he’d guessed why she was stalling. ‘No pressure.’
She nodded. ‘Then thank you. I’d like that.’
‘Good.’ His eyes glittered. ‘I’ll pick you up here the day after tomorrow, at half past ten. Do you have good walking shoes?’
‘Yes.’
‘Wear them.’ Then, to take the edge off the command, he gave her one of those slow, sensual, knee-buckling smiles—a smile that made her very glad she was sitting down. ‘Of course, you could wear high heels if you prefer. But you’d end up with blisters.’
Which he, as a doctor, would insist on treating. The idea of his fingers stroking her skin—even if it was only to put a protective plaster around a blister—made desire flicker through her.
He glanced at his watch. ‘My fifteen minutes is up. Unless you can be late?’
She shook her head. ‘Not this time. It’s…complicated.’
‘You don’t have to explain, bella mia.’ He reached across the table, took her hand, raised it to his lips and kissed it—just the way he had the previous day, when he’d dropped her off at the hotel.
Every nerve-ending seemed to heat, and, shockingly, she found herself wondering what it would be like to feel his mouth against her own instead of her hand.
Oh, lord.
‘Thank you for the drink,’ she said politely. ‘And I’m sorry I didn’t, um, have a chance to finish it.’
‘Non importa. You warned me we only had fifteen minutes.’ He smiled at her. ‘Have a pleasant evening. And I will see you on Thursday morning, yes?’
‘Thursday.’ And she really hoped her voice didn’t sound as croaky to him as it did to her.
CHAPTER FOUR
THE evening went better than Eleanor had expected: Bartolomeo’s sisters were a little wary of her to start with, but gradually started to thaw. She spent Wednesday morning exploring the city and the afternoon with Bartolomeo.
And then it was Thursday morning.
Her date-that-wasn’t-a-date with Orlando.
She knew the second that he walked into the hotel foyer—even though she was reading a guidebook to Pompeii rather than watching the door—because the air in the room changed. Became electric.
And she noticed that just about every woman in the room was watching him as he walked towards her. His movements were fluid, graceful—almost like a dancer’s. Beautiful. Yet he didn’t seem aware of the turned heads. He just came to a stop in front of her and smiled.
‘Buon giorno, Eleanor. You are ready?’
‘Sure.’ She closed the guidebook and stuffed it into her handbag.
‘Then let’s go.’ He held his hand out to pull her to her feet. ‘So, today—on your holiday that isn’t exactly a holiday—you are officially on holiday, yes?’
The convoluted phrasing made her laugh—and made her realise how ridiculous she was being. There was no need to be cagey about why she was there. And, given what Orlando did for a living…she could do with a second medical opinion to confirm her suspicions. ‘Yes.’
‘Bene.’ He ushered her down the steps to where he’d parked the car, and opened the door for her. She hid a smile. All the women were staring at them and envying her for being with someone so gorgeous. And all the men were staring at them and envying her for climbing into a car that gorgeous. Well, they were probably envying Orlando, actually, for being behind the wheel.
‘What?’ Orlando asked as he closed the driver’s door.
‘Nothing.’
He tipped his head on one side. ‘Nothing?’
‘Your car’s attracting attention, that’s all.’
He shrugged. ‘There are plenty of cars like this in Italy.’
A low-slung, sleek black convertible. ‘Flashy.’
He slanted her a grin. ‘I prefer to use the word “fun”.’
He would. ‘Why are we driving there? The tourist guide said the best way to get to Pompeii is by train.’ Driving in Naples would be a nightmare. Full of traffic jams—worse even than London, she thought.
‘Ah, so you were reading while you were waiting for me?’ He laughed. ‘It’s true—but I wanted to take you along the coast afterwards. So this saves time coming back to Naples. This is your first time in Naples, I take it?’
‘My first time in Italy, full stop,’ she said.
He smiled. ‘You chose the best place. Rome is flashy. Venice is…’ he made a noise of contempt ‘…flooded.’
She laughed. ‘Isn’t that the point?’
‘Maybe, but they also have alta acqua. Which is very far from pleasant, believe me.’ He shuddered. ‘Naples—now, we have Vesuvius. And the bay. We have the most beautiful churches in Italy. Oh, and the best pizza. Best gelati, too.’
She