Next and final stop was a motorcycle rental place a short way up the coast road. After a brief discussion, the owner agreed to buy the Honda. I had to take a hit on the deal because I was in a hurry to sell, but what the hell—I’d gotten a lot of fun out of the beast, and I could always buy another—maybe a Ducati next time … wherever the fuck I landed up. I hope it would be on the East Coast with Caro.

But selling the Honda would be easier than trying to get it shipped back to the US—well, easier than the damn paperwork.

I was hot and sweaty by the time I got back to Signora Carello’s villa, and I’d been without my Caro fix for way too long.

I parked the bike and ran up to our room, taking the stairs two at a time. She must have heard me because she called out as soon as I put the key in the door.

“You missed a great bath. I’ve been sitting here enjoying the view—naked, except for a towel.”

I walked up behind her, kissing her damp hair and running my hands over the towel that was wrapped around her. I was so consumed by touching her that I completely forgot she’d spoken.

“You’ve been gone ages,” she murmured. “I was beginning to think you got lost.”

“Had some business to take care of, baby.”

She twisted around to look at me, narrowing her eyes, the journalist in her demanding to know what I’d been doing; the woman in her excited as well as curious.

“Come on, Hunter, spill. What business?”

I grinned, giving her enough information to throw her off the scent.

“Signora Carello told me somewhere I can rent a tux, so it’s game on for tomorrow night. We’re going upscale, baby.”

“Really?” she said excitedly. “Where?”

She wasn’t getting that piece of intel.

“Can’t tell you. Not even if you torture me.”

“Are you sure about that? Because I think it can be arranged, Sebastian,” she smiled, running her hand over my hip.

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

I picked her up out of the chair, carrying her into the bedroom while she fastened her arms around my neck, kissing me hungrily.

“Ugh, you’re all sweaty!” she pretended to complain.

“Yeah? Any objections if I get you all sweaty, too?”

“None whatsoever.”

And those were almost the last words we spoke for the next two hours, although she screamed my name several times. We got through three condoms and had seven orgasms between us. Guess we’d been saving up.

Caro was splayed out across the bed, limp and flushed from our long-delayed fuckathon. Yeah, and she was going to need another shower.

“Oh my God, I can’t move!” she gasped.

I was trying hard to pull it together, but that woman had wrung me out dry—for now.

“Fuck!” I muttered, trying to force my legs to move.

Eventually, I managed to roll over, enjoying the view of her long dark hair spread across the pillow. Although her eyes were closed, her kiss-swollen lips curved upward in a smile.

“I know you’re looking at me, Sebastian, but whatever you have in mind you can just forget it. I admit it all: you’re an animal in bed, and I will never, ever question your virility again.”

I laughed quietly.

“You can question it as often as you like, baby, because that just means I have to prove it to you.”

I dragged the sheet over us, and pulled her into my arms.

“Do you want to go find something to eat?” I asked, nuzzling her neck.

“Go? As in, leave the room?” she mumbled. “No, no. Bad, bad idea. Call takeout.”

“I don’t think they deliver to naked people in hotel rooms, Caro.”

She groaned.

“Come on, baby, time to get up,” I said encouragingly.

“I can’t,” she whined.

I plastered a kiss onto her pouting lips, then left her in bed while I showered.

She was nearly asleep by the time I returned. I dressed quickly and took a moment to rummage through Caro’s overnight bag. Then I went and sat on the bed next to her.

She cracked one eye, frowning at the pink t-shirt I held in my hands.

“Not your color, Sebastian,” she mumbled.

“No, baby. I want you to wear it.”

“Why?”

“You look cute in pink.” She looked at me uncertainly. “And I got you something while I was out.”

She sat up slowly, combing hair away from her face with her fingers.

“You got me something?”

I handed her the bag from Camilla’s.

“You bought me clothes?”

“Just look in the goddam bag, Caro!” I said impatiently.

She pulled out the skirt, studying it closely before turning her shocked eyes to mine.

“Don’t you like it?” I questioned uncertainly.

“Sebastian, I … it’s very pretty, but…”

“But what?”

“It’s not really me,” she said, biting her lip. “I’m more a jeans and t-shirt sort of person these days. Besides, I don’t have any shoes—I’ve only got my walking boots.”

Oh. If that was the problem ... I pulled the shoe bag out from under the bed and passed it to her. She still didn’t look happy and I was beginning to get worried.

“Do you like them?” I asked quietly

She swallowed several times, then slipped them onto her bare feet, holding them out for me to look at. She didn’t seem mad—just sort of dazed.

“So, you’ll wear them—and the skirt?” I asked hopefully.

She nodded and smiled a little reluctantly.

“Yes, tesoro, I’ll wear the skirt.”

She disappeared into the bathroom with the clothes, and I took the time to check my phone. There was another message from Cardozo, changing the pickup time to half-an-hour earlier, but that was all.

I couldn’t help staring when Caro walked out of the bathroom. I was right about the skirt: it made her legs look ultra long and so fucking hot. The term ‘sex on legs’ could have been made for her. She’d left her long hair loose, and was even wearing a little makeup.

“Wow! I mean … wow! You look awesome, Caro. Really fucking sexy!”

I ran my hand up her bare thigh and cupped her ass appreciatively.

“Mmm, this skirt is great: it’s making me horny.”

“Thank you for my presents,” she said, her voice cool and amused. “But right now, I need food more than I need your body, Sebastian.”

I smiled, kissed her quickly, then walked over to hold open the door for her.

“After you, baby.”

The evening air was still warm and I tugged at the neck of my t-shirt. The label was rubbing across a set of scratches where Caro had marked me. I kinda liked it. But we hadn’t gone more than a few yards before some bastards had their eyeballs all over Caro.

“Vieni qui e baciami!”

Caro ignored the rude fucking comment, but I felt a murderous rage bubbling up as the other one called out, “Il tuo corpo è bellissimo,” his eyes glued to her legs.

Yeah, I might not have thought through the whole buying-my-woman-sexy-clothes scenario. But when the first guy muttered as he passed Caro, “Voglio scopare,” I turned around to punch that fucking leer off his face.

Caro caught hold of my arm.

“Oh no, eyes front, Hunter. You bought this skirt, and now you’re suffering the consequences: suck it up.”

I opened my mouth to argue but the look she gave me wasn’t impressed, so I threw the guy a hard stare and let Caro lead me away. When we arrived at a restaurant that Caro liked the look of, I made sure she was seated in a corner so that her legs were hidden by the tablecloth. My skin itched having my back to the room, but at least Caro was protected.

She pretended not to notice my caveman behavior.

“What do you want to do tomorrow, Sebastian? Apart from spring your surprise?”

I took a deep breath and focused on the woman in front of me.

“I thought we could walk up to Capezzano Inferiore, take a look around. Even if there aren’t any Venzis there, it would be kinda cool to see where your dad grew up, wouldn’t it?”

She gave me a sweet smile, and I relaxed for the first time since leaving Signora Carello’s villa.