Charmed (17 page)

“For allowing me to be part of the family, and for teaching me how to cook.”

Fiorella smiled. “When you are done making the lime slices, I need you to squeeze some juice for me.”

Ella nodded. Intent on her job, at first she didn’t notice Serena enter the kitchen. Looking attractive in her green and white cotton dress, Serena smiled. “Ciao.”

“Ciao,” both women replied.

Serena got something to drink, and went to work making bread to accompany the evening meal. She kept looking fondly at Ella, making Ella wish she could speak Italian better. It would be so good to talk to Adam’s mother. Serena must have been thinking the same thing, because she started talking to her daughter while looking at Ella.

Fiorella began translating, telling Ella that Serena was very glad to see her again. She hoped she’d stay for dinner, and that she’d contact Adam to see if he could come over when he was done with his work for the day. She thanked Ella for helping with the cooking, and smiled when she learned of Fiorella’s cooking lessons.

They chatted about the recent trip to Floripa, and did very well understanding each other, despite the added delay of translation. Very soon it felt like the three of them were all talking together with no language barrier at all. Serena looked very beautiful for her age, and although Ella could still see the scar across her cheek, she didn’t think it detracted from her appearance. But it did make Ella sad to think about how Serena had been attacked.

Serena was talking with Fiorella interpreting in sync with her, when Ella heard, “Do you love my son?”

No one spoke for a moment. Ella felt love swell in her heart, just thinking of Adam. “I love Adam more than anything in the world.”

Serena smiled even before Fiorella finished translating. Her response was, “I am pleased. You are a good person. I always wanted Adam to find love in his life. I didn’t want him to be alone. He is an amazing person, very sensitive and kind. He’s had to face much in this life. It makes me feel better to know that you will be with him.”

Both Ella and Fiorella had tears in their eyes. Serena walked over to Ella and gave her a loving hug. Ella hardly knew what to do with herself. Affection was still something she was warming up to. With Adam it came easily; with others not so much. But she hugged back and felt a connection with Serena, strong and warm. She wondered if it was what love from a mother felt like, but she didn’t have much to compare it to.

Days passed, and it seemed to Ella that maybe Claudio would fade into the background. Deep inside she knew he wouldn’t give up that easily, and would likely surface when they least expected it. But she was glad for every day she had with Adam, working on her novel, sitting by the pool, visiting his family. She even found she was enjoying shopping, and that Fiorella was always ready for an outing.

Although the ocean backed up to Adam’s property, the waves weren’t good there. Most mornings Miguel drove them to the beach at Ipanema, very close by. Nico was always with them in the vehicle behind, and she’d seen him talking into his earpiece, assuming he had a team always on hand—just in case. Even if they went out at night, Nico was there, and she wondered if he ever got enough sleep.

Surfing in the early dawn with Adam was the best way to start the day. The weather was nice—cool sometimes, but never cold. So far it hadn’t rained, and Adam explained that June, July, and August were winter in Rio but had the lowest amount of precipitation. To Ella it was backwards, because her whole life those same months had been summer. It would take some adjusting, but she was just glad the weather didn’t curtail their surfing.

Ella was looking forward to a formal affair they were to attend. After they returned from their surfing holiday, Adam told her Adrian Tomoni had recently graduated from law school and became a member of the Brazilian Law Association. The firm who’d hired him was having a celebration dinner for all the new associates. Ella remembered meeting Adrian on her first day in Rio, recalling his boisterous entry to breakfast.

Unsure how to dress for a formal affair, she’d consulted Fiorella, who shrugged it off with: “We will go shopping.” The event was only a couple of weeks away and Ella pressed for an outing to find the perfect dress, but Fiorella wasn’t available for a couple of days. One afternoon, Adam emerged from his office and found Ella out by the pool. “Come,” he said.

Ella slipped inside and Adam folded her into his ar
ms. “I’ve missed you,” he said.

“You’ve only been working for two hours.”

“Too long to be away from you.” He took her hand and began to lead her toward the bedroom. Ella wondered about his amorous intentions, but it wasn’t like Adam to head straight for the bedroom without an elaborate build-up. That was one of the things she loved about him. Making love was not a satisfaction of need—it was an occasion, special each and every time.

So his sudden urge to go to the bedroom puzzled her. “What? Where are we going?”

“You ask a lot of questions.” He grinned, not slowing his pace to the bedroom.

“And you are very stingy with answers.”

“I want to show you something. Close your eyes,” he said, stopping just outside the bedroom door.

Ella put her hands over her eyes and let Adam lead her inside the room. The coolness of the wood floor touched her bare feet, feeling good and sensual. The idea of making love in the middle of the afternoon without preface was sounding pretty good. It was different, and could be exciting. Anything with Adam was exciting.

“Okay, open your eyes.”

Ella opened her eyes and saw three packages on the bed wrapped in shiny gold wrapping paper with big blue satin bows. “Wow,” she said. “It’s not my birthday. What is this, Adam?”

His amber eyes gleamed. “Just open. Open the big one first.”

Ella untied the blue bow and ripped open the gold paper. Opening the box, she saw gold tissue paper. Rustling around, she pulled out a satin dress the color of the deep water they surfed every day. Holding it against her, she felt the delicate pearls embroidered into the bodice, and ran her hand down the rich material of the long skirt. She kicked her foot out, the hem of the dress touching her ankle.

“I love it, Adam! I’ve never had a dress this nice.”

“I wanted you to have something beautiful to wear to the event. I got Fiorella to help,” he said sheepishly.

“That’s why she’s been putting me off. I’ve never known Fiorella to postpone shopping.”

Draping the dress over the top of the bed, Ella lifted the next box. It was rectangular and held a pair of low-heeled silver evening sandals. She slipped one on. “Perfect.”

“Now the small box,” Adam said, and Ella could swear he looked nervous.

She untied the ribbon and removed the gold paper to uncover a velvet box. Inside was a necklace. Lifting it, tears formed in her eyes.

“Here, let me put it on for you.”

Adam put the necklace on and secured the clasp in back. Leading her to the mirror, he stood behind her w
ith his hands on her shoulders.

“It’s so beautiful,” she said, admiring the lovely blue gems.

“Those are blue garnets set in platinum.”

“The way the blue gems are cut, they remind me of the sweep of the waves.”

“That was the idea. I wanted it to be special—special like you.”

“Adam.”

She turned to face him, unable to express her pleasure at his thoughtful gift. “I want to buy you things,” he said. “I want to give you everything.”

“You do, Adam. You already do.”

And the intimacy they shared, there in the bedroom in the early afternoon, was as memorable as every time Adam had made love to Ella. Maybe he hadn’t planned it, but she was so taken with his gesture that when he started kissing her, desire engulfed them. Kissing led to touching, and touching quickly got out of control. Making love on the bedroom floor, wearing nothing but the expensive garnet necklace, Ella melted into Adam.

“Ti amo, Adamo,” Ella said, pressed against his chest, glowing with pleasure.

“Ti amo, amore mia,” Adam whispered, stroking her hair. “I am so happy you like your presents. That makes me very happy.”

**
***

On the day of the event, Fiorella brought her dress over to prepare for the evening, and help Ella get ready. Formal events were something Ella was unfamiliar with. She knew enough to know she needed help with her hair, and Adam’s sister came to the rescue. They spent hours in the bedroom, primping and getting everything just right. Brazilians loved parties,
and Fiorella was no exception.

Her excitement infected Ella, and her anxiety over behaving properly was replaced with a youthful exuberance over going to a dance. The emerald green one-shoulder dress Fiorella had chosen complemented her flawless skin, light green eyes, and reddish hair. She wore a diamond pendant and gold heels. A deep slit in the front, starting mid-thigh, allowed her room to kick, and gave her freedom for dancing.

“You look perfect,” Ella said.

“You too.”

“Adam gave me these low-heeled sandals. Are you sure I’m not supposed to be in high heels?”

Fiorella laughed. “He must be planning to dance a lot tonight. It is difficult in heels that are too high. He told me to be conservative, so I got the sandals instead. You will see, many women will be in lower heels, so they can dance without falling.”

“Let’s go, ladies,” Adam called from the hallway.

Opening the door, Ella stepped out and nearly bumped into Adam. She stopped breathing. If he was handsome in beachwear, he was a sex god in a tuxedo. He stood inches from her in a starched white shirt, black bow tie, and diamond cufflinks. He looked every bit the Brazillionaire. The formal outfit gave him an air of sophistication and the cufflinks spoke of wealth.

“Jesus, Adam.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to bump into you, but we are going to be late.”

“I didn’t mean that,” she said, still staring.

“Am I okay?” he said, glancing at his tuxedo slacks and brushing away some imagined lint.

“Okay? I wouldn’t say that. You’ll have every woman in the place swooning. Most of all me. You are, uh, drop-dead gorgeous.”

Glancing back, she saw Fiorella standing behind her, grinning. “That expression I know.”

“Well, amore mia, in that dress and the way it fits you, I may change my mind and keep you home. We better go before I decide I’m not up to fighting off the competition.”

**
***

Adrian’s family picked up Serena and met them at the affair. An entourage of guards surrounded the vehicle to ensure no harm came to Adam’s mother during the transport. Adrian was already at the hotel, having to arrive early with the other new associates for a meeting. Ella entered with Adam holding her arm like any gentleman would. She felt like a lady, a wealthy one at that, and knew the gala would be everything she hoped.

Nico stood inside the event, and Ella saw him talking into his earpiece, though she couldn’t tell what he was saying. She was sure he was prepared for any eventuality. After all, the whole family was at this event, and vulnerable. But between the hotel security and Adam’s personal army, Ella couldn’t envision an opportunity for Claudio to cause trouble. But, as Adam told her, Claudio was insane and thus unpredictable.

Once inside, Ella forgot all about that. A band at the front of the large banquet room played traditional Brazilian music. There was a large dance floor as the centerpiece to the room. Already guests were laughing and dancing. Ella admired all the colorful sequined evening dresses and the sharp black tuxedos. But she couldn’t take her eyes off Adam.

They sat at a round table near Serena and Fiorella, and across from Bellina and Davi, Adrian’s parents. With such attractive parents, Ella could see where Adrian got his good looks. Serena looked lovely in her black chiffon evening dress. Everyone was introduced, and drinks were ordered. Ella leaned into Adam, smelling the cologne he wore and admiring how well the tailored tuxedo fit him. His lean thighs were outlined under the trim black pants, and the vest and coat did little to hide his muscular build, broad shoulders, and flat abdomen.

“What are you looking at?” he said, his eyes gleaming.

“You. I am looking at you in that tuxedo.”

“Well, if you keep looking at me like that, I will have to get an entire wardrobe of them, and wear them every day. I had no idea it would have this effect on you.”

“You are just so…charming.” And Ella realized it was true. His golden hair was styled into behaving, lightly gelled, giving him a distinguished look. His tan skin and amber eyes gleamed in the low lights of the room. Everything—the formal atmosphere, his chivalry as he walked her inside, how he pulled out her chair, and held her hand; he had charmed her. Completely.

The thought of taking the formal tuxedo off, item by item, starting with the black bow tie, started her heart racing. Why was it so sexy to think of stripping him of evening wear? That it was more forbidden? Maybe it was the contrast between the stiff formality of the expensive black and white outfit and his warm naked skin. A vivid image of Adam making love to her—still fully dressed in his tuxedo, polished black shoes and all, with her naked except for the blue gems around her neck—made her sex throb.

“Amore mia, let’s dance,” Adam said with a big grin.

“Charmed, I’m sure,” she answered
, standing and taking his hand.

Stepping away from the table, she saw Fiorella wink at her, and she nodded back. Adam put his arm around her waist and guided her out to the dance floor. Couples were doing th
e samba to the loud band music.

“Just follow me,” Adam said, and began stepping into
the samba. Ella followed along.

Adam grinned. “I didn’t know you knew the samba.”

“You don’t know everything about me,” Ella said. “Fiorella has been giving me lessons.”

Latin dance is all in the rhythm
, Ella thought, remembering Fiorella saying it over and over. Adam certainly had that part down. His body moved in perfect sync with the music, bouncing and stepping to the beat with Ella trying to keep up. Smiling, she let her body fall into the feel of the sound and danced the samba to the booming Brazilian music.

When the song ended, the band began with a slower tune, and Adam took her in his arms, leading her around the floor. “You are gorgeous, Ella. The blue dress was made for you. Just seeing your leg through the slit in front makes me want to carry you out of here, and have you, right now. You’ve charmed me, amore mia. I am under your spell.”

Ella pressed against Adam, drifting over the dance floor in his strong arms. They danced and danced, fast and slow, as the band went from song to song. Gasping for breath, they finally went back to the table to drink and eat. The gala lasted well into the evening. Ella and Adam chatted with everyone at the table, and enjoyed the traditional Brazilian dishes served with flair. The main course was frango com quiabo, which Adam translated as okra with chicken. Ella had always turned her nose up at okra, but the exotic dish was delicious.

Adrian set next to Fiorella and was especially attentive. His dark wavy hair and striking gray eyes were accented by the black tuxedo, and he was just as movie-star handsome as the first time she’d seen him. Ella whispered to Adam, “I think Adrian is sweet on your sister.”

“Yes, he has loved her since they were young. As you say in America, they are childhood sweethearts. He was all starry-eyed for her when he used to drop by the house, barely fourteen years old when my sister was only ten.

“Now, before you get any bad ideas—he’s never touched her, not in that way. He waited for her. Now that she’s eighteen, I expect him to propose.
I know my sister hopes he will.