Draw Me In (29 page)

“
Walker and I have been friends since
we were teenagers. He
’
s
here for the party tonight.
”
Party. Yes, that
’
s
right! Today was Leo
’
s
birthday. I don
’
t
know how I
’
d
forgotten, and I wasn
’
t
sure if I could still blame things on the jetlag. This was just a case of me
being a lame nearly-girlfriend.
“
This
is the room he typically stays in at the Villa, so he probably just assumed you
were bunking together.
”

“
Do you usually provide complimentary
females for your male houseguests?
”
I laughed, but was actually a little serious. I saw a bunch of travel-size shampoos
and conditioners in the bathroom. Maybe this was just another perk.

“
No,
”
Leo assured, leaning toward me and
flicking my nose. The pad of his finger held on the ski-slope tip for a second.
“
But Walker isn
’
t really big on boundaries, and I
doubt he thought twice before hopping into bed with you.
”

“
He
’
s not Walker as in Texas Ranger, is
he? Because then this showdown would make a little more sense.
”

Leo
walked toward the wastebasket near the desk along the far wall and dropped the
shards of glass into it. The sound of the pieces clinking against the metal
made Walker rustle a bit under the covers, but then he fell back into a steady
snore.
“
No.
But he is an Off-Broadway understudy, so he
’
s pretty much always in character.
”

“
Even in his sleep, huh?
”

“
He
’
s very committed.
”
Leo ran his hands through his hair
and laughed as he corrected,
“
Or
maybe he should be committed. The verdict is still out.
”

“
Well, I look forward to re-meeting
him when he
’
s
awake enough to remember it. In the meantime, I
’
m gonna shower and get ready. The
bathroom door does have a lock, doesn
’
t
it?
”

Leo
smirked, all playful and teasing.
“
Yes,
but I
’
m
sorta wishing it actually didn
’
t.
”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

“
Hey Jules! Come check this out!
”
Ian waved me over with a wooden
spoon, circling it in the air to call me closer. He pressed another hand to the
checkered apron tied around his waist.
“
You
have
to taste this.
”

Red
tomato sauce coated the utensil and I could see and smell the fresh herbs
chopped up and ground into the mixture. I wrapped my lips onto the spoon and
slurped in a savory taste, the essence of Italy exploding on my taste buds.
“
That
’
s amazing. Truly.
”

“
It
’
s a traditional Carducci recipe.
”
Ian turned toward the enormous pot
on the stove and swirled the spoon around a few times in the simmering sauce.
“
Gio
’
s giving away all of the family
secrets.
”

“
Not all of them.
”

Apparently
not only was Gio the master winemaker at the Villa, but he had the culinary
skills to match. Over the past few days, it appeared as though he and Ian hit it
off, comparing kitchen notes and spending time in the vineyards examining this
year
’
s
budding harvest. I was grateful for their friendship, because I honestly hadn
’
t been around much to keep Ian
company. Not that you necessarily needed company in Italy. I think it was the
only place on earth where one could be completely alone, and still feel utterly
content.

But
today, any thoughts of being alone were out of the question. Not only had
Walker joined our crew, but a half dozen other of Leo
’
s other family members and coworkers
trickled in throughout the afternoon, and we were expecting that many more to
arrive before dinner. Part of me wished I had a little more time to prepare and
wrap my head around the fact that I would be meeting some of the people closest
to Leo, but the other part was grateful for the surprise. Gave me less time to
work up any nerves.

“
You ready?
”

I
jumped. Leo did a lot of that
—
calling
out to me when I didn
’
t
even realize he was in the room. He took me by surprise the first time we
’
d met, and apparently he wasn
’
t about to stop any time soon.

“
I am,
”
I smiled.

He
curled his fingers around his jingling keys and grabbed onto my hand with his
free one.

“
And where are we going?
”

“
The one place in the world I
’
d want to spend my birthday with the
most amazing woman in the world.
”

“
Here isn
’
t good enough?
”
I teased, following him out of the
Villa and onto the gravel driveway. The sun pierced the sky, a blinding white
blade of light. I had to shade my eyes in order to adapt to the unexpected burst.
But I could get used to this gorgeous weather, breathtaking landscape, and
seriously hot boyfriend. In fact, I was already used to it. Turns out it
’
s not too hard to adapt to
perfection. You just slide right in.

“
I honestly don
’
t want to share you with a dozen
other people today,
”
Leo explained.
“
You
’
ve already shared your bed with at
least one of them. Call me selfish, but it
’
s
my birthday. I want you all to myself.
”

“
Nothing selfish about that!
”
I nodded emphatically. Though I
wanted to meet his friends, the personal time with Leo was exactly what I
’
d been craving. I craved him.
“
Where to?
”

“
You are persistent, aren
’
t you?
”

I
grinned coyly.

There
was a sleek black sports car parked at the base of the driveway, its polished
surface glinting in the sun, those daggers of light reflecting starbursts off
every curve and contour.

With
his aviator glasses perched on his nose and a scarf twisted around his neck,
Leo rounded the edge of the vehicle and propped open my passenger door. I slid
one leg into the car and dropped the rest of my body onto the seat. It smelled
expensive
—
like
brand new leather
—
and
even the way the material felt was altogether luxurious. Velvet kissing my
skin, skimming over my bare legs and arms. I
’
d never been turned on my inanimate
objects before, but this car definitely got my pulse racing.

“
To answer your question...
”
Leo said, his fingers hooked over
the top edge of the passenger window as he slowly started pushing the door
closed,
“
...we
’
re going into town.
”

“
Town meaning Florence?
”

“
You got it,
”
he said as he shut the door, his
mouth a flirtatious smirk. He shot me a wink through the windshield while he
walked around to the driver
’
s
side and tugged on the handle. The way his tailored pants pulled with each
stride made me feel like it was
my
birthday
because having the privilege of viewing that backside was quite a gift.

“
Done staring?
”
he grinned, all toothy, lips curled,
as he slid into the driver
’
s
chair and shut the door once inside.

I
shrugged my shoulders to my ears as my eyes raked over every inch of him.
“
No, probably not. I plan on
strategically walking a few steps behind you today, just so I can look at that
yummy behind of yours.
”

“
Wow. Are you for real?
”
Leo chuckled audibly at the same
time he dipped his head down to avoid eye contact out of what I could only
assume was embarrassment.
“
Your
ability to be utterly honest is very refreshing, Julie.
”

I
smile, everything within me content just to rest in this moment.

The
vehicle purred to life as Leo turned the keys over in the ignition. His hand
rested on the stick shift between us and I really wanted to drape my own hand
over his, but I figured that might get us into an accident. I
’
d only driven in manual once, and
that resulted in a terrible mishap with a turkey and enough stray feathers to
construct a boa for each one of the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes. I planned
to leave the driving up to Leo for today. Plus, this was good. Him in control,
me in the passenger
’
s
seat.

“
So what kind of car is this anyway?
It
’
s
really nice.
”
I trailed my fingernail along the interior, admiring the suppleness of the
leather and the ornate details encrusting the dash.

“
It
’
s a Lamborghini Aventador.
”

That
sounded expensive. And everything about the vehicle felt expensive. Honestly, I
’
d forgotten just how supposedly rich
Leo was because he didn
’
t
ever talk about it or toss his money around like many of the men in his
financial position. Even the way he
’
d
just humbly told me that he owned one of the world
’
s finest sports cars didn
’
t fit the wealthy exterior that any
other person in his situation would flaunt for all it was worth. And I assumed
it was worth a great deal.

The
road curved under our tires as we sped down the two-lane highway toward
Florence. I could see the crests of the buildings I loved so much
—
that Renaissance
architecture peeking above the hills growing closer with each mile. Like
twisting a lens to pull the image closer. I could almost touch it.

Everything
was tangible when I was around Leo. My feelings. My heart. It wasn
’
t just this organ encased within my
chest, essential in keeping the blood coursing throughout my circulatory
system. It had become this life-giving entity that reminded me of the way Leo
made me feel. It sped up when I saw him. It slowed when I dreamt of him. It
skipped when I kissed him. I
’
d
never felt so completely whole before. As though everything in me beat for him.
Goodness, maybe that wasn
’
t
just my heart anymore. Maybe it was my soul.

“
Here we are,
”
Leo said after our silent drive
where neither of us said a word. Our content energy pulsing through the car
swallowed up the need for mindless chatter, so we just sat there, enveloped in
that comfortable stillness. Being with Leo like this made my mind race forward
thirty years, this same quiet surrounding us, just a little more gray and a few
extra wrinkles hinting at the years shared together. It was like
déjà
vu in reverse, and
I prayed that someday I
’
d
be able to experience the reality of this hopeful dream of mine.

As
the car slowed and while I continue to fantasize about our future, Leo slipped
it into a parking space and withdrew the keys from the ignition. Rotating his
upper half toward me, he leaned in for a quick, unexpected kiss and said,
“
I
’
m not taking you to any museums
because like I said before, it
’
s
my birthday and I don
’
t
want any competition.
”
His mouth hovered over mine as he spoke and I felt the breath of his words. He
even tasted unbelievable.

“
Just so you know,
”
I said, cocking a brow,
“
you
’
ve obliterated the competition, Leo.
Not that there was any to begin with.
”

He
pulled his face even closer to mine. My chest contracted and expanded rapidly,
his close proximity a trigger to my breathing and heart rate.
“
Which I find so incredibly hard to
believe. I know I
’
ve
said it before, but you really are
—
or
at least should be
—
every
guy
’
s
fantasy.
”
His lips pressed to mine and after he withdrew them, he touched my bottom lip
lightly with the pad of his finger.
“
You
’
re definitely mine.
”

“
You fantasize about me?
”
I spoke against his skin.

“
Let
’
s just say my mind has an overactive
imagine when it comes to you.
”

That
only encouraged me and I teased,
“
Let
’
s just say I can be pretty active if
you want me to be.
”

Leo
laughed at me as he exited the car and came around to my side to open the door
and pull me out. I stepped onto the cobble surface, toe first, trying to make
my sleek legs look longer and more enticing. He caught on, his gaze landing
mid-thigh and hovering there for a noticeable pause. I could hear him swallow.
I made a mental note of the newly discovered power my legs had over him.

We
walked hand in hand through the narrow streets with their towering buildings
hemming us in on all sides.

I
loved how small this ancient city made me feel. I knew it was an odd thing to
say, but I liked that I got absorbed into the mix of the history and the
modernity and the cafes and the statues and the people and the bustle. It wasn
’
t like New York where you easily felt
lost in everything that took place around you if you weren
’
t careful.

No,
in Florence you didn
’
t
get lost, you became a part of it. A part of the culture, a part of the
experience. For me, it was the feeling of home. Of being exactly where you
belonged. Some type of synchrony where your heart and your head and your hands
and your feet all matched up in their purpose and will. Like you were meant to
be here in this exact moment in time. I can
’
t explain it any other way than that.

“
Just around this corner.
”
Leo nodded, indicating the alley up
ahead. The streets had opened up into the Piazza del Duomo, and we were
suddenly right in the heart of historic Florence, walled in with history
centuries old in the form of bricks and mortar.

The
massive cathedral with its gothic design was breathtaking as usual. The pale
pink and green marble
façade
drew my attention as I craned my neck to appreciate the rich detail and admire
the massive dome that peeked out from behind the front of the building. It was
a masterpiece of architectural ingenuity, and I had to pay my respects to its
many phenomenal creators by pausing to adore their handiwork.

It
made me wonder if they had any idea just what they were a part of when they
designed it. Did they picture these throngs of people stopping to stare,
hundreds of years after the fact, at something they
’
d physically created? History was
funny that way. We often never realized our future impact until it was too
late. I hoped somehow, beyond the scope of what I actually knew to be possible,
that Leo
’
s
mom had a sense of the appreciation I felt for her and all that she had poured
into her son
’
s
life. I wasn
’
t
even sure if you could express your gratitude for someone no longer living, but
I attempted to do it on so many different levels as my eyes took in the
gorgeous cathedral in front of us.

“
The Basilica di Santa Maria del
Fiore,
”
Leo whispered in my ear. Shivers burst onto my flesh and snaked down my spine
as he broke through my thoughts. I instinctively closed my eyes to drink in his
words and warmth.
“
Wouldn
’
t that be a phenomenal place to be
married?
”

With
my eyes still shut, I smiled and answered,
“
Yes, but I
’
d rather get married at your
vineyard.
”

Holy
ever-loving crap.

Maybe
he wasn
’
t
talking about
us
getting married. Of
course he wasn
’
t.
That was absurd. Panic settled deep in my stomach, an acidic betrayal between
my mouth and my brain once again. Burning me. Humiliating me.

“
Agreed.
”

“
Wha
—
?
”

Squeezing
my hand so tightly my ring dug into the flesh under my knuckle, Leo yanked me
forward, nearly skipping through the people gathered below the cathedral to
stare up at it and take those customary tourist photographs. His paces were
quick. I trailed behind at arm
’
s
length as we wove through the labyrinth clusters of people.

“
Over here. This is where I wanted to
take you.
”

There
were a few first floor shops off of a tiny street. A yarn store. One that sold
Florentine football jerseys. Another small gold shop with jewels and diamonds
twinkling in the window display. Then, at the end of the alley, just up ahead
on the right, was a gelateria, much like the dozen others I
’
d seen during my travels to this
city.

“
This shop has been here for years,
”
Leo said, his shoulder pressing into
mine as he tilted his head toward me. His scarf swished along his neck and I
could see my own reflection in the amber tint of his sunglasses.
“
As a boy, my mom would bring me here
every year for my birthday while Dad and Gio stayed at home baking the cake.
”
Talking about his mother brought a
glint to Leo
’
s
eyes, which reflected both a pain and love that I could see even through the
shaded glasses covering them. Just viewing that emotion etched on his features
automatically made me feel those same two emotions within my own soul, like he
’
d tossed them over to me.
“
She
’
d joke saying,
‘
Let them eat cake!
’
because she knew I didn
’
t like it. Instead, she always
brought me here.
”

“
I think I love your mother, Leo.
”
It was true. Her humor. Her
adoration for her son. She
’
d
left her words on a page and also in Leo
’
s
memory and the more I heard them spoken or even read, the more real she became
to me. I truly believed the world and all of its inhabitants lost out on such
an inspiring soul when she passed, and I even mourned the fact that I
’
d never get to meet her here in this
life. I think we would have hit it off.

“
She was easy to love.
”
Leo
’
s voice was pure and rich and he
cleared his throat before speaking again, some sort of preparation for the
words.
“
And
so are you, Julie. Truthfully, without sounding all creepy and slightly
Freudian, the two of you have a lot of similarities. It
’
s probably why I
’
m so compelled by you, quite
honestly.
”

Maybe
it should, but it didn
’
t
at all seem strange for Leo to make these comparisons. If anything, it was the
most flattering compliment anyone had ever given me: to be compared to someone they
loved on the very deepest level. I couldn
’
t
think of a greater honor. And I couldn
’
t
think of anyone I would rather hear those words from than Leo himself.

“
Anyway. I
’
ve said too much, once again.
”

I
shook my head, confused.
“
Once
again? When have you said too much before?
”

“
When have I
not
said too much, Julie?
”
His brow tightened over his light eyes, a shadow diminishing their luster.
“
You draw my words and emotion out of
me like no one ever has before. I don
’
t
do this.
”
He waved his hands frantically in the space between us, back and forth in a
nervous flutter.
“
I
don
’
t
share my feelings. I don
’
t
lay it all out there. But with you? It all just spews out of me.
”

“
I like that I make you spew.
”
That sounded gross.
“
I like that you tell me what you
’
re thinking, Leo.
”
Much better.
“
I need that from you
—
to know you feel
exactly same way about me.
”
I walked my fingers up his chest as I turned to him and gently placed my lips
onto his. Even though he shrugged back in surprise initially, Leo quickly
joined in and pulled my lower lip into his mouth. With his hands wrapped around
my back, he gripped me and urged me closer to his body as his tongue slid in
with soft, tender movements that challenged my own to do the same. And melted
my heart. And stopped my breathing.