Page 61 of Destino

Mira held tight to the inside of the door. Her friend drove the flashy convertible faster than Giovanni. And along the mountainous curves it was a daredevil event that kept Mira’s lunch lurching to her throat. “Could you please slow down?” She winced.

“So we leave for Sorrento! I’m so excited!” Fabiana shifted down into third gear. She eased off the gas pressing the clutch to take the upcoming curve.

“Apparently he thinks we can get to know each other better there.”

Fabiana shifted up to fourth, accelerating again as she looked over at Mira, “Well it sounds like fun.”

They swerved up into the drive. Mira counted six cars parked to the front. “Looks like the men are back.”

“I’m ready.”

“I guess we are.”

When they exited the cars, men walked out of the front doors with luggage. A few pieces looked like hers.

“C’mon.” Fabiana sashayed in front of her.

Inside the place was abuzz with activity. “I’m going to take these upstairs and make sure whoever packed my bags didn’t forget anything.” Fabiana tossed over her shoulder, running up the stairs. Mira stopped a man who walked in a hurried fashion to the door.

“Where’s Giovanni?”

“The parlor, signora.” The man answered and kept on his course. None of these men offered her much conversation, and many didn’t speak English. She thanked his retreating back and tried to figure her way from one hall to the next to find one of the three parlors in the villa on this floor. Eventually, she found him with a room full of men. He was seated, most were standing. He listened to the man before him who talked with his hands swiftly moving. For a brief moment, no one noticed her. Then her eyes met with Lorenzo’s. He smirked, and it drew Giovanni’s attention. A small welcoming smile spread over his lips. He said something in Italian that silenced the room. All attention switched to her.

It felt awkward. No one spoke as he crossed the room and approached her. He leaned in to kiss her lips but she turned her face giving him her cheek instead. He looked at her confused and some of the men lowered their eyes. “Have I upset you?” he whispered in her ear.

“Can we speak? Alone?”

Lorenzo appeared. “Where’s Fabiana?”

“She’s upstairs packing the things she bought.” Mira replied, continuing to hold Giovanni’s stare. He slipped his hand in hers and squeezed it. With a small tug, he pulled her from the room and led her out. She knew he wasn’t pleased with the way she refused his kiss in front of his men. She didn’t care. She hoped it hurt his feelings like her feelings were hurt when he left her bed without saying a word. Taking her in a billiard room, he closed the door. “What has you displeased today?”

Mira stepped away from him. She placed her purse in a chair and removed her sunglasses from her hair. “Had a good time last night?”

“Did you?”

“Oh, it was a blast until I woke up feeling like some cheap tramp.”

“Now why would you feel that way?” he frowned.

“Let’s see, maybe it’s the Houdini act you keep pulling after you have an orgasm between my thighs.”

“You were sleeping, I had an early meeting, so I could get you out of here to Sorrento I might add.”

“Interesting.” She crossed her arms in front of her. “You had no problem waking me when you wanted to make love, but you can’t wake me to say goodbye?”

Giovanni rubbed his jaw. She knew he struggled with her reasoning. It was unfortunate that something so casual and addictive could be a source of frustration for them both. Mira sighed and turned away. She didn’t want to make the mistakes she’d made with Kei, over analyzing emotion, labeling his actions, pre-judging the man based on her fears of abandonment.

“I’m a bit different than most men, American men, Bella.”

She stared down at the pool table. “How’s that?”

“My mother was Irish, my father Sicilian. She was his mistress just after she reached puberty. Not a story you share with a woman you want to know. I’m the product of that affair.”

“Affair?”

Giovanni chuckled. “Yes, my father was married to another woman until his dying breath. And every man out there wishes to remind me of that fact. I see you struggle to find your way, to be your own person. I know that struggle.”

Mira faced him. His words weighed heavily on her heart. When she opened her mouth to say so, nothing escaped her. She preferred he do the talking.

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