Page 10 of Ti Amo

“Really. Have you been paying attention? I spend every minute of the day chasing a toddler.” She crossed her arms.

“And I’ve been chasing you.”

Despite the twinge of irritation pricking at her heart she smiled and cupped the side of his face. “Eve does love the snow. Doesn’t she?”

Kei stood on the step beneath her. Because of his height he continued to look her directly in the eye. Giving her body to him wasn’t an option. God knows sex would only complicate things further between them. But she’d have to be inhuman to ignore how handsome he was. He had the silent calmness in and out of his personal life that commanded respect. Mira decided she wouldn’t fight his offer of support. And she was ready to try. “How did I get so lucky?”

“I’m the lucky one,” he said turning his face to kiss the inside of her palm. Mira leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss. It ended. They continued to look into each other's eyes. He finally cleared his voice and spoke. “I love you.”

“I adore you. Thank you, Kei. For everything.”

She turned and went up the stairs. When she reached the top she glanced back at him. He stared up at her with a satisfied smirk. He winked and bounded back to the kitchen. Mira chuckled. Today would be a good day for them all. She could feel it.

****

They arrived. From the back of his chauffeured car Giovanni slipped deeper into thoughts of her. Two days had boiled his anger down to a smoldering calm. He loved her just as much today as the last time he’d laid eyes on her. The thought of rejection left him nervous and doubtful of his decision to confront her. She could slam the door in his face. What right did he have to force it open? She made no attempt to contact him. Did she know he’d attended her fake funeral? Did she know he made everyone with the name Calderone pay, and pay even more for Fabiana’s death?

“How do you want to run this?” Dominic asked.

“I have no plan,” he muttered.

“However you decide to handle seeing her we support you one hundred percent,” Dominic said.

Giovanni nodded clenching and unclenching his gloved fist. He rode the rest of the way in silence. He half listened to Dominic and Lorenzo discuss directions from the map they followed. The drive progressed slowly through hills and snow covered valleys. Giovanni reclined his head and closed his eyes. He slipped in to the drowsy warmth of his memories, good sweet memories of her.

Mira caught her reflection in the restaurant window that faced the street. She couldn’t believe how much she’d changed. Her hair was longer and thicker, her skin paler. She wore jeans tucked in to a dark pair of riding boots, and a thick eggshell white crewneck sweater over a matching turtleneck. Her makeup was light, a brush of lip-gloss and some compressed powder to smooth out the dark circles from under her eyes. The past two days she’d been on edge. At first she attributed it to the talk she’d had with Kei. It did drag up all those old feelings for the man whose name was never spoken between them. Now she had to wonder if she was coming down with something.

“You plan to eat?” Kei asked, sipping his coffee.

The fresh smell of her baked croissant stuffed with crème cheese made her mouth water. However, she hadn’t touched her breakfast. Mira picked up her fork and sliced off a flaky section of the croissant and stuffed her mouth, chewing, swallowing. “Yes. It’s delicious.”

Eve swiped a slice of melon from her plate, and Mira smiled. Eve blinked her large eyes up at her mother as she licked the melon and began to nibble on the juicy center. Her daughter needed to work on her table manners. Mira had chosen a window seat in the restaurant so the snowfall and the people strolling by could distract Eve. Otherwise her little angel would demand release from her highchair to terrorize the other patrons.

To retrieve the melon, which was too large for her to eat, she passed Eve her striped yellow, blue, and green cup with a childproof lid. Her little girl turned up the juice, eyeing the melon placed back on Mira’s plate.

“I was thinking that maybe we’d take Eve skiing? She’s old enough.”

“She’s not even two yet!” Mira laughed.

“We just stand her up on skis and let her go.”

“You are not sending my baby down a hill of ice. No way.” Mira chuckled. When she glanced to the window her smile froze. Two full body, four door Mercedes sedans passed by. The windows were darkly tinted. The vehicles appeared a bit flashy for the small modest town. Nervous energy fluttered like trapped butterflies in her tummy.

“Something wrong?” Kei asked.

Mira’s gaze swiveled to Kei. “Huh?”

“You look grey. Are you feeling okay?” he asked.

Trying to swallow the lump that lingered in her throat Mira smiled. She nodded. The cars disappeared from view. Eve slammed her cup on the table and grunted, pointing at the piece of toast Kei had on his plate. “Let Poppy cut you a slice of melon instead,” Kei winked.

Eve grinned. Mira’s eyes shifted to the window once more. Suddenly all the pleasure of their breakfast outing left her. The cars had the hairs on the back of her nape standing on end.

The Mercedes sedans came to a stop in front of a two story stone white cottage with a red triangular roof shaped like an upside down cone. Opening the door Giovanni eased out of the car. His Italian loafers crunched ice and snow under his feet. He wasn’t chilled in the least. His anxiety and curiosity kept him warm. The other men all exited the cars. Giovanni took a few steps forward then stopped. A curious neighbor stepped out of her home to gawk at the men. Admittedly they looked a sight, with all of them in dark coats and black suits. He glared directly at the woman, and she went back into her cottage.

Lorenzo approached. “Do you want me to see if someone’s home?”

“No.” He continued onward. Dominic told Carlo and Carmine to hang back as he followed Giovanni. Lorenzo ignored his wishes and stepped ahead reaching the door first. He knocked. The men waited. He knocked again. Giovanni’s gaze swept the windows. The place appeared to be empty.

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