Chapter 63
His place was in a really nice part of Florence, just outside the historic center.
The building was old on the outside but modern on the inside. Much better than my place.
And his apartment!
It was wide open and spacious, with a big living room and a modern kitchen.
I’d been expecting something like a dark man-cave –
But it was actually incredibly well-decorated and very inviting.
There were polished terra-cotta tile floors with a really nice Persian rug over them…
Cream-colored plaster walls…
Big white curtains at the windows…
A coffee table with a marble platter and small glass bottles holding tiny plants…
Dark wooden bookshelves in a recessed alcove…
Comfortable tan sofas and chairs with soft pillows…
A huge television…
Beautiful black and white photos of Florence and Tuscany on the walls…
And really great lighting that bathed the room in pools of light and shadow.
“What the hell, man?” I said in shock as I looked around.
“What?” he asked defensively.
“When did you get your interior decorating license?”
He laughed. “Actually, this is all Bianca’s doing. She went shopping with me and told me exactly what to buy.”
“Ohhhhh… no wonder it looks so great.”
“Exactly. She insisted that I had to make it ‘female friendly’ if I ever wanted to invite anyone over.”
“Bianca’s a smart woman.”
“She is, indeed.” Giorgio walked over to a wooden bar stocked with expensive bottles of booze. “Cocktail?”
“Sure.”
“Any requests?”
“Surprise me.”
As he set to work, I said, “That’s actually really cool.”
“What is?”
“That you’d listen to Bianca.”
“Yeah, well, she’s got the eye.”
“She does,” I agreed, “but a lot of men would’ve just gone ahead and done whatever they wanted. It’s really nice that you’ll follow a woman’s opinion when it’s obvious she’s good at what she does.”
He opened the cabinet door, revealing a small ice maker that he fished some ice cubes out of. “You can thank my mother for that. In fact, you can tell her yourself when we visit my family.”
My stomach did a couple of backflips, and I didn’t answer.
He noticed my silence and looked over his shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
“Why do you want me to meet them so soon?”
He shrugged. “I care about my family. I want you to meet them.”
“Isn’t this rushing it?”
“No, not when you – ”
He caught himself and stopped.
It wasn’t like Giorgio to censor himself.
If he had chosen not to say something…
Then it was probably a doozy.
“Not when you what?” I asked, my stomach filling with butterflies.
He turned around and smiled softly. “…when you know.”
My heart started to beat faster. “When you know what?”
He walked over and touched a finger under my chin gently, tilting my head up to look at him.
“…that I love you,” he murmured.
My heart skipped a beat…
Then started pounding in my chest.
He smiled kindly. “You don’t have to feel the same. I don’t expect you to – and it doesn’t change my feelings in the slightest if you – ”
“I love you, too,” I blurted out.
It terrified me to say it –
But I knew it was the truth, down to my bones:
I was in love with him.
His gentle smile turned into a huge grin. “…yeah?”
“…yeah,” I whispered.
Then he leaned down and kissed me…
Sweetly…
Romantically.
When he pulled back, I said shakily, “I think I’m gonna need that drink now.”
He laughed and tugged at my hand. “Later.”
I let him guide me into the bedroom…
Let him undress me between soft, melting kisses…
And then we made love for the very first time.