Chapter Forty-Two Ella
Chapter Forty-Two
Ella
Ithrash instinctively, nails scraping against fabric, heels skidding uselessly against marble.
Then a familiar scent hits me.
“Shh, angel,” a low voice murmurs against my ear. “It’s me.”
The hand leaves my mouth.
“Tiero?”
The word barely escapes.
My knees give out and he catches me, one arm wrapping firmly around my waist to keep me upright.
Air floods back into my lungs in uneven pulls. My heart is hammering so hard it hurts.
He cups my chin gently, tipping my face up.
“You okay?” His voice carries a hint of worry, and his eyes search mine as he brushes a strand of hair behind my ear.
“You scared the living daylights out of me,” I manage, my hands fisting in his jacket as my body slowly stops shaking.
“I’m sorry, princess. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
He palms my cheek, his thumb stroking tenderly over my skin.
I lean into his touch. A shaky breath leaves me, slower this time, and the panic clawing at my ribs begins to recede.
But something else stirs.
How is he here?
“Do you want to sit down?” he asks, noticing the tremor still running through me.
My legs are still unsteady, but all I want is to leave this place. The air in here feels thick and suffocating.
I shake my head. “No, let’s just go.”
Tiero’s arm tightens around me as he guides me to the large cathedral doors. I glance around to see if anyone noticed or heard my scream, but the few people left go about their business. An elderly couple studies a painting. A priest disappears through a side door. No one looks at us twice.
It’s as if nothing happened.
Maybe nothing did, and I let my imagination run wild.
Still, my gaze keeps sweeping the space, searching for the two men I’d been watching, but there’s no sign of them.
The moment we step outside, I draw in a deep breath. The late afternoon air is cool against my overheated skin, and I welcome the change. As the cathedral door shuts behind us, some of the paranoia loosens its grip.
The sky has turned pink, streaked with gold. A few lonely clouds glow in the fading light of the sun. The world looks peaceful. Unbothered.
With Tiero’s steady arm around me, I feel lighter. There’s a good chance I was overreacting, seeing something that wasn’t there.
“What are you doing here?” I ask as he leads me toward a waiting SUV, Santino already opening the back door for us.
I thought cars weren’t allowed on Ortigia Island. But rules clearly mean nothing to Gualtiero De Marco. He does as he pleases, unafraid of consequences.
Maybe I should try that approach. Push my comfort zone, as Rhia so often reminds me.
I slide onto the soft leather seat and watch Tiero follow me in. He smiles at me, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.
“How come you’re here?” I ask again, my heart rate finally slowing.
He takes my hand and presses a kiss to the back of it, his thumb brushing over my knuckles as if grounding me.
“I was finished for the day. Alonso mentioned you were in Ortigia,” he replies, his tone casual. “There aren’t that many places here to look for you.”
Well, I’m beyond glad he found me. His timing was impeccable.
“You talked to Alonso about where I was? You could have just called me.”
“I could have. But I wanted to surprise you. Remember, I’m planning something special.”
“Oh, that’s right.” I smile up at him. “Are you going to give me a hint?”
He grins. “No.”
I roll my eyes playfully and lean back into the seat.
“By the way,” I add, as if it just occurred to me, “why did Alonso come along to Syracuse? That wasn’t about me, was it?”
His gaze sharpens almost imperceptibly, though his posture remains relaxed.
“Alonso had business in Syracuse.” A pause. “Why are you asking? Did he behave inappropriately? Did he make you uncomfortable?”
There’s a dangerous edge beneath the question now.
“What? No. He was a perfect gentleman and a fabulous tour guide at the Neapolis Archaeological Park. I just…” I hesitate.
“You just what?” His thumb stills against my skin.
Do I ask him why Alonso would sweat when I asked him if he was guarding me? Tiero already explained why he came along. There’s probably no more to it.
I shake my head. “Never mind.”
He studies me for a second longer. Then he shifts back against the seat and draws me onto his lap, one arm circling my waist with effortless certainty.
“Tiero—”
His mouth captures mine before I can finish.
The kiss isn’t gentle. It’s deliberate. Claiming. His hand moves to the back of my head, holding me there as if anchoring me to him.
And like always when his lips are on me, everything else around us disappears.
The cathedral. The men. The unease.
All of it dissolves under the heat of his mouth.
When he finally pulls back, I stay where I am.
Instead of climbing off his lap, I curl into him, my cheek resting against his chest. His arm tightens around me automatically, and after a second, his chin settles on top of my head.
The steady rhythm of his breathing calms me. So does the slow rise and fall of his chest beneath my palm.
The car hums quietly. Outside, the last blush of daylight fades into indigo. Streetlights flicker on.
I watch the scenery blur by, the first stars appearing one by one in the darkening sky.
I let out a sigh and close my eyes, the last of the adrenaline in my veins finally fading.
Tiero’s thumb traces lazy circles along my side, absentminded, soothing. My body finally relaxes fully against him.
“Where are we going?” I ask softly when I open my eyes again and do not recognize the route, which is not really unusual.
I’m great at driving but hopeless with directions. My dad could look at the sky and tell you which way was north. He could read a map in seconds. Sadly, I did not inherit that talent.
Give me a map and we’ll probably end up going in the opposite direction of our destination. Just ask Rhia. After all, that’s how she met Lex.
“You’ll see,” Tiero says, pulling me out of my wandering thoughts.
The car slows, then turns. A few moments later, we roll to a stop at the marina.
I lift my head, blinking at the boats lined up along the docks.
“We’re going back to your boat?”
“We are,” he says, helping me off his lap but keeping his hand at the small of my back. “And we have a destination this time.”
“Oh?” I arch a brow. “And what is that destination?”
“My island.”
I stare at him. The man has an island?
What world have I stumbled into?
“You’ve got an island?” I repeat in disbelief.
When Tiero says nothing, I lift an eyebrow at him. He smiles and brushes his lips over mine, unhurried.
“I do. And we’ll spend the next few days there.”
My eyes widen.
“What?”
He watches me carefully, clearly enjoying my reaction.
“Umm… did you just say a few days?”
He laughs at the stunned expression on my face. “Yes, princess. Your hearing is excellent.”
A few days.
Am I ready to spend twenty-four-seven with him? And for more than one night?
My mind screams no.
My body answers immediately. Yes.
Heat blooms low in my stomach at the thought of uninterrupted time with him. Waking up next to him. Falling asleep tangled together.
But I cannot make decisions based purely on hormones.
“I only have three full days left before my flight home,” I say carefully. “And I had things I wanted to see.”
I wish he’d run this by me first. He’s kidnapping the rest of my trip without even consulting me.
He studies me, the playful edge fading just slightly.
“Do you really want to keep those plans?” he asks quietly.
There’s no force in the question.
Just confidence.
The one thing I’ve noticed about Gualtiero De Marco is that he moves through the world like it belongs to him. Doors open. Cars appear. People adjust.
And now he’s offering to rearrange my last days in Sicily without even blinking.
It should annoy me more than it does.
I turn to him, ready to point out that not everyone falls into step behind him.
But he’s looking at me like this is the most natural thing. Like the idea of spending days alone with me is obvious. Necessary, even.
His excitement is unguarded.
And my resolve weakens instantly.
Because the truth is, seeing him happy does something dangerous to me.
His grin widens. His eyes light up.
And I feel myself melting.
Tiero takes my hand and squeezes it, his long fingers sliding along mine. My body reacts instantly, tingling where he touches me.
It’s only been a few hours since I last felt his skin against mine.
And I already want more.
“But what about your work?” I ask.
“If anything important comes up, I’ll handle it from the island.”
Of course he will.
I try one last protest. “I don’t have a change of clothes with me.”
Tiero laughs softly and bends closer, his lips brushing the shell of my ear.
“You won’t need any clothes,” he murmurs. “I intend to keep you naked the entire time.”
Heat rushes straight to my core.
The image flashes uninvited into my mind. Sun. Sea. His hands on me. Nothing between us.
My cheeks burn.
“Not going to happen,” I whisper, though my voice lacks conviction.
“Spoilsport.” He winks and steals a quick kiss. “Then you’ll be pleased to know I had some of your things brought from your hotel.”
I freeze.
“You did what?”
“No one went through your things,” he says calmly. “I asked them to pack a few obvious items.”
Obvious items.
My stomach flips.
It’s thoughtful… and efficient. But also slightly alarming.
“How did you get into my room?” I ask carefully.
A slow smile curves his mouth. “Princess, there are very few doors that stay closed to me.”
That should unsettle me more than it does.
Instead, he pulls me closer and kisses me deeply, his hand sliding into my hair. Everything narrows to heat and breath and the pressure of his mouth.
By the time he pulls back, my thoughts are fogged beyond usefulness.
If I had any clarity left, I would scold myself.
Instead, one practical thought pushes through.
“Did they pack my birth control pills?”
I’ve always been paranoid about falling pregnant, especially without being in a committed relationship.
So far, on my insistence, we’ve used condoms, and I have no intention of changing that.
I prefer layers of certainty.
“Of course.” Tiero brushes a kiss across my forehead. “We’re not quite ready for a bambino yet.”
My eyes widen.
Not quite ready. Yet.
Is he…?
Is Tiero seeing a future for us?
My heart does a reckless little leap before I can stop it.
No, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. He’s probably just said it to be sweet.
He gets out of the car, and I watch him as he walks around to open my door.
Well, I guess I’ll be spending the next few days on his private island.
I let out a dramatic sigh as I step out, resigned to my fate.
Then I grin.
Who am I kidding? I’m ridiculously excited.
Screw playing tourist. I can always come back another time. But how often will I have an entire island to myself with a multi-orgasmic Italian god?
In my mind, a set of old-fashioned scales appears. On one side: pristine beaches, azure water, a cooling breeze, and a devastatingly handsome man all to myself. On the other: monuments, crowds, sweat, summer heat, and wandering alone with a guidebook.
Yes. It’s such a difficult decision.
As I step out of the car, Tiero takes my hand and brings my fingers to his lips.
God, he’s so swoony.
Beaming up at him, I let him lead me toward where ELLA is anchored.
I still can’t believe the boat carries my name. What a strange coincidence. Though Rhia would insist there’s no such thing.
“It will take a few hours to reach the island,” Tiero says as we walk hand in hand toward the yacht. “We’ll sleep on the boat tonight and have breakfast there.”
We follow Santino and Alonso aboard. They move through the yacht methodically, checking corners, scanning shadows.
It feels excessive. Then again, this is Tiero’s world.
The crew greets us politely before slipping back into their roles. Even though this is only my second time on ELLA, a strange familiarity settles over me.
I kick off my shoes and climb the stairs to the upper deck, Tiero’s hand resting at the small of my back.
I grip the railing, his arms caging me in just like he did yesterday. I lean back against him as the skipper guides us out of the marina and into open water.
The sky deepens to velvet. The sea turns ink-dark beneath us. The city lights slowly recede, shrinking into a glittering line along the horizon.
Out here, everything is quieter. Simpler.
His chest is warm against my back. Solid. Comforting.
A few days alone, just with Tiero.
This is the life.