 
Marco's Vines

BOOK 1

Famiglia Conti Series

Published by Grace Kagni at Smashwords

Copyright © 2013 Grace Kagni

Revision 3 - Copyright © 2019 Grace Kagni

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

# Dedication

This book is dedicated to my daughter on her 18th birthday. May you find a partner who is worthy of you, who loves and respects you as the character in my book.

# From the Author

The characters in the Famiglia Conti series have been created to give you a taste of Italian romance.

They believe that family should always come first and that Italian traditions are deeper than the roots in the land they cultivate.

I've been working hard preparing some free stuff for you all. When you sign up to my newsletter, you'll receive a #FREE hot and spicy Italian novella by Rita Gracie the moment you submit your email address. You'll be able to start reading it within minutes. Click on the below link to sign up.

#FREE hot and spicy Italian novella

A warm thank you to Ada Frost for the wonderful book cover.
Other books by Grace Kagni

Famiglia Conti Series

Book 1 - Marco's Vines

Book 2 - Giacomo's Patience

Book 3 - Serena's Cellars

Book 4 - Matteo's Challenge

Italian Politics (The Billionaire's Affair) Series

Book 1 - Scandal

Book 2 - Breakup

Book 3 – Promise

Miller Family Series

Liam's Best – Book 1

Dalton's Embrace – Book 2

Tessa's Flame – Book 3

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-one

Chapter Twenty-two

Chapter Twenty-three

# Prologue

"Well, I've given it my best," Leena said. She had really thought over every detail on the menu and chose every dish well—hoping to please the guests at the dinner party.

"You were great and I'm really proud to be here with you tonight," Carolina said. She wouldn't have turned her back on her best friend when she needed her most.

Leena looked at herself in the mirror one last time—smoothing her chef's jacket. She knew this would be her chance to prove she was good at her job—she took a deep breath—picked up the tray of veal cutlets cooked in a Marsala sauce and roasted fennel with grilled Parmigiano cheese, and walked out of the kitchen.

The guests were ready for their main course—she placed the tray on the small serving cart in the corner of the room and started to prepare the portions. Leena handed the plates to her friend, Carolina.

Leena had been asked by the wealthy Rossini family to cater their special dinner—Leena was honored, knowing that the Rossini family hired only top chefs for this task. She wasn't quite sure how her name turned up on their list of chefs, but she was extremely happy when they contacted her for the job.

Carolina served the last guest, picked up the serving tray from the dining room and followed Leena into the kitchen.

"They look extremely pleased with the food tonight," Carolina said, smiling.

"I hope so. I really need more work or I won't be able to pay my bills next month."

"There's no reason for them not to love your food."

"Thanks, Carolina—you're a true friend, but you know that people don't always like the same things."

"They'd be crazy not to hire you again."

Carolina walked over to the sink and started to wash up as Leena prepared the dessert.

Leena had a real passion for cooking and she put that passion into everything she prepared—tonight by preparing the most impressive dinner imaginable. She hoped the Rossini dinner would lead to more work.

She walked to the large freezer and pulled out the homemade tiramisu gelato she'd prepared the day before.

Then she pulled out the small crystal bowls she'd found in one of the cabinets and started to prepare the dessert—on the bottom she placed a homemade chocolate truffle biscuit which smelled heavenly—then she placed a couple of spoons of the tiramisu gelato on the biscuits and topped it all off with flakes of dark chocolate. The appearance of the dessert made Leena's stomach growl, and before she lost her train of thought, she took a few sprigs of fresh mint and placed a couple of leaves on each gelato.

Dessert was ready—Leena ensured the bowls were all presentable while Carolina went to the dining room to clear the dinner plates from the table.

"They finished every last bite," she said, winking as she walked back into the kitchen.

Leena turned to see Carolina—a slight flutter appeared in the pit of her stomach—she was about to serve the last course. She really hoped that she had made the right choices for the menu because this was the chance that would make her or break her as a chef.

Leena cleaned her hands on the towel. "Let's bring the dessert into the dining room before it melts."

Carolina brought the serving table back out to the dining room, then came back into the kitchen and took the dessert tray from Leena.

This is it. I hope they were pleased with the food tonight. I really need some luck my way.

Within minutes Carolina was back in the kitchen and gave Leena a huge grin. "They love the gelato! They're 'mmming' with every spoonful. I really think you've taken the bull by its horns tonight, Leena."

Leena's hands started to sweat and shake—she thought it was the moment she'd find out if she'd find more work. She'd given her best—there was nothing she would have changed if she could have, so time would only tell.

As she turned to look at the kitchen, she focused on what needed to be cleaned—she and Carolina went straight to work. It didn't take them long to wash up the last pots and pans, and clean the stainless-steel countertop.

The kitchen was back in order as Leena had found it, and while she took off her chef's jacket, she looked around once more—dreaming of having a kitchen of the sort one day. Now that the job was over, she felt a little sorry to have to leave.

Leena leaned against the stainless-steel worktable and was lost in her thoughts when an older—very elegant—lady came into the kitchen.

"Miss, your food is absolutely wonderful."

"Thank you, Mrs. Conti," Leena said, recognizing the older lady from the fashion magazines.

"What is your name, mia Cara?"

"Leena Malik."

"Well, Leena. I'm not going to let you go until you give me your telephone number so I can call you tomorrow."

Leena was stunned for a moment—she pulled out a piece of paper to write down her telephone number for Mrs. Conti.

Mrs. Conti promised to call her the next day to chat. Leena watched as the older woman walked out of the kitchen, leaving a floral scent lingering in the air.

Leena looked at Carolina, who grinned and winked at her.

"Mark my words. They're not going to let you go now that they know how well you cook."

Leena shrugged her shoulders, hoping her friend was right. She really needed a break.

~ ~ ~

Leena was up early the next morning and started her day productively. She was stirring a meat sauce when the telephone rang. She picked up the cordless phone as she put the herbs into the sauce and was truly surprised to hear Mrs. Conti on the other end—Leena really didn't expect her to call.

"Good morning, Leena. I was wondering if you could meet me this afternoon, around 4 p.m. near Piazza di Spagna, for a coffee?"

Leena's heart started to race. "Yes. I can meet you this afternoon."

"I'll see you by the Fontana della Barcaccia at 4 p.m."

As she hung up, Leena wondered why Mrs. Conti wanted to meet her. It really piqued her curiosity and Leena hoped Mrs. Conti would ask her to cater a dinner for the Conti family.

She knew by magazine articles that the Conti family hosted many private and charitable dinners throughout the year—it could open more doors for her, making Leena's catering known to other people. Butterflies grew in her stomach—she hoped it would be the break she'd been waiting for.

Leena went on to prepare a white besciamella sauce and then started to prepare the lasagna. Thoughts of her as a child, preparing a lasagna with her mother, popped into her mind as she built the layers of pasta with the meat sauce and besciamella.

Leena's mother had been a great cook and Leena used to love to help her in the kitchen. She had taught Leena how to make many specialties from her hometown of Reggio Emilia, but at the time, Leena was too young to understand the importance of the gastronomic dishes her mother prepared. Now Leena would give anything to have her mother back and to have the pleasure of cooking together.

Leena stopped a moment as her heartache returned. She felt complete sadness knowing she would never again feel her mother's soft kisses on her face—the warmth of her arms around her body. Time had dulled the pain, and yet the ache still crept in during her weakest moments.

The sound of the oven's bell brought her back to the present—she finished preparing the lasagna—topping it with a good sprinkling of Parmigiano cheese and then placed it into the oven.

She focused on cleaning up and putting things away. Leena's kitchen was very small and the countertop was short, which meant she had to wash things after she used them while she cooked.

When she finished in the kitchen, Leena looked at the clock and decided she had time for a bath—she walked to the bathroom to fill the tub with hot water while she thought about what she still needed to do before going to Carolina's for lunch.

Carolina was like a sister to her and her family had become Leena's family when her parents had died. She'd spent Sunday lunch at Carolina's ever since that terrible night. It had slowly become a tradition and Leena didn't know what she'd do if she didn't have Carolina and her family.

Leena's bathroom was very tiny, but as she lit some scented candles it filled the air with sandalwood—transporting her into another time and place. She undressed quickly and sank into the hot relaxing water—making all the cobwebs disappear. Leena put her head back and let the warmth of the water and scents from the candles lull her into serenity.

She must have been in the water for quite some time when she looked at her fingers and noticed they had suddenly turned wrinkly. She'd lost track of time as she soaked in the tub.

Her mind had wandered—as it often had—to the rent and bills she had to pay. The Rossinis' dinner would pay her overdue rent and utility bills, but she would be in the red again next month. Leena's precarious situation was consuming her, and as much as she tried to not worry, it kept creeping into her mind.

She dragged herself out of the tub and put on her tattered bathrobe before going to check on the lasagna. As soon as she stepped out of the bathroom, the wonderful scent of her lasagna greeted her as she made her way to the kitchen.

She opened the oven carefully as the vapor from the oven caressed her face. The lasagna had a nice golden color—she pulled it out and put it aside to let it cool off a bit, before going to get dressed.

Leena opened her closet and stared at the meagre contents of her wardrobe. Work had been scarce the last couple of years and she really didn't have any extra funds to splurge on clothing. After the bills were paid, she'd spent whatever was left on kitchen utensils and equipment so that she had the necessary tools to work. She'd always been able to find small catering jobs, but these didn't seem to be enough lately.

The Rossinis' dinner party last night paid well—I should be okay for the next month, and yet unless a real job comes around soon, I'll need to leave my apartment and find alternative accommodation.

She pushed the thought from her mind as she sorted through her wardrobe and pulled out an old olive-colored summer dress that still looked decent. Pulling it over her head, she looked at herself in the mirror and decided that she really needed to get some new clothing soon.

She applied a little makeup and—after trying different hairstyles—decided to wear her long, dark chestnut hair tied up since it would keep her cooler in the June Roman heat. Then, she walked back into the kitchen to wrap the lasagna to take to Carolina's. Leena grabbed her bag on her way out and cautiously locked the door while balancing the hot lasagna on her arm.

When Leena finally made it outside, she looked at her scooter.

There's no way I'll be able to balance hot lasagna on my scooter. I guess I'll have to take the bus.

While she walked toward the bus stop, Leena glanced around and noticed it wasn't coming down the street—she sat on the bench beside a couple. As soon as she sat down, she felt a breath over her shoulder—sending chills down her spine while she turned to see who was there. It was Fabrizio, an ex-boyfriend who'd become obsessive and violent.

"Is that lasagna? It smells nice. How about we take it up to your apartment and have it after I fuck you until you scream out my name," Fabrizio said, purring into her ear.

Leena felt the chills down her back at the thought of him touching her again. Just then, the bus arrived, so without saying anything to Fabrizio, Leena got up and followed the people onto the bus. Fabrizio got on the bus too and sat behind her.

She could feel his breath on her neck, so she leaned forward, hoping the bus ride wouldn't be too long. Just before it arrived at Carolina's apartment, she sent her friend a message asking to meet her at the bus stop.

When the bus stopped, Leena got off with Fabrizio trailing not far behind—luckily, Carolina was at the stop waiting. As soon as Carolina saw Fabrizio, she growled at him and told Fabrizio to leave or she would call the police

Fabrizio smirked and turned to go the other way.

"What was Fabrizio doing on the bus?" Carolina asked as they walked the rest of the way to her apartment.

"He showed up at my bus stop and got on the bus with me. Thanks for coming to my rescue. I don't know what I would have done if he persisted," Leena said, smiling weakly at her friend.

"We would have called the police. You need to remember that if he comes anywhere near you, the first thing you need to do is call the police. If he doesn't stay away, then the police will deal with him."

"I know—but it's not that easy. I'm afraid he'll hurt me if he's angry," Leena said.

"Do you want to sleep here?" Carolina asked as they walked up to her apartment.

"No, I'll be okay. I'm sure it was just a coincidence that he was at the bus stop when I arrived."

Carolina's father, Francesco, came to the door to greet them and he took the lasagna from Leena's hand.

"Thank you for having me over, Francesco."

"You are family and I only see you on Sundays. Carolina told me you were bringing a lasagna," he said, inhaling the scent from the bag she was carrying.

"Yes," Leena said, following Carolina into the kitchen.

Leena stopped at the kitchen's entrance, noticing Carolina had set the table with her mother's blue flower pattern plates.

"You've pulled out your mother's favorite china. It's nice to see things that remind us of your mother—I really miss her. She was like a mother to me when my parents passed away," Leena said, pulling Carolina into a hug.

"Yes, I thought it was time to use my mother's things. My father seems to like seeing objects that remind him of her presence around the house. I was afraid it would make him sad, but every time I pull something out that belonged to her, he tells me stories about their time together."

Francesco joined them in the kitchen and noticed the china plates on the table; leaning over, he gave Carolina a kiss on the cheek.

He told them about the time that he had taken his wife to buy the china plates and how they had argued over the pattern. Francesco remembered how she'd been determined to have this blue flower design—arguing about it until he finally gave up to make her happy. "Now it brings my thoughts back to that day. I still see the determination she had in her eyes—she was such a strong little woman. I loved her for her strength." He smiled wearily.

They sat down to their Sunday lunch, and as they ate, they talked about old times and the summers they spent together. Leena grew up near Carolina and they had spent summers together out on their bikes until sunset. Friday nights had been their sleepover night—when they watched scary movies. They both smiled as they thought back to those times that now seemed so far away.

Leena had moved away after her parents died because she couldn't continue to pay the rental fee. It seemed like yesterday when the police had knocked on her door late one night to tell her that her parents had died in a car accident. She'd run all the way to Carolina's house and cried in her arms all night—she was only nineteen. If it weren't for Carolina and her family, Leena didn't think she could have survived.

Carolina pulled out the homemade strawberry crostata she'd made that morning and placed it in the middle of the table. Soon the scent of freshly made espresso filled the room as they sat around the table, enjoying Carolina's dessert.

Leena was sorry when the afternoon had passed and it was time for her to go.

Carolina walked Leena to the bus stop—making Leena promise to call her as soon as she'd met with Mrs. Conti.

The bus passed a moment later and Leena took it to the underground, getting off finally at Piazza di Spagna. Enjoying the warmth of the sunshine as she stepped out onto the street, she walked toward Trinita dei Monti. The sun was blinding, and yet revitalizing as she walked the few steps to her destination.

The streets were full of people. Rome in the summertime was always bustling with tourists. Sales would hit the stores in a few weeks, summoning the Romans back to the city from their lazy days at the beach.

Leena arrived a little before the appointment and while she waited, she felt butterflies dancing in her belly—hoping she'd impressed Mrs. Conti. The sun was hot and she was becoming unbearably nervous waiting in the sun.

Leena saw Mrs. Conti walking toward the Fontana della Barcaccia, wearing a beautiful black silk dress that gave every appearance of elegance. Walking beside Mrs. Conti was a young woman, whom she introduced as her assistant, Francesca—then Mrs. Conti immediately suggested they go to a nearby café to talk.

Leena followed Mrs. Conti and Francesca down Via dei Condotti to Café Greco. It was a popular place for the Romans, and as they approached, Leena noticed the line of people waiting outside. Wondering how long they would have to wait in the hot sun, she was surprised when they were immediately greeted at the door by the owner and brought to a private table.

"So, Leena. Tell me a little about yourself," Erminia said.

Leena took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "Well, I'm from Rome—apart from the time I spent studying at the Marchesi Cookery School in Brescia—I've never lived anywhere else. I graduated from the school three years ago and I've been working seasonal jobs since I graduated."

"What about family? Do you have any in Rome?" Mrs. Conti asked.

"No, my parents died seven years ago and I'm an only child."

"I'm sorry to hear that, mia Cara. You must have been young when your parents died."

"Yes, I was nineteen."

"How have you survived on your own?"

"Well, I moved to Brescia and worked while I studied at the cookery school."

Leena felt a little uncomfortable talking about her personal life with a complete stranger, but Mrs. Conti seemed genuinely interested.

"Are you working full-time now?"

"No. Unfortunately work has been scarce these past few months, but I'm really grateful to have had the opportunity to cook for the private dinner last night."

"Well, I wanted to meet with you today to ask if you'd be interested in taking on a full-time job as a cook for one of my grandchildren."

Leena was stunned—could this be her chance to a better life? She'd waited and hoped for a miracle for so long that the opportunity now seemed unbelievable. "Yes. I'm extremely interested. Can you tell me a little about the job?"

"Well, it is sufficient for now to know that you are available and interested in taking the position. The rest I will tell you tomorrow."

Mrs. Conti got up and extended her hand to say goodbye. She promised to call Leena the next day with an address and a time to meet.

Leena walked out of Café Greco feeling the sun shining down on her as if she'd found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. She walked toward the underground and grinned as she thought of the blessing she'd been given when she accepted the Rossinis' private dinner party.

She'd just arrived home when the phone rang—she ran to respond and was delighted to know it was Carolina, calling to know all about the meeting with Mrs. Conti.

# Chapter One

Leena was washed and dressed the next morning when Mrs. Conti called to give her an address and a time for them to meet. The meeting was set for 11 a.m., so Leena had time to go to the market to buy fresh fruit and vegetables.

The market was bustling with Romans doing their early morning shopping before going to work. Leena bought some fresh spinach to make her mother's special erbazzone dish and some fresh strawberries for the next day. She was about to go to the cashier to pay when she heard a voice call out to her. Turning, she saw it was Fabrizio and suddenly felt her stomach tighten with apprehension.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Leave me alone, Fabrizio."

"Aren't you happy to see me?" he asked as he stepped closer.

"I don't want any trouble. Just go away, please."

He grabbed her arm, pulling her close while he whispered in her ear, "I've missed your body trembling beneath me."

"I told you I don't want to see you anymore."

"That's what you said—not me," he said, licking her ear.

It sent nauseating shivers down her spine and Leena tried to pull away, but Fabrizio tightened his grip on her.

One of Fabrizio's hands grabbed Leena's backside and squeezed her cheek as he pulled her toward him. His other hand went to her breasts and tightened around one of her nipples.

Leena wanted to scream, and yet when she tried to shout, her voice failed her.

People noticed them and some commented on their intimacy—telling them to take it elsewhere.

Fabrizio grinned—wanting to take Leena somewhere—wanting to rip her clothes off.

"We'll finish this another time," Fabrizio whispered in Leena's ear as he let go and walked away.

She stood shaking a moment, still holding her basket of groceries until she regained her composure and walked to the cashier to pay. As Leena walked home holding the bags, she hoped she managed to stay clear of Fabrizio. She didn't want him back in her life. He'd done enough damage to her heart and her soul.

After placing all her groceries in the refrigerator, Leena went to change into something a little more presentable. She brushed her hair and touched up her makeup before looking at herself in the mirror.

Okay, well this is it. This may be my chance to find a good job\--don't screw it up!

Grabbing her bag and the keys to her scooter, she headed out the door. Leena steered through the Roman traffic as an experienced motorist in Rome, knowing that she couldn't be late. When she knew she was close to her destination, she parked her scooter and got off, placing her helmet inside the seat compartment before placing the heavy lock around the wheel. Leena smoothed her hair and clothing, hoping she looked presentable and not like a teenager with no care in the world.

Walking the few steps to the street number, she found Mrs. Conti waiting with Francesca outside of the building.

"Good morning, Leena. Did you have difficulty finding the address?"

"No, I came on my scooter—it was easy to go through the tight streets and traffic."

"You ride a scooter? Francesca also rides a scooter. I'm surprised how young ladies have the courage to face the traffic in Rome on a scooter," Mrs. Conti said, looking at Francesca with an affectionate smile.

"It makes it easier to move around and find parking in Rome," Leena said, giving her a warm smile.

Leena followed Mrs. Conti into an elegant building where the doorman greeted them.

"Good morning, Mrs. Conti," he said.

"Good morning, Davide. How are your beautiful daughters?" asked Mrs. Conti.

"They're very well. They've gone to the beach with their grandparents," said Davide.

Davide put a key in the wall and called the elevator for them. As they waited, Leena realized what a beautiful building it was—high ceilings that were typical in many old buildings in the heart of the city—walls and floors were covered in black marble—hanging on the walls were beautiful paintings.

The elevator arrived, and as the three of them stepped inside, Mrs. Conti pressed the only button inside and the doors closed. As it started to move, Leena noticed the telephone and small antique sofa. She'd never been in an elevator with a sofa—she found it to be very elegant.

The ride up was very smooth, and as the elevator stopped, the doors opened to a beautifully decorated room full of 16th century furniture and priceless paintings, and all Leena could do was gasp.

Her mind suddenly went back in time to when she'd gone on a school field trip to visit the Palazzo del Quirinale, the residency of the President of the Italian Republic.

The penthouse was decorated in a similar fashion as the Quirinale. Leena immediately knew—it was not a home but a palace.

They followed Mrs. Conti through the room and were greeted by an older gentleman by the name of Arturo.

"Good morning, Arturo. This young lady is Marco's new cook," Mrs. Conti said to Arturo.

"Good morning. I am pleased to meet you. My name is Arturo and I am Mr. Conti's butler," Arturo said.

"Hello. It's very nice to meet you. My name is Leena Malik."

Arturo showed them to the kitchen so Leena could see her workspace. They left the beautiful entranceway and walked through another room that was decorated in the same style as the first with antique sofas, armchairs and tables. It too had a very regal atmosphere and Leena tried to look at the surroundings as they walked through the palace.

They walked past another room that was the formal dining area. It had a long Renaissance period table with eight cream-colored upholstered chairs on each side and an armchair at each end. Along each of the two back walls were six more chairs. Leena made a mental calculation and noted that the dining table could be set up for twenty-four place settings. It was something she needed to remember for planning purposes.

They walked through a corridor, leading to a small but very well organized and stocked room that must have been for the dining staff. It was equipped with serving tables, serving trays and trollies, fine china, silverware and crystal glassware.

This room led to the kitchen. As Arturo opened the double doors to enter, Leena's eyes just about popped out. She couldn't help but gape at the splendor of the kitchen. She had never seen anything so spectacular—not even at the fine cookery school.

Leena walked in and ran her hand over the stainless-steel countertops. The kitchen was huge and elaborate—countertops ran across two of the walls where each had a double sink and a variety of kitchen aid appliances. One wall had four ovens and a shorter countertop. The last wall was lined with shelves that were stocked with jars.

She walked over to look at the jars and read the labels, listing every spice imaginable. Next to these shelves was a heavy door. She looked at Arturo with a questioning eye, and as he gestured for her to open the door, she pulled it open and felt her knees weaken—it was a walk-in refrigerator and freezer.

Mrs. Conti looked at Leena with a warm smile. "Cara, do you think you could work in this kitchen?"

"Mrs. Conti. I don't know what to say. This is more than I can take in at the moment, but if you are offering me a position to work in this kitchen, then I would be honored to accept."

"I'm happy to hear it. So, I will leave you with Arturo, who will fill you in on all the details of the job. You may start tomorrow morning and Francesca will pass by with the contract so you may read and sign it if you are in agreement with the terms and benefits," she said, turning her gaze to Francesca, who nodded in acknowledgement.

Leena looked around again in amazement, wondering if she was up to the job.

"Don't worry, mia Cara. My grandson doesn't use the dining room very often. He works long hours and travels only when the need arises. As a grandmother, I worry about him not eating enough."

"I hope he will be pleased with my cooking," Leena said.

"I'm sure that he will be tempted to come home earlier for a home-cooked meal once he realizes what a gem he has in his kitchen. You are just what he needs," Mrs. Conti said, patting Leena's hand. She said goodbye and walked out.

Leena stayed a couple of hours as Arturo showed her the rest of the palace and then explained Mr. Conti's daily schedule. She would need to prepare breakfast and dinner from Monday to Friday. On Saturday, Mr. Conti worked from home and would need three meals. Sunday would be her day off. It all seemed reasonable and Leena was more than happy with the working environment.

She rode her scooter home and decided to get started on the week's menu. Arturo had told her Mr. Conti's food preferences—no raw fish—which made planning the menu an easier task.

Leena stopped at the fruit and vegetable shop before going home to buy fresh produce for the next day. When she reached her apartment, she went inside and bolted the door behind her.

Leena put the fresh produce in her refrigerator and went to call Carolina. They talked for about an hour before she realized she hadn't had lunch—Leena said goodbye and promised to call her friend the next day.

She went to her kitchen to make a prosciutto sandwich while she pulled out the spinach that she bought earlier that morning to make the erbazzone. Leena had made it so many times that she could make it with her eyes closed—it had always been her favorite dish when her mother was alive. She quickly put the ingredients together and placed it in the hot oven.

Leena then sat at the table with her daily planner to start on the week's menu. It was fairly easy because Mr. Conti only needed breakfast and dinner throughout the week. She planned a proper feast for Saturday.

Thinking about what she could make and changing her plans a few times, Leena was pleased with her final choices on the menu and started a shopping list for the next morning. She decided to get some of the ingredients for breakfast near her house; the rest she would find near Mr. Conti's house.

She made a frittata for dinner with eggs, bacon, spring onions, zucchini and freshly grated Parmigiano cheese, and when it was ready, she went to sit down at the table. The television, which was on in the background, turned to the news.

It talked about another woman who'd been victimized and that there was an increase in this type of crime in Italy—particularly in Rome. Leena ate her dinner quietly as she continued to watch the news. When the news turned to politics, Leena turned down the volume since she wasn't keen on that topic.

# Chapter Two

Leena awoke early the next day and was out the door before 6 a.m. She went to the market near her house and purchased what she needed to prepare breakfast. When she was sure she had what was needed, Leena placed the bags on her scooter and rode off toward Piazza di Spagna.

Davide greeted her when she entered the building and called the elevator for her. She giggled as she rode it up to Mr. Conti's palazzo, thinking it was going to be fun working for the Conti family. The elevator door opened at the top, and since she remembered the way to the kitchen, she started to walk in that direction until Arturo greeted her when she got as far as the dining room.

"Good morning, Leena. Can I help you carry the bags?"

"Good morning, Arturo. Yes, I would be very grateful."

Arturo took some of the bags from Leena's hands and carried them to the kitchen for her.

"I will have breakfast ready in a few minutes," she said as she pulled things from the bags and placed them on the countertop.

"Okay, good. Mr. Conti leaves the house at 7:30 a.m., so breakfast should be ready in thirty minutes."

When Arturo left the room, Leena turned on the oven and washed the fresh fruit she bought. Then she took a couple of apples—peeled and sliced them—got a stainless-steel bowl and put some flour, milk, eggs, a pinch of salt and some vanilla extract in the bowl. After mixing the ingredients well, she pulled out a muffin tray—greased the tray and placed some of the batter in each hole before topping each with some of the apples.

After placing some walnuts in a bag, she tied it closed and grabbed the rolling pin from the drawer to crush the walnuts. She placed some crushed nuts on top of the apples and put the muffin tray into the hot oven.

Then Leena placed the strawberries into the blender and whizzed them for a moment until they were creamy. Taking a jar of homemade yogurt, she placed a few spoons in a small fruit bowl. She put a layer of the whizzed strawberries onto the yogurt and topped it off with some of the crushed walnuts. She did the same again, adding a second layer. When finished, she placed the bowl in the refrigerator.

Continuing with her work, she grabbed some of the oranges and cut them open, placing them in the juicer, and filled the small crystal carafe with the freshly squeezed orange juice.

Next, Leena put the ground coffee in the moka and lit the flame on the cooker. Within minutes, the kitchen was transformed with a variety of different aromas.

Pulling out from the oven the freshly baked apple and walnut muffins, she placed them directly on a china plate and then put that on a silver tray along with the yogurt, orange juice and coffee.

On cue, Arturo walked into the kitchen and stopped in his tracks. His lips formed a huge smile while he put his nose in the air and he lifted his arms.

"It's been a long time since heavenly scents have emanated from this kitchen—I'm happy that you've joined the household," he said, winking while he picked up the silver tray.

Leena turned and looked at the messy kitchen. Breakfast was done—it was time to clean up now. She washed all the appliances and the cooking trays, and then put everything away. The space in the kitchen allowed Leena to prepare everything effortlessly—even the washing up was easy.

Arturo came back with the empty tray and said that Mr. Conti had expressed his appreciation for the breakfast she prepared with much care.

While she washed the last things that Arturo brought back, Francesca came by with the contract—Leena reviewed and signed it before giving it back to Francesca.

Then she grabbed her bag and shopping list before walking out to find the items on the list to prepare the evening's dinner.

Leena took the elevator down to the building entrance and greeted Davide on her way out. After turning the corner, she searched the street for a fresh produce store and walked toward it. Once inside, she noticed the cost of the produce was higher than in her area, but then this was the historical part of the city and everything was more expensive.

She purchased what she needed and then walked across the street to the butcher, purchasing cuts of beef and veal as well as a few extra thin slices of veal. On her way back to the palace, she stopped in the general store and bought some flour, fresh eggs and milk.

Once Leena returned upstairs, she started to prepare for dinner. She started by chopping the celery, carrots and onions and then put them in a large pot. Then she put in a little olive oil and turned on the flame on the cooker. After these had sautéed, she added the beef and veal cuts she had minced earlier and stirred everything before letting it simmer for a little while. When the meat was cooked, she turned off the burner.

She then put some flour, eggs and water in a bowl and mixed the ingredients. Pulling the dough out of the bowl, she started to knead until it was smooth and elastic in texture. Leena then placed the dough back in the bowl and covered it with plastic wrap.

She placed the beef and veal she'd cooked in another bowl and covered it also with plastic wrap before putting both bowls in the refrigerator. Then Leena pulled out the veal slices. Taking some fresh sage leaves and a few slices of Emmental cheese, she put down a slice of veal and covered it with a sage leaf, a slice of cheese and a slice of prosciutto. Then she rolled the veal on the short side and pinned it down with a toothpick—Leena did the same with the other veal slices until they were all done, and then she placed all the rolls onto a plate and covered them with plastic wrap. These also went into the refrigerator.

Washing up the pots and utensils she had used, she decided to go home for lunch and rest before returning later in the afternoon to start dinner. Arturo told her Mr. Conti would be home after 9 p.m. and there was no reason she needed to stay the entire day.

So, Leena put the last things away and grabbed her bag before walking out of the palace.

~ ~ ~

Leena walked into her apartment and felt the heat of the day. Summer in Rome had always been warm, but recently it had become unbearable. Not having air conditioning made it harder to bear the heat. She hadn't realized the heat while she'd been at the palazzo that morning—most probably because old buildings retained the coolness much better than newer buildings—also because she was sure that the palazzo had a centralized air conditioning system.

With that thought, Leena went about doing her chores at home. Thinking about the coolness in the palazzo, she decided that in the future it would be better to go home after breakfast when it was slightly cooler, and return to the palazzo in the afternoon where it was much more tolerable.

She called Carolina to chat for a little while, and since Carolina invited her for a coffee, she locked the door and ran down the steps of her building.

"Leena, I'm so happy your job is working out well for you and you make Marco Conti sound like a God," Carolina said.

"The job seems to be going well, and yes—I have to say that Mr. Conti is really nice."

"Just nice?" Carolina asked.

"Okay, a little more than nice. I haven't met him yet, but he's really easy to cook for," Leena said.

Leena spent the afternoon with Carolina until it was time for her to go back to the palazzo.

Leena rode her scooter through the Rome traffic and parked outside Mr. Conti's apartment building. Then she took the elevator up, and as Leena walked into the palazzo, Mrs. Conti greeted her.

"Good afternoon, Leena."

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Conti."

"Please call me Erminia. I've come to tell you about our family party for Ferragosto. We host a huge party every year at our villa on the Appia Antica for family and friends—there is a large pool and the kids have a great time playing water sports. It would be a great chance for you to meet the rest of the Conti family. I hope you haven't already made other plans for Ferragosto. Please tell me that you will come," she said with warm eyes.

"It sounds lovely. Can I help to cook?"

"Everyone must bring something to eat—it's a tradition—so it is up to you to decide what to bring to the party."

"That sounds like a lovely idea. Thank you," Leena said while Erminia held both of her hands in her own warm ones, nodding her head in acknowledgement.

Erminia said goodbye and left the palazzo.

Leena walked into the kitchen and started to prepare for dinner. Walking to the refrigerator, she pulled out the cooked meat and the pasta dough she'd prepared earlier that morning. After placing some flour on one of the countertops, she pulled out the pasta machine, fastened it to the countertop before cutting a piece of dough and running it through the pasta machine a few times until it was long and narrow. She set it down on the countertop and cut squares with a knife.

Taking some of the meat, she placed a spoonful in each square—then she took a square with meat and folded it in half, joining two corners. Pressing the edges together, she then looped the two outer corners around her index fingers and pinched the two corners together. Taking the finished tortellone, she placed it on a tray that she'd already sprinkled with flour.

During the next forty minutes she'd prepared four trays of tortelloni, setting them aside to dry for a while before placing three of the trays in the freezer. Pulling out a pot, she cut a couple of onions and placed them in the pot with a little olive oil to cook. Then Leena took fresh tomatoes and cut them into cubes. When the onions were sautéed, she added the tomatoes, a little salt and a drop of water—after the tomatoes had simmered for a little while, she added some fresh basil leaves, letting the tomatoes cook a little while longer.

Leena looked at her watch and realized it was already 8 p.m., so pulling out the rolled veal slices she had prepared that morning, she placed them in a large skillet—added a drop of olive oil, a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, a couple of garlic cloves and a little salt. Letting it cook for thirty-five minutes, then she turned off the flame as the wonderful scent started to flow through the kitchen.

Next, Leena pulled out some fresh berries she bought that morning, and after washing them, she placed them in a bowl. She pulled out the mascarpone and ricotta cheeses, the large savoiardi biscotti she also purchased that morning and the leftover espresso coffee from breakfast, placing everything on the countertop.

When Leena found a medium-sized crystal bowl, she placed some of the biscuits into the coffee and then lined the bottom of the bowl. Blending the two cheeses, Leena added a little sugar and covered the biscuits with the smooth cheese. Then she covered the cheese with some of the fresh berries. Adding another two layers, she then grated some dark chocolate on the top, giving it the finishing touch. She covered the bowl with plastic wrap and placed it in the refrigerator.

Leena noticed it was 9 p.m., so she decided to sit down a few minutes while she waited for Mr. Conti to arrive. There was a sofa in the service room adjacent to the kitchen—she went to sit down, and since her back ached from standing for a long time—she decided to lie down for five or ten minutes. She closed her eyes and yawned a couple of times before she felt her body relax, and drifted off to sleep.

~ ~ ~

Marco's day had been long and strenuous—more than any other day—and the moment he got into his car, he felt the tension in his shoulders start to lessen. The day was nearly over—although "nearly" was the right word because he still had work to do before it was finished. He'd have a quick bite to eat and then continue working into the night as was his usual practice.

He still needed to call his lawyers back to know if they had any comments on the draft Agreement with the Italian Ministry of Agriculture. He'd sent it to them to look at before committing himself for the next two years.

The moment Marco walked into his house, he was immediately welcomed by the wonderful scent coming from the kitchen. After leaving his briefcase in his study, he walked toward the kitchen to see what was cooking. He stopped in his tracks as soon as he walked into the service room and saw a young woman lying on the sofa. She was sleeping soundly and he didn't have the heart to wake her—he went a little closer, bending down to have a better look. She looked tired. A strand of her dark chestnut hair had fallen over her face, so he gently moved the strand and placed it behind her ear. She was attractive, instantly stirring something deep inside him. The woman was striking, and when she moved, he stepped back just before she opened her eyes and stared at him.

~ ~ ~

Leena sat up—feeling horrified that she'd been caught sleeping while her extremely handsome employer watched her. Embarrassment rose—her cheeks became hot when she tried to explain herself—hoping not to be thrown out onto the street.

"I'm really sorry, Mr. Conti. I've had a long day and I sat down to rest for five minutes, but I must have fallen asleep," she said, rubbing her eyes.

"You don't have to excuse yourself for falling asleep. It's my fault that I'm so late—it's almost 10 p.m."

"I prepared most of the food earlier—it will take me only a few minutes to get your dinner," Leena said, as she was about to get up.

Leaning over, Marco held out his hand to help Leena up. Taking his hand, she felt the warmth and strength of it.

"If the dinner is as good as the scent radiating through the house or the breakfast you prepared this morning, I'll make sure I'm on time in the future."

Leena listened to his husky—but gentle—voice as he continued to hold her hand.

"It'll be ready in ten minutes, Mr. Conti."

"My name is Marco—and take your time. I'm going to my study to send a few emails. If you don't mind, I'll be having dinner in my study. I didn't catch your name?"

"My name is Leena Malik. And yes, I'll bring your dinner to your study."

"Well, it's really nice to meet you Leena," Marco said before he turned and left the room.

After he left, Leena could still smell his wonderful Armani Acqua di Gio scent lingering in the air, leaving her flushed. Clearing her head, she went back into the kitchen to prepare his dinner.

Everything was ready within minutes, and since Arturo was nowhere in sight, Leena brought the tray directly to Marco's study, as he requested. Marco was reading a document when she walked in, and as he looked up, he smiled. Leena stood for a moment, holding the tray and smiling back before she put the plates down on a coffee table and left the room.

When Leena walked back to the kitchen, she felt her stomach was in knots. Marco was really good-looking and his eyes were a gorgeous green—enough to distract her—she decided to clean the kitchen before her mind wandered where it wasn't supposed to.

~ ~ ~

Marco tried to concentrate on the contract he was reading, and yet thoughts of Leena sleeping kept popping into his mind. Putting the contract aside, he stared at the hand-made tortellini in a tomato sauce, veal dish with vegetables, and to finish the cheese and berry dessert she left on the coffee table.

He couldn't believe that such a lovely young lady had cooked this feast for him. As he carefully looked at the dishes, he noticed that she must have cooked all day to prepare his dinner.

He ate each portion, and when he got to the dessert, he was extremely full, and yet he knew he had to taste it. Marco felt he was floating when he realized she'd made him the perfect dinner.

Finishing, he got up and walked into the kitchen as she was washing the pots. Leena didn't notice him watching—it gave Marco a chance to really look at her. He watched as her hips swayed gently while she washed. Marco cleared his throat and walked closer.

Leena turned when she realized he was in the kitchen and found Marco only inches away from her, startling her by his closeness—she dropped the pot in the sink.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to thank you for dinner. It's been a while since I've had a good meal like that at home—I'm happy you'll be cooking for me," he said.

"I'm pleased you enjoyed it. Arturo told me what you don't like, but if you tell me what you prefer, I would be happy to make it for you."

He looked at her beautiful eyes a moment, almost in a trance. "I'll leave it up to you—so far you have surpassed my expectations. Don't be here too long washing up. It's late and you should get home. Good night, Leena," Marco said as he turned and left the room.

~ ~ ~

Leena watched as Marco walked out and couldn't believe how lucky she was to cook for someone so amiable. She went back to washing the pot and thought about Marco. She'd noticed under his custom-fit dress shirt he had toned muscles. His sweet masculine scent made her sway, and his gentle voice was something that she would never be tired of listening to. Leena thought it was silly to be thinking about these things since she was only the cook—after letting out a long sigh, she turned her attention back to washing the pot.

It was 11:30 p.m. when she finally got on her scooter and went home. It had been a long and busy day, and when she finally climbed into bed, she fell asleep thinking about Marco's sweet voice whispering in her ear.

~ ~ ~

Marco tossed and turned in bed—not able to sleep. He couldn't rid his thoughts of the sadness he had seen in Leena's eyes when she slept. Thinking of her tiny warm hands and the fullness of her lips, he couldn't stay in bed any longer—he got up and went to read the Agreement. After reading the same page over and over, he decided to give up and go for a run, so he changed and put on his runners before heading out the door.

# Chapter Three

Leena awoke to the sound of the alarm clock and practically had to drag herself out of bed to have breakfast. She quickly ate, had a shower and was ready to leave by 6 a.m. since she needed to go by the market before going to the palazzo.

Walking out of her building and pulling out her daily planner, she went over what she needed to buy for the day. Leena first stopped to pick up some fresh vegetables and then stopped at the butcher for some meat. Once she had what she needed, she got on her scooter and drove off. Having more bags than the day before, she went slow, hoping the bags wouldn't fall off as she drove.

Leena finally made it to Marco's building without any problems and Davide greeted her on her way to the elevator. He helped put the bags in the elevator car and then Arturo greeted her at the top—helping to carry the bags into the kitchen. Leena placed the receipts on the counter and was pulling out the products from the bags when Marco walked in.

"Good morning, Leena. I had a hard time sleeping last night so I went for a run this morning and now I'm really hungry. What do you have planned for breakfast this morning?" Marco asked, standing in his sweaty shorts and t-shirt.

"Good morning, Marco. I've just been to the market and I can have your breakfast ready in about thirty minutes. I'm going to make fresh cornetti, macedonia and caffelatte," Leena said as she looked at his body while it glistened with perspiration. He looked good even after a run—not to mention the way he looked in the shorts. Marco had a gorgeous body.

"I'm looking forward to it—I'm going to have a quick shower and make some phone calls. I'll have my breakfast in the kitchen today," he said.

Leena moved around the kitchen expertly—swaying her hips as she moved around.

Marco felt his body changing rapidly—he knew he needed to get away before his erection caused an embarrassing situation.

"Okay. It'll be ready in thirty minutes."

~ ~ ~

Marco walked to his room and took off his sweaty clothes before stepping into the shower. He was relieved to feel the cold spray of the water over his hot body and as soon as he was done, he quickly dried off and got dressed before going to make some calls in his study.

~ ~ ~

Getting straight to work, Leena pulled out the dough she'd made the day before. After rolling out some pieces and cutting long triangles, she placed bits of dark chocolate on some pieces—on others she put some homemade berry jam she brought from home. Then Leena rolled them up and placed them on the baking tray before she popped them into the hot oven.

After washing, peeling and cutting the fruit into pieces, she placed everything in a crystal bowl, added some freshly squeezed lemon juice, and a little sugar. She grabbed a few mint leaves and put them on top to decorate the macedonia.

Next, she loaded the moka machine and placed it on the flame. Just as the timer on the oven sounded, the kitchen was filled with the sweet-smelling aromas as she pulled the cornetti out of the oven.

A moment later, Marco walked into the kitchen and his eyes lit up at the enticing scent of the fresh espresso, pastries and fresh fruit.

"Have you ever made anything that doesn't smell or taste as good as this?"

"Yes, I have. Would you believe I didn't know how to cook when I decided to become a professional chef?" Leena said, raising her eyebrows in acknowledgement to his surprise.

"I can't believe it. Why did you go into cooking if you didn't know how to cook? I thought it was a gift that you cook the way you do."

Marco pulled out two stools and put them close to one of the countertops. Leena prepared the portions for Marco and then skillfully made his caffelatte and set everything on the countertop in front of him.

Marco motioned for her to sit with him—passing some of the pastries to her—telling her to eat too. Leena picked up a pastry and nibbled on it.

"No, it's not a gift. I had to work hard to learn, and yet I learned from the best—after countless mistakes, I have a real passion for it now."

"Your parents must be really proud of you."

"They would be," Leena said absentmindedly as she thought of them. Her shoulders slumped thinking how proud they would have been to know she'd been hired to work for the Conti family.

"Why do you say would be? They're not?" Marco asked, confused.

"They passed away a few years ago—before I decided to learn. Yes, they would have been really proud of me," she said, wiping her hands on her apron.

"I'm sorry. Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"No, but I have some really great friends," Leena said, as she shrugged her shoulders.

"I didn't realize you didn't have any family. Is that why you took on this job? I realize the hours are difficult—considering I work late."

"I don't mind the hours, and I took it because your lovely grandmother offered me a job."

Marco laughed out loud and said, "Yes, she is lovely."

Leena liked the way Marco laughed. It made her warm and happy inside as he laughed with his beautiful green eyes.

Marco took her hands and caressed the top of them with his thumbs. "I'm happy that now I'll have someone to talk to when I eat. Thank you for a delicious breakfast. I have to go to work now, but I'll see you tonight," he said, as he let go of her hands and got up.

Feeling completely overtaken by his touch, Leena could still feel the warmth of Marco's hands as she watched him walk out of the kitchen and disappeared out of sight. Reluctantly, she got up and washed the morning's dishes before putting the rest of the shopping away. Grabbing her bag, she told Arturo on her way out that she'd be back early in the afternoon.

Leena rode the elevator down to the main floor and said goodbye to Davide as she walked out of the building. Hopping onto her scooter, she thought about the way Marco had taken her hands and seemed genuinely interested in her past. Warm feelings stirred in her belly as the thought of the gentleness of his touch.

As Leena walked into her living room, it suddenly seemed small and quiet to her. She'd only been away a couple of hours, and yet she couldn't shake the feeling of not feeling comfortable in her own space. She tidied up the place and made herself another coffee before calling Carolina to tell her all about Marco.

~ ~ ~

Marco walked into his office and shut the door. He felt a wreck since he hadn't slept, but as soon as he shut his door, his assistant buzzed him to say that the participants of his first meeting had already arrived. She informed him they were waiting in the conference room.

He glanced at his calendar to see his day ahead and noticed it would be another exhausting day with back-to-back meetings.

9 a.m. – Round One – Meeting with Italian Deputy Minister of Agriculture;

11 a.m. – Round Two – Meeting with the Executive Secretary of the International Olive Committee;

3 p.m. – Round Three – Meeting with the General Secretary of the Italian General Labour Confederation;

5 p.m. – Round Four – Meeting with the Secretary General of the European Association of Agriculture.

Taking a deep breath, he took a pen and grabbed the documents his assistant had placed on his desk for the meeting.

It was 8 p.m. when Marco looked at his watch after the participants of his last meeting left. Feeling tired and having a headache, he decided it was time to go home. Not even bothering to check his emails, he rode the elevator down to his car. Sitting in the driver's seat for a moment, he rubbed the ache on the back of his neck. It had been another stressful day, and yet the meetings had gone very well. He turned the key and started the engine. Driving his Land Rover out of the parking area, he was happy to go home to an enjoyable dinner and Leena's beautiful smile to relieve the stress of the day.

~ ~ ~

Leena cooked all afternoon and was wearing earbuds when Marco walked into the kitchen. Marco silently enjoyed watching Leena as her body was bent over—in an innocent but most attractive way. She was decorating a cake, and as she concentrated on the design, she scrunched her nose in the most delightful way that made him smile. Suddenly, all the tension Marco felt behind his neck disappeared. He felt he could stand there and watch Leena work all day.

Leena straightened and saw Marco watching her; smiling, she pulled out her earbuds.

"I didn't hear you come in—I was listening to music."

"I could see that. What are you listening to?"

"Different stuff," Leena said, shrugging her shoulders. "You're home early and you look tired."

"Well thank you—it's nice to see you too."

Leena smiled in embarrassment and said, "I just meant that you look like you had a long day at work. Everything okay?" Leena asked.

"Yes. It was a long day full of meetings. I'm happy to be home now and looking forward to tasting what you have planned for dinner."

"I didn't expect you home so early—I don't have anything ready just yet."

"It's okay. I'm going to have a shower—would you mind if I sit here after and watch as you work?" Marco asked.

"I don't mind."

Marco walked out and went to his bedroom. He walked into his changing room, took off his clothing and went to have a shower. Feeling much better after the shower, he put on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.

Leena was flattening the pasta when Marco walked back into the kitchen. Sitting down on a stool, he watched as Leena worked and noticed there was a hint of Asian beauty in her features.

"You have some Asian features. Why is that?"

"My grandfather from my father's side was from Pakistan. My grandfather married an Italian and that is why I look a little Asian."

"Interesting. Have you ever been there?"

"No, I haven't."

"I've been there more than once. I'm sure you'd like it—as a chef. There's a spicy scent in the air. You would find interesting the way the locals use the different spices to make the delicious dishes. Do you know anything about the culture?"

"A little, and yet not as much as I'd like to know. My father used to tell me stories that his father told him when he was young, but my father was born here and lost touch with his father's family in Pakistan."

"What part of Pakistan was your grandfather from?"

"Islamabad."

Leena went back to the pasta and covered the bottom of an oven tray with some meat sauce. Laying down some of the pasta, she then covered it with more meat sauce, white besciamella sauce and Parmigiano cheese. She put another three more layers in the same manner and then placed the tray inside the hot oven.

Marco watched Leena intently as she worked and noticed that she never tasted the food, and yet it was never too salty or too bland. She certainly had the gift even if she didn't think she was born with it. Sometimes a person is born with a particular gift that needs to be cultivated with life's experiences. This was certainly Leena's case because her dishes were made to perfection, but it was the passion she put into her cooking that made every dish exquisite.

When Marco saw Leena walk into the large refrigerator, he followed her inside and was amazed to see how much food there was. The shelves were full of fresh pasta such as spaghetti, linguine and pappardelle as well as fresh cannelloni and tortelloni on trays. There were jars with fruit and vegetable preserves and sausages hanging from hooks above them.

"Did you make all of this?" Marco asked in astonishment.

"Yes."

"These past two days?"

"Yes. Why?"

"When did you find the time to make all this food?"

"Sometimes I get carried away when I make things," Leena said, grinning shyly.

"I can see that," Marco said as he gave her a stunning smile. Leena seemed to awaken feelings inside that warmed his heart a little more each time he got close to her.

They stepped out of the refrigerator as Leena carried a bag of meat to the countertop. She took a piece of red meat and, taking a large cooking knife, she started to slice the meat very fine—to a point that the slices were almost see-through. Then she pulled out a large skillet, put some olive oil and then added the sliced meat and rucola. After tossing everything around in the skillet, she threw in some Grana cheese chips to finish.

Marco enjoyed watching Leena concentrate on her cooking—he was surprised how expertly she worked on every detail.

When the oven rang, Leena pulled out the lasagna and set it down on the stove top to cool.

Marco was in awe of how Leena was able to make everything to perfection without slipping once or forgetting a step. Marco then got up—took out two plates and set them on the counter—then asked her to eat with him.

"Okay, I'll have a taste."

She prepared a good portion of lasagna for Marco and put a tiny portion on her plate.

"Is that all you're going to have?"

"I'm intolerant to dairy products so I'll have a little taste of it."

He looked at Leena and made a mental note of this fact before focusing on his plate. Marco took from the drawer a couple of forks and knives while Leena pulled out two glasses. He walked out of the kitchen and returned moments later with a bottle of Valtellina Superiore Sassella Ultimi Raggi from 2005. Uncorking it, he poured a little in both their glasses and lifted his up in the air, waiting for Leena to do the same.

"I hope this will be the start of many happy dinners where food comes to life," he said as he brought his glass to touch Leena's.

She smiled timidly and took a sip of her wine.

They ate their dinner while they chatted, getting to know each other. Marco was intrigued about Leena's life. He asked her many questions about her life growing up, but when he wanted to know more about her personal life—recent relationships—she clammed up.

Leena in turn asked him what he did, why he lived on his own and why he wasn't married.

It made him laugh out loud. "I guess I haven't found anyone who is willing to put up with my long hours."

"Life can't be all about work. You need to enjoy it too," Leena said, taking another sip of her wine.

"Well, maybe my life will change soon," Marco said, giving her a gorgeous smile.

Leena could feel her face heat up and she wasn't sure if it was caused by the wine.

After they finished eating, Marco insisted on helping Leena wash up so that she could go home. They chatted some more while he dried and watched Leena as she put things away. Noticing her soft curves and the shape of her breasts beneath her dress immediately sent desire running through his body.

He walked Leena to the elevator and thanked her for a relaxing dinner—then he leaned in to brush a strand of hair away from her face and placed it behind her ear. His hand lingered close to her ear—maybe too close—while he slowly leaned down and couldn't stop from kissing her on the mouth.

Leena's nipples suddenly peaked when she felt the warmth of his hand on her back. Desire started to grow inside and she knew it was time for her to leave.

He traced Leena's lips with his tongue and then pushed it inside as she opened for him.

She suddenly couldn't feel her knees and was transported to another place as she gave in to Marco's kiss—she put her hand behind his neck to embrace him.

As quickly as Marco had kissed her, he suddenly pulled away—placing his forehead on Leena's.

Her ears were buzzing so loud from the excitement flowing through her body that she was sure she wouldn't hear anything if he spoke.

Then he gave her another kiss. "You better go home to get some rest." Marco kissed her hand and stood back. "We'll talk again in the morning."

~ ~ ~

Driving home on her scooter, Leena thought about how the kiss had made her feel—his arms when he pulled her close—the softness of his lips on her mouth. She was taken completely by surprise when he kissed her, and yet the more she thought about it, the more she hoped for more.

She walked into her lonely apartment and went straight to bed since it was late, and yet the excitement flowing in her body kept her awake a long time—pondering over what the kiss had meant.

~ ~ ~

Marco thought about Leena before going to bed—it made him want to spend more time with her—she was different from the clinging, arrogant women that normally tried to get his attention.

He climbed into bed, hoping to have a better night's sleep than the night before—he soon felt his desire grow for Leena. Turning to his side, Marco realised he was going to have another sleepless night.

# Chapter Four

Leena awoke when she heard a faint noise, and slowly opening her eyes, she realized that it was her alarm clock. Turning over to hit the 'off' button, she missed it and lay back on her bed feeling fatigue from the day before. The alarm continued to ring loud in her ears, so she leaned over and hit the alarm again, this time turning it off.

Dragging herself out of bed, Leena went straight to the shower, where she stayed a long time under the steaming water—hoping to wake up—but after a few more minutes, she turned the water to cold. She turned off the water, stepped out and covered herself in her old and tattered bathrobe.

Walking into the kitchen, she made herself a double cup of fresh espresso and added a little sugar. She walked back to the other room and turned on the television while she sat down at the table. The morning news was on and she just stared at the television, not really paying attention to what was being broadcast, but the news reporting that another woman had been battered overnight attracted her attention. It reported that the police were increasing patrol units during the night around the city.

Leena got up and went over to her wardrobe to find something clean to wear. Staring at her miserable choices of clothing for a little while, she decided she would get new clothes as soon as she received her first paycheck.

Quickly she got dressed, brushed her hair and put on some makeup. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she walked out the door and stepped out into the beautiful sunshine toward her scooter.

"You're up early."

An uneasy feeling suddenly filled the pit of her stomach as she turned and saw Fabrizio standing beside her.

"Leave me alone, Fabrizio," Leena said, continuing toward her scooter.

"Where are you off to so early in the morning?"

"Nowhere that concerns you," Leena said, wanting to get away as quickly as possible.

Fabrizio's eyes were suddenly full of fury—he grabbed Leena's arm and whipped her around violently. "Don't think you can walk away from me that easily."

"Leave me alone. I'm late for work," she said as she tried to free herself from Fabrizio's grip.

Turning, he struck Leena hard on the face and managed to drag her back inside her apartment building. Then he bolted the door shut, pushed her down on the steps and lifted her skirt. Fabrizio's hands were already pulling her panties down while she tried to push him away, but he was nearly on top of her when she heard someone coming down the stairs. Fabrizio looked up and moved away.

"I'll be back to finish what we started," he whispered into her ear. Then Fabrizio spun around and ran out the door before the person reached them.

Leena sat up and pulled down her skirt before the woman saw anything and then waited for her to walk out the door. As soon as her legs could hold her, she ran out the door to her scooter and drove off as quickly as she could.

Tears blurred Leena's vision—redness formed on her arm where Fabrizio had held her tight, and her face stung where his fist had hit. She would cover it up later with makeup—something she had learned to do well when Fabrizio had unleashed his anger on her in the past.

Leena parked her scooter outside of Marco's building. She took off her helmet and put it in the seat compartment before walking down the street to the fresh produce store to buy what she needed for the day. As she did this, she instinctively wiped the tears that had streaked her makeup.

~ ~ ~

As Marco returned from his morning run, he saw from a distance Leena arrive on her scooter. He watched as she pulled off her helmet and couldn't help but notice the look of despair on her face as she wiped away the tears.

Marco waited for Leena to walk down the street before going upstairs to have a shower. He wondered what brought on the tears and decided to ask her later.

~ ~ ~

Leena did her shopping and took the bags upstairs. As she rode the elevator, her thoughts of her encounter with Fabrizio popped back into her head. She dropped off the bags in the kitchen and went to the bathroom to reapply her makeup. When she was happy with the results, she went back to the kitchen to start her day. She pulled out the necessary items to prepare breakfast and put away the other things for later.

~ ~ ~

Marco stayed under the shower a little longer than usual since it was Saturday and he'd be working from home. He decided he would enjoy a leisurely breakfast with Leena before dealing with any work. After his shower, he went to his study to send a few emails before having breakfast, and while he looked over the Lanciano trade show program planned in a couple of weeks, he felt relief knowing it would give him a break from the office.

With that thought, he sent off some emails to his lawyers and the investigator he had hired to make sure the Agreement he would be signing with the Italian Government was legal, considering some things he'd been asked to provide couldn't be included in the formal arrangement. The investigator called immediately.

"Mr. Conti?"

"Yes, what have you found?" Marco asked.

"Nothing to worry about. I'll send you a report in the next hour on my findings."

"Excellent. Now that I have you on the phone, I have another job for you," Marco said.

"Of course. What do you need?" the investigator said.

"I need you to do a background check a woman for me. Anything you can find would be great," Marco said. He needed to know more about Leena and he had a feeling she was trying to hide or escape from someone. Marco didn't like what he'd seen earlier and it wouldn't take the investigator long to find out more.

The investigator took down the information Marco gave him and said he would start immediately. Marco turned off his phone and placed it in his pocket before going to meet Leena in the kitchen. The strong aroma of espresso coffee met him on his way, and as he got closer, his stomach started to grumble. He walked into the kitchen to find Leena pulling freshly baked bread out of the oven. She turned when he walked in and gave him a warm smile, but he could see there was pain behind those beautiful dark eyes.

"It smells really good in here. What did you make?" Marco asked, sitting down near the counter.

"I've just made fresh bread—it'll be served with homemade blueberry jam. There is also homemade yogurt with wild berries, freshly squeezed orange juice and cappuccino."

"It sounds fantastic. I insist you sit with me and have some breakfast."

He went to the cupboard and took two plates while Leena got two cups, glasses and silverware. They sat down together and chatted while they ate. Since Marco asked her more about her past, Leena told him about her childhood. Again, she talked about her parents and what it was like growing up. When he asked about her recent past, she changed the subject quickly—he sensed she was hiding something.

That very moment, Marco realized what a shock it must have been for Leena to lose her parents in one night. He watched as Leena's eyes gleamed with joy while she told him about their Sunday morning tradition of making crepes. Her arms gestured as she explained how she'd been so happy to help her mother make crepes while her father would sit and watch them. The way Leena cherished these memories shone in her eyes and it made Marco's heart ache for her.

Marco suddenly felt extremely sad as he tried to understand what it must have been like to lose everything in one short moment. He didn't know if he could have survived if he'd been in Leena's shoes—life without his family.

"Your grandmother invited me to your family's Ferragosto party. Will you be going to it too?" Leena asked shyly—she hoped he would.

"Of course. She would kill me if I missed it. Actually, you can ride with me on the way to the party since it's outside of the city and the last stretch of road may be rough on your scooter."

"Okay, if it's not too much trouble."

"I would be more than happy to take you," Marco said as he thought about the pleasure of riding in the car with Leena.

~ ~ ~

After finishing breakfast, Marco went back to his study to get some work done while Leena cleaned up and then started on the lunch menu. She realized that she needed some things, so she went by Marco's study to tell him that she would be stepping out to get a few things.

When Leena knocked on the door and didn't hear any response, she popped her head inside and saw that Marco was intently reading a document—she cleared her throat, making him look up.

"Sorry, I didn't want to bother you, but I just wanted to tell you that I need to go to the store to get a few things. I'll be back soon."

"Okay. Has Arturo given you enough money for the shopping?"

"Yes, I have plenty. Thanks," Leena said just before she left.

~ ~ ~

He sat gazing at the door where Leena had been only a moment ago. Marco couldn't believe how she had been able to bewitch him in so little time. He turned back to his contract, and yet found it difficult to concentrate—he decided to make a few phone calls to make sure the arrangements for the trade show where going as planned. When Marco was satisfied with the progress report, he went back to the contract and read it to make sure that he didn't miss anything.

~ ~ ~

Leena rode the elevator down to the main floor and walked out into the summer heat. After putting on her sunglasses, she got on her scooter and drove off toward home. She decided to stop before returning home to buy some fresh herbs and vegetables.

Parking her scooter close to the store, she walked inside holding her helmet. Leena grabbed a basket and picked up the herbs she needed before going to the fresh vegetables to get some eggplant and zucchini. She was about to grab some fresh salad when she felt a hand on her arm. Turning to see who grabbed her, Leena was suddenly looking into Fabrizio's smirking face.

"Go away—leave me alone!" Leena said.

"We're not done," Fabrizio said before crushing her lips with his. He then grabbed her backside and pulled Leena closer.

She could feel his erection jabbing her—he ripped her dress open, put his hand inside her bra and grab her bare breast tight. Leena jumped as she felt pain and fear building.

"You still desire me."

"Let me go," Leena shouted, trying to break free. Fabrizio's grip on her breast sent shooting pain through her arm, and as she tried to get away, it only made the pain intensify.

The storekeeper told Fabrizio to let go of Leena. When he didn't, the storekeeper held Fabrizio down long enough for Leena to get away.

Leena ran out quickly and drove away on her scooter. She noticed her dress was broken—tears started flooding her vision—she was too scared to stop, so she went directly back to work. While she was crossing a street, an older lady stepped in her way, making Leena swerve and lose her balance. Her scooter fell over, knocking Leena to the ground.

The older lady turned to give Leena a disapproving stare before continuing on her way. A couple stopped to help Leena get up and assess if she had any injuries or if there were any damages to her scooter. They insisted on calling an ambulance—while seeing her in such a state—but Leena said there was no need since she'd only scraped her knee. After they helped her lift her scooter, she rode off quickly, before the incident started to attract more onlookers.

~ ~ ~

Marco looked at his watch and wondered whether Leena was back. Since Arturo had left for his day off, the house was really quiet. Getting up from his desk, he went into the kitchen to see if she was there. When he saw she wasn't, Marco turned to go back to his study to make some phone calls and heard the elevator arrive.

Wanting to help Leena with the grocery bags, Marco went to meet her at the elevator and stopped when he noticed Leena's torn dress and her limp. He could tell she'd been crying, and as Marco rushed out to help her, she went still.

"Leena, are you okay?"

When she didn't say anything, he spoke to her softly.

"Leena, did you have an accident? Are you hurt?"

Still when she remained silent, he lifted his hands in frustration—not knowing how to help her if she didn't talk to him.

When Leena saw Marco lift his hands, she shrunk back—believing he was going to hit her as Fabrizio had done many times. She shut her eyes and dropped to the floor—curling up into a ball. Then she placed her hands over her head—waiting to be struck.

Marco suddenly felt bile rise up when he realized Leena thought he would hit her. His heart beat quickened—making it difficult to breathe. Waiting a minute to calm his nerves, he bent down to caress Leena's back—picked her up—and carried her to his study. Marco went to the sofa and sat Leena down beside him—waiting for her to tell him what happened. When the shock passed and her eyes showed life again, Marco spoke softly to Leena.

"Can you tell me what happened?" he asked.

She heard compassion in his gentle voice, and yet she couldn't find it in her to let herself be comforted by him. Fabrizio had damaged any sense of trust she could have in a man—making it difficult to trust anyone. She knew Marco was different—she sensed he really wanted to help, but it wasn't something she could turn on or off that easily.

Marco waited for her to open up—he knew he needed to be patient with her because of what she had been through—the proof was there when she thought he would have hit her earlier. How could she think he would do something like that? Why would he do it? She was such a sweet person—he wanted to strangle whomever did this to her.

Leena felt Marco's hand rubbing her back—silently waiting for her to speak. She wanted so much to talk to him about Fabrizio—what he'd done to her—but then just the thought of it brought back the painful memories.

"Listen, you don't need to tell me if you don't want to. Just tell me if you're in any pain." Marco realized she was afraid to talk—he didn't want to push it.

She slowly relaxed against his body—listening to his heartbeat while her head rested on his chest. It was enough to calm her. She sensed a feeling of security and protectiveness that she hadn't felt in a long time.

After taking a long breath, she started to tell Marco about Fabrizio. "I had an abusive boyfriend who used to hit me—lock me in the closet when I didn't do what he wanted. The physical abuse wasn't enough—he verbally abused me to break my soul. It was always about him—I had to live my life around his needs. So, in order to protect myself, I shut myself in and prayed each day to have the strength to survive. A year ago, I found the courage to leave him and pick up the pieces of my life. I thought I'd be free of him, and yet he's been stalking me these past few days. Earlier today, as I was doing the grocery shopping, he attacked me and—well, you can figure out the rest."

When Leena finished talking, Marco heard her exhale and then felt her relax against his body.

"Thank you for telling me," Marco said.

Leena felt better—her eyes were still sad—but her mood was improving.

Marco cupped her face in his hands and kissed her softly on the lips. "Why don't you lie down—take a nap while I finish my work?" Marco said.

"No, I need to start on lunch. It's late and I've wasted too much time," Leena said as she got up and walked toward the door. "Thank you."

"I wish I could do more."

"You've done more than you think—this isn't your responsibility."

"No, but I'm not going to sit back and watch as this guy harms you."

"Please don't do anything."

"Leena, now that I know about him—as a friend—I can't just sit back and watch him hurt you. I hope you understand."

"Listen, Fabrizio is sneaky, and I don't want to cause you any trouble."

"He's the one causing trouble—not you."

She nodded and left the study.

Marco sat on the sofa another minute, passing his fingers through his hair while he thought about the situation, and then after letting out a deep breath, he got up and went back to work.

Leena went about making lunch and prepared a spectacular meal in forty minutes, surprising Marco at her ability to work under stress. Again, he insisted she sit with him during lunch and share his meal.

After a moment of hesitation, she sat down and ate with Marco.

They chatted about different topics until they finished their meal and he needed to get back to work. Marco leaned over and kissed her gently on the cheek. "Thank you for the wonderful meal." Then he got up and walked out the kitchen.

~ ~ ~

She watched the kitchen door as it continued to move after he left, still feeling the warmth of his lips on her cheek. Leena smiled at the thought of his gentleness and kindness. Then, getting up, she started to clear up the kitchen.

~ ~ ~

It was late afternoon when Marco needed a break after spending hours reviewing documents, so he got up to stretch his legs and found his feet following the aroma coming from the kitchen. As he walked in, Leena was listening to music while she prepared a roast. Marco could see her profile as she was bent over the roast while she tied the cord around the veal to keep the vegetables and meat together. He noticed a meat sauce cooking on the burner and there was something sweet-smelling in the oven—probably a delicious dessert. No wonder Marco's feet found their way to the kitchen. His stomach growled and he craved an espresso, so Marco walked to a cabinet—knowing the small moka would be inside—and started to prepare the machine to make a cup of coffee.

Leena saw Marco as he walked past her and she removed her earbuds before looking up—she saw him pull out the moka.

"Do you want a coffee? I can make it for you," Leena said as she went to the sink to wash her hands.

"No, I don't want to interrupt your work—I can make the coffee. Do you want one?" Marco asked, putting the ground coffee in the machine.

"Yes, I wouldn't mind one. Thanks," Leena said as she continued preparing the roast. She placed it in the cooking tray and added the herbs and olive oil before placing it in the second oven.

Then she went to look at the cake that was cooking in the other oven. As it was ready, she pulled it out, turned off the oven and placed the cake on a cooling rack.

Marco's eyes wandered toward the cake. "That smells really good. What's in it?"

"It's double chocolate, and it'll be for dessert tonight, so don't look at it that way because I won't let you have a piece until it's ready," Leena said jokingly.

"Not ready? It looks ready to me," Marco said, hoping to have a taste of the hot chocolate cake with his coffee.

Since the dessert wasn't ready, she put a small portion of the chocolate mousse in a bowl for him to taste.

"For me?" Marco asked, grinning while he pulled out two teaspoons from the kitchen drawer.

"Yes. You can have a taste of the chocolate mousse," Leena said, grinning back.

He liked the way her spirits had picked up and she interacted with him—full of spunk. This was how he liked to see her—happy and carefree. He held out the spoon for her and waited until she took it. "Have a little taste with me. I know you shouldn't because you're intolerant to lactose, but it's too much for me and I don't like eating alone."

Leena took the spoon from Marco and dipped the tip of the spoon into the mousse, taking the smallest amount possible, and brought it to her lips.

He watched as she put the spoon in her mouth and closed her eyes—savoring the richness of the chocolate. It was almost unbearable and he needed to turn away before he couldn't control his emotions. She seemed to have the power to arouse him with a simple glance. The coffee spurted out just as he turned and it gave him something to focus on other than Leena's lips. He pulled out two espresso cups and poured the coffee. Then, after placing the cup before her, he pulled out the sugar. "Do you take sugar?"

"Yes, two spoons please," Leena said.

"You like it sweet, do you?" Marco said as he put two spoons of sugar in her cup.

"No, I don't like it bitter," she said.

"So, you like it sweet," he insisted while he stirred her cup, smirking.

"Do you like having the last word or do you have to be right?" Leena asked as she tilted her head to the side.

"Maybe both," Marco responded, smiling.

"I'll remember that," she said as she drank her coffee and then went back to stirring the meat sauce.

"Okay, I guess I should get back to work. Thank you for the delicious mousse. I can't wait to taste the chocolate cake tonight." He went to put their two cups in the sink, and just before leaving, he took Leena's hand in his and kissed the back of it. Then, without another word, he left the kitchen.

~ ~ ~

Leena stood with her eyes closed, still feeling the touch of Marco's lips on her skin. She wished it had lasted longer, and yet she knew she couldn't go there because it wouldn't be right. He was her employer and she had no business dreaming about his lips touching her skin again.

~ ~ ~

Marco went back to his study to finish working, but all he could think about was Leena. She'd stepped into his life and changed it. How was he going to get any work done with her sweet scent and soft body only a few meters away? It was like torture, and yet Marco needed to focus on work.

~ ~ ~

Leena returned to the dinner preparations. Since the sauce was cooked, she finished preparing the cake. She cut through the middle of the cake and spread a lavish layer of chocolate mousse in the middle—then placed the top half back on it. Dusting it with icing sugar, she put it in the refrigerator until dinner.

The next couple of hours passed quickly as they each focused on their work. Leena looked at the clock and noticed it was 7:45 p.m., so she put on the water to boil, planning to have dinner ready for 8 p.m. She was draining the cooked pasta when Marco walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, do you need help doing that? The pot looks heavy," Marco said as he stepped up to take the boiling hot pot of water with the pasta from her hands.

"No, I can do it. I've lifted heavier pots—just sit back while I get dinner ready," Leena said as she finished draining the tagliatelle pasta. She then placed it into the pan with the white meat sauce and mixed it slowly.

Marco pulled out the dishes, glasses and utensils in the meantime, setting the countertop for two. Then he left the kitchen only to return a minute later with a bottle of Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG from 2013 red wine.

Leena turned from the hot stove to see he'd set two place settings and felt her cheeks flush knowing that she was intruding. He was being nice to her because of what she'd told him about Fabrizio, but there was no reason he needed to entertain her. Leena was there to cook for him and nothing else.

When Marco walked in, she'd placed a bowl full of pasta in front of him and told him to eat while she cut the roast.

"No, the roast can wait. Sit down and have some pasta with me," Marco said as he stood to make her a plate of pasta.

"I can eat later. Please don't think you need to feed me—I'm delighted to cook for you," Leena said as she tried to take the plate from his hands, but he lifted his eyebrows while he growled.

"After spending your day preparing meals for me, I insist you sit with me and eat a proper meal. I don't think it's a ridiculous request," Marco said as he placed Leena's plate on the counter next to his.

She looked at him a few seconds, not wanting to contradict his wishes, but she didn't know how long she could sit beside him and eat without feeling desire for him. Leena let out a soft sigh and sat down next to Marco at the counter.

Grinning, he picked up his fork and waited until she did the same.

"So, how is it that you never taste your food and yet it always turns out perfect? Not too salty or too bland—how do you do know without tasting the food?"

"Believe it or not, I experimented many times and made some of the worst meals possible—I couldn't swallow a single bite! With time, I learned how to use salt and spices to compensate for the flavors of the foods—now I taste only when I haven't quite perfected the recipe or if I'm not sure on the outcome."

When they'd finished their pasta, Marco collected their plates and put them in the sink while Leena cut the roast. She'd made roasted potatoes and cooked vegetables with hot chili peppers. Leena placed a good portion of roast with some potatoes and vegetables on Marco's plate, and then she placed a tiny piece of meat and potatoes on hers.

"Is that all you're going to eat?" Marco asked as he looked at Leena's plate.

"I'm not very hungry—the pasta really filled me up."

"Well, as long as you leave a little room for dessert," he said, grinning. "I think the chocolate cake is best eaten in good company." He winked at her while they finished their meat.

Finally, when they were ready for dessert, she walked into the refrigerator to get the cake. When she pulled it out and placed it on the counter where they sat, Marco's eyes widened in pleasure. He leaned down to smell the cake and let out a moan of pleasure.

"I'm going to have a large piece of it!" Marco said, pulling out two dessert plates.

She smiled at his enthusiasm and started to cut two slices of cake—one large piece and one tiny piece.

He frowned at her portion—then noticed it had a cream center. "Next time, make something special that you can eat too. I hate not sharing dessert," Marco said, putting a spoonful into his mouth. "Mmm, this is the best chocolate cake I've ever tasted."

"I'm sure you've had better, but thank you for the compliment."

"I'm serious—it really is the best I've had," he said as he leaned over and smoothed a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

~ ~ ~

Marco's hand lingered close to her cheek and it slowly caressed the skin below her ear. Within seconds, he leaned over and kissed her. The kiss deepened and became intense quickly as his body reacted impulsively. His tongue entered her mouth, feeling desire quickly running through his body, where it became more evident. Marco pulled back to look at Leena, and knowing he couldn't control himself any longer, he asked if she felt the power he felt at that moment.

"Tell me to stop," he whispered.

When Leena didn't say a word, Marco brought his lips down onto hers and felt he couldn't get enough of her sweet taste and fragrance, stirring feelings deep inside of him. So, he stood up while he held her around the waist and walked slowly to his bedroom, where he shut the door with his foot. Marco gently placed Leena down on his bed and continued to stroke her body. Slowly unbuttoning her dress, he pulled it off and started kissing her face and then her neck. Leena's scent was driving him crazy, and her soft hands stroking his body were sending him into another dimension. Marco looked into her beautiful dark eyes and asked her again to tell him that she wanted him to continue.

"Please don't stop—I want you."

"Are you sure this is what you want? I don't want to force you—you're stirring feelings inside me that are hard to control, but if you tell me to stop, I will."

She looked into his eyes with desire and said, "I don't want you to stop."

Marco kissed her tenderly while he unbuttoned his shirt, and then took off her dress and unlatched her bra, pulling it off before gently running his hands over her smooth skin. He kissed her neck and then moved down to her breasts. They were smooth and luscious—he drenched his desire deep within their valley—sending him into the abyss of his pleasure. Marco took one of Leena's nipples into his mouth and sucked.

When she felt his tongue slowly around her nipple, her stomach quivered while his warm tongue moved to the other breast. Leena arched her back and moved her body closer to his—she let out a little groan as her body felt it was igniting.

He saw her pleasure growing and lost himself in the magnetism of her beautiful body.

Leena felt the smoothness of his hands and the warmth of his wet lips on her body. She lost control under his touch—closing her eyes, she concentrated on his deliciously spicy scent and his skillful hands—making her skin tingle with pleasure.

Marco moved his mouth farther down the center of her body, tasting her sweet skin until he got to the top of her panties. Kissing the silkiness of the material while he moved down to her thigh, he slipped to the inside thigh—close to her luscious folds that were wet from desire.

As Leena grabbed the sheets, the feeling of free falling overtook her while she let out a long moan.

He moved his mouth to the heat between her legs and tasted the wetness as it was building.

Marco's skin was burning up under Leena's soft hands—caressing him while she opened her legs and pushed her heat closer—giving him more to taste. He sucked the material, tasting her warm desire as it overflowed. Marco slowly pulled down Leena's panties and threw them in the air while he caressed the smoothness of her legs. He bent down again and tasted her folds with his tongue, pushing his tongue inside as her body quivered and sang in deep pleasure. Finding the spot that intensified her desire, he moved his tongue skillfully—kindling the flame inside of her. He twirled his tongue until she gave one last shudder and released her orgasm as it overtook her entire body.

Marco kissed the top of her stomach—then quickly pulling off his boxers, he watched her face as he moved his arousal close to her opening and pushed inside.

Opening her eyes while she grabbed the back of his shoulders, she wrapped her legs around his hips. Moving her hands up and down his back, Leena felt the softness of Marco's skin—his warm manhood filling her to her very core.

They moved in unison, and as he moved gently in the beginning, their movements grew faster and harder as his desire and his need to feel the warmth of her inside grew. Leena's body glistened with passion as she brought him over the edge. Marco's movements deepened until they both let out cries of pleasure, feeling their needs fulfilled. They slowed their speed until he lay spent on top of Leena.

Marco turned onto his side—pulling Leena close and gently kissing her while she looked into his eyes. Her eyes showed contentment, and after he pulled the blanket over them, she fell asleep in his arms, feeling happy and protected. Marco dozed off shortly after.

~ ~ ~

Marco awoke an hour later and looked at Leena as she slept. Kissing her forehead, he felt his heart swell as he held her in his arms. He hadn't let anyone get this close in a long time, and yet she'd crept into his heart and mind—bewitching him like no other.

Just as he held her in his arms while she was sleeping, a thought came to his mind. He hadn't used any protection—he let his arousal take control in the heat of the moment—but after a moment's thought, he figured it was a one-in-a-hundred chance that Leena would get pregnant their first time.

When Leena opened her eyes, Marco pulled her closer and then kissed her gently.

"You okay?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?"

"I'm sorry if I was a little rough with you, but you've put a spell on me and I couldn't seem to control myself."

Marco's arousal started to rise as he tried to apologize for his rough lovemaking, but before he could finish, Leena placed her hand on his arousal and lowered her head to taste the warmth of the tip. Marco lay back as Leena filled him with pleasure as her smooth hands and warm mouth moved over his erection.

Leena's tongue tasted the sensitive tip and moved down his length, covering it with her mouth when she felt his arousal grow. His body arched and his hands moved to the softness of her silky hair while Leena's mouth moved slowly, stroking his arousal until her movements became faster. Sucking hard as she moved up and down his erection, she sent him spinning—feeling that he would lose control soon. She was his kryptonite, weakening him to his core.

"Leena, I'm about to come," Marco said as he stroked her hair.

She moved away and grabbed him with her hand, moving faster and harder up and down his length. Within seconds, the fluid overflowed, sending Marco into a head-on collision while she gently continued her stroking movements until there was nothing left. Leena kissed him and lay back under the covers while his heart returned to normal, and then she watched as he got up to go into the bathroom, noticing his lean and toned body. Marco had a gloriously sexy body and she had to cover her face with the blanket a moment to hide her grin until he came back to bed.

He pulled Leena close, feeling the warmth of her body. "Are you hiding under the covers?"

"No. I can't believe we just did that," she said as she looked into his deep green eyes.

"Neither can I. I've been having a terrible time concentrating on work and sleeping at night since you've walked into my life."

"Really?" Leena asked, grinning.

"Yes—really," Marco laughed, pulling Leena's body on top of his, feeling the softness of her skin on his.

They talked for a while and then made love once again—remembering to use protection this time.

During the night, they were both hungry—they hopped out of bed to have a bite to eat. Marco gave Leena one of his t-shirts to put on and he put on a pair of boxers. Walking together to the kitchen, Marco noticed that Leena was limping.

"We should have your knee checked," Marco said while he put his arm around her, pulling her close.

"It'll pass. If I can move my knee, it's not broken."

Marco kissed her gently and then with more passion until he finally pulled away.

"We need to eat, so keep your hands off me or I won't be able to think straight," Marco said jokingly as he grabbed her backside.

Leena went to the cabinet to pull out flour and other ingredients to make crepes. In no time, she'd prepared a plate full of delicious crepes, which she placed on the counter. Then she pulled out the jar of Nutella, the homemade blueberry jam and the icing sugar.

"So, what do you want on your crepe?" Leena asked.

"You have to ask? I love chocolate," Marco said with a smirk as he opened the jar of Nutella and stuck his finger inside to taste.

Leena slapped Marco's hand and looked into his eyes as she smiled. They chatted leisurely while they ate and then washed up quickly before returning to Marco's bed.

They cuddled for a while and made love once more before feeling completely spent and sleepy. She turned her back to him, feeling his strong and warm arm wrapping around her. Marco took in her scent as he held Leena close.

# Chapter Five

Leena awoke the next morning feeling rested and happier than she'd been in a long time. She looked at Marco while he slept on his stomach, draping his arm across her body. As Leena remained still, she put her fingers in his hair and couldn't believe how it was possible that she was there with such a gorgeous and wonderful man.

"Good morning. How did you sleep?" Marco asked, showing his beautiful smile.

"I slept really well. How about you?"

"Me too. I haven't slept like this in years. You're certainly good for me," Marco said as he leaned close to kiss her.

Leena kissed him, feeling their kiss intensify quickly till Marco's body responded to her taste and his arousal became apparent. He kissed her luscious lips until they were swollen from his attention. Leena's sweet taste drove his senses crazy—filling him with her smell—making his erection grow quickly. As Marco moved his lips down to her neck, she lifted her head back and arched her back while his tongue sucked on her earlobe, intensifying their pleasure. Turning her onto her stomach, he sent soft kisses over the length of her back, slowing down his movements to savor the sweetness of her skin until he moved to her lower back, lingering on the roundness of her firm backside. Moving down very slowly to the deepness of her curves, he lost himself in the fullness of her backside.

Leena's body was burning under his touch, and as he found her heat with his lips, Marco lifted her hips off the bed while this mouth tasted the wetness forming from her desire. He flicked his tongue on her warmth and then thrust inside.

She felt powerful sensations throughout her body, making her hips rise until her stomach was completely lifted off the bed. His hands stroked the roundness of her buttocks while his tongue excited her and sent her into the depths of her desire.

Turning onto his back, Marco moved his head so it was directly underneath her wetness while he sucked the intoxicating potion that dripped from her body. She let out small grunts of pleasure—making his manhood throb painfully. He couldn't wait any longer—he grabbed Leena by the hips and brought her down over his head and rested her on his lap. Marco helped her open while he pushed his erection deep into her heat and started to move with rhythm.

Leena focused on his movements while they set the rhythm of their lovemaking. Stroking her breasts and believing it wasn't possible to feel anything more powerful, Leena led him to a deeper desire that he didn't even know existed. Marco pulled out, grabbed a condom and pushed quickly back inside.

They climaxed at the same time, feeling the passion exploding until she dropped onto his chest, feeling completely spent, where she listened to his heavy breathing and waited until it slowly came back to normal. After a long moment, she looked up to see tenderness in his eyes—triggering emotions inside her that started tears flowing.

"Leena, what's wrong. Did I hurt you?"

"No. It's silly; I feel comfortable—safe in your arms. It just made me cry from happiness."

Marco didn't know what to say at first, but then, letting out a long sigh, said, "I thought I hurt you."

"No. You could never hurt me."

He brought her closer and kissed her softly. "What did I do to deserve you?"

She just giggled and yawned.

They looked at the time and noticed it was 10 a.m.; they'd been in bed for hours, so they went to have breakfast and then showered together.

As they got into Marco's large shower and turned on the hot water, Marco stood behind Leena, watching while she started to lather her hair with his shampoo. His hands stroked her breasts and he felt her nipples hardening under his thumbs. Marco's kisses started on her neck, moving down Leena's back, where he got on his knees before turning her around so she faced him. He kissed her skin on her stomach in round circles, enjoying the softness of the tender skin until he moved lower and found her womanhood under the running water. After teasing the entrance of her heat with his tongue, lapping the water as it fell from her body, Marco pushed inside the warmth and tasted the sweetness of Leena's core.

As Leena's knees folded, Marco caught her while she lost her balance. She leaned against the glass door, trying to stay upright while Marco pressed harder to intensify her desire, tasting the sensitive part of her heat with the tip of his tongue. He found the spot, caressing her with his tongue as he sent her over the edge. His tongue worked the spot passionately until he sucked hard, weakening her legs, which completely gave in. He caught her body as it slid down the glass door and they were suddenly both on the floor as the water massaged their bodies.

She opened her legs wider, waiting for his tongue to find her heat again, and when she felt his warmth push through to her core, it sent her shuddering again. The pleasure came fast and she pushed her shoulders against the glass door while her back arched, feeling the intense heat filling her body. Leena's throat let out a loud groan while Marco pulled her closer and held her backside as he thrived on the pleasure spilling out from her folds. Marco felt his arousal, painfully ignoring it, while he focused on pleasuring Leena.

She was close to losing all sense of control as she thrashed her head to the side, and yet her orgasm came quickly while she felt her skin burning under the running water from the pleasure that ran deep through her veins. When her orgasm finished, she leaned back against the glass door, sliding farther down onto the floor, exhausted. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the water caress her body as it fell from above, and she felt Marco's arms pull her onto his lap, straddling him while she tried to catch her breath.

Leena finally opened her eyes and kissed Marco with such tenderness that he felt his heart quicken. Moving on top of his arousal, she pushed him inside and started to move, giving him the same pleasure. She felt his powerful muscle grow inside of her as she moved with speed and felt her breasts rub against his mouth as they moved in unison. His unshaven skin scratched her sensitive nipples, sending heat through her body. She pulled out and watched as he put on protection before pushing him back inside. She leaned her hands against the wall to give her support as she quickened her pace and felt his arousal tighten inside. Leena heard him groan just before his fingers found her nipples and teased them while she felt his lap slapping her backside with every moment, thrusting him deep inside. Finally she felt his legs tighten, and warmth filled her inside while he finally found his release.

"Tesoro—please stop," he groaned, pulling her to his chest.

She leaned against him while his fingers caressed her arms. The water massaged their tired bodies, and after a few moments, Marco pushed her off and got up. Then he turned off the water and took her over his shoulder, carrying her back to his bed.

"Hey, I can walk," she protested as she slapped his wet back while she was upside down.

"This is much more fun," Marco said as he laughed and leaned over to put her down onto the bed.

"I'm going to get the bed all wet," Leena said, dripping.

He walked to the bathroom and came back with a large towel for her. She jumped off the bed and dried her wet body before wrapping the towel around her long hair.

"I need to work for a couple of hours—would you mind if I go to my study to work?"

"Actually, I need to get going." Leena realized if she didn't leave soon, she would be late for her customary Sunday lunch with Carolina and her father. Leena had told Carolina the day before she would be there for their lunch—since Sunday was her day off, she didn't think it would have been a problem joining them today.

"Leaving?" His eyes grew wide.

"Don't worry—I'll be back later. I'm going to my friend Carolina's for Sunday lunch. We've been getting together for years—I can't not turn up today!"

"As long as you promise to come back," he said, pulling her into his arms.

"I'll be back by late afternoon," she said.

"How about I pass by to pick you up at your friend's house when your lunch is over and we can pass by your place to get a few things to spend the night."

"That sounds like a plan, and tomorrow after you go to work, I'll go back to my place."

"As long as you'll be here when I get home tomorrow evening. I want you back in my bed," Marco said as he walked to his wardrobe to pull out a pair of jeans and a sweater.

"We'll see—I have things I have to do at home."

"Things? What things? You're needed here in my bed."

"Believe it or not, I do have an apartment to clean, clothing to wash and iron and groceries to buy," Leena said as she walked to his bathroom.

~ ~ ~

"What is it you're not telling me?" Carolina asked the moment Leena walked in. She noticed something different in her friend's attitude—happiness that wasn't there before.

Leena could never keep a secret from her best friend. They told each other everything and this was one of those things that she couldn't hold back—not with Carolina. "Well, I spent the night with Marco—"

"No way! Tell me all about it—how did it happen?"

"Fabrizio attacked me—"

"Wait! When did Fabrizio attack you?" Carolina asked.

"I went home after breakfast and Fabrizio caught me off guard. He slapped me and ripped my dress while I was in the grocery store—I barely made it out and then I fled on my scooter. On my way back to Marco's place, I fell off my scooter and hurt my knee—when I got back to the penthouse, I had one of my melt downs right in front of Marco."

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, I am now. Marco was so sweet and caring—he was able to break down the wall I'd built and then he made love to me in a way I never thought was possible."

"Oh, Leena—I'm sorry you were attacked by Fabrizio, but I'm happy Marco was there to comfort you. He sounds so nice!"

"Carolina, Marco is opening a world to me that I didn't even know existed. He was so caring and attentive when he made love to me that I nearly cried—actually I did cry!" Leena still remembered the sweet feeling of being in his arms.

"Listen, I'm happy Marco was there for you, but please be careful—he's your employer."

"I know," Leena said.

Leena had an enjoyable lunch with Carolina and her father and then when it was time to leave, she found Marco waiting outside in his Land Rover as he'd promised.

"Hey, I wasn't sure if you'd make it," Leena said. She knew Marco was a busy man—she would have taken the bus.

"I'm not letting you take the bus with a stalker on the loose," Marco said with authority.

After she gave him her address, she looked out the window as they drove through the tight streets of the city center. They drove across town and took the Via Casilina to her apartment building. When they approached the building, he pulled over and turned off the engine.

"Maybe you should wait in the car," Leena said, as she was about to get out.

"Why?" Marco asked.

"I'll only be a few of minutes."

"Okay, fine, but don't be long."

Leena got out of the car and walked to her building. She placed the key in the entrance and pushed the door open to go inside. Just as she was climbing the stairs, she heard the front door push open before it locked, and as she turned, she saw Fabrizio enter the building.

Grinning, he looked up at her. "You didn't think I forgot our meeting, did you?"

Leena ran up the rest of the stairs quickly and put her key in the door just in time to open and shut it behind her before Fabrizio made it up to the top. She locked it just in time to hear him pounding on the other side.

"Let me in." Fabrizio pounded harder on the door. "You'll be sorry if you don't let me in now—I'll be back and I won't be as forgiving next time."

Leena stood with her back to the door, breathing heavily while she prayed for Fabrizio to leave. Then she heard his heavy footsteps down the stairs and out the door. When she heard the sound of the door locking, she let out a long breath and went to her bedroom to change and then pack. Leena's hands were trembling while her heart was still pounding hard, and yet she managed to prepare an overnight bag with the few things she'd need.

Then she went to peek through her door peephole to make sure Fabrizio wasn't standing there. When she believed he was truly gone, Leena opened the door an inch to look out—Fabrizio was nowhere to be seen—she stepped out, locked her door and went down the stairs to join Marco, who was waiting in the car.

"Hey, what took you so long? I was about to come upstairs to get you," Marco said as she got back into the car. Then he noticed how pale she looked. "Are you okay? You're suddenly pale," he asked as he stroked her face.

"I'm fine—let's go back to your place where we can enjoy the rest of the day," she said, hoping Fabrizio didn't see her get into the Land Rover.

They chatted about different things on the way back to Marco's house until Marco brought up his trip to Lanciano.

"I have to go to Lanciano in a couple of weeks for a trade show. Will you come with me?"

Leena looked at Marco, a little hesitant to respond too quickly.

"It's a national trade show on agricultural products and I'll be signing an agreement with the Italian Government. I'll have some meetings to attend, but I promise you'll have me exclusively every evening," he said.

"Won't I be in the way—considering you're going for work?"

"Absolutely not. I normally spend my evenings working in my hotel when I travel, but I'd much rather be with you. Someone told me that life can't be all about work— that I need to enjoy it too." Marco smiled. "You've certainly given me a reason to do just that. Will you come?"

"Well, if you put it like that then okay; it would be nice to get away for a little while."

"Great—I'll change the hotel arrangements tomorrow. There are a couple of really good restaurants where I'd like to take you to dinner."

"I'm looking forward to it."

They parked Marco's car and then left Leena's bag in his penthouse before going to have a quiet dinner. The restaurant was packed, and as they enjoyed their meal, they chatted about the trip to Lanciano. Marco explained more about what he'd be doing. When they finished their dessert, Marco paid and then they went for a walk through the center. It was bustling with people and the shops were still open for last-minute purchases.

Leena stopped to look at a black and mauve dress in a window. It had matching shoes and a handbag—she sighed and walked away—knowing that the shop on Via dei Condotti was beyond her budget.

Marco saw the gleam in her eyes as she looked at the dress and made a mental note about it.

They stopped to get a gelato, and while Leena chose melon and strawberry flavors that were lactose-free, Marco got a double chocolate with fresh whipped cream on top. Leena looked at him while he ate his gelato and noticed his boyish charm as he winked at her.

"What?"

"You look like a kid!" Leena chuckled.

"I told you I love chocolate," Marco said, grinning.

"Yes, I can see that."

They walked around, looking at the shop windows while they held hands—stopping occasionally to kiss before returning to Marco's place. He turned on some soft music and took her in his arms as they danced. Swinging her around, he dipped her romantically, sending her dress halfway up her legs. Leena giggled when he brought her back up and suddenly felt lightheaded as he kissed her softly on the lips, not knowing if it was from the dip or the wine she had at the restaurant. Marco was stirring emotions inside of her that she was afraid to think about. He was certainly the Prince Charming that all the girls dreamed about when they were small—he was too good to be true.

~ ~ ~

Marco noticed she was absentminded for a moment, so, pulling her closer, he looked into Leena's eyes and noticed her shyness as she turned her head away. He turned her face to look into her eyes and then, picking her up in his arms, he carried her to his bed.

"I've waited long enough today—I want to feel you, taste you—now." He growled as he nipped her earlobe.

Marco's words made Leena feel important—feel like she was wanted—not only her body but also her mind. "Mmmm, do what you want with me," she said, closing her eyes to enjoy the feeling of being cockled by him.

"I'll worship your body in a way you've only dreamed of," Marco said just before he gently pushed her down on the bed and kissed her softly from the mouth to the slope of the neck. Leena moved her hands toward Marco's shirt, unbuttoning one button at a time while she looked at him. He moved his hands, pulling her dress down to her waist before moving toward her breasts and removing her bra in one swift movement. Marco felt an urgency to taste her nipples, her sweet nipples—so he kissed her beautiful breasts, and while he rested his head in the middle where they joined, he heard her heart beating quickly.

Slowly, he pulled her dress off the rest of the way before he gently placed soft kisses on Leena's belly button, tasting the sweetness of her skin. Then, moving down a little, he grabbed the top of her panties with his teeth, sending shivers through her body. Gently pulling the panties down enough, he nestled his mouth between her legs, where he tasted her wetness growing.

He lifted his head to remove her panties the rest of the way and then took off his jeans and boxers. Marco turned her over onto her belly and kissed her backside—first one cheek and then the other—letting his head slip in between where her heat was growing.

"I could drown in your scent—" His mouth didn't move from her womanhood—he moved her labia with his fingers.

She groaned in pleasure and arched her back while he brushed his tongue on her wetness until he pushed it inside, sending Leena into a frenzy.

"Ahhh," she whispered—a wonderful sensation filling her. She lifted her hips off of the bed, not resisting any longer and groaning in pleasure as she moved her hips. Marco's tongue swirled inside, making goosebumps form on her skin. Feeling the need to hold on, she grabbed the sheets, as her desire was about to explode.

Marco turned her over and pulled her toward the edge of the bed as he squatted on the floor. Then he lifted her knees so her feet rested on his back. He placed his tongue back inside, teasing her until she couldn't take it any longer. Grabbing the sheets, she cried out as her body was consumed by waves, rising higher and higher until she felt there was nowhere else to go but down.

"Amore, I'm not letting you leave my sight again!" Marco said.

He sucked her heat as she came once and then again quickly, until Leena lay completely spent. Then he stood and slid his erection into her warm folds, feeling the warmth of her core. He was melting inside of her, feeling her warmth that was comforting and welcoming. Moving in unison, their urgency grew as their movements quickened. Marco felt he was about to explode, and just as he thought he couldn't go any further, Leena lifted her legs onto his chest and curled her toes while he took her on a ride that shook her to her core. He knew he should've pulled out to put on some protection, and yet he just couldn't move away from her warm folds. He was riding a wave so great that if he stopped, he feared he would shatter.

Minutes later, while his orgasm hit, he heard Leena groaning in pleasure just before her body stilled. His erection tightened inside of her and Marco was sure that if she moved, he would break apart. He pulled out and threw himself onto the bed—face up—just before he pulled her up beside him. Then Marco turned and rolled her onto his chest. He smiled at Leena while he brushed her hair away from her face, and then his hand stroked her back as her skin glistened from the passion they had just consumed.

"What did I do to deserve being with you?" she asked.

"I was thinking the same—you've turned my life upside-down. I can't seem to think straight when you're not around."

"Really?" Leena asked, as she lifted her eyes to look into his green sparkling ones.

"Yes, really," Marco said, grinning at her lovely glowing face.

"Who would've thought that I could make anyone feel this way."

Marco kissed Leena gently on the nose. "You have no idea the power you have over me."

She giggled and put her head back down on Marco's chest. Suddenly, Leena was thinking of her parents and how much they would have liked him had they still been alive. A tear ran down her cheek as the thought crossed her mind, and she had to wipe it quietly.

"You okay?" Marco asked, as he felt the wetness of her tear on his chest, stroking her gently to comfort whatever emotion made her cry.

"Yes."

He turned them over to their sides and pulled the blanket up to cover them both.

# Chapter Six

Marco woke up early the next day, and after kissing Leena gently on her head, he went to have a shower. When he finished, he walked into his closet to get dressed for his day at work. He was tying his shoes when Leena walked into his dressing room and gave him a hug. Leena was completely nude and Marco had to control his urge or he would be late for work.

"As much as it pains me, I have to go. I have an important meeting in an hour and I can't be late," Marco said, kissing her gently before slapping her backside. Then he walked out of his bedroom.

~ ~ ~

Leena looked around and suddenly didn't know what to do. She hadn't prepared Marco's breakfast and he already left for the office. She decided to have a shower and go back to her apartment to get some things done.

She rode to her building and looked around before getting off her scooter. Leena didn't want to see Fabrizio, and when she was sure he wasn't around, she parked and ran up the stairs, holding her helmet. Unlocking the door, she went inside and bolted the door shut behind her.

Leena went straight to her fridge and pulled out the fruit and vegetables that had gone off the past couple of days. Picking up the garbage bag, she tied it and left it near the front door to throw out later.

She went to put on a load of washing and then decided to start her cleaning. She washed the small bathroom while her mind wandered to the wonderful weekend she'd spent with Marco. He was so patient and attentive that it sent butterflies fluttering in her stomach—she told herself to focus on the task of the bathroom and then her phone rang.

She ran to her bag and pulled out her phone. "Hello?"

"Tesoro, will you be free for lunch today? I can't go a full day without seeing you," Marco whispered.

"Well, I'm cleaning my apartment, but I guess I could meet you for lunch. What time is it?"

"It's 11 a.m."

"Already? I didn't realize it's so late. I still need to do some grocery shopping to make dinner—I guess I could do it later. What time are you planning on going for lunch?" Leena asked as she rubbed the sweat off of her brow with her sleeve. She'd been scrubbing the tiles in the bathroom and didn't realize the time had passed so quickly.

"2:30 p.m. would be perfect since I have a meeting at 4 p.m.; it would give me plenty of time to take you out to lunch."

"Okay, that could work, so where should I meet you?" Leena asked.

"Can you meet me by my office?" Marco asked.

"Yes, of course. Just send me the address and I'll meet you at 2:30 p.m.," she said, thinking about what she needed to do before going out.

"I'm send you a text as we speak...and Leena?"

"Yes?"

"You've made my day by having lunch with me," Marco said.

She grinned and then said goodbye before hanging up. It was incredible how a catering job had changed her life—or at least for the time being. She didn't know if he'd be in her future, but she sincerely hoped he would be. Time would only tell.

Leena went back to cleaning the bathroom and then she dusted quickly before she passed the vacuum cleaner. Next, she pulled the clothes out of the washing machine and placed them on the clotheshorse she propped up in the living room. When she was done cleaning, she was sweaty and dirty, so she stepped into her shower to wash quickly.

The spray felt good over her sore muscles and she stood under the water a few more minutes as she turned the shower-head to massage. The massaging effect felt really good and the warmth of the water helped soothe the pain in her knee. It suddenly started hurting while she was cleaning, but luckily the hot shower helped the pain subside.

Leena turned off the water and stepped out into the steamy room. She checked the time and noticed she was running later than planned, and yet she knew she'd make it in time to meet Marco if she hurried.

She locked her front door thirty minutes later and walked out into the hot sunshine toward the garbage bins. After disposing of the garbage bag, she went to her scooter, and while she was bent down to unlock the heavy chain on the wheel, she felt someone nudge her on the back. Leena turned to look up and saw Fabrizio standing behind her. She grabbed the heavy chain still in her hand and stood holding it as a weapon.

Fabrizio looked at the chain and raised his eyebrows. "You wouldn't have the courage and I'd have plenty of witnesses if you attack me with that."

"Then you should walk away." Leena stared him down, even if she had to look up to see his face towering over her.

Fabrizio growled, put his hands in his pocket and walked away.

When Leena was sure Fabrizio was far enough away, she turned to put the chain in her seat compartment before putting on her helmet. Then Leena hopped on her scooter and drove off in the direction of Marco's office.

She parked her scooter on the sidewalk next to the others. After placing the heavy chain back on the wheel, she walked toward the fountain by the building entrance and sat on a bench to wait for Marco.

Leena closed her eyes for a minute as she looked up toward the sun—enjoying the warmth until she sensed someone stepped into her sunlight. When she opened her eyes, she saw Marco grinning down at her.

"Enjoying the sun, Amore?"

"Yes. I'm always running around and never taking the time to sit and enjoy the beautiful weather."

"The heat doesn't bother you?" Marco asked.

"No, but I guess I don't have to wear a suit and tie like you. Let's get you out of the sun before you melt," Leena said jokingly as she got up and took his hand.

Marco leaned in to kiss Leena on the lips before leading her in the direction of his car. It was parked in an underground parking, and after he opened her door to help Leena inside, he walked around and climbed into the driver's seat.

"So where are you taking me for lunch?"

"I'm taking you to my favorite restaurant. It's not fancy or in a posh area, but it's family-run and I think they serve the best food in Rome," he said, leaning over to take her hand before bringing it to his lips.

"I'm curious to taste their food now," Leena said, grinning.

"Oh, you'll like what they serve—I promise you won't be disappointed."

Marco drove his car through the tiny streets, knowing the way like the back of his hand. When they arrived, he parked and accompanied Leena toward the restaurant. Leena looked up at Marco when they stood directly in front of the place and she raised her eyebrows, doubting the address.

"This is it?" Leena asked, surprised by the location and the state of the restaurant from the outside. She'd studied at culinary school and the first thing they taught was the location of a restaurant was as important as the appearance of the place. This was not what she'd expected, and yet Leena trusted Marco's judgement and walked through the front door as he held it open.

Marco was greeted by the owner and seated at a table by the window. After they were told what was the special of the day, they ordered linguine with a mushroom sauce and eggplant filled with meat and mushrooms in a tomato sauce, and then Marco ordered a half liter of red house wine.

Leena watched as the restaurant filled up quickly with the lunch crowd and wonderful aromas swept through the dining area, making her mouth water. "It smells really good in here."

"Wait until you taste the food," Marco said, winking.

She took a sip of the wine and sat back, enjoying the moment. Leena couldn't believe she was sitting in a restaurant with the wealthy bachelor Marco Conti—who would have ever guessed it?

Finally, their meal arrived, and as soon as the waitress set Leena's pasta plate down in front of her, she had to lower her head to smell the delicious aroma. She closed her eyes to figure out the herbs used, and when she heard Marco laughing, Leena opened her eyes and looked at him.

"You're here to eat the food, not study it. If you're curious to know what's inside, I'll take you to meet the cook, who happens to be the owner's wife. She'd be more than happy to meet you—believe me—you could compare notes." Marco grinned, picking up his fork to eat.

They ate while they talked about their trip to Lanciano, and after having dessert, Marco paid for the meal and apologized that he needed to go back to the office. The owner said goodbye and asked Leena if she had enjoyed her meal. In response, Leena said she truly enjoyed it and would like to return to speak to the cook when the restaurant wasn't busy, since it was still thriving with the lunchtime crowd.

They walked out into the heat of the day and got into Marco's car. Driving back to his office, Leena was quiet in the car and then yawned as she stretched her arms out in front. "That food was really good and now I'm ready to take a nap."

"So, go back to my place and take a nap. Nobody will bother you there," Marco said as he leaned over to caress Leena's cheek. "Arturo had a family emergency and won't be in this week."

"I think I'll do just that before I go grocery shopping for dinner tonight. I can't think about food right now. I feel like I'm about to explode. And you were right—the food was really good. I'll go back when I have a free moment to speak to the cook about swapping some recipes."

"I'm sure she'll be more than happy to swap with you. She's a lovely lady—it's why I keep going back for more delicious food."

Leena smiled as they drove up to Marco's office building. He drove to the underground parking and then they walked up to the main square where they'd met earlier. He kissed her gingerly on the forehead and told her to go rest before he turned and walked into the 16th Century building that hosted the Conti Corporation's offices.

Leena went back to Marco's penthouse, where she relaxed in the cooler environment and went to lay down for a short nap. Feeling the coolness of the air conditioning, she pulled a quilt over her body and, moments later, drifted off to sleep.

She was in a deep sleep when she was slowly woken up by the sound of ringing. Leena turned over and realized her phone was ringing, so she ran to her bag to pull out the phone.

"Hello?"

"I hope you're ready for me because I'll be over in a little while," the male voice said.

"Fabrizio?"

"Who else would it be? Are you fucking someone else? I'll have to punish you if you are because you're still mine," Fabrizio said.

"Fabrizio, I'm not yours, and you need to leave me alone or I'll go to the police," Leena said under her breath.

He laughed in her ear and breathed in deeply. "I can smell you from here."

It sent shivers down Leena's spine—not wanting to listen to Fabrizio any longer, she hung up. He called back immediately, but she didn't answer. Fabrizio kept calling back, so she put her telephone on silent so that she wouldn't hear the persistent ringing.

Leena took her bag and went out to do the grocery shopping for dinner, deciding it would be safer to go to the shops near Marco's place. So, she stepped out into the late afternoon sun and enjoyed the short walk to the shops. Her mind wandered several times to Fabrizio—to the times he beat her to the point of needing medical attention—and the thought of his hands made her shake. Suddenly feeling insecure, she bought what she needed and returned to Marco's home, where she felt safe.

She was preparing the last part of the meal when she realized her phone was on silent, so Leena went to put the ringer back on when she saw she had a message from Marco.

Amore, I'm sorry but I'll be later than I thought tonight and won't make it back in time for dinner, so make something for yourself and then get into my bed. I want to snuggle up to you when I get home.

She felt her cheeks flush at the thought of spending another night in Marco's bed, and with that idea, she put away the veal roast for the next day and made herself something quick for dinner. She wasn't very hungry but decided she'd have a bite of pasta since the sauce was already made.

After dinner, she went to sit on the sofa in Marco's bedroom to go over what she'd planned for the next day and drifted off to sleep.

~ ~ ~

When Marco walked into his bedroom, he expected to find Leena asleep in his bed, but he found her sitting up on the sofa. Walking closer, he realized she'd fallen asleep—he picked her up and carried her to the bed without waking her. Then he took off her jeans and pulled the bedcover over her body. He stood a moment to look at her and wondered how such a beautiful woman found her way into his life. His heart raced at the thought of nestling close to her—he went to change and then climbed into bed. Pulling her close, he shut his eyes and fell asleep almost immediately from exhaustion.

# Chapter Seven

The days passed quickly as Marco left early and returned late in the night when Leena was already asleep. They hardly saw each other, and yet he insisted Leena slept in his bed every night. It was the only pleasure he had and Marco wasn't willing to give it up.

It was the afternoon before their trip, and knowing that Marco would be back late again, Leena decided to go back to her apartment to pack a few things for their trip. Marco planned on leaving very early the next day so she needed to get her clothing before returning to Marco's place for the night.

She went to her wardrobe and pulled out the few things that were clean and decent enough to go for a short trip with him. Then she checked her fridge again for things that could go bad while she was away and saw there was nothing that wouldn't last the next few days, so she locked the door and went out to her scooter. She placed her bag on the bottom in between her feet before driving off.

August had finally arrived and the warmth of the afternoon heat brushed against her body as she drove back to Marco's place. She was glad when she finally walked into his building, relishing the coolness compared to the humid air outside.

Leena stopped to chat with Davide and then she took the elevator up to Marco's place. When she arrived at the top, she dropped her bag in Marco's bedroom and then went to the kitchen to make something for dinner. She received a text message from Marco telling her he'd be home late, but since he hadn't had any lunch, he asked if she could prepare a snack for him.

~ ~ ~

The moment Marco stepped off the elevator, he smelled the aroma in the air and wondered what wonderful snack Leena had made for him.

Before going to the kitchen, Marco went to his study to leave his briefcase. When he finally saw Leena, he wrapped his arms around her body and lowered his head to her ear so not to interrupt her work.

"Hey there. You must be really tired," she said, placing her arms around his neck and giving him a deep, passionate kiss.

Marco felt the tension of the day disappear as Leena's tongue entered his mouth, roaming for his taste. He tightened his hold and lost his train of thought as Leena cast a spell over him. Pulling away, she turned to the pot that was cooking over the flame.

"You made dinner?" Marco asked, grinning. "I'm going to have a shower and be back in a few minutes," he said, gently kissing Leena again before leaving.

As soon as he walked into the bedroom, he noticed her bag on the floor and felt relief wash over him, knowing she'd be with him during his trip. He didn't know if he could spend time away from her, and she would make the trip much more pleasant.

Marco stripped off his clothes, and after stepping into the shower, he let the water run over his tight body, and felt his muscles relax after a long and difficult day. His mind went back to the meeting with the Italian Ministry—they requested last-minute changes. His team had quickly reviewed the document and it all worked out, obtaining what Marco wanted, and now all that was left was the presentation of the new arrangements at the trade show.

Marco turned off the water and, stepping out of the shower, he put a towel around his waist before walking into the bedroom. He stopped in his tracks as he saw Leena waiting for him on the bed—wearing absolutely nothing. Marco's grin grew as quickly as his arousal, pushing desperately through the towel so that Leena's eyes saw the effect she had on him.

"You better come over here before that towel falls off on its own," Leena said, patting the bed.

Marco took slow steps to reach her—enjoying every curve of Leena's body as it glowed under the light.

She stroked the side of his face as she ran her hand over his wet skin.

"Let me help you loosen the tension from your long day," Leena said as she pulled him down on the bed, kissing his neck. Her kisses were soft and wet, moving from his neck to his chest, where she flicked her tongue over one nipple and then the other, ultimately pulling off the towel.

Placing tender kisses on Marco's chest, she slowly moved down toward his belly button. Marco's stomach quivered when she touched his skin, and when she moved her mouth lower, Leena felt him shudder. She licked the length of his arousal, tempting him until she took it in her mouth, stroking it slowly with her tongue.

Leena quickened her movements, bringing him over the edge quickly until Marco pulled her off and turned Leena onto her back, pushing himself deep into her heat. Letting out a soft groan as he kissed her, his movements quickened until Marco found release, a glorious sensation of filling her and holding onto the passion that embraced them. Slowly turning, he pulled her over with a gentle pat on her backside, placing her on top of him.

Leena was silent as her mind wandered to the past few days—she remained very still while Marco caressed her back, stroking in gentle circles.

"It still amazes me that you're here with me at the end of the day. You have magical powers, making my tension disappear," Marco said.

She lifted her head while she rested on his chest. "I only wonder how long it will take you to be tired of me."

"I'll never be tired of you," Marco said, lifting her a little so they were sitting. "You've filled a void I've had in my heart that I can't even find the words to explain."

Leena lifted her hand to caress Marco's face, feeling all the emotions from the week welling up inside. Marco took her hand in his and brought the palm to his lips, peppering it with soft kisses. They lay in bed a little while longer until Leena remembered the food she had prepared for dinner.

They got up and went to the kitchen to eat.

"A delivery arrived today and I put the boxes in your study."

"Great. I'll look at them after we eat," Marco said as they entered the kitchen.

The worktable in the middle of the kitchen was set for a romantic dinner. There was a pretty ivory tablecloth draped over it with the good china, silverware and glassware. A vase with some fresh flowers and two candles were sitting on the tablecloth.

She pulled out a lighter and handed it to Marco. He lit the candles and sat down, watching her move around in the kitchen as if she'd always been there. Dinner was ready in ten minutes and they chatted as they ate.

"I like eating in the kitchen. Maybe we should try lovemaking in here too," Marco said, flashing a wicked grin.

"No, the kitchen is for cooking—the bedroom is for lovemaking. Two passions that are distinct, and yet must be kept in separate spaces," she said firmly.

Marco looked a little disappointed, but while Leena stroked his thigh and moved her hand up, she let her hand linger under his boxers. He took her hand away and brought it to his lips while he showered it with kisses. Then he leaned over, kissed her at first gently and then with more intensity.

"I need to clean up this mess before we go to bed, so let me do this before it is too late," Leena said as she pulled away from him.

They put the dishes in the sink and then Marco helped Leena clean up. When that was done, he took her hand and led Leena to his study, sitting her down on the sofa. Looking at him a little confused, she was expecting to be told off about something since he was suddenly very serious.

Marco went to the boxes and brought one to her. She looked at him, not understanding what she was supposed to do with the box.

"Open it."

"Okay," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

Inside the box was pink tissue paper, and on top of the tissue paper were dried red rose petals. He watched as she smiled and then took one of the rose petals and lifted it to her nose.

"I wanted to surprise you with a few new things for the trip. You haven't looked inside."

Turning her attention to the contents inside the box, Leena pulled open the tissue paper to find a black silk cocktail dress.

"You didn't need to buy me anything," Leena said.

"I know, but I couldn't resist."

Leena pulled the dress out and stood, placing it in front of her body, and then kissed Marco to thank him for the wonderful gift.

He turned back to the other boxes and brought Leena another one.

"There's more?"

He waved his hand toward the pile of boxes and said, "They're all for you."

"You bought all these things for me?"

"Yes, to show my gratitude for stepping into my life and taking care of me."

"But I was hired to cook for you. I do it with pleasure and I don't need to be compensated with gifts," Leena remarked.

"I don't know how else to say thank you for being here," Marco said, shrugging his shoulders.

She sat down and took the box Marco handed her. Inside she found more tissue paper, but this time it was light blue and the rose petals were white. Underneath the tissue paper was a set of black satin bra and panties, and a slip that matched. They all had a delicate red trim.

She stroked the satin material with her fingertips and smiled as she looked at him. Marco took another box and gave it to her. This time she found a pair of shoes and an evening bag to match the dress.

Marco passed the last box to Leena. "Promise me you'll wear what's in this box on our last night so that I have something to remember our trip by," Marco said with a mischievous look.

She took the box from Marco and looked up at him with excited eyes. Opening the box, again there were rose petals. These were yellow. She removed the yellow tissue paper and inside was a red-laced babydoll with matching panties. The babydoll was laced closed at the bust line, as the rest remained opened. Leena looked up at him with playful eyes and told Marco she would wear it the last night of their trip.

Leena got up and stood on her tiptoes to whisper a sexy "thank you" in his ear. Pulling her into his arms, he brought his lips down onto hers while she wrapped her legs around him. Marco stepped back while he held her and walked over to his desk to sit her down on the table. He moved his kisses to her neck and then down to Leena's breasts while she lay back on his desk, her legs hanging off the side. Marco's kisses lingered over her breasts and moved down farther, reaching her belly button as she arched her back off the desk.

"I can never get enough of you!" Marco's kissed moved quickly.

"Ahh, you're lips are magical—don't stop."

Lifting the t-shirt and finding her womanhood, bare and waiting for him, he flicked his tongue over her wetness as he moved her feet onto the edges of the table so her legs were spread apart for him. Pushing his tongue inside, he felt her shudder while his tongue roamed inside, tasting her delicate folds.

Her sweet taste quickly made his arousal grow, and as he removed his mouth, he fit a finger while she adjusted her backside on the table. Moving his finger to the spot that pleasured Leena's body, Marco inserted a second finger, making her exhale in delightful cries of pleasure.

Marco picked her up and carried Leena to the sofa where he placed her face down and knees on the floor. With her back to him, he kissed her buttocks, slowly moving down the crevasse to her heat. He sucked on the wetness that had formed and then plunged his tongue deep inside. Leena let out groans of delight as he flicked his tongue faster in circles, bringing her quickly to the peak. Diving deeper and pushing his mouth farther while Leena screamed with pleasure, her entire body was racked with fits of delight. When her orgasm passed, Marco lifted her buttocks higher onto the sofa and pushed his manhood inside her folds. Marco held her breasts while he pushed harder as a welcoming feeling took over.

Still on his knees, Marco moved his hands to hold her backside as his movements quickened. He watched Leena's body as it transformed into wondrous fits of pleasure. Feeling his orgasm arriving, he felt he would die if it didn't spill, and when he released, he slowed his movements until he couldn't move. Marco placed his head on Leena's back, feeling joyously complete.

They remained still for a couple of minutes until she stirred. Marco pulled himself out and sat on the sofa, placing Leena onto his lap. He didn't have the energy to move farther, feeling drained and not able to move. Marco's eyes became really heavy, and a minute later, he gave into exhaustion.

When he awoke an hour later, Leena was asleep on his lap, so he carried her to bed and got in beside her, feeling a strong sense of contentment.

# Chapter Eight

Marco awoke to the sight of daylight, turned over and watched Leena as she slept. Listening to her breathing, he thought about spending some time with her after the trade event and places he wanted to show Leena. Just then, she opened her eyes and smiled at his tender gaze.

"Good morning."

"Good morning," Marco said, stroking her hair.

"Thank you for the gifts."

"Thank you for last night," he said with a grin.

"My pleasure," Leena said, stretching out her arms and legs.

Pulling her into his arms, Marco told Leena they needed to get ready to leave soon since he needed to be in Lanciano by 3 p.m. for a meeting with his team for late afternoon.

They got up and Leena suggested he shower alone while she prepared breakfast, and after Marco growled at the thought of showering on his own, Leena put on a t-shirt and walked into the kitchen to get things started.

She pulled out some milk, eggs and flour to make pancakes. By the time Marco walked into the kitchen, Leena had a large plate of blueberry pancakes ready and a moka full of fresh coffee.

They sat down and had breakfast quickly. Then Marco went back to his study to get the paperwork he needed for the trip and make a couple of phone calls while Leena cleaned up the kitchen and went to have a quick shower. She was ready within the hour and Marco had just tied his shoes when his phone rang. Giving off some orders, Marco told the person not to speak to anyone until he arrived.

They rode the elevator to the basement parking and walked over to Marco's black Land Rover. Putting their bags in the back, he walked around to open the door for Leena before he got into the driver's seat and turned on the engine. The GPS turned on automatically and he selected the address in Lanciano.

Their drive passed quickly as Leena asked Marco about his company and what he would be doing at the trade show. Marco explained to Leena that the Conti Corporation produced olive oil and wine, and that he was the President and Chief Executive Officer of the corporation, but he didn't want to sound like the Italian businessman that the outside world saw so he kept his biography low-key. Leena listened intently and asked more questions about his travels.

They arrived in Lanciano and drove to the valet entrance of the Hotel Excelsior, where Marco gave his car key to the valet before walking around to open Leena's door. The hotel staff took their bags from the car and then they were shown directly to their penthouse suite. The moment Leena walked in, she looked around at the grandeur of the suite and saw the large living area had several doors. Curious to see what was behind each door, Leena looked inside each room with the excitement of a child.

Marco brought his workbag into the private office and was reading his emails when Leena walked in and sat down on the armrest of his chair.

"I need to read these messages before going to my meeting, but I promise to spend some time with you after my meeting," Marco said, pulling her close to kiss her on the nose.

"It's fine. I'll have a swim in our large bathtub," Leena said, strolling away.

She walked into the large bathroom and turned on the facet in the bathtub. Noticing the selection of bath oils and salts on the counter, she chose a sea-scented salt and threw it into the water. Then she went into the bedroom to strip down before she walked back into the bathroom to soak in the warm bath. She suddenly felt tired as she sank her body into the luxuriously scented hot water—she rested her head back and closed her eyes, hoping the hot scented water would help relieve the exhaustion she suddenly felt. Her muscles were tender near her inner thighs from all the lovemaking they'd had the past few days.

Leena's thoughts turned to Marco. He was so tall compared to her slight body and his muscles were toned. She loved his curly, light chestnut hair, sporting a short and stylish cut. Marco's hands were big and strong, and yet so gentle when he touched her. As Leena thought about the way Marco touched her, his touches were more like caresses and always attentive. His voice was soft when he spoke to her, almost hypnotizing her into a relaxed state. She still didn't understand why or how it happened that he took an interest in her. Leena didn't have the class, the money or the power to be in his circle of friends. She wondered what Marco's friends and family would think if they found out that he was sleeping with his cook.

These thoughts suddenly brought a wave of sadness as the thought of life without Marco overtook her. Leena was sure he would eventually tire of her and toss her away as many wealthy men did with their women. Suddenly Leena felt sadness in her heart that she couldn't explain. It was true she hadn't known Marco very long, and yet it would certainly break her heart if he were to suddenly walk away. It was something she needed to be prepared for because she knew it would eventually happen.

The water suddenly turned cold—after pulling the plug, she stepped out of the tub. Reaching for a clean bathrobe, she wrapped herself in it, and yet she was suddenly engulfed by shivers, and not knowing if it was caused by the overwhelming sadness she felt or from being in the cold water for too long.

She walked over to the bed and decided to lie down, hoping to warm up after a few minutes. Leena turned onto her side and curled up in a ball as the shivers grew, suddenly feeling extremely cold.

Marco walked into the bedroom to get something from his bag when he noticed Leena on the bed. She didn't look right so he walked over to speak to her. Noticing her pale face and her shaking, he took the bedcover and wrapped it around her. "Leena are you sick?"

"No, I feel cold."

"Amore, you need to take off the wet bathrobe," Marco said and then helped Leena take it off. Noticing her body was stiff and aching, he went to her bag to pull out a nightshirt. Finally, after helping her into it, he tucked her into the bed and went back to the private studio to make a few phone calls, moving the late afternoon meeting to their suite so he could keep an eye on Leena.

Going back to check on her, Marco noticed she had fallen asleep—he kissed her on the forehead before going back to his work.

After about an hour, Leena ran to the bathroom as bouts of nausea overtook her body. When it seemed to have finished, it started all over again. She realized she must have caught the flu and hoped she hadn't passed it on to Marco, who really needed to get through the trade show.

After a little while, she seemed to feel better, so she got up to rinse her face when she heard Marco knocking on the bathroom door.

"Leena, are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes. I'll be out in a minute."

She finished washing her face and then brushed her teeth before she went back to the bedroom. He stood by the bathroom door as she walked out.

"You look really pale. Are you all right?" he asked.

"Don't come near me. I think I have the flu," Leena said.

"I'm not going anywhere. How do you feel?" Marco asked.

"Better now that I threw up what I had for breakfast," she said, shooting him a weak grin.

"Well, get into bed and try to sleep it off. I've moved my meeting to our suite, so just call me if you need anything," Marco said as he helped her get back into bed.

When Marco kissed Leena gently on the forehead, he noticed she was warm but not enough for it to be a fever. He left the bedroom to let Leena sleep it off.

Marco's team arrived on schedule and they sorted all the problematic areas that could only be dealt with on-site. He was pleased with the outcome of their meeting and their final decisions.

After seeing them to the door, he realized it was 8 p.m.. He was hungry, so he called room service for dinner. Ordering something for himself and then tea with lemon and crackers for Leena, he went to put on his tracksuit and had just walked back into the living room when there was a knock at the door.

Dinner arrived, so after placing his meal on the dinner table, he brought the hot tea to Leena. She was still asleep, so as Marco gently touched her cheek to wake her up, she opened her eyes. He noticed color had returned to her cheeks.

"How do you feel?"

"I feel better. I don't understand what happened. I was relaxing in the bathtub and then I suddenly felt cold and my head started to spin all at once."

"It could be a twenty-four-hour bug. I've ordered hot tea with lemon and crackers for you. You'll feel better if you put something in your stomach."

When Leena sat up, her head started spinning—she rested back down for a moment until the dizziness passed. After propping pillows behind her so she was more comfortable, Marco sat down on the bed beside Leena, waiting until she had a few sips of tea and ate some of the crackers.

She took a sip of the tea and then looked at him. "I'm sorry to cause you so much trouble—I know you have a lot of work to do. Maybe I should take the train home tomorrow before I make matters worse."

He looked at her seriously. "You're not going anywhere from this bed—I'll make sure of it."

Lifting her hand, she cupped his cheek for a moment. He took it and kissed her palm with a delicate, yet passionate kiss.

She had a few more sips and then gave the cup back to Marco.

"I can't have any more," Leena said softly. Closing her eyes, she fell off to sleep.

Marco went back to the living room and had his dinner. Sitting there in silence, he thought about Leena, realizing this was the first time he felt helpless. He thought of her sparkling eyes full of passion, and her gentle hands that were skilled and powerful in the kitchen, and yet so gentle and caring during their lovemaking.

Marco's heart swelled thinking of her and it suddenly hit him that he was seriously falling for Leena. He'd only known her a little over a three weeks, and yet he felt like he'd known her all his life. Unexpectedly, he realized she fit him like a glove.

Marco's phone went off and it kept him busy for the next hour. Feeling exhausted when he hung up, he put his phone down on the table and went to bed. When he walked in, Leena stirred slightly and turned over—Marco pulled off his sweatpants and got into bed, pulling her gently closer. When he closed his eyes and thought about his day, Leena came to his mind again, knowing she had become an important part of his life. His wellbeing depended upon Leena's wellbeing.

# Chapter Nine

Marco awoke the next morning and didn't find Leena in the bed. Instantly he worried she was sick again—he walked to the bathroom where the door was partly open and looked inside. Leena was in the shower—that was a good sign. He went to order breakfast and then went back to the bedroom, where he stripped and joined Leena in the shower.

Leena looked better, and yet Marco could tell that she was still weak from whatever hit her the night before. He suggested she should relax for a little while since there was no rush for her to get washed and dressed, and yet Leena insisted she was fine. After stepping out of the shower and wrapping Leena in a bathrobe, Marco led her to the living area where their breakfast was already waiting.

They had a leisurely breakfast while he explained to Leena that he would be busy all morning with the Italian Minister of Agriculture, where a formal signature ceremony was planned to announce the collaboration between the Conti Corporation and the Italian Ministry of Agriculture.

That was the moment that Leena realized what power Marco held in his hands. She had heard of powerful men in the industry, but Marco didn't seem to have that cold business attitude that went along with the power and status it held.

"If you feel up to it, take a walk around to look at the trade show and then meet me at the VIP area around 11:30 a.m.. You can witness the signing ceremony first-hand," Marco said.

Marco kissed Leena on the forehead and told her that he would be free after the ceremony to do whatever she desired. Then Marco got up to dress, leaving her at the small table while she finished breakfast.

He came back out after a short while dressed in his Armani suit and expensive leather shoes, looking every part the rich Italian businessman. Marco walked up to Leena and bent down to kiss her gently on the lips before departing, leaving his scent of cologne lingering in the room.

~ ~ ~

The sun was shining through the window and rested on the table where Leena sat. Suddenly the brightness of the sun brought Leena's thoughts to greater focus. The Conti Corporation was one of the most important businesses in Italy. Marco was the President and CEO of the Conti Corporation. She suddenly felt like a fool that she hadn't realized that before now. Marco probably felt sorry for her and that was why he dragged her along on this trip.

Wiping a single tear that fell down her cheek, she got up to get dressed. Leena decided to go out for a walk before meeting Marco, hoping it would clear her mind and help her decide what to do when they returned to Rome the next day.

She put on her prettiest dress considering the importance of the ceremony, and was fastening her sandals when she heard the familiar sound from her phone when she received a message.

Amore, let me know when you're close by so I can meet you.

Marco

She smiled at his attentive nature and hit reply.

I'm on my way out for a walk now. I'll let you know when I'm close by.

Leena

Grabbing her bag, she walked out the door and found the lobby full of people with large cameras. Not giving it much thought, Leena walked out into the sunshine, where she turned to see the street packed with television vans. Deciding to avoid the media trucks, she walked in the opposite direction until she came to a park and sat down on a bench, watching children play.

A ball came flying in her direction and landed close to her feet seconds before a little girl came running toward her. She must have been four and she had dark hair pulled up in a ponytail. She smiled at Leena and bent down to pick up the ball.

"Hello. What is your name?" the little girl asked.

"Hello. My name is Leena. What's your name?"

The little girl stood holding the ball and said before running off, "I'm Manuela."

Leena watched as she returned to her friends and continued to play. Leena sat in the park a little while longer before walking back to meet Marco. As she walked to the entrance of the trade show, she gave her name to the security staff as Marco had instructed. Leena's name was on the list and the security guy gave her instructions on how to get to the VIP lounge.

The trade show was full of stands, businesses showing their trade and eager to give passers-by brochures and samples of their products. She politely declined what was handed out to her and slowly found her way to the VIP area, where other security men stopped her. Leena gave her name again and one of them showed her inside. When she saw Marco, Leena noticed the muscles on his face relax when she walked toward him. He smiled and placed his hand on the small of her back to lead her to one of the vacant chairs in the front row.

The room was full of people and the press had set up their cameras at the back of the room. There was a 15th Century table in the front with two similar chairs. The Italian and European flags stood directly behind the table, and to the left were a couple of leather armchairs and beautiful potted plants to give the effect of an opulent office.

Marco left her side then and went back to his team. As Leena watched Marco talk to them, a man sat down beside Leena and extended his hand. She looked at him a moment, recognizing something striking in his face.

"Hello. My name is Giacomo—I'm Marco's younger brother."

She could see the resemblance—Giacomo was as tall as Marco and had well-formed muscles. His hair was a little darker, and yet Giacomo had the same smile.

"Oh, it's really nice to meet you. My name is Leena."

"Yes, I already know all about you. Marco has done nothing but talk about you since you met. He tells me you are an exceptional cook. I can't wait to be invited to dinner." Giacomo winked.

"I'll remember to mention it to Marco one of these days."

"I have to get back to the team since the ceremony is about to start. I'll see you at our Ferragosto party next week," Giacomo said as he gently kissed her cheek before getting up.

Her emotions came rushing back at the thought of Marco telling others about her. She hadn't realized he mentioned their relationship to family or friends. As she looked up, she saw Marco was standing among his men now, giving off the last orders before greeting the Italian Minister.

The Italian Minister walked in and Marco approached him, extending his hand, clearly at ease in the presence of the Minister.

They chatted quietly before they turned to the crowd. Marco began to explain why they had all assembled and the importance of their arrangement. The Conti Corporation was providing financial support to the Italian Ministry of Agriculture to help small farmers pick up after the devastating floods that happened earlier that year.

The cameras flashed non-stop as Marco talked and then again when he and the Minister shook hands. After they signed the document before them, Marco said that his staff would be handing out pamphlets on how to request financial resources under the new arrangement. The Minister shook his hand again and left the stage.

Marco was flooded with questions from the press. He patiently answered all the questions, and when one reporter asked him what the Conti Corporation gained with the arrangement, Marco responded that the arrangement included the creation of new positions for young adults that would be good for the Italian economy. That in turn helped boost the Italian agriculture industry to which his business was a major stakeholder.

Leena watched the man before her eyes respond to all the questions brilliantly. She saw a side of Marco that she didn't know existed, a completely different man from the one she knew. She felt her throat tighten, realizing she was falling in love with him. Love. She never thought she could feel so much for someone, and yet somehow it happened.

She was deep in her own thoughts when she felt a kiss on her cheek. Looking up, she saw Marco standing before her. Smiling, he waited for her to stand and then put his hand on her back to lead her out. Cameras flashed as they walked out, and before they had a chance to get away, a reporter came up to Marco and asked if Leena was his new girlfriend. Turning to the reporter, he said that his presence at the trade show was on account of the arrangement they had signed with the Italian Government and nothing more than that should be reported.

The photographers followed them outside and took photos while they walked to the hotel. Marco's security stepped in and kept them at a distance, but the cameras continued to flash.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think the photographers would hound us like that," Marco said apologetically.

"It's all right. I'm not fragile—I can deal with it."

"This is why I love having you by my side; amazingly, you can handle just about anything that comes your way."

They walked into the hotel and rode the elevator in silence. Many thoughts ran through his mind at that moment; he was happy the ceremony went as scheduled and the press didn't give him any problems. Turning to look at Leena, she was looking down at the floor, so he gently lifted her chin to look at him and then kissed her softly on her lips, promising there would be more to come.

Once they were back in their suite, Marco pulled off his tie and jacket before pulling Leena into his arms.

"Are you tired? Maybe you should rest a little before we go out later. I have plans to take you to an excellent restaurant tonight for dinner."

"It has been an exciting morning. Maybe I will lie down before we go out again. Would you mind if I have a nap?"

After Marco wrapped his arms around her body, he gently picked her up and carried her to their bed before laying her down gently. He took off Leena's sandals and covered her with the blanket before leaving.

Marco went into the private office to make some calls and then went through his emails. After a while, he ordered lunch since he was hungry, and when he couldn't wake Leena from her deep slumber, he decided to let her sleep since she seemed to need it. He was back in the study responding to an email when he heard Leena scream. Rushing into the bedroom, he found her sitting up in bed—screaming with her eyes open, and yet he was sure she was asleep, so he tried to wake her. Leena suddenly kicked and punched him out of fear. Marco grabbed hold of her arms, and immediately after, she went really quiet. Incredibly, after this violent fit, she was still asleep, so he gently tried to wake her.

"Leena, wake up. Amore, it's only a bad dream."

As she opened her eyes, he could see they were full of confusion, so he pulled her into his arms and waited until her breathing became normal again.

"I'm sorry," Leena said.

"You have nothing to apologize about. You did nothing wrong," Marco said as he suddenly realized the ex-boyfriend was haunting her in her sleep.

He lay down beside Leena and held her in his arms until he felt her muscles relax. Marco gently stroked her back and then covered her face with soft kisses. She looked up at him and her eyes gleamed with gratitude.

"What time is it? I wouldn't mind getting a little fresh air."

"It's nearly time to go to dinner—why don't you wash and change, and we can go for a short walk."

He watched as Leena walked to the bathroom and shut the door. Then he heard the water running and thought she may be having a bath, so Marco went back to his emails and went over the last details before returning to Rome the next day.

When he went back to the bedroom, Leena was getting dressed, but her mood was really quiet, which wasn't like her, so he went to wash quickly and put on a new dress shirt before going to dinner. Not long after, they took the elevator down to the lobby and walked out onto the street. The sun was starting to set, and yet the air was still warm, and as he turned to look at Leena, he realized how beautiful she looked in the new dress he bought for her.

"If I haven't told you yet, your beauty takes my breath away tonight. I wish I knew how to clear away what is haunting you."

Leena stopped to look him in the eyes before telling him that he was helping her overcome her past. "I need to get on with my life and you've helped me understand how to do that."

"Leena, you've changed my life, and I've come to believe that I can't live without you—I want you in my life."

"Marco, we come from completely different worlds and I'm not sure that I fit into yours. Today, when you stood up there with the Minister, I felt so proud of you that it took my breath away—at the same time it really brought things into perspective. I know when we go back to our normal lives, this will be a sweet but distant memory for me."

"It doesn't have to be that way. I care about you, Leena, and these past couple of days have made me realize that all I want in life is you," Marco said, suddenly feeling his chest tighten at the thought of losing her.

They were both silent a moment, and as Leena took a step away from Marco, she looked up and noticed that they'd walked to the same park where she sat that morning.

Marco took Leena's hand and kissed her palm gently. "We don't have to decide anything tonight. Let's just enjoy being together and we'll see what happens if that makes you feel any better."

Leena nodded and linked her fingers in his, walking to the restaurant for a romantic dinner.

As they walked, Leena's phone rang. She pulled it out of her bag and looked at the name on the display. It was Carolina.

"Hello, Carolina."

"Leena, where are you?"

"I'm in Lanciano. Why, is something wrong?"

"No, but I just saw you on the news. They did a huge piece on Marco Conti's meeting with the Italian Minister of Agriculture and then they showed him kissing you. The news was all about you. They knew your name and referred to you as Marco Conti's latest pastime."

Leena's heart tightened as she looked at Marco, worried about how she was going to tell him about the reporters. She told Carolina she would call her the next day when she was back in Rome and then turned to Marco.

"Everything okay?" Marco asked her with a sinking feeling that everything was about to change.

"My friend Carolina said she saw us on the news today. The reporters referred to me as your new pastime." She watched as his expression changed to anger.

"They have no right pulling you into this. I should have prevented it from happening," Marco said as he pulled Leena close. "I'm sorry—it was completely careless on my part. I should be protecting you rather than throwing you into the lion's den." He needed to call his security chief to make arrangements for Leena's protection in Rome. Thanks to his carelessness, her life had changed as of that very moment.

The food at the restaurant was exceptional. Leena was delighted with the strozzapreti invernali, handmade pasta rolled and twisted into small bites served with tomato sauce, and the agnello al forno, roasted lamb served with roasted potatoes. She then had ravioli di ceci, sweet dumplings with a chickpea filling, for dessert.

Marco ate maccheroni alla chitarra, square-shaped spaghetti served with a tomato sauce, and agnello al forno, like Leena. He didn't have dessert, but ordered a digestive liqueur and an espresso.

After Marco paid for the dinner, they leisurely walked back to the hotel. As they walked into their suite, he looked at Leena and noticed the dark circles under her eyes.

He gently kissed her on the lips. "We could relax and watch a movie."

Leena's eyes were hard to read at that moment, and yet she agreed to watch a movie. "Do you mind if I have a bath before watching a movie?"

"No, of course not—take your time," Marco said, and watched as she went to the bedroom.

The moment she stepped into the hot scented bath, she felt her muscles relax. Her conversation with Carolina came back to her mind and she wondered if it was what people thought about her. Leena never thought anything would come out of their relationship, and it was proof that it could never be anything more than what it seemed to the outside world.

Leena got out and dried herself, and then she pulled out the babydoll Marco bought her for their last night in Lanciano. When she walked out to the sofa where Marco was waiting, Leena saw passion glowing in his eyes when he saw her.

Marco stood and took Leena's hands in his. "We don't have to do this. I can tell you're tired. Please don't think I expect it because I made you promise before leaving Rome."

Without saying a word, she kissed him softly on the lips, and then moved her lips down to his neck. When her lips reached his chest, she grabbed the top of his boxers and pulled them down.

When Marco felt Leena's soft lips take his erection, he lost all train of thought. He put his head back and groaned as she started slow movements, caressing with her tongue as she gently moved up and down. She let her lips taste the tip of his arousal as if she was about to stop, but then took it fully into her mouth again. His groans became louder and his breathing became irregular until she pushed him down onto the sofa. She took off her panties and then straddled him.

Feeling the warmth of his pulsing manhood inside her, she moved in circular motions as he grabbed her butt with both hands. His pleasure grew quickly and she noticed he was about to come, so she slowed the movements, wanting to make their pleasure last a little longer. She wanted him to feel every instant of pleasure as if it were the last. His body started to shudder as she moved herself up and down his length. She'd get to the very tip and pause before taking it back inside of her gently—slowly.

His groans turned into painful shudders, and when he thought he couldn't take it anymore, she quickened her movements until his orgasm arrived at the time that she climaxed. Marco spilled out deep inside her as she slowed her movements until he cried out to stop. She put her head down on his chest, feeling completely drained, not wanting to move.

"How do you know how to make me feel like that?" he asked.

"It's natural—your body molds under my fingers."

Gingerly, Marco took her lips and gave her soft kisses. He shifted, moving her so she lay on the sofa and then he was kneeling on the floor. Unfastening the lace near her breasts, Marco let the babydoll lay open, exposing Leena's gorgeous body. He tasted the sweetness of the skin on her breasts as he circled their fullness with many soft kisses and then took a nipple into his mouth. Sucking and teasing the nipple, he moved to the hollow between her breasts. When Marco went lower to her belly button, he felt her body respond instinctively to his touch.

Leena moved her body toward him as Marco kissed her soft skin, and while she felt his lips moving lower, she arched her back off the sofa. He kissed the length of one of Leena's legs all the way down to her foot, making her shiver, and then he did the same with the other leg.

After he turned Leena over onto her stomach, Marco kissed her neck, down her back, and then down one of her legs to her foot, brushing soft kisses on it. This simple touch made her quiver, and then he did the same to the other side.

When Marco came back up the back of her leg, he stopped at her buttocks, kissing the roundness of the cheeks. He moved Leena's legs off the sofa, spreading them apart so he could taste her heat. While Marco flicked his tongue on her womanhood—teasing her—she cried out and raised her butt to get closer. His tongue moved expertly in the right place, filling her desire quickly as she groaned from the heat that built within her. Leena moved her hips gently while Marco's tongue made her shake; when her legs couldn't hold her any longer, she collapsed. The orgasm came fast and hard, racking her body with pleasure. Marco moved away and sucked the wetness of her heat, kissing her before moving up to her back and neck. He rested his head on her neck and asked, "How do you feel?"

"Great," she said and then closed her eyes. Marco sat down on the sofa and pulled Leena into his lap. She couldn't move a single muscle in her body and Leena was grateful when he got up and carried her to their bed, then lay down beside her. She barely opened her eyes to smile at him, cuddled close and closed them again. Marco covered them both and fell asleep beside Leena.

# Chapter Ten

They awoke early the next day, and although Leena still felt weak from the flu, she had a full breakfast before leaving for Rome.

They got into Marco's Land Rover and chatted during the trip. They stopped on the way to have a snack since Leena was suddenly really hungry again.

"It's good to see you eating more. You don't eat enough," Marco said, grinning while she ate her second breakfast.

"I feel fine now, and I can't explain it, but I seem to be hungry all the time."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Marco said, drinking his coffee while he watched Leena finish the eggs and sausages she wanted.

They made it back to Marco's building by early afternoon, and after putting the bags in his bedroom, he kissed Leena and went to the office, promising not to be late for dinner.

After Marco left, Leena sat in his bedroom and looked around at his personal possessions. He clearly wanted her in his life, and yet she couldn't stop from wondering how much longer they would last. Leena accepted that it was a fairytale and that not all fairytales had happy endings.

Dragging herself from the bedroom to the kitchen and thinking about what she could make for dinner, she made a list of things that she needed to buy and then thought about what she would bring to the Ferragosto party that would be in a few days. She decided to bring her mother's erbazzone that was always a crowd pleaser.

Stepping out, she went to the nearby shops to get what she needed and came back to start on dinner.

~ ~ ~

The next few days passed quickly. Marco had been really busy implementing the new arrangements set forth in the Agreement he had signed with the Italian ministry, and had come home every evening later than he'd wished, only to find Leena asleep in his bed. Not having the heart to wake her since she was still weak from the flu or whatever it was that had hit her, he let her catch up on much needed sleep.

Ferragosto finally came and they were in Marco's Land Rover, driving to his grandparents' house on the Old Appian Way. Leena hadn't actually been on that stretch of road before. It still had the large stones from the Roman Empire.

Marco drove down the difficult road with great skill and finally stopped in front of a large gate. He pulled out a remote that opened the gate and Leena watched the view unfold around her as Marco drove the car down a perfectly manicured garden. Mediterranean pine trees lined each side of the path, which went on for quite a while, until she finally saw the house at a distance.

There was an impeccable rose garden that led to steps running along both sides up to the house. At the top of these steps was a large terrace. It was made of white marble, giving a beautiful postcard picture appearance.

Marco parked his car next to others and stepped out. A Cocker Spaniel ran up to Marco and he picked her up, caressing her fur.

"Hello, Stella," Marco said, petting the Cocker Spaniel as she kissed him on the face.

He put the dog down and they walked hand in hand up the steps as Stella followed.

Leena looked in awe at the magnificence of the house. The front terrace had sofas and tables under a large canopied area. The sofas were decorated with a cream fabric that gave the appearance of an exotic hotel.

They walked into the house and she noticed the decoration was very similar to Marco's home. As Leena looked around, she saw there were 16th century furnishings everywhere with expensive rugs and original paintings on the walls. Leena recognized Penitent Magdalene of Caravaggio and Dama col liocorno of Raffaello.

Hesitating a moment, she looked around the room until Marco took her hand and brought it to his lips. He placed her hand near his heart and put his other hand on the small of her back to lead her toward the back of the house where he knew his family would be waiting.

They walked to the back and then outside onto another terrace where his grandparents were sitting in another canopied area with a similar style to that of the front terraced sitting area.

Erminia got up to greet them as soon as she saw them arrive. She took Leena's hands in hers. "Cara, I am really pleased you've come with my grandson, Marco." Kissing Leena on both cheeks, she then did the same with Marco before Marco's grandfather stood to greet them.

"Leena, I don't believe that you've met my grandfather, Marcello," Marco said as his grandfather stood before them.

"No, I haven't. It's very nice to meet you—thank you for inviting me today."

"It's our pleasure. Family and friends are always welcome when it's time to celebrate," Marcello said with a wink. "After leading the Conti Corporation for many years, this is the only pleasure I get these days." He winked at Marco and then laughed.

Marcello was slightly shorter than Marco, but he held the same features and charm. Obviously, Marco took his good looks from his grandfather.

"Why don't you kids go to put on a bathing suit and join the others in the pool?" Erminia asked.

"Oh, I don't know how to swim," Leena said and shrugged her shoulders.

"That's fine, Cara. Put on a bathing suit and just relax on a pool chair. It's a warm day and this way you won't miss out on the fun in the pool. They always have a game of water polo, which is great to watch."

"Oh, that sounds like fun," Leena said.

So, Marco led her to the cabin to change. Explaining that his grandmother always selected new bathing suits for the ladies for the occasion, he told Leena to choose whichever she liked.

Leena walked into the large cabin and locked the door. As she looked around, she noticed that it was decorated expressly for a woman's needs. It had a little table with a mirror and plenty of makeup and perfumes for the lady guests. There was a sofa in a corner, and a table with a carafe of lemonade and some crystal glasses. In another corner there was a lovely hand-painted partition to change behind. Leena sensed that Erminia spent a lot of her time organizing and planning things. It must be nice not to worry about money and dedicate one's free time to things that give oneself pleasure. Leena could tell by the style of the house they walked through that Erminia liked to decorate.

Leena looked at the selection of bathing suits and chose a blue patterned suit. She went to change and was happy that it fit perfectly. She chose an emerald green long veiled wrap to put around her waist, and after noticing a selection of flip-flops, she put on a blue pair. She found Marco waiting in his dark blue swimming trunks, which hugged his well-formed butt in just the right places. When he saw her in the colorful array of blues and greens, Marco took Leena's hand and brought it to his lips. "You're gorgeous."

Then he led her to the pool, where his family was already splashing in the water.

"Hello, Leena. It's great to see you again." She turned and saw Marco's brother, Giacomo, who she'd met at the trade show.

"Hello. This is a great party," she said as she greeted him and looked around at the people laughing and splashing in the pool.

"Let me introduce you to the rest of the family," Marco said as he led her to the pool's edge. Splashing around was his sister Serena, his other brother Matteo and his cousins Simone, Noemi and Miriana—Leena was glad to see that she wasn't the only girl.

Marco went to get a couple of pool towels and placed them over two pool beds. Sitting down on one, Leena turned to him just as he bent down to kiss her and told her he was going in the water. He ran toward the pool and dove in like a born swimmer.

She sat watching as other people arrived and took places near her on the other beds. Chatting with those that were close to her, she turned as the ball from the water polo game came her way. She walked to the edge of the pool to throw it back to the players and saw Marco smiling at her as she threw it in. Just that moment, as Leena turned to go back to her pool bed, kids running along the side of the pool accidentally pushed her over, making Leena lose her balance and fall into the pool.

Leena felt the water engulfing her and started to panic as she sank deeper into the water. Grasping frantically at the water, she sank farther. After what seemed like a long time, she felt strong arms grab her around the waist and take her to the top—Leena passed out on the way up.

~ ~ ~

Marco brought her to the top and put her head up facing the sun as he swam to the edge of the pool. Giacomo was next to him as they reached the side and pulled Leena out of the water. Putting her on her back, Marco turned Leena's head to the side to let the water out. Then he straightened her head, moving it back to blow into her mouth. At the fourth breath, she spat out water and started to cough.

When Marco saw Leena was breathing, he turned her onto her side to allow her to catch her breath. He stroked her back while she closed her eyes and he whispered in her ear she was going to be fine. Suddenly, Marco's heart tightened and he had to rub his chest to make the terrible feeling go away. He felt chills run down his body from what happened and it left him feeling powerless.

Marco's senses quickly came back—he asked Giacomo to go to the cabin to get a blanket. Erminia and Marcello came to their side, and asked if Leena was all right. Giacomo came back with the blanket, and after Marco wrapped her in it, he carried Leena to the closest pool bed. She opened her eyes, and although she was quiet, color returned to her cheeks as the warmth of the sun helped her regain her senses.

"How do you feel?" Marco asked.

"I feel really cold."

"The blanket and the sun will warm you up soon. Apart from feeling cold, do you feel any pain anywhere? I don't think you hit anything when you fell in the water, but I need to know if anything hurts."

"No, I'm fine. I'm sorry to cause all this fuss."

"Amore, it wasn't your fault. I'm just thankful that I was close enough to get to you in time."

"Yes, it was lucky," she said and then went silent again.

He stroked Leena's arms and legs through the blanket to warm her body.

Someone from the household staff brought a hot tea with lemon to them, and Marco took it, and then instructed Leena to drink the hot tea, which would make her feel better.

Taking it willingly from Marco and wrapping her hands around the hot cup, Leena sipped a little at a time until it was finished.

When he saw she started to close her eyes, Marco picked her up and carried her into the house. He carried her upstairs to his bedroom and put her down on the bed. Going to a dresser drawer, he pulled out a t-shirt and helped her take off her wet bathing suit.

"This is a lovely bedroom. You sleep here when you visit?"

"Yes. We used to spend our school summer holidays here with our grandparents when we were kids. This has always been my room and it still is; actually, we each have a room and are always welcome to come here when we feel the need. My family gathers in this very house during the holidays and it makes it easy on everyone to have somewhere to stay."

Leena had been an only child—she'd always wanted siblings but her parents didn't have other children.

Noticing the sadness in Leena's eyes, Marco pulled her close—stroking the back of her head while he kissed her on the lips. Then he helped her to lie back—resting her head on the cushion.

"You gave me another good scare earlier. I really care about you and I know that you're starting to feel the same about me—we can't ignore this any longer."

Leena was about to say something, but then Marco hushed her. He told her to close her eyes and rest. Then Marco pulled the bedcover up and left the room so Leena could sleep.

As soon as Marco was outside again, Giacomo came to his side. "How is Leena?"

"She'll be all right. Leena just needs to sleep—she's had a long week. Did you see the news? They've been saying nasty things about us—that she's my plaything and other things that aren't worth repeating."

"Hey, you know the press is always out for a story. We've always been their prey and that will never change. We just need to protect Leena from the bad aspects of our lives. We grew up with the paparazzi and the press at our heels—Leena hasn't," Giacomo said.

"I've asked the investigator to look into her background. Someone from Leena's past has been stalking her. The monster tried to attack her a few weeks ago—it broke my heart when I saw what he did to her."

After a moment of silence, Giacomo said, "Okay, so what has the investigator found?"

"I haven't heard from him just yet. He said he would call today with a report. The scary thing is that I'm starting to really care for her. I can't explain how I feel about her, but all I know is that I can't think when she's not around me."

"Do you love her?"

"I feel the urge to protect her all the time—and if she gets hurt—I feel pain in my chest and my throat closes up like I can't breathe."

"It sounds like you're falling in love," Giacomo said with a grin.

"I am, and I can't seem to make her understand I care about her," Marco said as he realized he just admitted to Giacomo that he loved Leena.

"Well then, we'll have to step up the romance, won't we?" Giacomo said as he grinned at Marco again.

"Don't laugh. It'll happen to you one day too—don't look at me as if you're having a good time watching me suffer."

"Well, as much as it pains you, I enjoy watching you being affected in this way by a woman. Marco Conti feeling powerless by a gorgeous sweet woman—who would have ever known that Leena could bring you to your knees so easily?"

Giacomo gave his brother a hug and told Marco that he was really happy for him. It was a good step toward the future, and life wasn't only about work; there had to be something more to life than that. Giacomo also told Marco he could count on his help to protect Leena from the stalker if needed.

They went back to join the others in the pool and Marco let some of the kids push him down under the water as they played. A couple of hours had passed and the buffet lunch was being served, so Marco went to the ladies' cabin to pick another bikini for Leena and then went to check on her.

He found her awake and sitting up in bed when he walked in.

"Tesoro, how do you feel?"

"I have a bit of a headache, but I feel all right."

"I've brought you a dry bathing suit so you can come back out and have something to eat."

Leena went to the large bathroom to rinse her face and then changed into the other bathing suit. When she walked back into the bedroom, she found Marco sitting on the bed in a pensive mood. Taking his face in her hands, she kissed him lightly and said, "What would I do without you?"

"I'm not going anywhere, so let's go have some food."

Leena followed Marco out into the warm sunshine and everyone asked how she felt, showing genuine relief knowing she felt better. They went to the food table and filled their plates with some things to eat. People complimented the erbazzone she prepared, asking how to make it. Leena thanked them and told them she couldn't give away the recipe since it was an old family recipe.

As they ate, Marco's phone went off, and when he recognized the investigator's number, he got up to take the call where he had privacy. Marco looked over at Giacomo, who caught his signal and followed him inside.

"Good afternoon. The man who is stalking Miss Malik is Fabrizio Masciullo and he's been hanging around near her apartment recently, but as of yesterday, I found him at your home," the investigator referred.

Marco felt his stomach knot and turned to look at Giacomo. After letting out a breath, Marco said, "That man's going to pay for what he's done to Leena."

The investigator gave Marco a brief description of Fabrizio and told him the man had been in prison for petty crime. Thanking him and telling him to continue his work, Marco lowered his head in silence after he hung up.

"What did the investigator say?"

"The man was seen near my home yesterday. He thinks the man saw us on television and now knows where to find Leena. I need to step up security around her."

Giacomo took the few steps toward his brother and put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll do what is needed to keep her safe. You need to tell her."

"No! I don't want her to know that he's hanging out near my place. She won't feel safe there. I don't want her to know about this, do you understand?"

"Fine, but we'll need help to protect Leena so she doesn't notice. Let me call Matteo for a short meeting."

Giacomo called their youngest brother, who joined them inside within a couple of minutes.

"Hey, what's up?"

Marco filled Matteo in with what was going on and then asked him if he could help to protect Leena.

"Of course. Tell me what you want me to do."

"Well, I need to call my friend at the Carabinieri station to inform him so they place a patrol car near my building. I have to keep Leena safe without her knowing that this man knows where I live. I was thinking of taking some leave from work—this may be the perfect time. I would need help when I go back to work," Marco said.

"Okay, so how should we do this? We could take turns during the day so that she's not on her own and take her out if she needs to do some grocery shopping," Giacomo said.

"Yeah, sure, but how are we going to do this without causing any suspicion?" Matteo asked.

"Marco, why don't you tell her that they'll be doing some work in your office so you need to work from home for a little while. We could move our meetings to your place," Giacomo said.

"That could work," Marco replied as he thought of the scumbag that was out there prowling the streets, waiting to hurt Leena.

After agreeing to meet again when Marco was due back in the office, they joined the others outside just after their parents arrived and were sitting with Leena and Serena at the table. The men went to greet them.

"There you are! Talking about business on a holiday? You boys really don't know when to take a break," their mother, Alessandra, said.

"We had an emergency meeting, but we're here now," Marco said as he stood behind Leena and put his hands on her shoulders. "Have you met Leena?"

"Si Caro, we introduced ourselves," Alessandra told Marco with a smile.

"Yes, we've already had a short talk about you," his father, Paolo, joked. "Well, since I retired, I need to find something else to fill my time."

"Thanks," Marco said, hugging his parents. "I hope you didn't scare her off."

"We'll pull out the pictures during the next visit," Paolo said.

Erminia and Marcello joined them and they discussed their plans to visit the Amalfi coast the following week. As everyone joined into the conversation, one by one they decided to make it a family trip, giving Marco the perfect escape. They planned to visit Positano and the areas nearby. Erminia and Marcello had already booked their hotel, so Marco went to his iPhone and booked the quaint little pensione he was familiar with in the heart of Positano on the Amalfi coast. It was all arranged. They would leave in two days—he needed to keep his eyes open the next couple of days.

The afternoon passed quickly as they chatted more, and after friends left, only family members remained. As the sun started to set, the men ignited the barbecue for the meat. Marco walked to where Leena was sitting with the women of the family to see how she was.

Leena had changed into a t-shirt and jeans, but he felt her hands were ice cold. So, Marco went up to his bedroom and pulled out a fleece sweater from his wardrobe; then he walked back out and gave Leena the fleece to wear.

~ ~ ~

As Marco went back to the barbecue, the women watched Marco walk back to join the other men.

"He's in love with you," Serena said.

"I know he cares a great deal about me, but I wouldn't call it love."

The women looked at each other, smiling. "His eyes are full of passion when he looks at you and he's always hovering over you to keep you safe and warm. Those are signs of love," Alessandra said.

Leena looked at the women and realized this was a family that looked after each other, and worried about each other. She suddenly felt warmth in her heart and felt she would be eternally grateful for their kindness.

The men brought the meat to the table while the women brought the salads and drinks. Sitting together around a large table, Leena enjoyed listening to their banter while they had dinner. Like many other families, they chatted about many things and they argued about everything under the sun. Leena enjoyed watching the way the siblings and cousins interacted with each other.

Having finished dinner, they walked over to the garden where an outside fire pit was already burning. They sat on the sofas set up around the fire, and as Leena sat next to Marco, he draped his arm around her shoulders. Relaxing against his body and feeling the warmth of the fire, she felt at peace as she gazed up at the sky. It was a beautiful evening and the sky was full of stars.

They talked about the trip to Positano, and soon they'd extended their short visit to Positano to a full seven-day vacation.

Feeling extremely sleepy, Leena's eyes started closing, so when Marco noticed, he decided it was time for them to go.

"Why don't you stay the night and leave in the morning—you can stay a little longer and not have to drive home," Erminia said.

Marco looked at his grandmother and nodded. "I think that would be a good idea. I'll accompany Leena to the bedroom and come back for another drink."

Leena's eyes became really heavy all of a sudden—feeling extremely sleepy.

"I'm sorry I can't stay awake, but I suddenly feel really sleepy," Leena said, rubbing her eyes.

He accompanied Leena upstairs to his bedroom. Then he pulled the bedcover back and gave Leena a pair of his pajamas for her to wear. "You'll probably feel better in the morning."

Leena went into the bathroom to wash and came back out minutes later wearing his oversized pajamas. Looking like a teenager and not the woman he knew from their lovemaking, Marco smiled as she slipped into bed and turned to her side. He kissed her goodnight and turned off the light on his way out.

# Chapter Eleven

Leena awoke to the sound of the birds chirping, and when she turned over, she saw Marco was still sleeping. She looked around the room and noticed the walls were full of childhood trophies, showing how athletic Marco was when he was young. They were mostly European football prizes that ran along the wall as Marco had played the much-loved Italian sport growing up.

Noticing other trophies on the wall, she slipped out of bed quietly and walked to the wall to have a closer look. These other trophies—for rowing and golf—were from Marco's university days. There were team pictures, and as she looked closer at the rugged and dirty boy in the pictures, Leena smiled as she looked at the boy that grew up to be the gentleman that she had come to know.

She looked around the room and noticed there was a desk full of books. The books were mostly dictionaries, school textbooks and sports books that Marco had kept over the years. Looking at the wall above the desk, there were pictures nailed to the wall and she saw the same young boy with his brothers and sister and cousins, while they played and joked around. Leena suddenly smiled as she wondered what the smiling boy in the picture must have been like.

Turning to look at the daylight, she noticed there were double glass doors that opened onto a private terrace. Leena found herself going through the doors and stepping onto the terrace to look at the spectacular view. As she looked out at the beauty of the Roman Castelli, she stood with her hands on the marble banister and breathed in the morning air and sunshine, taking in the splendor of the surrounding area.

~ ~ ~

Marco awoke, and watched as Leena studied the trophies and pictures in his room. He saw her smile as she looked at the pictures, making his heart warm. He then saw her open the double doors and go outside. Slipping out of bed, Marco walked outside and wrapped his arms around Leena.

Lowering his lips to the back of Leena's neck, Marco kissed her softly. "Good morning. How did you sleep?"

"I slept well. It must be the fresh country air. I haven't slept like this in weeks."

"I'm happy. You really looked tired and needed to sleep."

Turning Leena around to face him, Marco brought his lips down on hers in a gentle kiss that turned wild quickly. He tasted the warmth of her mouth as she let out a sigh and put her head on his chest a minute later.

"This is a spectacular view. It must have been nice in the summertime when you were growing up."

"Yes, it was, and yet my grandparents kept us quite busy—they were ruthless. They wouldn't let us sleep in and we had lessons every morning so that our summer homework was completed by the time we went back to school in September."

Leena grinned at the idea.

"It wasn't fun at the time. Although now that I think back, it was hard work—but we had lots of fun too." Marco kissed Leena again. "Shall we go downstairs for breakfast?"

"Yes—I'm famished—but I need to change before going down in your pajamas."

"Don't worry about it. This is family and you won't shock anyone if you walk downstairs wearing my pajamas."

So, Leena took Marco's hand as he led her downstairs to the breakfast room where some of the other family members were already gathered in their pyjamas. Laid out on the buffet table were a variety of fruit, yogurts, cereal, and scrambled eggs. Since they were in a rush to get back to Rome, they had a quick breakfast and then went to get ready to leave.

~ ~ ~

The drive to Rome didn't take long, and when they finally stepped into to his home, Marco went to make a few phone calls as Leena called Carolina.

She told Carolina what had happened the past week since they hadn't seen each other. Carolina was happy for her but at the same time worried about her friend.

"Well, I'm happy that you're not alone, Leena. Marco can protect you from Fabrizio."

"I don't want Marco to get involved in this. Fabrizio will eventually go away when he realizes that I've moved on."

"I hope you're right."

Leena promised to visit Carolina as soon as she returned from the Amalfi coast. After saying goodbye, she put her phone back into her bag.

Walking into Marco's bedroom, she decided if she was going to the Amalfi coast, she needed to get some new clothes. Leena didn't have very much in her bank account, and yet she decided it was time to buy a couple of essential things, so she went to tell Marco she was going to do a little shopping.

"I'm done with my calls—I'll come out with you."

"You don't have to; I know you must have work waiting."

"No, I don't. I'd like to take you shopping."

"No, I'm going shopping, and if you want, you can come with me."

"Leena, let me buy you some new things. I'd really like to do that."

"No, please don't—I only need a couple of new things and I can pay for them myself."

Marco pulled Leena into his arms. "Fine, then let me pay your month's salary so you can spend it on clothing."

"Well, I can buy a few new things, but since I have bills to pay, I won't spend my entire salary on clothing."

"Okay, fine. Let me grab my phone and we can go."

They rode the elevator down and walked out the building into the sunshine. "So where do you want to go?"

"Let's just walk around, and if I see anything I like in the window, I'll go inside."

They walked down Via Frattina to Via del Corso where Leena saw a dress in a window and decided to go inside. Marco patiently waited as she looked around and chose some outfits to try on. Following her to the changing area, he sat and watched as Leena tried on dresses. He liked them all, and as he was telling her to take them, she said that she couldn't afford to buy them all, so she chose the lilac-colored dress that she thought looked nice and the dark blue sundress with turquoise-colored flowers on the skirt.

Walking out with the new purchases, Marco thought they would continue to look at other stores, and yet Leena insisted that she didn't need anything else. They stepped into a shop on Via dei Condotti where Marco decided to buy a pair of pants and button-down shirts for himself for their trip to the Amalfi coast. After asking for his purchases to be sent to his home, they walked out.

Making their way back to Marco's building, they were greeted by Davide, who told Marco quietly that a strange-looking gentleman passed by to leave a letter for Leena. Marco took it and thought it was strange because nobody really knew that Leena was staying with him aside from the stalker. Tucking the letter into his pocket, they rode the elevator up, and when they arrived upstairs, Leena went to put her purchases in Marco's bedroom before she went to the kitchen to prepare something for dinner.

Davide came up, telling Marco his purchases had arrived and he would leave them in the hallway by the elevator. Marco thanked Davide and went to his study to sit down at his desk—then he pulled out the letter. He looked at the front of the envelope and it had Leena's name written in the middle in large block letters with a red pen. He opened the envelope and pulled out the letter, which made his throat close up. His heart was pounding in his ears as he read the words.

YOU'VE MADE THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF YOUR LIFE AND NOW YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR SINS—PREPARE TO DIE

Marco called the investigator, who immediately confirmed Marco's suspicions that the man who had been stalking Leena had been in Marco's building earlier. After instructing the investigator to keep following the man, Marco then called his security chief to set up a surveillance group in the main lobby to ensure that the guy didn't enter the building again.

Taking the packages, Marco brought them to the bedroom to pack for their trip. Putting the gifts he got for Leena in one bag, he packed another bag for himself and left them both in the corner before joining Leena in the kitchen.

They enjoyed a quiet dinner where they ate fresh bavette pasta in a fish sauce and baked fresh sea bream with fennel.

"That was delicious," Marco said, kissing the back of Leena's hand. "How about we go for a walk to burn off the meal we just ate?"

It was dark when they went out, and yet the streets were full of people as the city was buzzing with families out for a stroll in the cooler evening air.

They walked hand in hand and stopped occasionally to look at the store windows.

"How about a gelato?" Marco asked.

"Oh, that sounds great," Leena said as they stood by a gelateria. She glanced at the flavors displayed in the window. There was a large selection of fruit gelato, making Leena's eyes sparkle with delight. She chose a triple flavor cone that made Marco laugh as she looked at it with excited eyes.

"I've booked a room in a really quaint family pensione that overlooks the Amalfi coast. They serve home food that I'm sure you'll adore," Marco said, kissing Leena tenderly on her neck while she finished her gelato.

"I'm looking forward to it. I've never been there—it'll be nice."

Slowly they made their way back to Marco's place and watched television in the living room until Leena fell asleep. She awoke when Marco got up, so they shut off the television and then went to bed.

# Chapter Twelve

Marco and Leena left early the next morning to avoid the morning traffic. They were on the Autostrada del Sole to Naples when Marco's phone rang. He looked at the number, and after noticing it was his grandfather, he hit speakerphone and a second later, Marcello's voice boomed through the radio system. His grandparents were already in Naples where they planned to stop for lunch and wanted to know if Marco and Leena could join them. Marco looked at Leena, who smiled and nodded. They agreed to have lunch at the Hotel San Francesco al Monte.

The drive to Naples took a couple of hours, and as they got off of the motorway, they drove toward the city and soon arrived at the hotel's entrance. The hotel staff took Marco's car while they went inside to meet his grandparents. Walking through the main lobby, Leena was completely in awe by the splendor of the décor. She slowed her pace to take in the beauty of the hotel. They walked out onto a terrace overlooking the Bay of Naples, decorated with light covered armchairs that were surrounded by plants, and ivy draped over canopied arches throughout the terrace. The arches provided shelter from the sun. Leena was caught by its spectacular view and had to stop for a minute to look out at the bay.

Bringing her hand to his lips, Marco pulled her closer and whispered in her ear, "Do you like it here?" Leena bit her bottom lip and simply nodded without removing her gaze from the splendid view.

Pulling her along, Marco smiled to himself as he thought about how Leena would be ecstatic when she'd eventually find out what he had planned for their return trip—dinner under the stars with this spectacular view.

They found his grandparents seated at a table on another beautiful terrace overlooking the bay. Leena greeted Erminia and Marcello and then sat down in silence, feeling like she was living a fairytale.

"It's beautiful here, isn't it?" Erminia whispered to Leena as the men talked.

"Yes, it is—I still can't get over it. I didn't know a place like this existed."

"Marcello brought me here many years ago when the hotel was much smaller, but the view was just as spectacular as it is today. We've been coming back here every year since then."

"It sounds so romantic," said Leena.

"Yes, it is. The Conti men are very romantic—I'm sure you've noticed. I can see the love for you in Marco's eyes. He's a good boy and he has a good heart; he would do anything for you. That is a Conti trait," Erminia said, putting her jeweled hand over Leena's.

Leena blushed as Erminia spoke these words, making her feel like she belonged among them—there was nothing more she could want.

Marco turned to look at Leena and then bent over to give her a soft kiss on the lips. Marcello turned to give Erminia a gentle kiss on the lips, then looked at Marco and winked. They all laughed and then ordered their lunch.

The afternoon passed as they ate typical Neapolitan dishes such as Spaghetti alla Puttanesca, Spaghetti allo Scoglio, Calamari alla Napolitana and Capesante gratinate all'arancia. Leena didn't think she could eat any more, and then Marco ordered dessert and coffee for them.

As Leena sat back and watched Marco talking to his grandparents, she saw the love and respect he had for them. He was such a powerful man in the public eye and a caring, loving and gentle man in private. Marco's big hands could be so gentle and loving that as she thought about it, tears welled up in her eyes. Needing a moment alone, she excused herself and went to the bathroom before the tears fell. Leena sat on the bathroom sofa wondering what was wrong with her when Erminia walked in. Seeing Leena's tears, Erminia sat on the sofa beside her and placed her hand over Leena's.

"Amore, you don't have to be sad. Marco really does love you, and we do too because you make him happy. His eyes sparkle with happiness and pride when he looks at you."

"I've been alone for such a long time that I'm not used to having people worry and care about me. I feel really bad because I've given Marco so much to worry about lately and I know that he doesn't need this added stress."

"Tesoro, don't you see that he worries about you because he loves you? You have taken a part of his heart and he's not complete unless you are together," Erminia said as she pulled her into her arms and stroked Leena's back.

Leena's tears fell faster feeling motherly contact with Erminia, who rocked her in her arms until Leena's tears stopped. Then Erminia gave Leena a clean handkerchief to wipe away the tears and told her to fix her makeup so they could go back out to their men together.

The men watched as the ladies came back to the table and his grandmother gave Marco a smile.

Regretfully, they left the restaurant and drove the rest of the way to Positano. Having booked different lodgings, they agreed to meet the next day for a late brunch at his grandparents' hotel.

Arriving in Positano, Marco parked his Land Rover in the small parking area adjacent to the pensione. As Leena got out and waited while Marco took their bags out from the back of the car, she enjoyed the view and noticed that they were directly on a hill, overlooking the spectacular view of the Amalfi coast.

As Leena followed Marco inside, she noticed the décor of the pensione was very simple, and yet clean—not the type of place she expected Marco to stay at. After being shown to their room, Leena saw that the room was small, and yet it had a double bed, a dresser and a small wardrobe as well as a private bathroom. It was quaint and had a balcony with a view of the coast. After putting the bags down in the corner, Marco took Leena's hand and led her outside onto the balcony. The sun was just starting to set, making the view more beautiful that she ever expected—absolutely heart-stopping. Now she understood why Marco brought her to the little hidden pensione. He wrapped his arms around Leena's waist as she enjoyed the view of the coastline.

"What do you think of this place?" Marco asked.

"It's beyond words. How did you find it?"

"I came to Positano with a group of university friends who didn't have a lot of money, and this was the only place that was clean and had a view. We liked it so much we spent a week here back then. Since then, I come here every time my grandparents plan a family trip to Positano. They come once a year, and when I can join them, I stay in this pensione."

"What a lovely story," Leena said as she turned and put her arms around Marco's neck. He lowered his head to touch her lips, and after a few minutes, he pulled away and told her not to move—that he would be back shortly. Returning a few minutes later, Marco picked Leena up in his arms and brought her back inside.

"Oh, my goodness. What did you do?" Leena asked, taking his face in her hands and then kissing him softly.

The bed was covered with fresh red rose petals. As Marco gently put Leena down on the rose petals, she felt like she was a princess in a rose garden. Unbuttoning her blouse, he kissed the skin contouring her bra and then unzipped her skirt and removed it slowly. Leena's skin glistened while she lay among the rose petals, and when Marco ran his tongue over her delicate skin, his tongue made her skin tingle and the scent of the roses immediately made her head spin.

Rolling her over, he unhooked her bra and softly kissed her back as she lay very still. He reached the small of her back and then the top of her panties, pulling them off. Then he ran his tongue from the back of her knee up to her buttocks and moved down the other side to the back of the other knee.

His mouth feathered kisses up and down the back of her legs, sending a thrilling sensation throughout her body as it warmed her inside. She felt wetness forming between her legs as his mouth made her desire grow.

"I can never get enough of you—your skin is like a potion—I feel like I'm drowning under your spell." Marco didn't want it ever to end.

Marco placed little kisses on the roundness of her backside, making her groan in pleasure. Then he ran his mouth downward and found her heat, tasting her wetness as he stroked it with his tongue before thrusting it inside.

Leena felt his warm tongue inside as it prodded and racked her body within minutes. She moaned at the pure pleasure that was spreading over her body while Marco's skillful tongue sent her over the edge, exploding at his touch.

As her orgasm came, he slowed his movements until her breathing slowed to normal. Then he walked into the bathroom and came back out seconds later to pick her up. He carried her to the bathroom, placing her in the tub of hot water.

"When did you have the time to fill the tub?"

"I turned on the tap when you were on the balcony."

The water felt good as she relaxed, feeling completely spent. When Marco got into the tub, he pulled Leena close and they enjoyed the hot bath.

"Are you tired?" Marco asked while they were silent.

"No, I'm ready for another round," Leena smirked.

"Is that so?" he smirked, picking Leena up and throwing her over his shoulder before carrying her out of the bathroom for another passionate session. "We still have time before going out for dinner." He slapped her on the backside while he carried her to the bed.

Giggling, Leena wiggled her legs in protest, and yet Marco kept her firmly over his shoulder.

"I'm only warming up—be forewarned," he said, playfully biting her backside as she was still on his shoulder.

"Hey, that's not fair. I'm still upside down," Leena protested again.

"I'll give you upside down," he said as he gently put her down on the bed and then climbed on top facing the other way. He found her heat with his tongue just as she sucked on his throbbing flesh. Lost in their pleasure, they took their time making love until it was time to get ready for dinner.

# Chapter Thirteen

They awoke the next day to the beautiful Amalfi sunshine beating through the balcony doors. The rose petals were still scattered over the bedcover as Leena stretched her body, feeling warm and relaxed.

Pulling her close, Marco held her for a few moments. "We should get up and get ready for breakfast."

"Do we have to?" Leena complained.

"Yes." He pulled her in for one last kiss.

She reluctantly got out of bed and went to the bathroom to get ready.

An hour later they were sitting downstairs in the quaint little breakfast area enjoying the pensione's homemade pasties, breads with jam and brewed coffee. Leena was delighted with the homemade food.

They went for a stroll along the coast after breakfast and took in the beautiful view as they walked hand in hand. Stopping occasionally on the path to look out toward the sea, Marco knew it was how he wanted to spend the rest of his days—enjoying spectacular views with Leena. Lately, she had taken over his thoughts and he had come to a decision that he had to make it official. He would ask her to travel with him to Santa Barbara for the California Wine Festival the following week. A surprise trip to the US for the wine festival would give him an opportunity to propose.

The day was sunny and hot, and the beaches were full of people sunbathing, children laughing and playing, and lovers walking on the edge of the water. There was a joyous atmosphere as they slowly walked back to the pensione hand in hand as lovers, before heading out to meet Marco's grandparents for brunch.

They got into Marco's car and drove down the curving roads until they arrived at the Sirenuse Hotel. Marco gave his keys to the valet and went to the other side to open Leena's door. Stepping out of the car, she looked up at the magnificent view of the hotel and studied the dark terracotta building with white archways. It was directly on the coast and it promised another day of spectacular views and gourmet foods.

They walked through the luscious lobby to the large terrace overlooking the coast. The Positano town was directly to the right and it was close enough that Leena felt she could touch it with her fingertips.

Tables were lined up on the terrace and all were adorned with cream-colored tablecloths and high-backed seats of a rich burgundy color. The waiter accompanied them to his grandparents' table.

"We're so glad you made it. Isn't it lovely here?" Erminia asked, kissing Leena when she arrived.

"I'm truly enchanted with the Amalfi coast—it's romantic, fascinating and mysterious. I've already fallen in love with it," expressed Leena as her eyes gleamed with delight.

Marco held Leena's hand, and after the waiter took their order, his grandfather asked what their plans were the next few days.

"I rented a boat tomorrow to take Leena out to see the Grotta dello Smeraldo," Marco responded.

"Oh, that sounds like fun," Erminia said, clapping her hands in delight. "I remember when we used to do that many years ago," she said as she took Marcello's hand while he leaned over to kiss her.

"Have you heard from the others? Do you know when they'll join us?" Erminia asked.

"Giacomo said they should be coming the day after tomorrow. We've planned a little sightseeing in Amalfi, Positano and Sorrento along with other nearby areas," Marco said to his grandmother.

Their pasta with fresh fish arrived, and as the men talked about business, Erminia talked about the wonderful places to visit on the Amalfi coast, including a crafts store that sold hand-made pottery that Leena knew she had to see before leaving.

When the waiter brought the dessert menu, Marco selected a Babà alla Napoletano, a large mushroom-shaped cake laced with rum for Leena, remembering she was lactose intolerant, as well as fresh wild berries on the side. Leena was thrilled when she saw the Babà and enjoyed every last bite of it, licking the rum off her fingers with great pleasure while Marco watched.

The late morning brunch turned into late afternoon until it was finally time for Marco and Leena to leave.

"You kids have fun and tell us all about your boat trip when we see you again. You're young and should be out enjoying life, not spending time with old people like us," Erminia said.

Erminia took Leena into her arms and whispered in her ear, "Enjoy the romantic vacation and let Marco pamper you." Leena's cheeks flushed, suddenly feeling embarrassed, but then she stepped back to watch Marco wrap his arms around his grandmother in a warm embrace and then his grandfather. Leena felt the love between them all over again and it made a small piece of her heart happy that she was part of it for the moment. They walked away hand in hand, full and happy from their lunch with his grandparents.

"They're really wonderful."

"Yes, my grandparents really are wonderful people. I don't spend enough time with them as I'd like to."

"You're a great grandson."

"Well, they really like you, and that would be an understatement," Marco said as he brought her hand to his lips.

"They've been really nice to me. I am grateful to know them and to be able to consider them my friends."

They got into Marco's car and started their drive back to their pensione when Marco's phone rang. He quickly looked at the number, and when he saw it was the investigator, he pressed talk and held the phone to his ear. The investigator told Marco he had seen Fabrizio near his home again at different times of the day. Marco's stomach tightened at the thought of this maniac hanging around his home, knowing that he couldn't keep it away from Leena much longer. The situation was becoming dangerously serious. Marco thanked the investigator and ended the call.

"Everything all right?"

"Everything is fine—just some problems at work."

"Your grandmother told me I should visit a pottery store. I'd really like to find it if you don't mind going for a stroll in the town?"

"Sure, and then we could have dinner at a restaurant overlooking the beach. What do you say?"

"Dinner by the beach sounds really nice—it's a deal," Leena said, admiring the Amalfi coast through her window. The sun was still high and she hoped to look at the stores in search of a souvenir for Carolina, so it was perfect! A nice walk through town and then dinner by the beach—it was the perfect ending to their day. She was happy and couldn't ask for anything more.

They parked the car in the heart of Positano and strolled through the town leisurely, looking at the shops. Marco waited patiently as Leena walked in and out of nearly every store—looking for the perfect gift for Carolina. Finally, they found the pottery shop and Leena found the most beautiful dish to bring back to Carolina. It was hand-painted with blue and orange accents on a white base with blue trim. It would look great in Carolina's kitchen and Leena was really pleased with her purchase. The shop owner said it was made locally and she thanked Leena for supporting their local trade.

Marco purchased something inside the store too, but since Leena was chatting with the store owner, she didn't see what he bought. Leena had a huge smile on her face when she left the store; content she'd found something special for her best friend. Marco walked behind her, holding a small package, and as soon as they stepped out, he gave the gift bag to her.

"You bought something for me?" Leena's eyes sparkled when she saw it.

"Yes. Open it and tell me if you like it."

She looked inside the bag—excited like a child—and then pulled out the tissue paper sitting on top to find a wrapped box inside. Leena bit her lower lip as she concentrated while she pulled out the box and unwrapped it. Marco smiled while he watched Leena pull out two delicate satin bags from the box. She smiled before opening the larger of the two bags. As she tilted the bag above her palm, a colorful necklace with tiny hand-painted porcelain balls strung together fell out. She looked up at Marco, smiled and caressed his face with her free hand. He took the necklace from her and fastened it around her neck. Then he pointed toward the other bag, which she found contained a matching bracelet.

"Thank you—they're beautiful."

"Do you like them?" he asked as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her fervently. His hands were on the small of her back, and as one slid lower to rest on her backside, Marco heard a woman sigh, "Isn't that romantic?" A group of elderly women stopped to watch as Marco and Leena shared a passionate kiss.

Marco smiled as he kept his lips pressed to Leena's and then led her away before the women made other comments. They ran away—laughing like children—as they thought of the woman's comment.

Leena and Marco enjoyed the rest of the afternoon in Positano and then went back to the pensione to change for dinner. Marco pulled out the extra bag with the gifts to surprise Leena while she was in the bathroom washing. He placed the bags on the bed and waited for her to come out from the bathroom. Just as she stepped out, Marco got up and walked over to her before she saw the gifts, then he turned and led her to the bed.

"Now what have you done? You'll have to stop buying me things or it will be difficult for me to go back to my normal life when this is all over," Leena said as she waved her hands between the two of them, her expression growing serious. "This is really nice, but it's not real."

He took her hands in his and held them a moment, grinning as he looked down into her beautiful dark eyes. "Okay, I promise not to shop for you anymore, but I've already bought these things—and since they won't fit me—you'll have to accept them," Marco said mischievously.

"Fine, but this will be the last time, understand?"

"Yes, understood."

She opened the big box first, finding pink tissue paper, and as she moved the paper aside, beneath it was the most gorgeous dress she had ever seen. The bodice was black and cream lace while the skirt was black chiffon. She touched the chiffon with delicate hands, feeling the lightness of the material, and turned to Marco. "It's absolutely gorgeous."

Marco then handed her another box, which contained a pair of black pumps and a black handbag. The last box, much smaller than the first and very light in weight, had a spectacular handmade black lace shawl. As Leena ran her fingers over the lace—feeling the delicate pattern—she wondered how many hours it had taken someone to make it. It was beautiful, and when she turned to face Marco, she smiled. "Thank you. Everything is lovely."

He couldn't resist any longer, and when he pulled her close, he rested her back on the bed and climbed on top. Marco needed to feel her warm body and plunge himself deep inside her folds right away—dinner would have to wait!

When they finally made it out the door, Marco looked like the Italian billionaire he was, dressed in a dark Valentino suit, a coral color silk tie and a white shirt with Cartier cufflinks. Leena wore the new dress Marco gave her, looking very much like she'd always belonged on Marco's arm at social events, and they got into his Land Rover and drove toward the restaurant.

As they drove up to the Sirenuse Hotel, Leena's eyes widened as she looked at Marco. "I have a surprise for you," Marco said as he smiled at Leena.

Stepping out of his car, they walked into the hotel and were accompanied to a table in the Sponda Restaurant. As they approached, Leena noticed a glowing light coming from the room and as soon as she entered, she saw hundreds of candles illuminating the restaurant, setting the perfect romantic ambiance. Leena suddenly felt lightheaded as she looked at Marco, and as she looked around, she noticed there were only couples sitting at the tables around—the room was set for a romantic evening.

Marco had selected the menu earlier with great detail, giving them a taste of the restaurant's gastronomic dishes. Each dish was served to perfection, giving Leena inspiration to try something different at home.

"This is really beautiful. How did you find it?" Leena asked while she gazed into his sparkling eyes.

"Actually, I casually found out about it this morning when we were here for brunch. I've been here on many occasions, visiting my grandparents, and yet I never took the time to notice this beautiful room in the evening," Marco said, leaning over to kiss her gently on the lips.

"Well, I don't know what to say because you've completely and utterly surprised me tonight."

"I'm pleased you like it. I wanted to offer you a special evening, and this expresses what I feel inside," Marco whispered. She looked at him with tender eyes, making his heart swell, ache from the power he felt inside. He lifted his hand to rub his chest, hoping the pressure would go away. "Listen, I've been meaning to talk to you about something."

"Is something wrong?" she asked, tilting her head while she saw him rub his chest.

"No, nothing is wrong. Actually, I wanted to ask you if you'd accompany me to Santa Barbara, California. I have to go to a wine festival to promote one of our new products and I can't bear the thought of being away from you. Will you come?" Marco asked, hopeful Leena would agree.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked.

"Of course. You can ask me anything."

"Why me—I mean why us?" Leena asked as she waved her hand between the two of them.

Marco smiled a moment before taking Leena's hand, caressing the back of it as it rested on the table. "I want us because you make me want to come home in the evening; because you make me feel wanted and loved—not for my money, but for the man I am inside; because I love the way you feel next to me; because I love the way you look at me; because I love falling asleep with you and because I love waking up with you in the morning."

"Marco, these are all nice things, and yet you could have this with anyone else, so what do you see in me that makes you believe we could have a future together?"

Leena sat back in her chair and looked at Marco, handsomely dressed in his expensive suit. When Marco didn't answer Leena asked again, "Why me?"

Marco felt pain in his chest again knowing this was his chance to be honest with Leena. "I need you with me—I can't breathe when you're not near me and my mind clouds over, making it difficult to think when you're not—I'm completely lost without you," Marco whispered.

"What did I do to make you feel that way? I haven't been anything more than someone who cooks for you and sleeps in your bed."

"Leena, when you walked into my life, you gave me the purpose to live and breathe; you are the reason I look forward to the end of the day so I can come home to be with you. Please tell me you'll come to Santa Barbara."

"Can I think about it?" Leena asked.

"Thinking is good—so it's not a no?" Marco asked, tilting his head to the side.

"It means maybe," she said, grinning, knowing already she'd go with Marco to Santa Barbara.

He grinned, knowing instinctively she would say yes.

They finished their meal and then headed back to the pensione, where they talked for hours and made love twice before finally Leena couldn't keep her eyes open any longer.

# Chapter Fourteen

They awoke early the next morning to a beautiful sun shining through the window, promising an exciting new day. After having a quick breakfast, they drove down the coast to the Positano marina, where they parked the car and walked to the large boats. They were greeted by a young man from the boat rental company and led to a large yacht. Leena looked at the grandness of the vessel, and suddenly felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach as she looked up at its size. The captain dressed in his uniform approached to greet them and then led them onto the yacht where a beautiful young hostess waited, ready with spumante for them to drink. Leena smiled as they boarded the yacht and took a glass of sparkling white wine while the captain went to the command bridge to prepare for their departure.

A few minutes after boarding the yacht, Leena's head started to spin from the wine, and the uneasy feeling of being on a boat made her knees weak. Leena leaned against the railing to keep herself up, and as the yacht started to move away from the Positano harbor, she suddenly felt she needed to sit down, so she walked to a nearby chair. Her face went suddenly pale, and as soon as she sat, Marco noticed the change in Leena's complexion.

"Amore, do you feel sick? I didn't ask if you suffer from motion sickness."

"I'll be okay. I've never felt motion sickness, but I've also never been on a boat," Leena said as she suddenly felt waves of nausea. Marco crouched before her, worried that she was going to be sick.

"Do you want to lie down? You may feel better," Marco said.

Leena nodded, not able to speak from the nauseous feeling creeping up to her throat, so Marco helped her up and accompanied her down to one of the bedrooms below, holding her around her waist when she started to sway on the tight stairs. Leena's legs suddenly felt like jelly and she lost her balance as her ears started to buzz. Marco caught Leena and held her against his chest as he helped her down the rest of the stairs to the lower cabins.

Marco helped her to the bed and sat next to her, watching as she closed her eyes. "Try to rest. It's your first time on a boat and it takes a little time to adjust to the motion. You'll feel better in a little bit." Then he was silent for a moment. "I should've asked if you suffer from motion sickness before making plans."

Once Leena fell asleep, Marco went back up on deck to see how far they were from the Grotta dello Smeraldo. He hoped she felt well enough to visit the Grotta on a landing boat. He'd planned everything to the smallest details, hoping to romance Leena, but it wasn't exactly going as he'd planned. Looking out over the deep blue water, he saw the beauty of Positano in the distance.

Since they would be arriving soon, Marco went back to the cabin to check on Leena. He was relieved to find her sitting up, feeling much better—after he kissed her tenderly, he helped her to the bathroom to freshen up. They walked back up on deck and watched, as they neared the Grotta. The yacht anchored and a ladder suddenly appeared for them to climb down the side. The landing boat was waiting for them at the bottom—Marco started down the ladder, guiding Leena as they descended. They reached the bottom and stepped into the boat where the skipper waited to navigate in the direction of the Grotta. Leena felt queasy again as the smaller boat rocked, moving forward, but the splendor of the scene before her distracted Leena's thoughts and made the queasiness pass.

As they moved through the entrance of the cave, they lowered their heads while the passage to the cave became very low and narrow. When they sat up again Leena couldn't believe her eyes. The reflection of the crystals on the walls bouncing off the water made the room shine with a multitude of colors. As the boat moved within the room, the glow took on a different color. Blue, green, turquoise, emerald—the colors were as vivid as the crystals on the walls.

The air inside the cave turned suddenly cold. Leena felt a shiver run down her back, and as she wrapped her arms around her body to keep warm, Marco placed his jacket over her shoulders and pulled her close to his warm body.

They moved slowly to another cave as the light dimmed while the water beneath them glowed in different shades of emerald. The walls were wet with dew, and yet they glistened and sparkled. Marco pulled Leena closer and kissed her gingerly on the lips while they moved around the dimly lit cave. Marco noticed the reflection of the bright emerald water on Leena's face, intensifying her exotic beauty and his growing love for her.

Leena smiled as she caught Marco's gaze. "It's beautiful."

"Yes," Marco whispered while he looked at the reflection of the cave in her eyes. Her eyes were black, reflecting like a mirror.

They slowly made their way toward the exit and were outside in the sunshine within minutes. The brightness of the August sun blinded them for a few seconds until their eyes adjusted, allowing them to look back at the treasure the sea kept hidden from the world.

"Thank you for showing it to me. It was an incredible experience."

"You're welcome. I really wanted to share it with you."

They rode the rest of the way in silence, their minds wandering to the comfortable feeling they shared together. Marco felt like he'd been waiting for Leena all his life while Leena felt she'd found the man of her dreams—the only problem was that they were from different worlds.

Marco thought about his trip to Santa Barbara and his plans to propose to Leena. He thought of the ring design he wanted to have made by Cartier and knew every detail in his head.

Leena sat quietly thinking how her life had changed the past few weeks. She'd found a job and a lover at the same time. She was grateful for whatever time they'd share together until he would grow tired of her—she was sure it would happen and he'd move on to another lover.

As they reached the yacht and climbed back on board, Leena sat down on a plush chair and leaned her head back to take in the warmth of the sun. They were served lunch on the sunny deck while the yacht returned toward Positano. Leena didn't eat much because her stomach was all in knots, but she was happy to sit and enjoy the rest of the trip, feeling better than the morning. She was sad when they arrived at the Positano harbor, wanting to enjoy more of the afternoon.

After they thanked the captain and hostess, they got off and Marco led her to his car. Leena got in and sank down into the comfortable warmth of the leather seats. The car had been in the sun during their trip—it was extremely hot, and yet she welcomed the warmth of the car as Marco got into the driver's seat and made his way back to their pensione.

They rode in silence for a little while until Leena spoke. "Would you mind if we have dinner in the pensione tonight? I'm suddenly feeling really tired. I'm not sure what has come over me, but I'm hoping it will pass with a good night's sleep."

"Leena, I think that would be a good idea. I wouldn't mind cuddling up to you while we're in bed," he said as he reached over and took her hand.

Leena sat silently during the drive back to the pensione, and as she looked out the window, she lost herself in a trance while she glanced at the coastline. It was breathtaking and it still felt incredibly like a fairytale to be sitting in Marco's car while she looked at such a spectacular view.

She was still lost in her thoughts when they reached the pensione, so Marco gently touched her arm to bring her back to reality.

"Hey, a penny for your thoughts. Is everything okay?"

She smiled back and saw his caring expression. "Yes, everything is wonderful—you're wonderful if I haven't already told you."

"Well then, let's go upstairs and you can show me how wonderful I am," Marco said, winking.

When they stepped into their room, Leena decided to have a relaxing bath while Marco checked his emails—she stripped off her clothes, and just before she had a chance to walk into the bathroom, she felt a slap on her backside. Turning, she saw Marco's playful eyes on her.

"Is that how it's going to be?" Leena asked jokingly, just before she pushed him quickly with such a force that he didn't see it coming. They fell back onto the bed while she straddled him. She started to tickle him, making him laugh loud, and as she tried to hold his hands down, Marco grabbed her hands and turned her over onto her back before he straddled her.

"Now what do you have to say?" Marco asked as his hands waved in the air.

Leena tried to move, but she was trapped under his legs, so she turned and spotted a pillow close enough to grab, and with one smooth movement, she grabbed the pillow and swung it against him, knocking him over. She started giggling, and as she looked up, she saw him get up and grab another pillow.

Leena brought her knees up to her chest, hoping to protect her body, and yet she was giggling so hard that she didn't see the pillow when it hit her hard on the arm, knocking her knees down.

She sat up quickly to grab the pillow again, and within a few seconds, she was on her knees on the bed, swatting him with the pillow as he was doing the same with his while he kneeled on the floor.

Marco's pillow came up and swung hard, sending Leena tumbling head first off of the bed. Luckily, he caught Leena before her head hit the floor and repositioned her on the edge of the bed.

"You look winded. Maybe we should stop," Marco said as he squatted before her. She threw herself back onto the bed while her legs hung off where Marco squatted. She was out of breath, when she felt Marco's gentle hands pick her up and carry her to the bathtub. "Enjoy your bath. I'll be outside if you need me." Marco went out onto the balcony with his computer to read his emails.

She had a hot bath with scented oils, dimmed lighting and soft music. It was just what she needed, relaxing the strained muscles and removing doubts from her mind. The warmth of the bath calmed her nerves, and as she pondered over her relationship with Marco, she realized that he'd become an important part of her life. His gentle fingers, soft caresses, loving attention would be gone before she knew it, so she decided to enjoy the moment while it lasted. She would be crushed when their relationship ended, but she would have loving memories lasting a lifetime.

After washing, she realized her fingers looked like dry prunes, so she got out, and since the bathroom was misty, she slipped on the bathrobe and joined Marco out on the balcony. Marco was looking out at the coast when she walked out, so she sat down on his lap and wrapped her arms around him.

"Thank you for the past two days in Positano."

"Are you enjoying the trip?" Marco asked as he pulled her closer. He gently put her head on the crook of his neck.

"Yes, very much."

"We'll have a relaxing evening tonight. I've ordered dinner to be delivered to our room so we can simply lay on the bed and talk or sit out here and gaze at the stars. Whatever you like to do will be fine."

"I would like to sit out here and look at the stars—it sounds so romantic."

Just then there was a knock at the door. Marco knew it was their dinner, so he went to open the door and then afterward placed the tray down on the table on the balcony. He waited for Leena to change into something dry.

When she came back out, her eyes were bright when she saw the pasta with clam sauce and baked salmon dish with fresh string beans he'd set out for them. She sat down and brought a fork full of pasta to her mouth, smiling while she chewed and swallowed, enjoying the taste. It didn't take her long to finish the plate and look at the salmon and vegetables.

"You ate quickly," Marco said, grinning as he watched her stare at his fish and vegetables. "Go ahead—take some. I don't know where you're putting all the food you're eating tonight."

"I know. I seemed to have lost my appetite for a while, but now—I can't get enough. I'm really famished," Leena said as she placed some more fish and vegetables on her plate.

Marco watched with pleasure as she finished every bite of her food, and when she finally pushed aside her plate, she sat back, not wanting to look at her plate another moment.

"Now I'm full," Leena said, smiling while she looked at Marco's grinning face. "What are you grinning about?"

"I love watching you eat when you have an appetite. You don't eat enough so it's good to see you finish everything on your plate." He cleared the plates from the table and placed the tray with the empty plates outside the door. Then they sat on the balcony, watching the stars late into the night until Leena couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. She slowly closed her eyes and dozed off sitting up in her chair until Marco scooped her up and carried her to their bed. After covering her, he went back out on the balcony.

# Chapter Fifteen

When the rest of the family joined them, they spent their days sightseeing. It was Leena's first chance to see Marco's family interacting, and it was apparent they were truly an important part of each other's lives.

During their trip to Amalfi, they went to visit Furore, a small town in the mountains. Leena was completely taken by this little town, which was divided by a body of water. She believed it to be a gem, completely hidden from the rest of the world by its location. The beauty of the crystal-clear water flowed through the high rocks of the town, giving it a majestic appearance.

They stopped on the path to look at the water below. "Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?" Giacomo asked, smiling as he looked at Leena.

"I can't say that I have. I'm amazed each day by the spectacular beauty created by time," Leena said as she smiled back.

"The Amalfi coast is full of these wonders. We come here often and I never get tired of seeing these spectacular places. It's like they take you back to another time where life had a different meaning. I'm not sure if you follow me," Giacomo said.

"Yes, I understand what you are saying, and I agree. You could never tire looking at these magnificent wonders of life."

The group had lunch at a restaurant in the center of the small town, having a delightful meal as they sat back and laughed while they each told stories of when they were kids and how their grandparents insisted on bringing them to these places. At the time, they were too preoccupied playing practical jokes on each other to notice the splendor they had before them.

After their meal, they continued their walk and found their way down to where the water ran through the town. Giacomo took off his shoes and went into the water. Soon enough, they all followed suit, and before Leena knew it, they were all splashing around in the water like children. The echo of their voices rose up into the high ceiling formed by rock and bounced back at them. The men laughed as they swam in the water while the women enjoyed the sun's heat, finding its way through the large masses to the large rocks where they sat.

As Leena sat on one of the rocks, she watched Marco as he played with his siblings and cousins in the water. He seemed like a big kid, and the more Leena watched the more she knew she was in love with him. Marco caught her gaze a moment and smiled while Giacomo pushed him down under the water, wrestling until they both came up for air.

Then Matteo came to sit beside Leena and looked at the scene playing out before them. "Have you ever seen grownups play like children? It's worth watching, isn't it?" he asked, looking at Leena.

She smiled. "It's nice to see brotherly love."

"Do you have brothers or sisters, and what about your parents? Do they live in Rome?"

"No, my parents passed away and I'm an only child."

"That must be rough," Matteo said, while he picked her up and carried her into the shallow water to join the others.

"Matteo, I can't swim," Leena said, afraid he was going to drop her into the deep water.

"Don't worry, I know you can't swim, but it doesn't mean you can't stay in the shallow end and enjoy the coolness of the water."

~ ~ ~

Marco saw Leena was having a good time with his family. He was happy that she fit in just as easily as she fit into his life—he was sure it was meant to be.

They finally got out of the water and relaxed on the rocks to dry off in the August heat. They looked around and noticed tourists had stopped to watch them. "Imagine what the paparazzi would do if they found out that the Conti family was part of the attraction in Furore today?" Matteo said, grinning.

~ ~ ~

The following day, they went to visit Ravello, a little town up on the top of another mountain. It had spectacular views that also overlooked the Amalfi coast, boasting perfectly manicured gardens and churches. They welcomed the coolness of each church they visited as the temperature outside had become almost unbearable during the day.

Strolling through the small town, the ladies went inside every store to buy souvenirs and gifts to bring home while the men waited outside. Leena didn't buy much, but she was extremely happy with her purchases. Serena, Marco's sister, was deep in conversation with Leena when they walked out of the last store, and just before they joined the men, Serena whispered something into Leena's ear that made her blush. Marco felt a sudden contentment knowing that Leena and Serena had formed a friendship.

Their hotels were scattered in different locations, so when the afternoon was over, they each went back to their own hotel to shower and change before meeting again for dinner. The family booked a table at the Onda Verde restaurant in Praiano, which had a large terrace, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. It seemed suspended over the sea, giving its guests a spectacular view of the sea.

Leena sat next to Marco, who sat with his back to the sea. As she looked out at stunning view, Leena was silent, completely mesmerized by it.

"I can see the Amalfi coast has taken a piece of your heart," Marco whispered into her ear.

Leena grinned without taking her eyes away from it. "I think it's taken my entire heart. I can't get over how beautiful everything is. It makes our lives in Rome seem so plain in comparison."

Matteo, who sat close enough to hear Leena's comment, looked out at the sea too. "That's the beauty of it. It's been here for centuries and it will continue to be here for many more. You see, it reminds us of the beauties in life that surround us every day, but which we don't take the time to look at and appreciate," Matteo said to Leena.

Leena reflected upon what Matteo said. "I've never thought of it that way but you've certainly opened my eyes and taught me how to observe life around me."

The family chatted while they waited to place their order. Marco listened and watched as his family interacted with Leena. She really fit into his life like a glove—so much that it left him speechless. She was a huge part of his world now, and being there with his family made him realize how much he needed her. Marco had never needed anyone, and yet he desperately needed Leena beside him—always.

They ate while they laughed and argued about everything until late into the night when Marco and Leena said goodbye and headed back to their pensione to get some sleep. Sadly, their trip was coming to an end; they were leaving Positano in the morning. It had been a good trip—a wonderful trip—and Marco was sure it was only the beginning. They'd travel the world together—he wanted to show Leena the world, take her to places she'd never been to, and he wanted to go to the few places he'd never seen with Leena by his side—experience life together.

When they were back in their room, Leena cupped his face in her soft hands. "Thank you for giving me these wonderful memories—I will cherish this trip in my heart for the rest of my life."

Marco tried to pull her closer, but before he could do anything, she pushed him onto the bed, grinning like a cat.

"Now it's my turn."

He put his hands behind his head as he watched her with passionate eyes. She crawled onto the bed and slowly unbuttoned his shirt, kissing each spot of his chest as she unbuttoned his shirt. When she finally unbuttoned it all, she slid her hands around his shoulders, removing his shirt very slowly until it was off, and threw it over her shoulder. Then she leaned over, kissed his chest and moved her lips down to his belly button, where his sensitive skin tightened under her delicate kisses. Slowly, she brought her lips back up to the skin around his nipples, circling each nipple with her tongue, arousing him until his pants became unbearably tight. He reached up to touch her, but she pushed his hands off.

"No touching."

"Amore, you're killing me slowly."

Leena grinned, knowing how difficult it would be for Marco not to touch her, and yet she moved her small hands to his belt and heard his intake of breath as her fingers touched the skin below his belly button. Leena took her time unhooking the buckle and then pulling off Marco's belt very slowly. He couldn't take the slowness of her movements so he pulled the belt off the rest of the way and threw it on the bed.

"If you want me to continue, you'll have to stop doing that. Keep your hands still."

"I didn't touch you—I simply removed my belt," Marco complained. His erection was painfully waiting to get out.

She shook her head in disagreement. "You need to lay still."

"Amore, please be quick. I won't last very long if you're planning on seducing me at a snail's pace. I'm already hard and ready to release," Marco said, agonized.

She smiled knowing she had the power to make him whimper, and with that knowledge, Leena moved her hands quickly to remove his pants and then his boxers. His erection stood up quickly as soon as it was free from the garments and then she slipped off the bed, walked to the bathroom and shut the door.

Marco rubbed his face with his hands, wondering what she was doing, and a moment later when she came back out, he felt relief, hoping that his agony wouldn't be much longer.

She came out of the bathroom holding a feather. Marco raised his eyebrows when Leena walked toward him with it, and just as he was about to ask what it was for, she 'shushed' him before he could ask. When Leena placed the feather on the nightstand, Marco was seriously starting to worry that she was going to prolong his torture and he was going to lose his head in the process.

She moved a chair toward the bed and sat down. Marco looked at her and wondered what she was going to do when Leena lifted her hands to her hair and slowly pulled out the elastic, letting her hair down. Then she shook her head, sending her hair tumbling down over her shoulders. Next, she started to unbutton her shirt, stopping at each button while she licked her lips and moaned. It was pushing Marco to his limit and he didn't know how much longer he could wait, but he had to be patient since Leena was trying hard to seduce him—not a difficult task! Patiently, he let her finish what she started as he watched and basically drowned in her beauty. He watched as she slowly pulled off her shirt, and let it fall off her shoulders before it slid down her arms to the floor. Then she turned to straddle the chair with her back to Marco. Leena unhooked her bra from the back and gently slid down a strap at a time as she looked over her shoulder at Marco.

It was truly killing him slowly—not being able to touch her was like torture.

"Amore, I'm pushing my limit."

"Shhh," was all she said. Then she slid the bra off and tossed it over her shoulder at him, hitting him on the chest. He took the bra, and the moment he brought it to his nose to smell her perfume, it was his undoing.

Then Leena got up—always with her back to him—unhooked her jeans and then slid her hands underneath to move them down slowly, bending forward while she removed one leg at a time.

Marco was taking in the view from the back, enjoying every movement, hoping it would be a quick death.

She tossed her jeans over the back of the chair and then slid her hands through the top of her panties, sliding them down slowly as she bent forward again.

"Okay, I can't wait anymore," Marco said, grabbing Leena around the waist and throwing her onto the bed.

"Hey, I wasn't finished."

"Yes, you are. I can't wait any longer and it's now or never," he said, pinning her down to the mattress. He kissed her breasts with such passion, desire filling him quickly as he couldn't quench his need to feel her. His expression then became serious, urgency pushing him forward as he moved his mouth down to her folds.

Leena heard Marco growl as he tasted her core for a couple of minutes before he stopped and turned Leena over onto all fours. He was ready, and Marco knew by the way her body was reacting to his touch that Leena was ready too, so he positioned himself at her womanhood and plunged in, welcoming the warmth of her folds while he moved quickly. He held her hips as his release came immediately—too quick for his liking—but he moved with her until they both climaxed. The moment his energy drained from his body, he moved away and pulled her against him so they fell to the mattress in a spooning position.

Marco held her tight, wrapping his arms and legs around Leena so she couldn't get away, and she closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of his body.

They made love again during the night, but this time he took his time, wanting the moment to last longer, and when the sun started to rise, Leena fell asleep in his arms. Marco looked at Leena's beautiful face as she slept and whispered, "I don't know how you've done it, but I've fallen in love with you."

# Chapter Sixteen

They awoke later in the morning to the brightness of the sun shining through their balcony door. After having a quick breakfast, they got into the Land Rover to drive back to Rome. Leena hadn't slept much the night before so as soon as Marco merged onto the autoroute, her eyelids started to droop and she fell asleep.

As soon as they arrived in Naples, he drove toward the Hotel San Francesco al Monte and woke up Leena as soon as he stopped by the valet parking. Leena looked around in confusion, not understanding why they had stopped at the hotel.

"Are we stopping here for lunch?"

Marco got out without saying a word and went around to open Leena's door while he gave the hotel valet his keys. He helped Leena out of the car and held her hand as they walked into the hotel lobby.

As he led her into the hotel, the manager greeted them and then gave Marco a room key. Marco put his hand on Leena's back to guide her toward the elevator. They got out at the top, and as they stepped out, Leena was more confused than ever.

"Why are we here?"

Marco grinned before putting the key in the door, and stood aside to let Leena go inside first. As Leena stepped into the room, she was taken by the scent of the red roses inside the room, dozens filling the room like a greenhouse.

"I wanted to show you how much I love you."

Leena was stunned by his words, loving words that she didn't expect, but when she opened her mouth, the same words wouldn't come out. She finally whispered a simple "Thank you."

Marco told Leena that she was his past, his present and his future; that he wanted her to be his and that this was only the beginning. Then he walked her through the suite to the outside terrace and sat her down on the sofa. Sitting next to her, he pulled out from his jacket a long velvet box, placing it in her hands.

She looked down at the box as it rested on her lap. "Marco, I've already told you that you don't need to buy me gifts. I'm happy to be with you."

"You're my everything and I want to shower you with gifts."

She caressed his face and kissed him softly on the lips. Then she looked down at the box. After she opened it, she found a beautiful gold bracelet with emerald stones, and when she didn't move—taken aback by its beauty—Marco took it out of its box and fastened it to her wrist.

Leena's mind started racing, thinking about how hard it would be when their relationship ended. She was silent for the first few seconds, until he touched her hand.

"Do you like it?"

"You overwhelm me sometimes, with all the attention and gifts. I've been alone for such a long time, and now that you've stepped into my life, you give me gifts and take me to these incredible places—it's like a fairytale. It's difficult for me to accept it all, but I appreciate it and I love you too."

His heart skipped a beat when he heard the words, and he was suddenly the happiest man on earth because he knew she loved him back. He'd been with other women; all had been interested in his money, his power and his good looks. Leena was the first who cared for the man behind the image. She didn't care about the wealth or the power. He had fallen in love with the simplicity of the girl that he grew to admire and trust.

She went to the bathroom to rinse her face, needing to have a moment alone, and found more roses inside with a multitude of beauty products for her.

When she came back out, Marco took her hand and led her out the door to the elevator, taking them up to the restaurant, to a private terrace with only one table. A waiter appeared, and after they sat, he poured champagne into their glasses before retreating into the restaurant. Leena sat, stunned beyond words as she took in the spectacular view of the city of Naples. She covered his hand with hers and asked him how many more surprises he had for her.

"Amore, this is only the beginning. I promise to share with you the wonders in life, making each day happier than the day before."

They had a quiet lunch, catered to every detail, including the red roses that sat on a trolley beside their table with a note from Marco. When Leena noticed the note, she took it and read.

Amore, you've brought love and joy into my life. I want to show you—not just tell you—how much I love you.

With all my love, Marco

Leena felt tears forming in her eyes from the beautiful words, and yet she did her best to keep them from falling. She reached out and held Marco's hand over the table, feeling his thumb as it caressed the back of her hand. Words couldn't express what she was feeling so she simply smiled, knowing he would understand.

They chatted as they ate a typical Neapolitan meal, consisting of gattò di patate, salsiccia e friarielli and sartù di riso, while Leena studied each plate carefully to recreate it in Rome. Finally, when they'd finished their meal, Leena sat back feeling full and thought about all the food she'd been eating the past few days. She hadn't cooked very much, and yet she had eaten large portions of these delicious dishes.

"What are you grinning about?" Marco asked as her lips turned up.

"I was thinking about all the food I've eaten these past few days and I'm starting to feel like I need to go onto a diet. You've spoiled me, and as much as I'm sad to go home, it will be good to get back to my old routine."

Marco knew that he couldn't bear the thought of not seeing Leena when he woke up in the morning, so he tried to change the subject. "We'll be leaving in a few days for Santa Barbara, or have you already forgotten?"

"I haven't said that I would go," Leena said jokingly.

"You may not have a choice," Marco said, grinning back.

"That would be kidnapping."

"Call it what you like, but I'm not letting you out of my sight because I'm afraid if you have a chance, you might run and not come back," Marco said, winking.

They finished their lunch and went back to their suite where Leena smelled the scent of the roses as she walked in, setting a romantic atmosphere.

"How about we have a bath together?" Marco said, wanting to stay close as long as he could.

"Sure," she said, walking to the window to look at the spectacular view. It was breathtaking—another memory she was sure Marco arranged for her to have while they stayed in Naples.

Marco went to turn on the water in the bathtub, and when he came back, he wrapped his arms around Leena from the back and pulled her closer just as she started to unbutton her blouse. He placed his hands over hers to help, and as soon as the blouse was off, Marco moved his hands underneath her bra.

Next, Marco unzipped Leena's jeans, and after slipping his hand inside, it moved underneath her panties until it found the softness of her womanhood. She spread her legs, giving him more room, and as she closed her eyes, Leena lifted her arms around his neck. He kissed the inside of her arms, and then slowly lowered her jeans and panties. She was standing by the window in the center of Naples completely bare from the waist down, and yet all she cared about was Marco's hands as they worked quickly to unhook the back of her bra.

Marco's erection pushed up against her, and as he moved his hands down her hips, his fingers found her wetness ready for him.

Leena held onto the back of his neck for stability, feeling her knees weaken under his touch, and as soon as his fingers entered her folds, she knew she wouldn't last long. She tried to kick off her jeans, but her legs wouldn't collaborate, so she leaned against him as his fingers worked their magic. Within minutes, she was on top of the wave and knew an orgasm would come fast and hard. Her hips moved to the circular motions of his fingers, feeling desire spark from inside her very core.

She cried out as the pleasure of her orgasm weakened her knees and she slowly started to slide down Marco's body from the power of the energy. He held her tight as her body convulsed, and when he was sure she could stand, he bent her forward and after putting on protection, he inserted his manhood deep inside. He massaged her breasts as they hung loose, bouncing as their bodies moved quickly. He felt his release coming, and as he held her tight, his legs tightened while his orgasm hit him hard, spilling deep into Leena's folds.

Her legs suddenly wouldn't hold her any longer and as she felt her knees buckle, she felt his strong arms pick her up. He kicked off his jeans and boxers, finally free from bondage, and carried Leena to the bathroom. Leena managed to kick off her jeans and panties while Marco carried her to the bathroom, just in time to be lowered into the hot bath.

"Ah, now this feels really good," Leena said as she rested her head back against the tub.

"You felt really good," Marco said, smirking as he climbed into the tub behind her so she lay with her back on his chest.

They made love another time, spilling the water over the tub as their lovemaking became heated and wild. Marco had a way of making Leena's insides melt when he touched her, even when she was in a tub full of lukewarm water. His hands felt hot on her skin as he caressed her body, and after their orgasm passed—and when the water became too cold for comfort—they got out. It took them a long time to get dressed since Marco couldn't keep his hands off of Leena's body, and when they were finally ready, they went out for a leisurely walk and dinner in the center of Naples to wrap up the evening.

~ ~ ~

Marco had a sleepless night but awoke the next morning feeling well enough to drive back to Rome, so after having an abundant breakfast, they got into Marco's car and left for Rome. The traffic wasn't too bad on the autoroute, but because he needed to strain his eyes to concentrate on the road, Marco felt a terrible headache coming on just before arriving in Rome. After parking his car and walking into his penthouse, he took a couple of tablets hoping to relieve his headache, and yet the tension became unbearable, so he went to lie down in his study.

Leena went into the kitchen to prepare an old remedy to help relieve Marco's pain—she took fresh basil, garlic and cut a few slices of potato. Chopping everything fine, she made a paste, wrapped it inside a dishtowel and submerged it in cold water. Then she brought it to Marco in his study and placed it on his forehead while he lay on the sofa. Marco opened his eyes briefly, finding it difficult to look at the sunlight from the pain he felt.

"Close your eyes and rest. I'll be in the kitchen cooking if you need me. You'll see this will help you feel better."

"Thank you, Leena—I don't know what I'd do without you," Marco said as he closed his eyes and the muscles on his face relaxed.

Leena went back into the kitchen to start preparing fresh pasta and sauces for dinner. Realizing she'd been in the kitchen a couple of hours and hadn't seen or heard Marco, she went to the study to check on him. She found him sleeping and she noticed his face was much more relaxed, so she went back to the kitchen to finish off what was needed for dinner.

Shortly after, she decided she needed fresh strawberries for dessert, so she slipped out to the corner shop to get what she needed. As she stepped out of the elevator, she greeted Davide on her way out and then walked out into the sunshine to the store. She bought what she needed and was returning to Marco's penthouse when she heard a voice.

"Well, well, well—look who's moved up in the world," Fabrizio said.

Leena's stomach tightened, and without stopping she simply said, "Leave me alone, Fabrizio—it's over."

Fabrizio walked to her side, grabbed her arm and pulled her to face him. "It doesn't have to be over, baby. You can slip out to see me when you're not with Fancypants—I don't mind sharing."

Leena pulled her arm to escape, and yet his grip only tightened, so she turned to swing her bag at him, hoping to get away. Unfortunately, when she hit him in the head, it only made Fabrizio lose his temper.

"That wasn't nice," he said, whispering in her ear. Then Fabrizio pulled Leena close—making sure she could feel his erection—and then licked the side of her cheek.

Tears started to fall when realization hit that she had no escape. "I just want to go home—let me go."

"I'll take you home and I'll remind you what a real man is like in bed. You'll be calling out my name while my penis will remind you what you've walked away from."

She panicked and felt terror groping at her throat. Leena pulled hard, hoping to run the few meters to where she was sure Davide would be standing.

"Let me go—" When she pulled away, she lost her footing—she slipped, and fell to the ground. "Agh," she said as hit her head on the pavement.

Fabrizio pulled her hair and kicked her in the stomach, telling Leena to get up, and when she didn't move, he kicked her in the head and then in the ribs without any care.

Leena felt buzzing in her ears and her heart beat quickly. This was it—he could kill her right now if nobody stopped him. Flashes of the past times he beat her came rushing back—.

People gathered around and a man stepped forward to help Leena, but when Fabrizio pulled out a knife, the man stepped back. Leena lay on the ground feeling pain flowing freely through her body. All she wanted to do was slip away and not feel anymore pain. Her vision became blurry and a minute later she lost consciousness.

~ ~ ~

Davide heard noises outside and stepped out to see what was happening. When he saw it was Leena, he ran toward her to help, but Fabrizio tried to stab him, so Davide distanced himself enough to call Marco.

Marco awoke to the sound of his phone and walked over to the table to get it. He looked at the display and saw Davide's name.

"Marco Conti."

"Mr. Conti, this is Davide. A man is attacking Miss Malik. She's lying on the ground—come quickly."

Marco felt dizzy as he tried to move—he leaned on the desk to get his balance before he disconnected the call and ran out the door. When he ran outside, he saw a crowd of people gathered, watching the scene. Running through the crowd, he suddenly felt sick when he saw Leena lying on the ground unconscious while blood seeped from her head as the crazy man stood above her, waving a knife.

Marco looked at the man a moment to figure out how he was going to take the knife away, and as he got closer, the man turned on him, jabbing out in the air. Marco managed to jump out of the way and grabbed the man's hand which was holding the knife. They struggled for a moment until other men stepped forward to help Marco. Within seconds, they managed to hold Fabrizio back, but he twisted quickly, jabbing the knife into Marco's left arm. Marco's temper flared as he turned to punch Fabrizio in the face, sending him crashing down to the ground. The men disarmed Fabrizio and held him down while Marco went to Leena.

"Leena, Amore, can you hear me?" Marco looked at her body, noticing the footprints on her blouse and face. Anger filled his body as he wanted to harm the man who did this to Leena, but the men prevented him from getting close again. The ambulance arrived and Marco watched as they worked on Leena. He felt pain when someone touched his arm and realized that moment he'd been stabbed. His head felt light, and when the medic told him to lie down on a stretcher, he was grateful not to be standing because he was sure his nerves wouldn't hold him up for much longer.

Leena and Marco were placed onto different ambulances, and as they drove through the busy streets with the lights flashing and sirens blasting to the nearest hospital, Marco replayed the scene in his head and thought about how close he'd been to losing Leena. He wouldn't have forgiven himself if anything had happened to her.

His arm suddenly became really painful, and as he tried to move to lessen the pain, it only made it worse, so he stayed still, hoping to get to the hospital as soon as possible. As soon as the ambulance pulled up to the emergency, he felt his eyes become really heavy and he lost consciousness.

~ ~ ~

Marco's cut was stitched up in the emergency since it wasn't very deep, but the doctor suggested he rest for the next couple of days. As soon as his doctor walked away, Marco got up and looked for the doctor attending Leena.

"She has a few bruised ribs and a slight concussion so we'll keep her overnight under observation, but the good news is that the pregnancy most probably has not been affected."

"Excuse me?"

"The pregnancy is still at an early stage, but if Miss Malik stays off her feet, it should proceed as scheduled. She'll need complete bed rest for the next three to four days until her injuries have had a chance to heal, but aside from that, she should be just fine."

Marco stood dumbstruck by the news. Leena was going to have his baby. He looked at the doctor and realized he needed to speak. "Thank you, Doctor. When can I see her?"

"She is being moved to a room so the nurse will call you when she's ready, but I would suggest you limit your visit to five minutes—she really needs to rest."

"Of course. Thank you."

Marco smiled at the thought of having a baby with Leena. He called Giacomo to tell him what happened and that Leena needed to stay overnight in hospital, but he didn't say anything about the baby. He needed to speak to Leena about it first. Giacomo told Marco he was on his way and that he'd call the rest of the family to let them know what happened.

Not long after, his family arrived one at a time wanting to know more, but Marco was still waiting for the nurse to take him to see Leena. They waited for what seemed like hours together in the waiting room until finally a nurse passed by to show Marco to Leena's room. When they were outside of her room, the nurse told him he had five minutes.

Marco walked into Leena's room and felt his stomach tighten when he saw her limp body on the bed, full of tubes. The top of her head was bandaged, and remembering what the doctor had said about her bruised ribs, he realized she must have been in pain because she couldn't take strong painkillers due to the pregnancy.

Leena lay very still on the bed with her eyes closed, and as he stepped closer, Marco saw she had an intravenous drip attached to her hand. While Marco studied her body and saw the bruises that were already forming on her face and body, he felt anger build up.

She opened her eyes to see Marco standing by the bed, in what seemed to be a trance. She blinked a couple of times until he suddenly realized she was awake, and watched as he took her hand and brought it to his lips.

Marco saw the tears starting to flow from her face and the pain that crept up into her eyes. He bent down to kiss the tears away, wanting to take her pain away, and yet knew he was powerless. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you."

"How is your headache?"

"My headache is nothing compared to what that bastard did to you."

"I'll survive. The doctor said I have to stay here overnight," Leena said and then noticed his arm. "What happened to your arm?"

"A battle wound, but I wear it proudly."

There was a moment of silence before Leena talked. "I'll go back home when I'm released so I'm not in your way."

"You're not moving from my side." Just as Leena was about to protest, Marco continued, "You're not going home and there's nothing more to it."

"I don't want to be any trouble. I know you have a lot of work and it may be better if I go back home until I'm feeling better."

"No, I'll take care of everything. All you need to do is rest."

The nurse came in to tell him his five minutes were over. He kissed Leena sweetly on the lips, telling her he'd be back in the morning, but before leaving, Marco told her his family was outside and that they sent their love.

"They're outside?"

"Yes, they came as soon as I called. Don't you realize they care about you? You're part of our family now and there is no turning back, Leena."

The nurse insisted it was time to leave, and Marco kissed her before leaving. "I'll be back in the morning—try to get some rest tonight."

Marco joined his family in the waiting room and they sat for a while in the room, discussing how they could help Marco take care of Leena when she was released from hospital. After a few ideas were discussed, they decided the best solution was for all of them to stay at their grandparents' house when Leena was released. This way they could all help while they both recovered from the attack.

# Chapter Seventeen

Marco arrived at the hospital first thing in the morning with clean clothing and toiletry items for Leena. He waited by the nurses' station as they prepared Leena for her release. He watched as the nurse pushed her wheelchair, and although Leena seemed in a lot of pain, her spirits picked up when she saw Marco holding a huge white teddy bear. The bear held a bouquet of red roses.

She smiled and listened as the nurse explained that she needed to stay in bed as much as she could for the next couple of days and to get up only to go to the toilet. No hot bath, no walking, and no stairs.

Giacomo, who had accompanied Marco to the hospital, helped to push Leena's wheelchair toward the car, and then helped her get into the back seat of Marco's car. Then Giacomo took Leena's bag and put it in the trunk before getting into the driver's seat while Marco got into the back with Leena. Marco sat back as he pulled Leena gently closer. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay—really, I'm fine. I don't want to bother you so you can just drop me off at home and I'll be fine."

"Leena, I want to take care of you. We've already made arrangements and we're going to stay at my grandparents' house so you'll have plenty of women looking after you. I can work from there so it's already been sorted."

"I don't want to bother your family—I really should go home," Leena said, mortified by the thought of being a burden to Marco's family.

"Leena, they offered to help. They've fallen in love with you as much as I have and it's normal that they want to help. We're all worried about you," Marco said as he brought Leena's hand to his lips.

"I concur with Marco. Leena, you're part of the family now and there's no running away, so sit back and enjoy it while it lasts," Giacomo said, looking at them through the rear view mirror.

Not really having the energy to argue with anyone, Leena simply smiled and then closed her eyes again as every bump in the road made pain stab her ribs. Giacomo tried his best to drive slowly over the potholes, but the movement of the car made her wince more than once as the pain took her breath away.

"Amore, we're almost there. I promise you'll feel better when we arrive—we'll take good care of you." Marco just wanted to tuck her into bed where she would be protected and safe from any further harm.

They finally arrived, and as they waited for the gates to open, Marco looked at Leena and wondered if she knew about the baby. She hadn't mentioned anything to him so he didn't want to bring up the subject just yet.

Giacomo drove down the long drive, and when they reached the house, the family ran out to greet them.

Serena was the first to reach Leena, and she opened Leena's door to embrace her.

"Leena, I'm so sorry this has happened to you, but you've come to the right place because we'll take good care of you. Just wait and see—you'll be feeling better in no time."

Leena smiled, kissing Serena on the cheek and felt the outpouring of love from everyone.

Marco's stitches prevented him from helping Leena inside the house, so Giacomo came around and leaned in to pick up Leena in his arms. Matteo got the bags out of the car while Erminia took Leena's hand in hers. "I'm so happy you're here. We'll take good care of you."

Leena thanked everyone and they walked into the house. Giacomo carried her up to Marco's bedroom as Marco followed and then Giacomo left to give them some privacy, telling them to call if they needed him.

Leena didn't know how she was going to tell Marco about the baby. She'd been in complete shock when the doctor told her that the baby was fine.

Marco noticed Leena was lost in her own thoughts, so he kissed her on the forehead and sat down on the bed beside her.

"I haven't asked how your arm feels. Does it hurt?"

"I'll survive," Marco said, looking deep into her eyes. "Something's troubling you."

"Marco, I need to tell you something and I'm not sure how to bring up the subject."

He waited for her to find the right words.

"While I was in the hospital, I found out about something that I wasn't aware of and now I really need to tell you," Leena said, worried he'd be angry and send her packing.

"The baby?"

"You know?"

"The doctor told me, and yet I didn't know if you knew about it so I kept quiet until you mentioned it."

"I don't know how you feel about having a baby, but I'd understand if you don't want any part of it. I'll raise it on my own," Leena said while tears flowed down her face from the fear that it would be the end.

He leaned in to wipe the tears from her face. "Are you kidding? Amore, I want you and our baby—always. I want to have a house full of kids with you," Marco said while a single tear ran down his cheek.

She rubbed his tear away with her finger and then, taking his hand, she kissed him with gratitude and relief.

He kissed her tenderly and assured Leena that she was safe, that nobody would hurt her or their baby again. Then he covered her with a blanket and left the room to let her rest.

Marco joined the rest of the family outside on the terrace. "So what are the Carabinieri doing with the guy?" Giacomo asked.

"Leena gave a statement at the hospital which hopefully should put him away for a long time," Marco said.

The family spent the afternoon taking turns sitting with Leena so that she didn't feel lonely in an unfamiliar house. Just before dinner, Marco went up to check on her and he found Leena sitting up in bed, legs hanging off the side.

"What are you doing?"

"I need to go to the toilet—I can make it if I walk slowly," she said as she tried without success to stand. Marco went to her quickly, scooping her up into his arms.

"What are you doing? You'll pull your stitches—put me down immediately."

He walked to the bathroom, not listening to her protests, and put her down on the edge of the bathtub. "I'll be back in ten minutes." Then he walked out and shut the door.

Leena washed and did what she needed, taking longer than she expected as she felt stabbing pain every time she moved. Every few minutes, she sat on the edge of the tub to rest. There was a knock on the door just as Leena finished drying her face.

"I'm done."

Marco opened the door and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear before scooping Leena up into his arms. Then Marco carried her into the bedroom and put her down on the bed.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm sore all over and really tired, but on the positive side, I'm really hungry," Leena said, grinning.

"Hunger is a good sign, so I'll ask the cook to prepare something for you."

Leena glanced at Marco, wondering what life would be like with a baby. Marco would make a great father and she was sure he would truly take care of them as he'd promised. She put her head back on the pillow and exhaled.

"I still can't believe we're going to have a baby," Marco said, caressing Leena's face.

"Everything is happening really quickly. I haven't had a chance to call Carolina to tell her what happened or about the baby. Can I use your phone to make a call? I can't seem to find mine."

Marco kissed Leena on the forehead, then pulled out his phone from his pocket and walked out to give her some privacy.

Leena called Carolina to tell her what happened, and when Carolina heard, she was shocked to know what Fabrizio had done.

"Carolina, I have something important to tell you and I hope you'll be able to be happy for me because I'm really confused at the moment."

"What is it?"

"I'm pregnant."

Carolina screamed into the phone. "Leena, I am so happy for you. You really deserve to be happy, and Marco will certainly take care of you and the baby. I can't wait to meet him."

"Wait, it's true I'm pregnant, but it doesn't mean we have any future plans aside from having a baby together. Sure, Marco says he loves me, but we come from two completely different worlds, and Carolina, you know as well as I do that this can't work."

"Leena, you'd be crazy not to want someone like Marco in your life. Just promise me you'll think things through before making any decision on the matter."

"Yes, I know, and the baby complicates everything because he has a right to be part of his child's life."

"Okay, but promise me you won't make any rash decisions."

"Yes—I promise," Leena said.

Leena hung up and put the phone down on the bed just before she turned onto her side. Suddenly feeling sleepy, she closed her eyes, hoping to take a little nap before dinner.

When Marco went back upstairs, he covered Leena with the blanket and went back downstairs.

~ ~ ~

A couple of hours had passed since Marco last checked in on Leena, so he went upstairs to see if she was awake and found her sitting up, watching television.

"How do you feel? You look better."

"I feel better and I'm hungry."

"Great. Dinner is ready so I'll go get it and be back in five minutes."

A few minutes later, he returned with a tray of pasta with fresh basil and cherry tomatoes, a portion of rice stuffed peppers and a piece of apricot tart, and after setting it down on the bed beside her, he sat on the bed while she ate. Leena ate everything on the tray, surprising Marco with her appetite.

"You really were hungry," he said, smiling.

"I certainly was, and now I feel sleepy. Oh, here's your phone," she said before lying back against the pillows, feeling completely full.

"I'll get you a new phone tomorrow," Marco said as he put his back in his pocket.

"You don't need to. I'll get one as soon as I feel better."

"No, I'll get one for you tomorrow. Leena, you're my responsibility now—you and the baby."

"I'm pregnant, not helpless. I can buy my own phone," Leena said, annoyance suddenly in her tone.

"I'm not saying you're helpless—I'd like to care and provide for you—which means that I want to buy you a phone to replace the one you lost," Marco said as he stood.

"Well, I'm suddenly sleepy, so if you don't mind, I think I'll take a nap." She didn't feel like arguing so she closed her eyes.

Marco took the tray downstairs and was stopped by his grandmother as he walked toward the kitchen.

"How is Leena?" Erminia asked.

"She's feeling better and ate everything on the tray. She's sleeping now, and yet will probably wake up hungry again soon," Marco said with a grin. "Nonna, I have a secret that I'd like to tell you, but only if you promise to keep it to yourself for now."

"Of course. What is this secret?" she asked.

"Leena is expecting a baby," Marco said, his eyes sparkling with joy. "We're going to have a baby."

"That's wonderful news, but it would be nice to be married before the baby arrives."

"I was planning on asking her to marry me this week in Santa Barbara, so the timing is perfect."

"That's a good boy—I've always known you would settle down with a good girl. I'm happy for the both of you."

"Nonna, everything is a secret for now, so please don't say anything."

"I won't tell anyone—you have my word."

He hugged his grandmother and then went to leave the tray in the kitchen before going outside to join his siblings and cousins. Marco had dinner with his family and then they sat out by the fire a couple of hours while they chatted about what was going on in each other's lives until one by one they said good night and went to bed.

Marco sat a little while longer on his own by the fire, watching the flame dwindle down, thinking about Leena. He hoped her injuries healed enough to travel in three days' time. He'd more or less planned the entire trip and how he'd propose to Leena. The last thing he needed to do was pass by Cartier the following day to look at what he'd commissioned. After a few more minutes, Marco decided it was time to go to bed, so he went upstairs and slipped into bed next to Leena. His head still pounded but it felt good to put his head down on the pillow.

~ ~ ~

Marco awoke from his sleep when he felt Leena stirring in bed. When he was fully awake, he could hear her moaning, and as soon as he turned on the bed lamp, he saw she was trying to get out of bed.

"Leena, what's wrong?"

"I feel sick. I need to get to the bathroom."

Marco ran to the other side of the bed, scooped her up into his arms and carried her quickly to the bathroom. He put her down near the toilet where she bent over just as she started to throw up. Leena held her ribs while she threw up and tried to hold back the urge, but the waves of nausea kept coming. He held her up, trying to relieve some of the pain, and gently rubbed her back while he waited for the nausea to pass.

She threw up everything she had for dinner and most probably what she'd had the past twenty-four hours. When she sat back, exhausted, Marco sat her on the edge of the tub and pulled out a clean face cloth to wash her face. She looked at him with tired eyes as he squatted before her, washing her face and neck.

The coolness of the face cloth felt good on Leena's skin and she was so tired that she would have fallen over if it weren't for Marco holding her up. When he was sure it was safe to bring her back to bed, Marco scooped Leena up and carried her back to the bedroom. He was relieved when she put her head down and fell back to sleep just before he climbed back into bed, exhaustion taking over his body.

# Chapter Eighteen

Marco woke up the next morning to the sound of Leena crying. She was curled up on her side when he turned to look at her. "Leena, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

"Please, tell me what's wrong."

She moved with great difficulty and turned over to face him.

As he saw the huge bruise forming on the side of her face, anger crept into his stomach, but he couldn't let Leena see his fury and frustration, so he took a few breaths to steady his emotions.

"Are you in pain?" Marco asked when she didn't answer.

"No—I'm fine. I hate being a burden."

"I know, but trust me, you'll feel better soon, and before you know it, you'll be in the kitchen preparing delicious dishes," Marco said, kissing her on her nose. "Do you want to lie on the sofa today? The doctor said you shouldn't get up, but it doesn't mean that you need to be secluded in the bedroom."

The moment Leena heard Marco's words, her eyes lit up. "I'm tired of being on my own. Can you please bring me downstairs?" she asked, pleading.

He grinned as he scooped her up in his arms and walked out of the bedroom.

"You shouldn't be doing this. What about your stitches?" Leena asked.

"I feel much better today and the stitches don't hurt anymore," Marco responded.

As they walked down the stairs, Erminia greeted them at the bottom of the stairs.

"Leena, how are you feeling today?"

"I'm feeling a little better and I'm eager to have company today."

Erminia kissed Leena's cheek, said she was going to ask the cook to make something special for lunch since Leena was feeling better, and then walked off cheerfully in the direction of the kitchen.

Marco walked outside onto the terrace and put Leena down on one of the comfortable sofas. He propped pillows behind her back and then went to get some breakfast for both of them.

"Good morning, Leena. How are you feeling today?" Giacomo asked.

"I'm feeling better and I'm happy to be outdoors today."

"Leena! I'm happy to see you outside today," Serena said, bending to hug Leena gently.

"Hey, I haven't been gone more than five minutes and you're already all over Leena," Marco said while he handed Leena a plate of food and placed his on the table close to the sofa.

Giacomo slapped him on the back and Marco playfully punched him back. Then Giacomo and Serena went to get their breakfast and returned, sitting at the table with Marco.

"So, what do we have planned for today?" Serena asked.

"I need to go into the city this morning but I'll be back by lunchtime. Will you help Leena get around while I'm away?" Marco asked as he looked at his siblings.

"Of course. Leena and I will get to know each other better while you're out," Serena said, winking at Leena.

Leena was glad to have a girl to talk to. She missed Carolina and really liked Serena, so she was hoping to have a little time alone with Serena to get to know her better too.

After breakfast, Marco got into his car and drove into the city for his appointment with Cartier. He was greeted by the store's Director and was brought to a private room on the second floor to discuss his design.

The head jeweler brought the mock-up ring Marco had designed. Marco held the gold piece between his fingers and turned it over as he studied it closely. The jeweler showed Marco the diamonds he'd selected and where they would be set on the ring. The ring would be made using two bands, joining on the bottom and then opening up in a spiral motion where a large round solitaire would sit encased on the top, holding the two bands together. Each of the two bands would have smaller diamonds encased.

"Yes, this is exactly what I wanted. Will it be ready for tomorrow evening?"

"Yes, of course, Mr. Conti. The ring will be ready by the end of the day. Should we deliver it to your home or would you prefer to collect it personally?"

"I'll pass by to collect it—thank you." Marco wanted to maintain secrecy about it for as long as possible. Giacomo and his grandmother were the only people that knew about his plan to propose.

He walked back out into the summer heat and got into his car. Then Marco went by his penthouse to pick up a few things and made a few phone calls before sending his assistant an email, specifying a departing time for his pilot to be ready for their trip to Santa Barbara.

When he was sure all the arrangements had been made, he drove back to his grandparents' house, where he found everybody sitting around the table about to have lunch. Marco was pleased to see Leena lying on the sofa in a cheerful mood, happy and comfortable in her surroundings.

He kissed her on the lips before going to get a plate of food. Once his plate was full of cold rice salad, prosciutto and fresh Italian crusty bread, Marco went to sit beside Giacomo at the table and listened to their chatter.

"Were you pleased with what they've prepared?" Giacomo whispered so that nobody could hear.

"Yes. The ring will be beautiful," Marco said as he watched Leena talk to his grandmother.

"Is everything ready for your trip?" Giacomo asked.

"Yes. The plane will be ready for our departure, and after the work aspect of the trip is over, I'll romance Leena and ask her to marry me."

Marco glanced over at Leena and watched while she laughed. He felt pride knowing this Asian beauty would soon be his for the rest of his life. As he watched Leena, Marco loved the way her beautiful lips moved when she talked and her exotic eyes danced when she laughed.

Marco knew Leena needed to rest, so when they finished eating, he brought her up to bed to take a nap.

She caressed Marco's cheek while he put her on the bed. "Thank you. I appreciate everything you and your family are doing for me."

He kissed her softly on the lips and pulled her into an embrace as their kiss deepened. Not wanting to leave her side so quickly, Marco lay down beside her and waited until she fell asleep before joining the others outside.

~ ~ ~

The rest of the day passed quickly, and after dinner, they sat around the fire gazing at the stars. Leena suddenly felt cold, so Marco pulled her close to his warm body while Giacomo wrapped her in a blanket. Snuggling close to Marco, she started to feel better, his body warming hers quickly. Marcello asked them what they had planned the following week and Giacomo sighed as he put his head back to look at the stars.

"I need to go to New York for a meeting next week, and then after that, straight to London," Giacomo said. "I'm not looking forward to being away all that time, but I've been putting it off for months and can't postpone it any longer."

"Well, we'll be away about a week, but it would be nice to regroup when we're all back in Rome next month," Marco said.

"I'll be in South America when you come back, so I'll meet up with you when I get a chance," Matteo said.

Leena listened to them talk about their trips to exotic places—exciting places to Leena—but the men didn't seem very enthusiastic about having to travel. The more she listened, the more she realized they traveled quite often. The only reason they were at home was because it was an Italian vacation period, which meant businesses slowed down until the middle of September.

She was told they worked hard all year round and planned to be at home for the holidays—no matter how busy their schedules were. Leena was impressed by their determination to be together as a family considering their important responsibilities at work. In fact, she realized they'd made changes to their schedules to help Marco take care of her these few days. Leena suddenly realized the love and dedication the family had for one another, putting the family's needs first above all else.

It was getting late and the air became really damp, so they went upstairs to their room for the night. Marco carried Leena up to their room and sat her down on the bed.

"How do you feel?" Marco asked.

"I'm sleepy, but feeling much better. Being with others today really made a difference. Thank you," she said, caressing his arm.

"I'm happy you're feeling better."

"I need to go to the bathroom before going to bed," Leena said, and as Marco was about to pick her up, she lifted her hand to stop him. "I can do it on my own." She moved slowly toward the bathroom and then closed the door.

Leena came back out a few minutes later wearing her nightgown, and as soon as she got into bed, Marco slipped into the bed beside her and pulled her close. He kissed Leena gently at first and then his kiss turned passionate, desire building inside, until he knew he needed to stop and regretfully pulled away.

He held her in arms the rest of the time while they chatted about their upcoming trip. Leena asked numerous questions—wanting to know what they would be doing while in America—until they closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep.

# Chapter Nineteen

The next morning they had breakfast with the family and then packed to go back to Marco's place in the city. Marco drove slowly so as not to cause Leena any discomfort, but the roads were full of potholes, making it a very long drive. Finally, after they reached his apartment building, Marco parked the car and helped Leena upstairs to rest. As soon as they dropped their bags in Marco's bedroom, Leena went into the kitchen. When Marco realized, he went to the kitchen too.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to make us something for lunch," Leena said.

"No, you're not; you still need to rest. You can keep me company in my study while I respond to some emails," Marco said, as he took Leena's hand and led her out of the kitchen.

"I'd like to do something—I haven't cooked in a long time and I can't live like this. I'll have to go back to work at some point," Leena said.

"Well, all you can do for now is rest, and I won't take any arguments from you. Understand?" Marco said, placing his forehead on hers and looking into her dark eyes.

"Fine," she said, closing her eyes since she couldn't look at him.

"Leena, open your eyes and look at me," Marco said, lifting Leena's chin so her face met his.

She opened her eyes and looked into his emerald green eyes.

"We've come home to pack for our trip, but you still need to rest. I don't expect you to do anything but rest. Will you promise me that you'll do just that?"

She nodded and then made an excuse that she was suddenly tired, wanting to lie down on the bed. So after she walked to the bedroom to lay down, many thoughts popped into her head. She'd weighed the options of having the baby on her own over staying with Marco, and the one thing she was sure about was that she didn't want to trap him with the excuse of the baby. One thing was for sure, Leena would have to find another job if she decided to have the baby on her own. She couldn't bear the thought of working for Marco—being close to him but not being able to touch him—it would kill her. These thoughts overwhelmed her and finally, after a long time, she fell asleep from physical and mental exhaustion.

~ ~ ~

Marco made a few phone calls and went through his emails. When he looked at his watch, he was surprised to see that two hours had passed since he last saw Leena, so he went to check in on her. She was still sleeping and when he went closer, he saw her face was tense from worry.

His heart broke seeing her like that, but knowing he would soon offer her security and happiness, Marco's heart found peace. He quietly walked out and went back to his office to continue working.

The afternoon passed quickly, and by the time Marco went back to check on Leena a second time, he found her awake and staring at the ceiling.

"Amore, how do you feel?" he asked.

"I've felt better, but I'm okay."

"Why don't you have a tepid bath to relax your tense muscles and then we can go out for dinner if you're not too tired, or if you prefer to stay home, we can order something from a nearby restaurant," Marco said, stroking her arm.

"I wouldn't mind going out. Give me thirty minutes to have a bath and get dressed."

"Amore, take your time in the bath. We're in no rush," he said, brushing a kiss on her lips. He noticed she looked a little better, more relaxed, and hoped some fresh air would brighten her spirits too. So, he went back to his study to send off one last email, and then, after shutting down his computer, he went into his bedroom to change and found Leena already washed and dressed in the bedroom, ready to go out.

"I'll have a quick shower and be ready in ten minutes," he said.

~ ~ ~

He kissed her and quickly took off his clothes before walking to the bathroom, his scent lingering while she watched his beautiful muscular body as he moved. Leena went to the kitchen to get a glass of juice and threw out fresh vegetables that had gone bad the past few days. When she returned to the bedroom to get her bag, she found him dressed and ready to go out.

They walked to a restaurant nearby, not far from the Trinità dei Monti, and as they walked in, the owner greeted Marco, asking how his family was doing. After listening to them chatting a few minutes, Leena understood that Marco ate at the restaurant often. The owner showed them to a table and then a waitress came to tell them what was on the evening menu.

"Good evening, Mr. Conti. Tonight we have fettucine al cinghiale, penne all'arrabiata, lasagna and pappardelle al ragu. Which would you like to order?"

Leena ordered the pappardelle al ragu and Marco ordered the fettucine al cinghiale. Then Marco ordered a liter of red house wine and sat back to enjoy the relaxing evening. Marco asked Leena where she'd travelled to and where she'd like to visit, and when she mentioned that the one place she'd always wanted to visit was Pakistan, he understood the reason. She had always desired visiting her grandfather's home country, and yet had never had the opportunity. While she talked about the traditions her father had passed onto her, Marco noticed how her eyes danced as she talked about the dresses the women wore and the dances they performed. She talked about the monuments as though she knew everything there was to know about them, but he could see in her eyes the haze of regret because she'd only seen these places in pictures.

~ ~ ~

They got up early the next morning and were at the Ciampino airport before most Romans got up to go to work. Leena looked at the aircraft as they got out of the car and was impressed by the luxury of the jet. Marco led her into the plane and showed Leena to a leather armchair. She sat, resting her head back while she took in the grandeur of the aircraft. While Marco talked with his pilot, she studied the interior of the aircraft and noticed all the comforts it had. There were panels with commands, she imagined for entertainment. The cream-colored seats were contoured to hug her body, and the leather seats heated and massaged her back. The cherry wood veneer made the room warm and welcoming. It certainly didn't look like the interior of a plane, or at least not a plane Leena had ever traveled in. She'd traveled few times, and yet each time she traveled in a commercial plane in economy class—certainly nothing compared to this luxury.

"Hello, my name is Laura and I'm your flight attendant. Breakfast will be served once we take off. Can I get you anything before we leave?"

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Leena, and I can wait for breakfast to be served—thank you."

"Just press the button on the chair if you need me," Laura said before retreating.

Just as Marco sat beside Leena, the pilot instructed to fasten their seatbelts because they were ready for take-off.

"Have you ever flown overseas?" Marco asked.

"No, I haven't. I've only been on a plane twice and it was nothing like this one."

"Are you afraid to fly? It never crossed my mind to ask you."

"No, I'm not afraid to fly." She placed her hand over his, as it rested on the chair, to reassure him that she was fine.

They sat back as the plane started to move forward, and within minutes they were airborne. Leena looked out the window and smiled, feeling the excitement rise in her chest.

Marco pulled out his laptop and started to read some emails.

"Amore, I need to make a few phone calls. I'll be back soon," he said and then leaned over to kiss Leena.

"Of course—don't worry about me. I brought a book to read," Leena said with a warm smile. She pulled out her book and started to read as Marco walked to a nearby office space.

He made a phone call to one of his people and gave orders for the following day. Marco's call lasted longer than he wanted and when he hung up, he let out a breath and then made another call. This time it was to the US Department of Agriculture.

Leena started to feel sleepy while she read her book, so she put it down and put her head back. Laura walked by and showed her how the chair reclined, becoming a bed much to Leena's pleasure. She turned to her side while Laura covered her with a blanket.

~ ~ ~

By the time Marco finished his calls, he found Leena asleep on the chair, so he picked her up in his arms and brought her to the bedroom where he put her gently down on the bed and then quietly left the room.

Marco then asked Laura for a glass of red wine and went back to his laptop. He worked straight through responding to numerous questions about last-minute preparations for their ceremony until he felt gentle hands on his neck. Turning, Marco found Leena standing behind him.

"I fell asleep."

"Yes, you did," he said while his arms snaked around her and pulled her into his lap. He looked at her rosy cheeks and sleepy eyes before kissing her intently, her touch instantly making his arousal grow, which Leena felt and made her grin. "We need to eat something, so before you make me forget about it with the way your gorgeous body is sitting on my lap, let me tell Laura that we're ready to eat."

Leena loved the way she could make him feel that way in so little time. It was an incredible feeling, but he was right—they needed to eat.

They went to the dinner table, and within a few minutes, Laura brought them a delicious meal consisting of lasagna, breaded veal cutlet with roasted potatoes, and chocolate cake for dessert. Leena enjoyed every bite from the pasta to the dessert.

When Leena sat back, she smiled and glanced over at Marco. "Would you believe I'm not full?"

"I could believe it—you're eating for two. Pregnancy has changed your appetite." He smiled.

"It's not all it's changed. I feel desire growing," she whispered to him over the table.

"Really?" he asked, astonished by her remark.

"Yes."

He got up and led her to the bedroom, where he picked her up only to place her down on the bed and then started to undress her. He gently kissed her below her ear and then moved the kisses slowly down toward her beautiful breasts. He unclasped the bra and then kissed around each breast, taking one nipple in his mouth at a time, sucking and biting. It sent shudders through Leena's body, and as he moved his kisses down her chest, she pulled him closer, arching her back so their skin touched. His scent was overwhelming and his fingers moved, sending delightful sensations throughout her body.

"Just tell me if I need to stop," he said before continuing.

His lips moved down until they reached the top of her panties. Slowly kissing in circular motions the softness of her skin below her belly button, his hands roamed lower, slipping underneath the silk material. Marco's fingers felt the wetness from her heat and moved inside to Leena's sensitive spot, twirling until he heard cries of pleasure coming from deep within her. Still kissing her delicate skin, Marco's lips moved down to her damp panties, gently moving them down while his fingers continued to tease her inside. Leena gripped the sheets to take control, but when his mouth found her womanhood, it sent her flying off the cliff faster than she expected. Her body convulsed in a matter of seconds as her back arched off the bed, pushing closer toward Marco's mouth while he lapped her wetness with his tongue.

She put her head back, not able to hold off any longer, and let herself go, releasing a loud sigh of pleasure as he pushed her on toward another cliff. She was getting over the first orgasm when the second one started, immediately hitting her without notice. Jabbing pain started under her ribs but the pleasure she was feeling was greater than the pain, and so she tried to relax as her body was consumed by delight. Her toes curled and her fingers hurt while she grabbed the sheets tighter, but it wasn't enough. She felt she was falling no matter how hard she grabbed onto the sheets. Then her body jerked and she felt excruciating pain.

"Ahh!" Leena screamed, releasing the sheets.

"Sorry, I've gone too far," Marco said as he pulled away and waited for the pain to subside.

When the pain was gone, she turned to look at him on the bed and slowly started to undress him, kissing his neck and his chest.

"Leena, you don't have to do this. We can wait until you're feeling better."

She gave Marco a cat grin and continued undressing him, slowly lingering on each part of his skin that glowed under her touch. Leena kissed the delicate skin below his belly button, and as she kissed him, it sent tremors down his body. She could see his erection growing through his boxers. He was ready and she was going to give him the pleasure that he had just given to her. She reached inside his boxers and put one hand on his manhood, and with the other hand, she pulled his boxers down enough for his erection to pop out. Her slow movements were torture on his body—waiting in anticipation for her delicate hands to touch him. He was in pain from the urgent need to find release, and yet he felt he had to control himself, knowing that she couldn't move any quicker.

She moved her lips up and down his pulsing erection while her hands moved over his sides and legs. Then she moved her hands to his chest where she grabbed his nipples with her fingers and teased them as her mouth moved faster, making his body shudder.

He moved quickly, pulling her back. "Amore, I'm about to come."

Leena grabbed his erection with her hand and moved quickly up and down his length until his body stiffened, finding release while he slowly spilled over onto her hand. After a minute, Marco's body went completely still and he kept his eyes closed as she slowed her movements.

He opened his eyes and pushed her down slowly on the bed. "Now it's your turn again," he said, grinning.

While she lay on her stomach, he gently moved a pillow under her hips, lifting her butt off the bed. Then he kissed her below her ear. "Are you comfortable?"

She nodded, and he moved his lips slowly down her back while his tongue tasted the softness of her skin. His tongue moved down her back to the roundness of her butt cheeks, and after he gently moved her right knee up on the bed, his mouth found her womanhood.

She closed her eyes as his touch made her body shudder and she felt desire building quickly within. She couldn't keep the pleasure inside for much longer as it grew with intensity. Leena's body moved in spasms as the orgasm hit her hard, and as soon as Marco knew he couldn't push her any longer, he waited until her breathing returned to normal.

"I'd say we've had enough pleasure for tonight. Do you agree?" Marco asked, rolling Leena over to spoon her body.

Smiling, she nodded and then closed her eyes. Leena was content to be there with Marco no matter what their future would be. He pulled her close and covered them both.

~ ~ ~

Marco got up shortly after to have a shower and change, leaving Leena in bed while she slept. He still had work to do before they arrived, so he went back to the work space to deal with what was left. A little before they were due to arrive at the Santa Barbara airport, Marco woke Leena to give her time to shower and change.

"Hey, you're already washed and dressed," Leena said, noticing his black jeans and black Burberry polo shirt.

"Yes, and you need to get washed and dressed too—we'll be landing soon," Marco said, holding Leena close a moment while she sat up.

"Sure—I'll be quick," Leena said, getting out of bed and going to the bathroom to shower and change.

She was washed and dressed in thirty minutes. When she walked out of the bathroom, she was alone, so she ventured out to find Marco sitting in the chair, waiting for her. He'd asked for food before their descent, and the moment Leena sat down at the dining table, she started to devour the cannelloni and chicken breast in a mushroom sauce she was served. As soon as they finished their meal, they moved to their seats to buckle up while the aircraft started its descent toward Santa Barbara.

The landing was smooth, and as Leena looked out the window, she was eager to see California. Marco's good friend James Miller greeted them, personally picking them up at the Santa Barbara airport with his car and driver. After exchanging hugs and introductions, they got into the white stretch Hummer limo.

Leena's eyes danced with pleasure as she saw the interior. It had a cream-colored leather interior, veneer wood paneling and a hardwood floor. There was a bar with bottles of liqueur and crystal glasses. The ceiling was made of glass so the occupants could see the bright sky during the day and the stars at night—it was extremely luxurious and took her breath away. She settled into one of the long seats and enjoyed the ride as Marco and James caught up with their news.

The drive didn't last very long as they drove up to one of the Miller Resorts. The doorman dressed in a black suit and tie opened the door, giving Leena his hand to help her step out. Leena looked up and was taken by the corridor of lights that led to the entrance of the Resort. As soon as Marco and James joined her, Marco placed his hand on her back and led her into the Resort.

The main lobby of the Resort was decorated in a luscious style. It hosted many international cultural heritage pieces, intriguing Leena, so she stepped closer to have a better look. These pieces were gorgeous, and each piece had a description as in a gallery or museum. Through the main lobby was a large open space living area, designed with small private spaces for groups to relax with a drink. These rooms were furnished with antique Chippendale furniture.

"I've checked you into one of our best European Suites. I'll leave you two to get settled and then we can meet again for dinner. I've reserved a table for us at our waterfront restaurant at 8:30 p.m. I know how you Italians like to eat later than us Americans," James said, grinning.

"Thanks, James. We'll see you for dinner," Marco said.

"Marco, this Resort is wonderful. It must be interesting to run a place like this," Leena whispered to Marco as they walked toward the elevator.

Marco grinned and kissed her. "Amore, this is only one of James' hotels. He has many more around the world."

Leena gasped as they stepped inside the elevator. Marco placed his hotel key in a control panel.

"What are you doing with the key?" she asked.

"Our suite is a penthouse which can be accessed only by one of these keys," he said, grinning as he lifted the key in the air.

The ride was quick, and as the elevator's doors opened again, Leena's mouth opened as she saw their suite. It was large and also filled with beautiful Chippendale furniture, but what suddenly brought tears to her eyes were the hundreds of red roses scattered throughout the room.

He led her into the suite and sat her down on the sofa so she could take in the splendor of the room. The scent of the red roses was prominent throughout the room, and as she took a moment to regain focus, she noticed that there was a large terrace outside of their suite. Leena got up and walked out onto the terrace to look at the spectacular view of the ocean.

When Marco walked out to stand beside her, he waited for her to say something, but she simply stood still, looking out at the ocean.

"I knew how you love the seaside and thought you may enjoy the view from our suite. James assured me that you would fall in love with Santa Barbara after you saw the ocean."

"James was right. The ocean view certainly brings it all into perspective, but the roses came from your heart, which reach deep into my soul. I couldn't have asked for more," Leena said.

Marco put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close before he kissed her gently on the temple. Then he got them each a glass of wine from the private bar and they sat on the terrace, enjoying the ocean sounds until it was time to change for dinner.

"There is an art museum in Santa Barbara that I need to visit while we are here. Would you like to accompany me?" Marco asked.

"I love art and I would be more than happy to come with you. Is it for work?" she asked.

"Actually, I'm a benefactor of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and I've been told there is a new piece that has been donated recently."

"Oh, I'd love to visit the museum with you."

"I'll arrange a visit tomorrow afternoon."

They sat a little while longer on the terrace and then Marco swept her up into his arms and took her to the bathroom where there was a large sauna. He started to undress her.

Leena moved her hands to help Marco undress too, and then they stepped into the sauna. Once inside, Marco placed towels over the hot wooden bench and then turned to take her hand.

"Lay down on the towel," he said.

She lay down as he instructed and then he lifted her knees, spreading her legs. Then he went to the corner of the sauna to take a bottle from a shelf and spread the hot liquid over her tummy, just below her belly button.

"What is that?" Leena asked.

"It's strawberry syrup," Marco said, grinning.

"Interesting. Do I get to put some on you after?" Leena asked, feeling desire building. It must be the hormones from pregnancy—she suddenly wanted to do all sorts of naughty things to his body.

"Of course." He put the bottle down and lowered his head to where he'd spread the syrup, moving it over her tummy with his tongue. She arched her back to his touch as it sent a pleasant sensation throughout her body. His mouth moved down to her womanhood, spreading the strawberry syrup over her wetness, before swirling his tongue back up to her belly button.

The entire movement sent shivers running through her body from the intensity of the pleasure building, moving her hips closer to his mouth. As she grabbed onto the wood, she felt the hotness of the wood under her fingers, and yet she needed to hold onto something before she felt she was going to fall off the narrow bench.

He stuck two fingers inside her folds while his mouth devoured the strawberry dripping off the side of her tummy. Marco's mouth moved up, spreading the syrup to one of her breasts, teasing and sucking on the nipple while his fingers worked the inside of her folds.

Her first orgasm came quickly as he sucked on her nipple and she closed her legs tight, feeling the wave of pleasure overtaking her.

"Amore, open your legs," Marco said as he looked up. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing heavily while his fingers worked their magic inside, filling her core.

Leena spread her legs for him as her body jerked while the power of her orgasm filled her. Then Marco moved his mouth back down toward her belly button, spreading the syrup over the crease of her leg before removing his fingers and bringing his mouth to her folds. Marco sucked the juices mixed with the sweetness of the strawberry syrup before pushing his tongue inside. Leena moaned and squeezed her legs tight again from the second orgasm building up. He spread her legs open and moved the syrup over her legs as his hands found their way down toward her ankles.

Leena arched her back, lifting her hips closer to his mouth as the second orgasm hit her fast and hard. Marco slipped his hands under her backside, holding her still while he worked his tongue inside her folds. Her body shuddered one last time as she screamed out—desire taking over her body. Marco moved his mouth back up her tummy to her breasts before lifting his head to look at her. Leena was gleaming from the inside.

He shifted to lie below her on the lower narrow bench, holding her hand while she caught her breath. She turned to look into his eyes and smiled, then she shifted to get off the bench.

Leena walked to the corner where the syrup bottles stood and took the caramel bottle, turned and wiggled her eyebrows. "I love caramel, so get ready to be really sticky."

"I love sticky." Marco grinned mischievously.

So Leena walked to him and spread the syrup from his chest to his pulsing erection.

"Don't you think it's a bit too much?" Marco asked, placing his hands on his sides to block the syrup from falling.

Shaking her head slowly, she went to him and moved her lips over his chest, spreading the syrup out evenly. Then she moved her mouth downward until she reached Marco's erection, pulling it into her mouth and sucking hard as the syrup coated it fully. "Mmmmm!"

Marco laughed out loud and then put his hand over his mouth to stop from laughing. "What have I created?"

"You pulled out the syrup," Leena said in a muffled voice as his erection was still in her mouth. Then she lifted a thumb toward him while she winked to say that the syrup was an excellent idea.

She tasted the creamy, sticky caramel as her mouth moved up and down the length of his pulsing flesh. Leena pulled off and then moved her mouth to his belly button, swirling her tongue inside the button where the caramel pooled before she moved up farther to his nipples.

His skin was on fire while her hands gently held his sides and her tongue delicately moved up his body, tasting the syrup. Marco knew he wouldn't last much longer; her tempting was arousing him more than anything, so he was happy when her mouth returned to his manhood and started to move quickly.

The taste of the caramel on his aroused manhood made it slippery and easy to move up and down his length. She quickened her movements until his stomach started to shudder and his legs tightened. "Amore, I'm about to come." He grabbed her shoulders quickly, trying to pull her off, so she continued with her hand just as his release came, spilling over while his body tensed at the pure pleasure he was feeling.

"Please stop," he croaked when her hand continued moving.

She looked up and finally released his erection, which was clean; not a drop of syrup remained. As Marco looked down at it, he grinned. "You really like caramel. You've licked every drop."

"I told you I like caramel!" Leena said, smirking.

He grabbed her quickly, pulling her down on the bench as he shifted to make room for her. The strawberry and caramel syrup mixed, creating a unique texture and smell between them. Their bodies were hot from the sauna and the syrup started to dry out, so they got out to have a shower and get ready for their dinner with James.

As they stood in the shower together to wash, he held her close a moment. "I love the way you make me feel when we're together," Marco said.

"How do I make you feel?"

"You make me feel complete. I've never felt this way before. It scares me because I have no control over it, but at the same time, I feel completely lost when you are not with me. I can't explain the feeling, and yet it's like a piece of me is missing when you're not around."

Leena caressed Marco's face and brought it closer to kiss him on the lips.

"You make me feel complete too."

"I love you, Leena."

"I love you too."

"I don't think I could live without you anymore. You've filled my life in a way that I didn't know was possible."

She closed her eyes to take in what he'd just told her, and after a minute she needed to be on her own to think about the future, so Leena told Marco she needed to go do her hair and makeup for dinner. She got out of the shower and went to the women's changing room to get ready.

The personal space gave her a little time to think about what was happening in her life. She felt like everything was moving too quickly, and now that she was having a baby, Leena knew that she would do anything for it, no matter what happened in life.

Once she was at peace with her future, she went to work on her hair, pulling it up in a sleek style, and then started on her makeup.

An hour later, she noticed Marco was sitting on the terrace, drinking a glass of light brown liquid and looking extremely pensive, so she didn't bother him and went to dress.

Leena went to her suitcase and pulled out a dark blue organza dress Marco insisted on buying before their trip. She slipped it on as well as the silver pumps and then turned to look at her reflection in the mirror. She was adjusting her hair when she felt Marco's lips on the back of her neck.

"Amore, you are beautiful."

"Thank you."

"Well, it's time to meet James for dinner. Shall we go?" Marco asked just before holding out his arm for Leena. She slipped her arm through his and they walked to their private elevator.

When the elevator opened at the bottom, James was waiting for them in the main lobby. After a quick greeting, James led them in the direction of the Resort's oceanfront restaurant and was pleased to see Leena's eyes brighten at the sight of the dining room.

The restaurant's dining room overlooked the ocean, and as soon as the maître d' showed them to their reserved table, Leena sat down closest to the open window where her eyes danced with delight as she could hear the sounds of the ocean.

"James, this is a wonderful place you have. It's so beautiful, and the natural atmosphere is amazing!" Leena said.

"Thank you. Santa Barbara is one of my favorite hotels. I'm always happy to come back for a visit. When I heard you and Marco would be visiting, I hopped on my plane and came to spend the day with you," James said.

"You don't live in Santa Barbara?" Leena asked, confused.

"No, I live in Boston, but I travel extensively, so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to have dinner with a good friend."

"How long will you be staying in Santa Barbara?" Leena asked.

"I leave tonight. I have to be in Paris tomorrow for a meeting."

"Wow—you've come all this way for less than a day?" she asked, astonished.

"Marco and I have been really good friends for a long time, and since we're hardly ever in the same city—much less in the same country—I thought it would be fun to have dinner together and catch up," James said, ordering a bottle of wine from the sommelier.

"We should do this more often," Marco said. "I think Leena has fallen in love with your Resort, so we're going to have to try out the other ones too," he said as he winked at Leena.

"That would be great. Let me know when and where, and I'll clear my calendar for the day."

The waiter brought menus, and after they ordered, Marco and James talked about their recent business ventures. James talked about his plans to restructure the new Rome location. He had recently received approval from the planning commission and the works would start soon, giving him the opportunity to visit Rome often during the restructuring phase.

Marco talked about his new agreements with the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and the US Department of Agriculture to provide technical assistance to Italy.

"Sounds impressive," James said.

"It's a lot of long hours and hard work, but it's satisfying knowing we'll be providing assistance where it's needed."

They ordered fresh fish, and when it arrived, they ate while they caught up on news of their respective families.

The evening passed quickly—too quickly since it was time for James to leave. He said goodbye and wished them a happy stay in Santa Barbara. Then he kissed Leena on both cheeks, telling her not to let Marco slip away, and hugged Marco, whispering in his ear that he was happy his friend had found someone as wonderful as Leena. They slapped each other on the back like old times and then James was gone.

Leena and Marco sat back, enjoying the atmosphere of the restaurant while they finished their wine before going for a stroll on the ocean front promenade. When they were outside, the air became really cool, so Marco took off his jacket and placed it on Leena's shoulders, pulling her close while they walked.

"It's a beautiful starry night," Leena observed as she looked up.

"Yes, it's a beautiful night. The reflection of the moon on the water also sparkles in your eyes, as do the stars," Marco said.

She smiled and took his hand in hers while they strolled along the promenade until the wind picked up and it was time to go back inside.

After they walked back into their suite, he went to the mini bar to get them each a glass of red wine while they sat out on the terrace for a couple of hours talking about their childhood. Leena told Marco about the time she and Carolina decided to earn a little money, walking dogs during their summer break.

"We thought if we walked all the dogs at the same time, we would be free most of the day. So we picked up five dogs each from our clients and then we took them to Villa Borghese for a walk. We did that for two days and then changed our plans. The first day, the dogs fought and we had a hard time keeping them apart. The second day, stray dogs followed us and we'd created a pack that followed us around. It was really scary—from the third day, we decided to split up and not take more than two dogs at a time for a thirty-minute walk around the block."

Marco watched as Leena told him about her adventures when she was young. He watched as she used her hands and arms to describe the way they dealt with the angry dogs, explaining with excitement in her eyes how she adored dogs even though she'd never had a pet.

Marco told Leena about his grandparents' Cocker Spaniel, Stella, who'd livened up their summer holidays when they'd came home from university. "Stella has aged but she's still with my grandparents, and she still loves to play."

They finished their wine and then decided to go inside as the evening cooled down quickly. Marco had to send a few emails, so Leena went to have a relaxing bath in the huge bathtub she called a pool. She'd placed a few drops of apricot oil in the water, filling the room with a pleasant scent and softening her skin.

After a little while as she soaked in the lavish bathroom, Marco walked in, started to undress, and climbed into the tub with Leena. He made love to her slowly, pleasuring every part of her body until their bodies climaxed together.

Leena's scream rang in Marco's ear as he tried to control his own voice, but when he was past the point of control, he cried out as it racked his body and made him completely defenseless. Spent and contented, Leena lay on Marco's chest while his arms stroked her from her neck to her backside. Their breathing was labored and they didn't say a word until their heartbeats returned to normal.

"Tesoro, are you okay? I got carried away again in our lovemaking," he asked, kissing her hair.

He waited a little while, and since she didn't respond, he lifted her chin to look at her, and yet her eyes were closed.

"Amore, did I hurt you?" Marco asked, kissing her eyelids. He was suddenly worried he'd been too rough and he'd caused her physical pain.

"No, it was beautiful. I feel like I'm living another life when I'm in your arms."

He got out of the tub and put on a bathrobe. Then he helped Leena out of the tub and wrapped her in the other bathrobe before picking her up in his arms and carrying her over to the bed. She turned over onto her side and shut her eyes.

"Amore, you need to put on your nightshirt before going to sleep."

Leena was extremely tired and groggy. The pregnancy was taking all her energy, so Marco helped her to change and then slipped under the bedcover beside Leena.

~ ~ ~

Marco awoke abruptly when he heard Leena in the bathroom. After looking at his watch, he noticed it was still too early to get up—he walked over to the bathroom and found Leena lying on the floor, curled up in a ball. Marco tried to pick her up, but as soon as he moved her, Leena was racked by bouts of nausea—he sat on the floor and held her in his lap until the nausea subsided and she fell asleep. Marco didn't move for fear that the nausea would return—he sat on the cold floor while Leena slept.

Leena suddenly awoke and realized that she'd been sleeping in Marco's lap. "I'm sorry."

"Shh. Do you feel better?" Marco asked.

"Yes, I feel better, but I'm sorry I woke you during the night."

He kissed her gently on the lips and said, "You have nothing to be sorry about. It's our child that's making you sick, and as much as I'm sorry to see you like this, it makes me happy to know that our baby is growing inside of you."

"I'm hungry," Leena said, rubbing her belly.

"Well then, let's order some breakfast." Marco smiled as he helped Leena get up.

They walked to the living room, and then Leena pulled out the room service menu. She listed what she wanted for breakfast, which made Marco smile because she'd listed just about everything on the breakfast menu. After calling room service, he then steered her to the terrace and they sat enjoying the early morning sunshine while they listened to the waves of the ocean.

When their breakfast arrived, the cart was placed out on the terrace so they could eat by the sounds of the ocean. Marco watched as Leena dug into the food as though she hadn't eaten in days. "Slow down or it'll come back up." Then Marco poured himself a cup of coffee, took a muffin and sat back, watching Leena put all the food into her belly.

"Are you sure you're not going to be sick after eating all of that?"

"I hope not—would you believe I'm still hungry?"

"Take it easy before you feel sick. We can stop to eat something mid-morning if you're still hungry."

Leena got up after she finished eating, sat on Marco's lap and kissed him on the lips. "Thank you for always taking good care of me."

He buried his face in her hair and took in her fragrance. "You must know by now that you're the most important person in my life—you and our baby."

"So what are we doing this morning?"

"I was thinking of showing you some of the tourist spots this morning, and then in the afternoon, if you're not too tired, you can come with me to visit the museum."

"Sounds good to me—I guess we need to get washed and dressed."

"Yes, we do," Marco said, kissing Leena on the nose.

They took their time getting washed and dressed and then made their way out to their car. The first place they went to visit was Lotusland. It was like an English Lord's garden, and while they strolled through the garden, they enjoyed its impressive paths filled with scents and colors. They stopped to take pictures by the pond at the Water Garden, the Japanese Garden and the Secret Lagoon.

It was nearly lunchtime when they left, and since Leena was hungry, Marco took her to eat at Stella Mare's, not far from Lotusland. The restaurant was inside a green and white house, and after they were seated at a table in the Greenhouse dining area, Leena looked around the room. In a corner there was a large fireplace, with sofas overlooking a garden. There were old wooden floors and wooden coffee tables, giving it a warm ambiance.

They ordered French onion soup, oak-grilled artichokes, Quiche Lorraine and Coq au vin. Marco grinned as he watched Leena eat the last bite of her food, considering she'd ordered more than him.

"What's so funny?" Leena asked.

"I can't believe how much you eat."

"Do you think I should eat less?" Leena suddenly worried the quantity she was eating wasn't good for her.

He laughed. "No, I think you need to eat whenever you're hungry until the nausea doesn't pass."

She sat back in her chair. "Can I have dessert?"

"If you still have room for it then I don't see why not." Marco smirked.

After Marco paid for their lunch, they got back into the car and the driver took them to the museum. It was in a white colonial building and the front steps led up to three archways. At the top of the steps was a statue of a large nude lady holding a small child on her lap. The lady's head was turned toward the entrance of the museum while her rotund child's arms were extended out to embrace visitors. Leena stopped a moment to look at it and smiled as she walked past.

Marco led Leena inside, placing a hand on the small of her back as he guided her through the door, and when they walked into the museum, Leena noticed the beauty of the room. As soon as they walked through the door, Leena noticed people from different cultures and classes of society in the room. They were all there for the same reason—a viewing of the museum's latest painting recently donated by a wealthy Italian.

As Marco and Leena passed through the crowd, the Director and the Chief Curator of the museum greeted them. The Director explained that the donation had stirred quite an interest, and as soon as the museum's newest piece had been announced, the museum received numerous calls from the general public, inquiring when the piece would be displayed.

"People have been waiting since we opened this morning to have the first glimpse of the painting," the Director said.

Marco winked at Leena and said, "Well then, let's not keep these faithful art lovers waiting."

They followed the Chief Curator through various rooms until they reached the gallery. The room filled quietly with the crowd of people who gathered around a secured area in the middle of the room. The Chief Curator removed the security rope to allow the four of them to enter the secured area where the donation sat completely covered on a table.

The Director spoke, explaining how important this piece was to the Italians and to the museum. The Chief Curator provided a little history on the piece that was about to be unveiled.

"Mr. Conti, we received your offer of this donation with great pleasure, and it was a greater pleasure when the piece arrived a couple of days ago. It has been safely placed on this display for public exhibition. Thank you for your generosity," the Director said.

The Chief Curator unveiled the donation and to everyone's wonder it was the beautiful oil painting "Maria Maddalena" di Pietro Perugino – 1500 circa.

Leena looked closely at the paining and then put her hand to her mouth in wonder. "Marco, this is a Perugino!"

Marco took her hand in his and squeezed it tightly before turning to shake hands with some of the museum's other patrons. There were many people that wanted to greet Marco and thank him for his generous donation.

The afternoon passed quietly as he talked with the people who didn't want to leave until they had a chance to speak to him. He never once wavered or interrupted the discussions. Leena took the time to enjoy the museum's collection and passed through each room to study the pieces on display. She hadn't noticed the time when she felt Marco's arms wrap around her stomach and his soft lips on her neck.

"I'm sorry it took so long to get away. I hope you weren't bored while I talked with the patrons."

"I've been studying the pieces on display. I could spend the entire day locked inside here since I love art," Leena said.

"Well, let's go—I've made dinner reservations at a special place tonight."

As she linked her arm through his, they walked out of the museum to their waiting car. Their journey back to the Resort was short, and just as they entered their suite, Marco received a phone call about a problem. Leena was sure he would be tied up for a while so she went to have a shower.

While she was under the water, she started to have small pains in her back, but the hot water soothed the pain. She grabbed a plush bathrobe and went to lie on the bed, and yet the pain came back, so she turned onto her back, hoping the pain would go away.

The pain slowly went away, and by the time Marco finished his telephone call, she was feeling better. He came to sit on the bed and kissed her lightly on the lips.

"Amore, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Leena didn't want to worry Marco so she decided not to say anything.

"If you're too tired, we can have dinner here rather than go out."

"No, I'm okay. I'd like to go out for dinner," Leena said, remembering Marco had said he'd made plans for a special evening.

Marco went to have a shower while Leena rested a little longer, and when Marco started to dress, Leena got up to do her hair and makeup. She then pulled out a dark red dress and black shoes from the wardrobe.

Marco looked at her a moment, feeling his heart stir as he watched her get ready; she was so beautiful it took his breath away. She turned and caught him watching, so Leena smiled and went to get her bag to leave.

"I'm ready," she said.

"You're stunning tonight, Amore."

The car took them to the restaurant, Bouchon, which was not far from the Resort. The restaurant was full, and yet they were immediately shown to a table in a room where they were the first to be seated. As soon as they sat down, the waiter brought a bottle of Franciacorta Extra Brut Riserva "Meraviglioso Vittorio Moretti" Magnum and filled their glasses.

Marco picked up his glass and raised it to Leena while she picked up hers and touched his in greeting. Marco put his hand in his pocket and felt the ring, burning in his hands. While his heart raced, he reached over the table with his other hand and took Leena's hand in his.

"Leena, I don't know when or how it happened, but since you walked into my life, I can't seem to think straight. I love you more than words could express, and now that you're carrying our baby, my mind wanders to the future, making plans for us as a family. I need you by my side when I wake up in the morning and when I fall asleep at night."

He let go of her hand, got up, and went to kneel beside her while holding out the little box—the ring sparkled under the dim lighting of the restaurant. "Leena Malik, you are the light and the love of my life. Will you marry me?"

While she looked down at the small Cartier box, she felt tears brimming in her eyes, and then she looked at the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. It had two bands, joined on the top with a huge solitaire diamond.

Looking at the ring for a moment, Leena didn't say anything and simply stared in disbelief. Marco put a hand on her cheek, breaking her spell. "Leena, will you marry me and make me the happiest man on earth?"

"Marco, you know I love you—I truly do—but we come from different worlds. It has been wonderful these past weeks being with you like this, but I'm afraid that I won't fit into your life," Leena said as tears fell.

"Tesoro. You are my life now, and if you'll be my wife, we'll create a new life together for our child. Please tell me that you love me and that you want to spend the rest of your life with me." Marco suddenly felt a knot tighten in the pit of his stomach, worried she may not marry him.

"I love you with all my heart and I would like to spend the rest of my life with you—but I'm still afraid."

"What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid of not fitting into the Cinderella shoes—not being accepted by your family or friends—and not being capable of taking on the role of your wife as a public figure," she whispered.

He placed the small box on the table and moved closer. "We can take it slowly. If you feel we're moving too quickly then we can have a long engagement. In the meantime, I can take care of you during your pregnancy and afterward when the baby arrives. You can decide when you feel ready to set a date for the wedding," Marco said, hoping it would be enough to convince her to marry him. He felt pain in his chest—worried he could suddenly lose her.

Leena let out a long breath and looked at her hands quietly a minute. "Yes."

"Yes?"

She looked up and smiled. "Yes, I'll marry you."

Marco stood and gathered Leena up in his arms, kissing her gently at first and then more passionately. Then, pulling away, he took the ring out of the Cartier box and slipped it onto her finger.

Leena looked down at the ring on her finger and suddenly felt she had a family as the tears flowed freely down her face. "I've been alone for such a long time and now I suddenly have a family."

"Amore, you'll never be alone again."

They stood holding each other for a little while more, living in the special moment, and then they sat down and ordered a full-course fish dinner. Leena noticed the tables around them were vacant, and in that moment, she realized that Marco had reserved the entire room for privacy.

Leena didn't eat much of the pasta with clam sauce or the baked salmon and salad, emotions having knotted her stomach, and the pain in her back came and went. She still didn't say anything to Marco, not wanting to worry him. When she didn't want dessert and asked if they could go back to their suite because she was starting to get a headache, Marco knew something wasn't right.

"Leena, what's wrong? I can tell there's something disturbing you?"

"It's nothing."

"Leena, please tell me so I can help you." Marco didn't know what else to do.

"I've been feeling pain in my back, but I don't think it's anything serious because it comes and goes."

Marco got up and went to kneel close to Leena. "Amore, how long have you had these pains?"

"They started a couple of days ago."

"How about we go back to the Resort so you can rest, and then tomorrow morning we'll go to see a doctor to make sure everything is okay."

"Marco, you have a full day tomorrow and I don't want to make you miss any of your important meetings."

"Leena, your health and our baby will come first—always!"

He got up and called the waiter to pay for dinner, and then they went out to their car to go back to the Resort so Leena could lie down.

As soon as they entered their suite, Leena went to wash, put on her nightshirt, and got into bed. Marco called the concierge to get the name of a specialist to set up an appointment first thing in the morning.

# Chapter Twenty

Leena awoke the next day feeling really good. Marco was already in the shower when she sat up, and since he'd left the door open, she walked over to say good morning. She popped her head in the shower, wetting her face with the spray of the shower.

"Good morning." Leena smiled.

"Good morning, Amore. How do you feel today?"

"I feel good. No pain," she said.

"Good, but I've made an appointment for you to see a doctor this morning, so we need to get going soon. I've ordered a full American breakfast, hoping your appetite is back, and then after you've washed and dressed, we'll go to the doctor."

"Marco, my pain has gone. I can wait to see a doctor when we return to Rome."

He reached out with his wet hands to take her face in his hands. "Amore, we're going to see the doctor this morning to make sure that everything is okay."

"All right," she said, knowing there was no point arguing with Marco.

He shut off the water and stepped out of the shower cubicle, grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist. Just then, their breakfast arrived, so Leena went to open the door while Marco dried himself off and put on a bathrobe. He helped Leena move the trolley into the living area where they sat on the sofa and had a quick breakfast. Leena had an abundant breakfast of scrambled eggs, pancakes, and green tea. It didn't take her long to get washed and dressed, and she was ready to go out soon after.

They walked into the doctor's office and took a seat next to the other patients. As Leena looked around the room, it was filled with pregnant women. Some were on their own and others were with their partners. She smiled while she looked at Marco, knowing that he'd always stand by her, making a warm feeling grow inside her. She was asked to drink a liter of water and wait to be called.

It was finally her turn, and as they walked into the doctor's office, Leena felt relief knowing that she'd soon find out why she'd had the back pains. The doctor asked her to change in the connecting room. Marco was allowed inside with Leena, so he followed her to the other room and sat on the chair, waiting for the doctor to come in.

"Hopefully we'll see our baby or at least hear her heart beat."

"Her? Are you so sure it'll be a girl?"

"No, but I'd love to have a little girl that looks exactly like you," he said, helping Leena onto the examination table.

The doctor came in and placed a sheet over Leena from the waist down, and then he spread some gel on her belly. The gel was cold, making Leena's stomach tighten, but then the doctor put the ultrasound sensor over the gel and moved it around over her belly. They anxiously watched the monitor next to the table, showing black and white images, and then suddenly there was a heartbeat.

"Oh, is that the baby's heart?" Leena asked.

"Yes, the heart rate is excellent, and by the baby's dimensions, it is just over five weeks—small but growing well," the doctor said.

Leena looked at Marco and saw a tear run down his face. He held out his hand to caress her face and then turned back to watch the monitor with excitement.

Leena cried openly from the beauty of the moment and listened to the doctor as he explained what they saw on the monitor. It seemed incredible—that there was a little baby growing inside her belly and they heard the heartbeat, making it real. This was the first time she really felt she had a baby growing inside.

The doctor assured them that everything was fine, but suggested that Leena rested for the next two days, so after getting back into the car, they went back to the Resort so she could rest.

"I have to be at Alameda Park for the ceremony by 12:30 p.m. so I'll leave you to rest and then meet you back here when it's over. We can rent some movies and relax the rest of the day," Marco said.

"I'm sorry I messed up your day."

He walked over to Leena and pulled her into his arms. "Tesoro, your health is more important."

"I know, but you have important meetings today that need your attention."

"Listen, we were able to see the doctor before my meetings, so now all you need to do is rest while I'm out."

"Okay," Leena said, walking to the bed to lie down.

He went to change for his meeting and came back dressed in an Armani suit moments later, looking every part the wealthy Italian businessman that he was.

"You look good and I'm sure you'll impress everyone."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence," Marco said, kissing her on the lips before leaving.

Leena napped while Marco was away, and when she awoke, she stared at the ceiling, thinking about her future with him. She didn't see a reason to have a long engagement and decided to tell him when he returned. She was suddenly hungry, so she called room service for some food. The food arrived not long after, and she was sitting at the table, finishing her dessert when Marco walked into their suite.

"Marco, I've been thinking about wedding plans."

"I'm listening," Marco said, hoping she wasn't having second thoughts about marrying him.

"I've decided that I don't want to wait anymore."

"What do you mean you don't want to wait?" Marco asked as he went to sit on the sofa with Leena.

"I mean that I want to marry as soon as possible."

He grinned and then caressed the back of her hand. "How soon is as soon as possible?"

"It means as soon as we can make the arrangements."

"It can be arranged within a week if you agree."

"I'll need help making the arrangements considering I'm not in a condition to run around making plans."

"We have an entire family to help in Rome and I'm sure my grandmother would be pleased to take care of all the arrangements. You'll just have to let her know what you like and what you don't like."

"I can do that." Leena smiled.

"Yes, you can," he said, leaning down to kiss her softly on the lips.

Leena went to lay on the bed while Marco called his grandmother to tell her about the wedding. Erminia was thrilled to hear about their upcoming marriage and she assured Marco she'd start making phone calls, so when they returned to Rome, the only thing Leena would need to do would be to meet the wedding gown designer.

"Marco, just get my beautiful soon-to-be granddaughter back to Rome and I'll take care of everything. Have you thought of where you'd like to have the wedding?" Erminia asked.

"I haven't had a chance to ask Leena, but I'd like to have the wedding at Villa Conti. It would mean a lot to me if we could have it there," Marco said while he looked at Leena.

She nodded in agreement, understanding his desire to marry at a place that meant something to him and his family.

"I'll tell your grandfather now. I'm going to put him in charge of choosing the wine."

Marco laughed after he hung up, knowing that his grandmother really was an incredible woman.

"I need to make a few more calls," Marco said.

He dialed and waited a few rings before the person answered. "Giacomo, make sure you're in Rome next week."

"What's going on?" Giacomo asked.

"I'm getting married and you'll be my best man," Marco said.

"I'll be there right beside you."

He then called the rest of his family and his friend James, and when he was done, Marco sat on the bed again beside Leena.

"Can I use your phone? I need to call Carolina and let her know about the wedding."

Marco gave Leena his phone so she could call Carolina.

"Carolina—yes, I'm fine. I've had a little pain in my back and am on bed rest for a couple of days but it's for precautionary measures."

"So when are you coming back to Rome?" Carolina asked.

"We'll be back tomorrow. Carolina, I'm calling to make sure you and your dad don't make any plans this coming week."

"Why? What's going on?" Carolina asked.

"I'm getting married."

There was suddenly shouting and screaming on the other end and Leena could hear Carolina's father in the background shouting too.

"Leena, we're so happy for you."

"Carolina, I want you beside me when I marry Marco. You've always been there for me and I would be really happy if you'd be there when I get married."

"Leena, I'd be honored to be your maid of honor," Carolina said.

"Can you pass me your father? I need to ask him something," Leena asked Carolina.

"Sure, he's right here."

Carolina gave the phone to her father. "Tesoro, I'm so happy that you've found a wonderful man to love and take care of you," Francesco said.

"Will you give me away at the wedding? You are a father to me and it would make me really happy if you could walk me down the aisle at my wedding," Leena asked.

"I would be honored."

Francesco passed the phone back to Carolina and they chatted a few more minutes.

"Well, now everybody knows we'll be married by the end of the week," Marco said with a grin.

"There're many things to think about and I'm sure your grandmother is the right person to keep everything on track if we're to be married by the end of the week."

"She certainly is!" Marco said as he pulled Leena close and kissed her forehead. "The only thing you have to think about is finding the right dress. I'll take care of everything else with the help of my grandmother and the rest of my family."

"What about a honeymoon? Will you be able to take a little time off to go somewhere?"

"I'll take care of the honeymoon plans too. I'll surprise you, and of course I can take time off. I'm only getting married once in my life and I want it to be unforgettable," Marco said, his eyes full of tenderness.

"I like surprises," Leena said as Marco pulled her close and kissed her passionately on the lips.

Leena tried to sit up straighter and flinched, feeling a sharp pain around her waist.

"What's the matter? Are you in pain?"

"My back hurts—the pain is shooting down my leg and around my waist. It's really uncomfortable to sit," Leena said, grimacing.

"If you can turn over onto your stomach, I'll massage the area where it hurts. Probably the muscles have tightened since you've been in bed most of the day."

Helping Leena turn over onto her tummy and then warming his hands, Marco started to massage her back in slow circular motions. At first, the simple touch of his hands sent pain shooting around her center, but then as her muscles relaxed, the massage started to work. The pain tapered off and Leena felt much better. Then Marco moved his hands up her back to her neck, massaging the tension in her neck and shoulders. His fingers moved from her neck to her shoulders down her arms and then back up to her neck.

"How do you feel now?"

"I feel better now because of your amazing hands," Leena responded, turning onto her back. He helped her to sit up, propping more pillows behind her.

They relaxed the rest of the day and had dinner in their suite while they watched a couple of movies.

# Chapter Twenty-one

Leena awoke the next day feeling much better, and after turning onto her side, she noticed Marco was awake, watching her sleep.

"Did you sleep well?" Marco asked, smiling.

"Yes, I slept really well. I think your massage relaxed my muscles."

They got up to have a quick breakfast before getting washed and dressed, and then they drove to Marco's aircraft.

The return flight to Rome passed uneventfully while Leena slept and Marco worked on his laptop. When the pilot informed them they were nearing the Rome airport, they took their seats as the aircraft started its descent. The landing was smooth, and as soon as the aircraft stopped, they got off the plane and went to their waiting car.

They were soon out of the city, driving into the country when Leena looked out the window and saw many families out on their bikes on the Old Appian Way. There were many tourists with hats and cameras, stopping to take pictures of the picturesque scenery.

Finally they came up to the Villa Conti gates and waited as the large wrought iron gates opened. The car drove slowly down the gravel path until the large house was in sight. When the car stopped before the house, they got out of the car as Erminia and Marcello came out of the house to greet them.

"Tesoro, I'm so happy you're back safe and sound. We were so worried when we heard about the pains you were having," Erminia said, hugging Leena.

"Let's go inside so you can tell us all about the trip," Marcello said, shaking his grandson's hand and pulling him into a hug.

"That's a good idea. Leena should still be resting—it would be good to go inside and sit down," Marco said as he took Leena's hand to accompany her up the steps and into the house.

As they walked through the large living area and stepped out onto the back terrace, they saw the family was all gathered to welcome them back.

"Good to have you back," Giacomo said to Marco. Then he turned to Leena and gave her a gentle hug and asked, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay."

Then Serena came up to Leena and said, "I'm really happy I'll finally have a sister."

"Me too. I'll have brothers and a sister—you can't imagine how happy it makes me feel," Leena said, looking at everyone who gathered around them.

"Well, we have a wedding to plan now," Matteo said, winking at Marco.

"Yes, we do, and it will be the best wedding that Villa Conti has had in a very long time," Erminia said. "We have so much to do in very little time. I've already sorted through some things for you. Tomorrow we should sit down and decide on what you'd like so I can proceed with the arrangements."

"Nonna, can I help you and Leena with some of the arrangements?" Serena asked.

"Most of the arrangements have been already made, but you could help Leena with what still needs to be done," Erminia said to Serena.

"Nonna, it sounds like you have already taken care of most of the plans," Matteo said.

"You know that your grandmother loves to make arrangements—she's really good at spending my money," Marcello said, winking at his wife.

"Serena, you could help Leena with her dress. You and her friend Carolina could take her tomorrow to a dress designer," Marco said to his sister.

"I'd love to help you with your wedding dress," Serena said, hugging Leena.

"I still have to call Carolina to make plans for tomorrow. What time should I tell her to meet us?" Leena asked Serena.

"I'd say we should be out bright and early. We can pick up Carolina and then go for a delicious breakfast before we go for your dress. What do you think?" Serena asked.

"I think it sounds wonderful. I'll call Carolina now to tell her we're back in Rome and we'll pick her up tomorrow morning," Leena said.

~ ~ ~

They spent the rest of the day chatting about the wedding, and when evening turned to night, the ladies went upstairs to bed.

"Now that the ladies aren't here, what do you have in mind for the honeymoon?" Giacomo asked.

Marco told them about his honeymoon plans.

"I'll bet Leena will really like it. Let me know if you need any help with the arrangements," Matteo said.

"Actually, I've already made a few calls. I'm waiting to have a name and address."

"It sounds like you've done most of the work," Giacomo said.

"Yes. I've already spoken to James to book a suite at his hotel in the city."

The men talked about work for a little while and then said goodnight before going up to bed.

# Chapter Twenty-two

Leena and Serena picked up Carolina early the next morning. Leena wasn't feeling her best after having had another bout of nausea that morning, and yet the day was looking brighter when she saw her best friend step into the car.

"I'm so excited we'll be out today looking for your wedding dress. I still can't believe you'll be getting married in a few days," Carolina said.

"I'm just as stunned as you—it still seems like a fairytale," Leena said.

"I'm excited I'll finally have a sister. Do you know what it was like growing up with mostly men in my life?" Serena said and then grinned.

"I'm sure growing up with three brothers couldn't have been easy, but being an only child wasn't easy either. I was lucky that Carolina and I met when we were very young. We've been like sisters," Leena said. "Now I'll have two sisters."

They drove through the heavy Rome traffic to a café Serena was crazy about for an abundant breakfast before going to Maison Valentino for the wedding gown.

The Creative Director greeted them and then brought them to a private room to discuss the design Leena desired for her wedding gown. Leena described what she'd always fantasized her wedding gown would be like while the seamstress took her measurements. When the seamstress was done, the Creative Director showed Leena some sketches and fabrics that would go well with the design of the gown.

The morning passed quickly, and by the time they left Maison Valentino, Leena was extremely happy with the sketches and fabrics she'd selected. Another seamstress took Serena and Carolina's measurements and then they discussed possibilities for their dresses with the Creative Director. They were told the first fitting would take place at Villa Conti in forty-eight hours, so they were happy when they left, excited about the designs selected.

When they got back into the car, they took off their shoes while they enjoyed the ride home. "My feet are killing me!" Leena said, and then thought about her wedding gown. "I'm really pleased with the design they created for my dress—I'll feel like a princess."

"My dress will be gorgeous. I still can't believe I'll have a Valentino gown," Carolina said.

"I'm happy with what they designed for me. Maison Valentino always exceeds my expectations when I need a dress for a special occasion," Serena said.

They opened a bottle of sparkling water and chatted while the car drove through the heavy Rome traffic. They picked up Carolina's father on their way back to Villa Conti to have a family dinner, and as the car drove through the gates of Villa Conti, Serena saw other family members had arrived during their absence. "My parents have arrived as well as my aunt and uncle and cousins."

"I haven't met your aunt and uncle yet," Leena said.

"They're going to love you," Serena said, smiling as she grabbed Leena's hand and helped her out of the car. Carolina and her father followed close behind.

Serena showed them through the living area to the terrace in the back where the family was gathered. Marco was immediately at Leena's side, introducing her to the rest of his family.

Marco's mother, Alessandra, gave her a warm hug. "I'm extremely happy you've been able to capture Marco's heart. It's something worth celebrating."

"I'm very happy to join your family."

"It's no wonder Marco has fallen in love with you—darling, you are a true beauty, but I'm sure you must have a generous heart because it's not an easy task to earn Marco's admiration," Marco's father Paolo said as he hugged Leena.

Marco cleared his throat. "This is my uncle Federico and my aunt Marta Fellini-Conti. Do you remember my cousins, Simone, Noemi and Miriana? You met them at the Ferragosto party," Marco said.

"Yes, of course I remember your cousins. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, turning to his aunt and uncle.

Leena looked around at the large family and suddenly felt overwhelmed by the love and attention she was receiving. Marco's family had truly accepted her without any qualms. Suddenly, she had gone from being alone to being a member of a large family—the Conti family—an extremely influential Italian family.

"Tell me about the wedding arrangements," Alessandra asked.

"Talking about wedding arrangements, I have a task for everyone. We need to send out the invitations tomorrow. Marco, have you worked on the list of guests for you and Leena?" Erminia asked.

"Of course, Nonna. I've left the list on the table in the living room next to the invitations," Marco said as he winked at Leena.

"I've made a long list for the both of us and I've included Carolina and her father. If there's anyone else you'd like to invite, we can add more people to the list," Marco whispered into her ear so nobody else could hear.

"I don't really have anyone else to invite, and thank you for making the list and remembering Carolina and Francesco," she whispered.

"Already whispering sweet nothings in Leena's ear?" Federico asked.

"Always," Marco said, pulling Leena close and kissing her on the lips. As soon as Leena was able to pull away, she turned to Carolina.

"This is my best friend Carolina and her father Francesco De Agostini," Leena said as she introduced her friends to Marco and his family. "Carolina will be my maid of honor and Francesco will walk me down the aisle."

"I'm very happy to meet everyone," Carolina said as she greeted Marco's family.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all. Thank you for having us here with you," Francesco said.

"Well, now that we're all here, why don't we sit down and write the envelopes for the wedding invitations so we can send them out tomorrow morning?" Erminia asked.

The women all gathered around the table and started to write down the addresses on the envelopes. The men gathered around the barbecue to start up the fire and wait for it to heat up.

Leena looked around and was caught up in the family's banter until Carolina brought her back to the present. "Leena, do you have something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue for the wedding day?"

Leena glanced at Carolina and suddenly realized she'd been so preoccupied finding the right wedding dress that she hadn't thought about the accessories.

Erminia got up and went inside the house. Moments later, she returned holding a large rectangular velvet blue box, and as she opened it, the ladies around the table gasped at the beautiful necklace which rested on the soft white velvet interior.

"This will be something borrowed and something blue," Erminia said as she draped it around Leena's neck to try it on. It was the most spectacular diamond and blue sapphire necklace Leena had ever seen.

The diamonds formed small roses, becoming larger as it reached the middle of the necklace. Set in the center of each rose was a blue sapphire.

Carolina was happy for her friend, Leena, knowing she finally found a family to love.

"It's beautiful, but I'm afraid to touch it," Leena said just as Marco came out onto the terrace. He bent down to kiss her head and whispered in her ear that she looked beautiful wearing the necklace.

"Dinner is ready, so if you clear the table we'll bring the meat up," Marco said.

"Let's put the necklace back in its box so we can make room for the food," Erminia said, as she placed the necklace back onto the white velvet. Then she went to put the box away and returned to find the table already set.

They gathered around the table and ate pasta with fresh baby tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella cheese sauce, barbecued lamb, pork and beef along with grilled vegetables while they chatted about their childhood.

"Do you remember the time we decided to camp out in the garden?" Simone asked.

"Yes, it was when you boys kept us up all night playing stregha di mezzanotte and then you scared us half to death when we couldn't find you in the woods," recalled Serena.

The men looked at each other with wide grins on their faces. "I can still hear the screams ringing in my ear," Giacomo said.

"Well, we certainly got you back for it," Miriana said.

"What did you do?" Leena asked.

"The second night in the garden, we shaved their eyebrows while they slept," Noemi said, grinning.

"That wasn't funny," Marco said.

"It was to us," Serena said, winking at her two female cousins.

When they'd finished their dinner, the ladies got up to clear the table. "Let's light the fire in the garden and have a drink while the ladies clear up," Marcello said to the men.

As the men got up and walked down to the garden, they pulled up more chairs to accommodate everyone around the fire.

The ladies cleared up the table quickly and then went down to the garden to join the men.

"So, what is on the agenda tomorrow?" Matteo asked.

"We're going to have to go into town for our wedding bands," Marco said, smiling at Leena. "I've already called Cartier to tell them what we'd like, so we need to look at what they've designed before the final rings are made."

"The invitations will go out tomorrow and the caterers will be passing by with samples. Marco, please make sure Leena will be back in the afternoon so she can decide on the final menu," Erminia said.

"Yes, that would be great. It'll give me a chance to make arrangements for our honeymoon," Marco said, squeezing Leena's hand.

"Oh, where will you be going on your honeymoon?" Serena asked.

"It's a surprise," Marco said, knowing the ladies were dying to know the destination.

They chatted a little longer until it was time for Carolina and her father to leave. After Leena said goodbye to her best friend and watched them get into a taxi, she said goodnight to everyone and went up to bed.

# Chapter Twenty-three

The rest of the week passed quickly—the ladies finished the final flower and catering arrangements. Each day that passed, Leena felt her heart warm to the family that opened their hearts toward her and took her in without any fuss.

It was finally the day of the wedding and when Leena woke, she was happy and excited—it was her wedding day. The last few days had been long but productive, making last-minute decisions for the wedding. Her nerves were strangely calm as she went through every preparation with Carolina and Serena. She relished every moment spent with her "sisters" as they were transformed by the hair and makeup stylist.

"I can't believe we're sitting here like this right now," Leena said, sipping on the tea while they took a break after having their hair, makeup and nails done.

"In a few minutes, you'll become Mrs. Marco Conti," Carolina said.

"All we have to do is get dressed—ladies, shall we? I don't think my brother would forgive me if you show up late at the altar," Serena smiled.

"Okay, let's not keep him waiting—" Leena stood to get dressed. Serena and Carolina helped Leena put on her gown and then they put on their own dresses.

Now she was dressed and ready to become Marco Conti's wife.

"You're gorgeous—wait until Marco sees you!" Serena said before leaving the room.

"I'm so proud to be here with you on your special day—Marco will make you happy. I can tell that he loves you to the moon and back," Carolina said. Then she hugged Leena and started to leave the room.

As she heard the music downstairs, Leena looked one last time in the mirror, took a deep breath and followed Serena and Carolina down the stairs to where Francesco was waiting.

"You're beautiful, Tesoro," Francesco whispered.

She took his arm and followed him to the garden. Leena's eyes brimmed with tears when she saw thousands of white orchids and white roses running up the blue carpet to the altar.

There was a little girl dressed in a beautiful white organza gown, throwing flower petals as she walked, and a little boy dressed in a dark blue suit, holding the wedding bands on a pillow just before Leena and Francesco. Leena focused on the two children as they walked down the aisle to the altar until she saw Marco staring at her.

Butterflies suddenly appeared in her stomach, but as she got closer, she realized the butterflies were from happiness, and when she reached him and took his hand, she knew it was forever.

The ceremony was beautiful as the Gregorian music played while they exchanged their vows. The entire time, Marco held Leena's hand and couldn't take his eyes off of her. His mouth formed the words "I love you so much" as they listened to the words of the priest—telling them that they promised to take care of each other in sickness and in health—and that their love would give them the strength to get through anything in life.

When the ceremony finished, the guests flocked to their side to wish them well. They greeted everyone until Leena thought her face would crack, but luckily, they were told lunch was ready and asked to take their seats.

"How are you holding up?" Marco asked as he looked at Leena tenderly.

"It feels like a dream and I wonder when I'll wake up," Leena whispered.

"It's not a dream—Mrs. Conti. You are very much my wife now." He leaned down and kissed her softly.

The food turned out to be more than Leena could eat, but she was pleased with what'd been chosen, and the guests seemed to be delighted by what was served.

The afternoon turned into early evening, and while the DJ played music from the 80s and 90s, the dance floor crowded with the guests dancing up a storm. Everywhere Leena looked, she saw happy faces—smiling and laughing. It made her warm inside, knowing that they were there to celebrate their union.

The dance floor suddenly became too crowded, and as Marco led her back toward their table, he pulled Leena to the side.

"Shall we leave?" Marco asked.

"Wouldn't it be rude?"

"Let's change so we can thank everyone and say goodbye," Marco said.

They went upstairs to change into their travel clothes, and just when Leena was fixing her makeup, Marco came up from behind and pulled her into his arms.

"I hope you know you've made me the happiest man alive," he said.

Leena smiled and then kissed Marco on the lips. He kissed her back passionately, but knowing they needed to go, he regretfully pulled away.

"We'd better go before I start something that I won't be able to finish," Marco said.

After they walked back downstairs and out to the garden, Leena took her wedding bouquet while Erminia asked all the young ladies to gather around to catch it. Carolina was crushed in the middle, and yet as Leena threw her bouquet into the air, Carolina was fast and jumped up to catch it with her right hand.

Leena went to hug Carolina, happy her best friend had caught her wedding bouquet. It was what she would have wanted, and luckily destiny would do the rest. After shedding a few tears and thanking Carolina for always being by her side, she went to thank Marcello and Erminia for the wedding.

"Thank you for giving us a fairytale wedding. I am so happy to be part of your family."

"Tesoro, you became part of our family when you captured Marco's heart. It was made official today. Have a wonderful honeymoon," Erminia said to Leena while she hugged her.

"Thank you for everything, Nonna," Marco said to his grandmother.

"It was our pleasure," Erminia responded.

They quickly said goodbye to everyone and then got into the limousine and drove the short distance to the private airport, where their aircraft was waiting to take them to their honeymoon destination.

As they got into the plane and sat down, their flight attendant, Laura, greeted them and wished them all the best for their wedding. She told them that they would be leaving shortly, and as soon as they were airborne, she would serve them drinks.

Their pilot came out to congratulate them and told them they were ready to leave, so the crew closed the door and the engines began to roar.

"Are you going to tell me where you're taking me?" Leena asked.

"Nope. It's a surprise. I promise you'll like where we're going."

Leena sat back as the aircraft started to move forward and then lifted off the ground. As soon as the seatbelt light turned off, Laura served them champagne and strawberries.

"I shouldn't be drinking, but I'll have only a sip to celebrate with you," Leena said. Soon after, their plates of lasagna and veal roast with potatoes arrived. "I was so nervous the entire day that I forgot to eat. I'm really hungry now."

Marco grinned as he watched Leena eat everything that was on her plate. She was so hungry she finished off what he didn't want.

"Shall I ask Laura to bring you more?" he asked.

"No, thank you. I wouldn't mind relaxing before retiring to the bedroom."

"I like that idea. I'm ready to retire whenever you feel up to it," Marco said.

They chatted and then Marco had to take a phone call that arrived on the satellite phone. He couldn't have been gone more than forty minutes, but when he returned, he found Leena asleep on the chair.

Gently picking her up and walking to the bedroom, he put her down on the bed and covered her with the quilt. He went back out to check some emails and made a few phone calls before retiring to bed.

It was late in the night when Marco finally made it to bed. Just as he slipped in, Leena awoke and pulled him close. "I'm sorry I fell asleep. I didn't mean to on our wedding night."

"That's perfectly fine. You obviously needed to sleep," Marco said as he lowered his lips onto hers and pulled her closer.

They made love twice during the night and fell asleep early in the morning in each other's arms. The pilot's voice awoke them, informing that they would be arriving at their destination in forty minutes.

Getting up and walking to the shower together, Marco turned on the hot water and waited for it to warm up before pulling Leena inside. As he held her close, he suddenly noticed the little bulge on her stomach, so kneeling down, he kissed her gently on the belly.

"I'll be growing like a balloon soon. I'll be so large you won't be able to wrap your arms around me," Leena said, a little worried.

"You're more beautiful every day as your tummy grows," he said, standing again and kissing her on the lips.

After washing quickly, they stepped out of the shower to dry off. They got dressed and were back in their seats by the time the aircraft began its descent.

Marco pulled out from a cabinet a gift box and gave it to Leena.

"What is this?" she asked.

"It's a gift for you."

"You didn't need to give me anything," Leena said, looking at him.

"Open it."

She studied the box and wondered what could be inside. When she opened it, she was surprised to find a beautiful red and orange silk scarf, embroidered with beautiful patterns and tiny pearls. She ran her fingertips over the soft silk and then looked up at Marco. "It's a beautiful dupatta. It makes me think of the stories my father used to tell me of my grandmother and the beautiful clothing she used to wear. Thank you," she said.

Soon they felt the wheels of the aircraft touch down and Leena eagerly looked out the window. "Where are we?" she asked as she smiled.

"We're in Islamabad," Marco said as he grinned.

He saw the smile on Leena's face turning to shock and then turning into the largest grin from ear to ear as a tear slowly rolled down her cheek.

"I've been able to find your grandfather's family in Islamabad. We've come to meet them," he said.

The tears flowed down her cheeks through her smile. She didn't care about her makeup because he'd just made her the happiest woman around. Pulling him close and hugging him tight, she whispered into his ear, "Thank you. I don't think you could have given me a greater gift."

She put on the dupatta before they stepped off onto the runway and started their honeymoon in the land Leena's grandfather had left many years ago in search of a different life.

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Ciao

Grace

