Mr. Marino.” She sat down and crossed her ankles, sitting like a princess wearing an invisible tiara.
I stared down at her, imagining her on her knees instead of her ass. “Cato is fine.” I lowered myself onto the couch across from her.
“I prefer Mr. Marino.” She opened her folder and examined her notes.
I liked the way she referred to me with respect, but I didn’t like the way she challenged me. “Cato.” When she referred to me by my surname, it seemed like she was just another person in the crowd. But when she said my first name, it was easy for me to imagine how differently that night would have gone if she hadn’t stormed out.
She lifted her gaze to meet mine, looking at me through the thickness of her lashes. Coy but confident, she was alluring.
Fuckable.
When I’d looked at her initially, I’d thought she was beautiful like most other women. Nothing too special about her. But her smartass mouth and strong opinions made her far more interesting than I’d anticipated.
She finally yielded to me. “Cato.”
Yes, I definitely liked the way she said my name.
“Is there a specific artist you like? A certain period you want me to explore? Perhaps each room or floor is different?”
“You’re the one who’s been studying me. You tell me.” What had she gleaned from me after studying me for so many weeks? She’d seen my home in Florence. She’d kissed me in a dark room. She’d even seen me near naked, seen the bed where my fantasies came true.
She held my gaze for several seconds, thinking of what her response would be. “I do have some ideas for you. But I think a tour of your home would give me a better idea of where everything should go. I brought my measuring tape. I hope you don’t mind if I make some notes.”
“No.”
She rose to her feet with the folder held to her chest. “I can have Giovanni show me around. I’m sure you’re busy.”
I did have other things to do. I had people to call, emails to write, but staying with her seemed more appealing than all of that. “I’m only busy when I want to be busy.” I led the way out of the room and back into the entryway.
She followed behind me with her pen and tape measure in hand. “I’ve been thinking about this room a lot since it’s the only one I’ve really seen. It’s the first thing guests see when they walk in the door, and you have so much space on this wall that the crown jewel should go here.” She walked to the left side of the room and looked at the blank wall over the staircase. “I can get a ladder and get the dimensions later.”
“Giovanni can help you with that.” I stood behind her with my hands in the pockets of my jeans. Instead of staring at the available wall with the same fascination she had, I tilted my eyes down to her ass. I never got to see her dress on the floor that night. The closest I got to getting her naked was slipping off one of her heels. Now that I was staring at her in the light of day, there was no denying just how sexy she was, from her long legs, perky ass, and those soft shoulders.
“Thanks.” She scribbled a few notes before she turned back to me. “I’m ready to see the next room whenever you are.”
My private office was on the third floor, along with my bedroom. I didn’t use it very often, and most of the time, I just used it to drink and gather my thoughts. It had a large fireplace, one almost as big as the enormous one in the entryway. On a winter night, the raging fire seemed to extinguish the bitterness in my thoughts.
I opened the door and allowed her to examine the mahogany wood of my desk. It was a beautiful, deep color, an example of fine Italian craftsmanship. There were two leather sofas near the fire along with a table. Cabinets were placed on either side of the fireplace, mostly full of booze. There was only a single window in this room right behind the desk. It didn’t have a great view like the other rooms in the house, but that was how I preferred it.
She took her time as she absorbed the mood of the room. “This room is different from all the others. At least, the other