Under a Siena Sun (Escape to Tuscany #1) - T.A. Williams Page 0,69
and the distant hills barely visible through the heat haze. ‘Shall I come up in the car?’
‘You can if you like, although it might be a bit of a struggle to get through the gates and you’d probably find lots of people taking your picture. Armando tells me there are two TV trucks parked there as well today. I have another idea. How about you walk up through the olive groves and we meet up where I met you with Boris that time? We can then get in through the side gate in the fence.’
When Lucy got up the hill to the fallen tree an hour later, she found him already there with his dog. Boris came bounding across to greet her, tail wagging furiously, and Lucy had a hard time trying not to let her own tail wag too much as she went over to kiss David on the cheeks. There was no doubt about it; she was really pleased to see him, millionaire or not. As she stepped back and released him, she was delighted to see him smiling as well.
‘Lucy, hi. It’s great to see you.’
‘And you, David.’ She sat down on the fallen tree trunk and patted the spot beside her. ‘Come and tell me all about it. I must have read a dozen newspapers last night from all over the world and I reckon you’ve come out all right.’
He sat down beside her. ‘It could be worse. At least I can stop ducking and diving and live my life – give or take a pack of paparazzi.’
They chatted for a while before he suggested heading for the pool. Boris led the way and they entered the villa grounds through a galvanised metal gate set in the fence only a few hundred yards further on from the clump of broom bushes where she had almost been caught with her pants down. She felt her cheeks flush at the memory.
Once they were inside, he locked the gate behind them and she felt sure it was a sensible precaution. The pool was on the far side of the villa and as they walked through the ruins of the castle to get there she told him about her next-door neighbour, the professor. As she did so, she had a thought.
‘Now that you’re no longer a hermit, how would you feel about coming round some time? I could invite him as well and we could talk history.’ This would also rather neatly get him back into her house without it having to be considered as any kind of date.
‘That would be great.’ He sounded genuinely interested. ‘Whenever you like.’
‘I’ll see if he’s around next Saturday. I’ll have finished nights by then so I could cook you both a meal.’ She glanced towards him. ‘I’m not the best cook in the world, but I promise not to poison you.’
‘Don’t go to any trouble. And let me know if I can bring anything. You’ll be getting a bottle of champagne whether you want it or not.’
‘Wonderful, but that’s all, and do bring Boris with you. I’ll get Guido, my neighbour, to bring his Lab. That way the two brothers can be together.’
‘Talking of dogs, I’d better drop Boris back to the villa. He’s not allowed in the pool. His hair clogs up the filter.’
The pool was almost hidden from view by a dense hedge made up of oleander bushes, all now in flower. The pinks, reds and whites made a lovely colourful barrier, as well as no doubt forming a useful windbreak on windy days. The pool was also completely screened from the road. Lucy was already wearing her new, pricey and fairly minimal bikini under her clothes. She had purchased this from a rather posh shop in the middle of Siena the previous evening on her way to work, in the hope of another invitation to swim in David’s pool. Now, as she stripped off her shorts and her top, she was feeling more than a little nervous. Although she had seen, touched, and operated on his body already, seeing him in his swimming shorts in this environment, and feeling his eyes on her gave her a thrill and she wasted no time in stepping down into the pool and ducking her shoulders below the waterline. It was heavenly and she abandoned herself for what felt like ages, just floating idly around with her eyes closed. The millionaire lifestyle might be artificial and contemptible, but there could be no doubt it