His eyes met hers. He could no longer resist saying what was burning in him. ‘I would ask you to stay,’ he said, his voice low, husky. ‘But I said no pressure. And you had my word on that. Although for all that...’ He shook his head, as if there was nothing he could do about it. ‘For all that, I cannot deny what I would ask of you had I not given you that promise.’
She saw him draw breath, felt the force of his eyes pouring into hers, felt the heat in her cheeks, and she was unable to tear her gaze from him as he held it with his, so effortlessly, as he had from the very first...
‘I can’t...’ she breathed. ‘I mustn’t.’
He looked at her still. ‘I know,’ he said. The husk was still in his voice, but there was regret too. ‘It would not be...wise.’
He shut his eyes for a moment, as if to recover his senses. Then opened them again. A different expression was in them now.
‘Eloise—everything went wrong for us in Rome. When we arrived all I wanted was time with you, to get to know you, explore our feelings. But time was what we never had together there. So...’ He took a breath, his eyes intent, focused on her totally. ‘Maybe we could have time now—’
Slowly, she nodded.
His expression lightened. ‘I’m planning on visiting the Caribbean. Falcone isn’t interested in any Viscari properties there, and I need to reassure my staff on that score. And I need to visit the site of the latest Viscari Hotel, on Ste Cecile.’ He made a wry face. ‘It was where I wanted to take you when I was so desperate to escape Rome!’
He shook his head, as if to shake the grim memory from him.
He looked straight at Eloise. ‘Would you come there with me now?’
He saw rejection in her eyes—but saw conflict, too, and a flash of longing.
‘Oh, Vito... I can’t take any time off now—the Carldons need me.’
‘Then may I come and visit you out on Long Island?’
Slowly she nodded. ‘I...I usually have the weekends off, when the Carldons are home with Johnny.’
He smiled. His familiar warm, sweeping smile. ‘This Saturday?’
Again, she nodded slowly. She could feel her heart-rate quicken, and made herself check the time.
‘I have to go now,’ she said. She looked across at him. ‘Vito—it’s...it’s been good. Tonight—dinner... Just...just being with you. But I...I...well...please, I can’t rush things... I...’
She fell silent, let her eyes drop. Emotion was thick in her throat.
This time yesterday I had no idea that tonight I would see him again. That all my feelings for him would be so different! That all my anger would be purged! That I’d be here with him, like this... Like I used to be...
But was it like it used to be? It couldn’t be, could it? Not any more. Never again could there be just a casual romance between them. Now it could only be all...or nothing. And she did not know which. Not yet.
She felt the touch of his hand on hers, lightly brushing it with his fingers.
‘It’s whatever you want, Eloise,’ he said. His voice was soft, intent. Sincere.
Her eyes lifted to his and for a moment, a long, long moment, their eyes simply met—acknowledging, accepting.
‘Thank you,’ she whispered, her voice low.
Then she drew back her hand, picked up her bag, got to her feet as he did likewise.
‘I’ll get the hotel limo to take you to your mother’s apartment,’ Vito said.
But Eloise shook her head. ‘It’s OK, I’ll take a taxi. I’m used to New York now.’ She smiled.
He walked her to the kerb as the doorman summoned one of the waiting cabs, then helped her in.
As she lowered herself into the seat he felt a rush of longing for her. How beautiful she was—how truly beautiful! From her golden hair to her long, long legs. Her slender waist and her full, ripe breasts, straining against the fabric of her top as she fastened her seat belt across her. Fuller and riper, surely, than he remembered...
He dragged his thoughts away. Made himself do nothing more than smile down at her as he closed the door, as she lifted a hand to wave him goodnight. The cab pulled off into the melee of Manhattan traffic. He watched it till it disappeared from sight.