He’d always dreaded hearing the news that she was happily married or settled with a family of her own, but somehow seeing her like this was equally hard. More than anything he wanted Lucia to be happy.
Seeing her again was sparking a whole host of emotions that he’d long forgotten. He’d never imagined that the spark between them would still feel so electric. He’d never imagined that once he’d stared into those brown eyes again he’d feel rooted to the spot and never want to break away.
Lucia brushed her chocolate hair from her shoulder. It was a little shorter than he remembered and it suited her. She pulled her hand back steadily, keeping her gaze on his. He could almost see her retreating back into herself and putting a carefully drawn line between them.
She picked up her coffee cup. ‘How soon do you think you’ll get the paperwork completed?’
Business. That was all she wanted to discuss with him. Even after all this time.
He nodded, picking up the biscuit from the side of his cappuccino and placing it on her saucer. He didn’t miss the little hint of a smile from her.
‘How soon can you tell me I can finish my renovations?’
She blinked. ‘Well...’ She paused. ‘Actually, I’m not sure. We have to file your paperwork, then I need to do some investigating. I’ve made a private appointment tomorrow to view another fresco by the artist we think is involved.’
He sat back in his chair. ‘Well, that’s fine. I’ll come with you.’
She looked surprised. ‘Why would you want to come with me?’
He shrugged. ‘There’s not much point in me going back if I can’t give Louisa good news. She needs to know that the renovations and wedding plans can continue. At the moment most of the work in the chapel has ground to a halt. There’s still work ongoing in the palazzo but it doesn’t require my supervision every day. The chapel will be the difference between this wedding going ahead or not.’
Lucia looked thoughtful. Her fingers started twiddling with a strand of her hair and she crossed her legs, giving him a flash of her tanned skin. ‘What do you know about the royal couple?’
He shook his head. ‘Virtually nothing. I’ve mostly dealt with Lindsay, the wedding planner.’ He laughed. ‘Now, there’s a woman I don’t want to call to say there’s an issue with the chapel.’
Lucia smiled. ‘Will she chew you up and spit you out?’ There was a little spark of amusement in her eyes. It suited her. It made her more like the Lucia he remembered. The Lucia he wanted to remember.
‘In a heartbeat,’ he said quickly. ‘There’s no point in going back until I know I’m safe.’
Lucia frowned. ‘Where have you made arrangements to stay?’
This time he frowned too. Oh, no. ‘Well, I haven’t. Not yet anyway.’ His brain started spinning. ‘There’s a small boutique hotel I stay in if I ever come to Venice. I can give them a call.’ He pulled his mobile from his pocket and started dialling.
Lucia shook her head and held out her hands. ‘Have you seen this place? I’ve never seen Venice this busy. I think everywhere will be packed out.’
So do I. He was cringing inside. He’d known as soon as he’d arrived that he would never make his flight back. It was leaving right around now. And he hadn’t even made any attempt to book another. With this number of tourists he imagined that every flight and train journey, in and out of Venice, was booked for the next few days.
He pressed the phone to his ear. ‘Hi, there, it’s Logan Cascini. I wondered if there was any chance of reserving a room for the night.’
He listened to the reply and tried to stop the sinking feeling settling over him. ‘No problem. Can you recommend anywhere else?’
The crease across Lucia’s brow was deepening.
He listened to the receptionist telling him what he already knew. Venice was packed. Every hotel was fully booked for the next two days. He cut the call and gave his best attempt at a shrug. ‘I’ll try somewhere else.’
Lucia sucked in a breath. ‘Why do you want to stay, Logan? There isn’t anything that you can actually do. Did you book a flight back to Tuscany?’
Her tone was almost accusatory. He pressed a button on his phone and spun it around, showing her his online boarding card for the flight that was due to take off any minute.
Her eyes widened. ‘Oh.’
She bit her lip again. ‘Why do you even want to stay?’
The same question again. This time with a different emphasis on the words. It was obviously preying on her mind, just like it was preying on his. When he’d booked his flight he’d planned to be in Venice for four hours and leave again later today and go straight back to Tuscany. It had all seemed straightforward. Except in his mind, where a little voice kept niggling at him