of his son. “We had a good time, didn’t we?”
“Yes. I loved it! Will Irena be with you the next time I see you?”
“I hope so.”
“I do, too. She makes you happy, huh.”
Vincenzo smiled at his son’s insight. “Yes.”
“Did you know she’s afraid of the water, too? She told me while we were looking out of the castle window.”
So…his son had an ally. “But she doesn’t seem to mind heights because she liked the cable car ride.”
“I know. So did I. She’s fun!”
“I agree.”
Lowering his voice to a whisper Dino said, “She’s beautiful, too, but don’t tell you know who I said so.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t. Now before you know who comes downstairs, give me a hug.” He felt Dino’s arms wrap around him and squeeze him hard. “I’ll see you at the end of the month.”
“I wish we could do stuff more often.”
“But this is working, right?”
As Dino nodded and wiped his eyes, Mila appeared in shorts and a top, looking immaculate as always. His son broke away and ran toward her, giving her a big hug. She kissed his head before flicking her glance to Vincenzo.
“You’re later than I expected.”
In a gush of excitement, Dino told her all about their outing to Rapallo with Signorina Spiros. Vincenzo was perfectly happy for his son to take over and explain.
Mila’s expression hardened. “Take your things upstairs, Dino. I want to talk to your father alone.”
“Okay.” He turned to Vincenzo. “I love you, Papa.”
“I love you, too.”
He grabbed his sack of toys and started up the steps. When he’d disappeared from sight, Mila turned to him. “You’ve never introduced Dino to another woman before. How important is she to you?”
“Very.” Last evening he’d come close to cardiac arrest when he’d seen Irena at his front door. If he wasn’t mistaken, Mila lost color.
“And she’s Greek?”
“Dino’s already said as much. Now I have to go, Mila. Irena is waiting for me.”
“She’s here?”
“Sì. She is in the courtyard in my car.”
“How dare you bring her here, Vincenzo! And how dare you sleep with a woman in the apartment while Dino’s there on visitation!”
“Save your anger, Mila. She stayed at a hotel.”
“I forbid it, Vincenzo.”
Vincenzo felt his own anger toward his ex-wife bubbling to the surface. “Forbid what? I’ve obeyed every edict of the visitation stipulation to the letter. There’s nothing in it that states I can’t be with a woman in my car or my own apartment in Dino’s presence. My life has nothing to do with you anymore, Mila.”
“We’ll see about that!”
“If you and your father want to throw more money away talking to your attorney, I can’t stop you, but I promise you’ll be wasting your time.”
“You won’t be so smug when I tell your father and he gets the judge to alter the stipulation.”
“That’s not going to happen. Ciao, Mila.” With Irena’s arrival, Vincenzo now held the trump card and he would use it.
“Don’t you walk out on me yet!” Her strident voice had risen higher. “I’m not finished!”
“If you aren’t, you should be. Dino has missed you. Don’t keep him waiting.”
He left the villa, knowing he’d put the handcuffs on Mila for now. It was always a wrench to walk away from his son, but for once someone was waiting for him. He found himself somewhat breathless as he got back in the car and turned to Irena. Elation filled him that they were finally alone.
The richness of her black hair held his gaze, but it hid part of her features. He leaned closer to smooth it behind her ear, unable to resist touching her before starting the car. He studied her beautiful Grecian profile for a prolonged moment before pulling beyond the gate and out onto the main road.
“I took this week off from work to be with Dino and don’t have to report until tomorrow morning. Let’s make the most of the time.”
She stirred restlessly. “Vincenzo—I think we need to talk. You need to know the reason why I came…I didn’t want to say anything in front of Dino.”
“It’s enough that you’re here.”
“I’m being serious.”
“I never thought you weren’t.”
“Please listen to me. I won’t be staying in Riomaggiore. I’m on my way to Toronto. If you’d be kind enough to drive me to the airport, I’ll be grateful.”
She was running away again. This time he wouldn’t let her. “I thought you quit your job at the newspaper.”
“I did.”
“Then what’s in Canada?”
“Another job away from Greece.”
“If that’s what you’re looking for, I could offer you a public relations position at the plant in La Spezia.”
He watched her hands clench together. “I don’t speak Italian.”
“I would teach you.”
“Vincenzo—” she cried in frustration. “I stopped to visit you because I knew you would see the headlines about Andreas’s marriage to Gabi. It was important to me that you didn’t think I was a total liar.
“When I left Riomaggiore, I went back to break it off with Andreas. After I met you, I knew that my relationship with Andreas was doomed—you were right about that. Andreas figured it out for himself, too.”
Vincenzo was silent for a moment before speaking. “Be thankful Simonides acted on his instincts.”
“Whether he did or didn’t, I acted on mine and slept with you. That was the turning point for me.” The attraction between them had been too powerful. They’d just gone with the moment.
He turned onto a road leading into a park. As soon as he could, he pulled to the side and shut off the engine before giving her his full attention. “Now tell me why you showed up at my door. The truth.” Vincenzo was no one’s fool.
“You’re so sure I had
