but he never turned around. A half hour later they dropped into a dark green gorge. With night falling fast, she was reminded of a primeval forest. The water from the stream emptied into a silvery narrow lake maybe a soccer field long. “It’s shaped like a fat eel!”
“Spoken like a scuba diver. My father always thought it looked like a cigar.”
“What about your brother?”
“A long blimp.”
She laughed. “And you?”
“The Veil Nebula.”
Alessandra blinked. “You love astronomy?” He nodded. “Did you ever consider becoming an astronomer?”
“No. The universe is too far away. With engineering I can get my hands on something once I design it.”
“You like the tactile.”
He nodded. “We’ll set up camp here.”
“I love this spot.”
“Tomorrow we’ll explore the other end of the lake. The water trickles down to become a waterfall and cascades to the sea.”
“I wish we didn’t have to wait.”
His gaze trapped hers. “You know the old saying. All good things come to those who wait.”
“But I don’t want to. Aren’t I awful?”
“Later tonight I’ll tell you what I think.”
His words filled with promise almost caused her legs to buckle. In seconds he’d found them a grassy area and pulled out the blue-and-white two-man tent. She helped him erect it. They worked along in harmony. Finally she was able to go inside and change into warm gray sweats and tennis shoes. All her clothes needed to be dried outside, including her boots.
While he built a small campfire, she laid their sleeping bags side by side. The whole time Alessandra worked, she feared he could hear her heart thudding through the walls of the tent. Tonight they’d be sleeping together. This was the kind of heaven she never imagined could happen to her.
The light from the flames flickered, revealing his tantalizing male features. He’d thrown on a tan crewneck sweater over his jeans. His beautiful olive skin and dark coloring had been bequeathed by his Neapolitan ancestry. She could feast her eyes on him all night.
He watched her approach. “Come and sit down. I’ve made coffee to go with our pies.”
“You’re wonderful.” She kissed his jaw before making a place next to him. “I’m sorry I couldn’t contribute anything for our dinner. I’ll do better another time.”
“I’m counting on it,” he murmured.
Her pulse raced as she sipped her coffee from the plastic mug. “Did your mother camp with you when you came out here?”
“Many times. Valentina, too. It’s dark in this part of the mountains. She would bring her hand telescope and pass it around. I remember the hours she taught us about the constellations. Then she and Papà would slip into their tent and leave the three of us to enjoy the wonders of the universe. When I grew old enough, I understood they sneaked away to enjoy the wonder of each other.”
“Oh, I know all about that.” Alessandra chuckled. “Our family went on expeditions to Sicily. One time at the Valley of the Temples, we’d set up our camp. I thought we’d explore that first night while there was still light. But our parents told us to run along and enjoy ourselves.
“My sister and I eyed each other. We could always amuse each other. But it was another one of those times when we were both thinking exactly the same thing. You could say that night contributed to our enlightenment. I never looked at my parents the same way again.”
Rini ate another pie. “I can relate.” He let the fire burn down.
She sat cross-legged in front of it. “You’ve never told me where you went to school.”
“University of Naples, then MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts.”
“You didn’t meet a special woman during those years?”
He swallowed the rest of his coffee. “Yes, but I had a goal to finish my education and didn’t let anything get in the way.”
“Still, you know what I mean.”
“She didn’t matter enough to distract me from my agenda since I knew I couldn’t give her a baby.”
“I’m glad it didn’t work out. Otherwise I wouldn’t be with you now.”
Rini stirred and got to his feet. “I want to continue this conversation, but would rather do it in the tent. Give me a minute to put out the fire.” While he went over to the stream half a dozen times for water to douse the flames, Alessandra put the food away, then found her flashlight and took a trip behind a fat bush.
She kept the light on for Rini. Once she’d removed her tennis shoes, she entered the tent and lay down inside one of bags. Before long he joined her having exchanged his sweater and jeans for a dark blue sweatshirt and pants. His dashing smile took her breath. “I’m having the most fun I’ve ever had in my life.”
“So am I.”
He zipped up the tent flaps and opened the little screened window for air. Then he stretched out on top of his sleeping bag and turned toward her. “Do you mind if we keep the light on for a little while? I want to look at you while we talk.”
She rolled on her side to face him. “I love looking at you, but you already know that.”
“Alessandra?” He reached for her hand and kissed the palm. “Though I want to make love to you and never stop, I can’t wait any longer to tell you what’s on my mind first.”
“What is it?”
“I’m helplessly in love with you, adorata, and want to marry you.”
A cry escaped her throat. “Rini—”
“That couldn’t be news to you.” He sat up to face her. “I fell in love with you that first day. You weren’t the only one who had a surreal experience.”
Joy permeated her body. “I hoped you felt that way, but I hardly dared to dream I would ever hear those words.”
“I’ve been afraid to say them because of the burden it puts on you.”
She raised up on one elbow. “What burden? If you’re talking about the fact that you can’t give me babies, we’ve already had this conversation. It doesn’t matter.”
He shook his head. “Of course it does. But putting the reality of adoption aside, I’m talking about something else that I should have discussed with you weeks ago.”
Weeks?
With that word Alessandra got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach and sat up. “This has to do with my aunt, doesn’t
