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I take the glass and sip it. Freshly squeezed. I lick my lips. “Thanks, that’s good.”
“You can change over there,” he points to a room to the side of the pool. “Do you have a bikini?”
I’m about to say no when Roberto clears his throat. “Don Ricci has provided a selection of swimsuits for Miss Bianchi to try.”
We finish our juice before I look at the change rooms attached to the sauna beside the pool.
“I guess I’ll be right back.”
I head into the change rooms and look through the selection of swimsuits. They’re all pretty bikinis, and I settle on a red one that I change into. I grab a towel and walk out toward the pool.
Roberto averts his eyes as Giovanni says, “You’re really pretty.”
I chuckle. “Thank you, Gio,” I say softly.
“You’re welcome.”
He’s changed into blue swimming trunks that have sharks on them. Roberto moves to stand in the shade of the house as he watches us. Gio has more juice and sips it carefully.
“Do you like sharks?”
“They’re my favorite,” Giovanni says. “One day I’m going to be a marine biologist and study them.”
I smile at that. “That’s so sweet. Are you going to protect them?”
“We must. They’re a part of the ecosystem,” the boy explains.
He’s a smart kid. I admire that about him. Clearly he pays attention at school.
“Well, you look very handsome in your swimming trunks. Are you ready to swim?”
“Yeah,” he says, taking my hand and leading me toward the swimming pool. “Do you think it’s cold?”
“You’ll have to test it and let me know,” I tease.
Holding my hand, Giovanni sticks his foot into the pool and then pulls it out, laughing.
“It isn’t cold at all.” He lets go of my hand and runs to the side and quickly jumps in, causing a splash.
My heart lodges in my throat as he goes under, unsure of how good a swimmer he is. Should I jump in after him? I stare at the rough surface, holding my breath.
Then he surfaces, and I breathe out. He laughs as though this is what makes him the happiest person in the world.
He swims to the edge and gets out before running to me and throwing his arms around my middle happily. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Matteo stepping out onto the veranda.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
MATTEO
When I step out onto the veranda, I’m stunned by what I see. There is Gia, in a gorgeous two-piece bikini, her long hair flowing down her back, with my son wrapped around her tummy, laughing.
He must have just gotten out of the pool because he’s sopping wet and his hair is plastered to his head. Gia sees me and turns to look at me with wide eyes as though she’s been caught doing something naughty.
My heart thuds in my chest as I watch her and Giovanni. He’s absolutely in love with her, and I have to take a breath to steady myself.
She’s still staring at me. We’re frozen in time together, wondering what to do next. She doesn’t want to hurt my son. That much is evident on her face, but she is still my prisoner.
The spell seems to lift, and Gia carefully unwraps herself from Giovanni’s arms before she turns her back on me and walks toward the water.
