“What’s going on, Gianna?” he asked bluntly.
She drew her legs close to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees. All the while she avoided his gaze. “I’d just like to take you to the lake without my entire family watching our every move.”
“And…?”
She blew out a sigh, deciding to come clean. “And, I’d like you to help me get over my fear of the water without my relatives catching on.”
He sat up straight. “Accidenti! Of course I’ll help you if I can. But I’m not qualified to handle something so serious.” He reached for her, unwrapping her arms and legs, and tucked her tight against him. The firm beat of his heart steadied her as nothing else could have. “What has caused this fear, do you remember?”
She leaned into him. “It started when Uncle Dominic and Aunt Laura drowned. I was terrified to go in the water after that.”
He considered that for a moment. “They drowned while sailing, yes? It didn’t occur at the lake?”
She shook her head. “I’d never have been able to return to the lake if it had happened there.”
His frown deepened. “Why hasn’t your family helped you get over this fear?”
“They don’t know,” she confessed. “I’ve kept it hidden all these years. I sunbathe and splash a bit in the shallows. But I spend my time there hiking or reading or any activity that doesn’t involve swimming.” She searched his face. “Would you be willing to try to help me?”
“For you? Anything.”
She made a sound, half laugh, half sigh. “I’m not sure whether to be grateful or sorry.”
He lifted her face to his. “I vote for grateful.” He feathered a kiss across her mouth. “Very grateful.”
As it turned out, Constantine didn’t return to work until a long time later.
Constantine picked up Gianna early the next morning. One look at her face warned she hadn’t slept well. He took her overnight bag and tucked it away in the trunk of his Porsche.
“We don’t need to do this, you know,” he informed her as they headed out of the city. “You’re allowed to change your mind.”
She hid her exhaustion behind a pair of sunglasses, but the set of her chin told its own story. She’d go through with her plan no matter how difficult. “You can thank David for this,” she told him.
He spared her a brief, hard look. “Explain.”
“He scared me. Terrified me. As a result, I discovered something about myself.” She looked at him then, glaring over the top of her sunglasses. “I don’t like being afraid.”
“I’ll protect you from d’Angelo. I swear it.”
To his intense pleasure, she nodded in complete agreement. “Of course you will. Because that’s who you are. But here’s the thing…” She angled her body in his direction and stabbed her finger to emphasize her point. “Even though I was terrified, I still found a way to escape.”
He allowed his admiration to show. “Yes, you did.”
“If I can overcome my fear of David, I can overcome my fear of the water. And that’s what I’m going to do.” She nudged her sunglasses higher on the bridge of her nose in a decisive movement. “With your help, that is.”
He shot her a swift grin. “I’ve thought of a possible solution.”
“Oh, yeah? What’s that?”
“I’ll distract you.”
“Hmm. Not sure that’ll work. I don’t think there’s anything you can do that’ll distract me to that extent.”
“Sure it will.”
“What?”
“Two words… Skinny. Dipping.”
She chuckled, relaxing for the first time that morning. “Okay, that just might work.”
He could tell she thought he was kidding. In just a little over two hours she’d find out he was serious. He smiled in anticipation.
Very, very serious.
Eight
They arrived at the Dantes’ summer property right at noon. Constantine parked in a gravel section between a large workshop and equally generous-size storage shed. He took a moment to stretch, then looked around in appreciation.