An Aria in Venice: A Musical Interlude Novel (5 page)

Lis
met Byron last summer during our August holiday break. He swooped down like a
prince from a fairy tale and stole away my friend’s heart. Umm ... not really.
However, it feels that way each time I listen to Lis describe the way he saved
her when the horse she was learning to ride suddenly decided to go bat crap
insane and take off down the mountain side. Lis, a true New York City girl, had
no idea what to do since she’d only taken a few lessons. Luckily, Byron knew
what to do. He was vacationing with his family and saw my stressed friend and
her wild horse go charging by his group. He took off after her, saving her just
before the mare could dump her over the side of the mountain. It’s the kind of
stuff that’s made for romance novels. Jojo and I are both envious of, and happy
for, our cupid-blessed friend.

Lis
has done well for herself, and I’m happy for her. Guts—she’s one of only two
black dancers in Aterballetto—and a sex life … she has both, and I have none.
What do I have? Inexperience, a dancer’s flat chest, and a brother who thinks I
need a replacement for the father we left behind in Russia eight years ago.

“I
want a nice, cold glass of Merlot. A soft fire going beside my bed. One of
those farm houses in Tuscany, and a key so I can toss it into the field after I
lock Byron and me away in our red room,” Lis says, closing her eyes. Her head
is floating about a foot away from mine, even though her body’s turned in the
opposite direction.

“Then
do it. We have a break coming up,” I remind her.

She
opens her eyes, turns her head in my direction, and smirks. “I don’t know.
Maybe I will. Then maybe he’ll take us more seriously as a couple.”

“What
do you mean? He’s completely in love with you. I can see it. Even Jojo agrees.”
I pucker my lips and blow kisses, teasing Lis, who I know is uncomfortable with
admitting that someone else has the power to control her feelings. In return,
she splashes water all over my face, and I accidentally inhale some, the
chlorine stinging my nostrils. Gasping, I wipe my face. “That was mean.”

“You
deserve it for being too good with analyzing people,” she scolds, even though
she’s smiling … and yes, even blushing.

“You
know what I want?” I ask.

“Tell
me all about it, hun.”

“To
lose my virginity. It’s a huge burden, and I’m tired of it.” There, I said it,
and I feel so much better after doing so. Lis sputters in the water and
shuffles to a standing position so that her black eyes are staring down into my
blue ones.

“Wait.
A. Minute. I know I didn’t just hear you say what I think you did.” A smile
creeps across her lips and she has this look on her face that reminds me of
when we first met each other a few years ago. That was the day we both were
accepted into Aterballetto, something that was an accomplishment for her, being
one of the only Black American ballet dancers in the group, and a milestone for
me, the Russian girl with an American mother that has a scandalous past.

I
move to a standing position, too, clearing the water out of my eyes. The
chlorine always burns them. I should do as Mother suggested and wear goggles,
but then, I never do anything she tells me to do.

“Your
fine as hell, sexy, hot-headed Russian-American brother will castrate any man
who even glances your way, let alone touches you. And if he doesn’t finish the
poor guy off, then either Katerina or Nikolai will be waiting in the wings.”

There’s
that name, Nikolai again. I can never get away from it. Sighing, I roll my eyes
a bit and shake my head. “How about I become a nun? Will that work?” I ask
sarcastically.

“Hell
no. I’m just saying, your family’s a bit overprotective in case you haven’t
noticed. But hey, I’m down for helping you out with this mission,” Lis says,
wagging her eyebrows.

“Good.
I need a candidate for the job,” I confirm, feeling all kinds of crazy energetic
and wild, kind of like someone injected me with a shot of electrical energy.

“You’re
serious!” Lis smiles as I turn and make my way up the steps, onto the pavement.
The water in my suit makes my body feel as though my arms and legs weigh a ton.

“Yeah,
duh.” We head over to our chairs, pick up our towels, and begin drying off. Lis
has a goofy grin on her face and she keeps on staring at me. “What?”

“Nothing.
Not a thing. I’m just happy you’ve chosen me as a partner in this most
excellent crime.” She dries her long legs and I’m thinking her grin must hurt
because that’s just how wide her smile has become.

“How’s
losing my virginity a crime?”

“’Cause
I don’t think you’ll do it. And if you do manage to pull off the dirty deed,
then all of Milan will hear your mother’s war cry. Heads will roll.”

“Whatever,
Lis.”

The
door leading back into the gym slams open and my heart leaps into my throat.
Gasping, I turn my head so I can give the idiot a death glare for scaring me
that way … and my mouth falls open. I’m not sure if I believe in fate and
destiny or all that dreamy philosophical stuff the way Mother and Alek do.
However, I can’t help but to feel something has come into play as I stare
toward the door. The designer guy, Luca, the man with the dangerously sexy eyes
and messy hair—an intriguing shade that would almost look brown in a candlelit
room, but springs to golden life as soon as the sun’s rays kiss the
tresses—stands in the doorway.

“Oh
no, no, no. This is just too good,” I say, laughing to myself. Lis frowns and
follows my gaze over to the opposite end of the pool. Luca’s now talking to a
man, his hands gesturing wildly as he does so. My brain shifts into devious
mode.

Lis’s
eyes widen and she gives me a knowing grin. “Don’t even think about what you’re
thinking,” she warns, but she’s smiling and fueling the death of my inner
warning to back off before I even get started with what I’m about to do.

“I
think I just found my guy,” I state without taking my eyes off Luca’s face. I
don’t even bother with drying off. Instead, I let my towel fall to the ground
and focus my gaze on the key to getting what I want from Nikolai.

“Dare
me to do something crazy. No wait. Double dare me to walk over there and offer
my virginity to him,” I say to Lis, my gaze focused on Luca. I’m feeling bold
and wild, feelings forbidden to me, the pampered princess.

“Yeah.
Right. I triple dare you to do that.”

“Thank
you, my lovely friend,” I answer, turning to smile at her before continuing on
my mission.

 “Adriana
Dostovsky, what are you planning to do?” Lis asks as I walk away. However, I
hear the excitement in her voice, which in turn fuels the adrenaline pumping
through me.

“God,
girl, you have lost your mind,” she responds.

I
turn and shrug, giving her my most innocent face. “Watch this,” I mouth out and
start walking toward my mother’s newest designer.

Adriana

You
must not eyeball another man.

Repeat
after me.

You
must not eyeball another man.

Nikolai
is the goal, keep that in mind as you eyeball—no, that’s too nice of a
description—as you eyestrip another man’s body. Too late. The drooling has
begun. Maybe he’ll let me borrow that towel he’s wearing around his muscular
torso to wipe it away.

Oh
my God, get your mind out of the V-line ... no, I meant to say gutter. That’s
what Mother always tells Alek, but somehow I think my brother’s mind has a
permanent space inside the world of the wet and wild, along with Nikolai,
although he tries to act like he’s the innocent one of the two. What neither of
them knows is that I’ve heard all about the underground parties they throw at
Nikolai’s place, and I don’t need to be experienced in sex to know all about
the things they do, especially when my brother makes it a point to take Nadya
along each time.

Speaking
of my handsome bodyguard, he should be here at any moment, ready to pick me up
and take me home. Always the faithful servant to Mother, and never a minute too
late or early. My paranoid, and yes, overly protective brother wants me to be
escorted everywhere these days. So when my mother’s driver, Hagar, isn’t
available, Nikolai becomes the bodyguard. Checking out the designer guy, who
has been acting like he’s not watching me ever since he strolled through the
doorway, gives me an idea, and a grin spreads across my face. So Nikolai wants
to ignore me and treat me like I’m still a little girl, huh? Then I’m going to
give him a show he won’t soon forget.

“Luca,
how’s it going?” I ask, reaching out my hand to him. Before answering my
question, he takes my hand, shaking it, and glances up and down my body, a
quick rake-over that kind of surprises me considering his reputation as a
player. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but for him to quickly take my hand
and then look away as though my skin is made out of fire really confuses me.
And what’s with the flush in his face? I know he’s not blushing. I blink
several times to make sure I’m not seeing things. I mean, I know the golden
Gucci two piece I’m wearing gives J-Lo a run for her lack of a cover up, but
still, this should be just the kind of thing he loves.

“The
girl with an ocean inside her eyes,” he finally says, and right away, I feel
like we’re back in familiar territory … one where the puppy uses his play on
words to attract the kitty cat’s natural ability to be too curious. A
flirtatious look crosses over the cautious one I just saw on his face, and he
flashes one of those perfect smiles that highlight his dimples. Oh my! He has
the hottest dimples and he knows I’m checking him out. I can tell by the way he
not so innocently runs that tongue ring across his top lip as he smiles at me
with his eyes. Distraction time. With a man like this one, you don’t ever let
him know how much he affects you, and I’m failing at this thing.

 Okay,
here we go. “I didn’t know you came here to swim.”
Duh!
I want to jump
in the pool, hit my head, and get this over with. Of course I wouldn’t know. I
haven’t exactly been watching out for hot designers who wear cropped muscle
tanks paired with silky black swimming trunks, and have the words
La Dolce
Vita
tattooed across their torso. I cannot believe what I’m seeing. I’m not
sure if he even struck me as the ink type, what with his pretty boy looks,
perfect hair, and all. The scroll work surrounding the words forms a design
that disappears underneath the half shirt he’s wearing, something I’d expect to
find only on the body of a man like Luca. However, I can’t help wondering what
the rest of his tattoo looks like.

His
smile widens. “A friend suggested this gig. She says it’s a good place to
unwind.”

“Oh,
I see. So is
she
joining you?” I ask, wondering if I look as transparent
as the way that question sounded.

“No.
She
would be Erin Angelo, the other designer who’ll be working with me
on your brother’s line,” he explains, waiting for my response. I don’t fail to
catch the way he emphasizes that he’s working for my family; that should curb
my curiosity right away. Instead, the desire to reach my goal, the fire that I
know can only lead to trouble, blazes stronger inside me.

“Good.
I’m just getting started. Could use a swimming partner since mine is leaving in
a little bit,” I lie, speaking loud enough for Lis to overhear and hopefully
support me in this plan. Luckily, my best friend doesn’t disappoint. We do
these kind of hook up moves for each other all the time. Of course, she usually
gets the guy while I get to be escorted back to our apartment by Sir Belikov.

Coming
to stand beside me, Lis reaches out her hand to Luca and says, “The name’s Lis
Rollins. I love your work! Your designs are so unique. They ooze sex.” Okay,
she’s overdoing it, but I appreciate the effort. Luca glances back and forth
between the two of us and smiles. “If you will excuse me, signorinas.”

I
stare after him for the longest time, trying to decide why the man I’ve heard
so much about as a player has decided to dismiss me. “Something’s not right,” I
murmur to Lis, but my eyes are glued to Luca, who has struck up a conversation
with a leggy blonde.

“I’m
guessing you’re riding home with Nikolai today?” Lis asks, ripping me away from
my perusal of Luca’s body, the broad chest and his sculpted shoulders. I’m not
the least bit surprised to see words, or rather a phrase, tattooed down his
V-line. The curiosity stings and I intend to find out what the scroll designs
mean before Nikolai arrives to pick me up tonight.

The
blonde girl throws her head back and laughs, tossing her hair and showing Luca
all that makes a woman possess power over a man. At least, that’s what Alek
tells me anyway.

“Go
on without me, Lis. Got a little something to take care of here,” I confirm and
head toward Luca and his friend.

“On
one condition,” she says, grabbing hold of my arm and smiling. Raising my
eyebrows, I hold back a grin. “You tell me every delicious detail of what
happened.”

“Deal.
Now go,” I whisper, shooing her away.

“And
you better tell me what the rest of that ink on his six pack looks like,” she
requests, smiling. I’m surprised she saw it, but then, not really. Lis notices
everything. I always tease her, saying if she hadn’t decided to pursue a career
in dance, detective work would most definitely be her calling.

“I
promise. Now go,” I urge, anxious to stake my claim before skyscraper legs
beats me to it. I wait until Lis disappears through the exit before I turn back
to my goal. Everyone else has also cleared out, leaving only the three of us
hanging out around the pool. Inhaling deeply, I gather my courage and trudge
over to Luca. If I had to guess, I’d say he stands around 6’2”, towering over
my 5’4”.

I
catch the tail end of his sentence; he just called the blonde girl Juliette.
What’s even more interesting is that she’s genuinely flattered by it. This guy
is good. Even better than Alek and Nikolai … well, not really, but he’s close
enough. I stand back and enjoy the show a while longer. Neither one of them has
even noticed me standing behind them. This is even better than watching
I
Love Lucy
reruns with my other roomie, Jojo.

“The
sun does set inside a sky where the color reminds me of your eyes,” Luca says
in a voice that would melt even the coldest heart, and his Italian accent flows
like a song. Skyscraper makes one of those coy laughs just before her fluttery
gaze drifts toward me standing behind Luca. He turns around and starts a bit.

“What
the hell? Are you trying to give me a heart attack, woman?”

I
shrug and give him an innocent face, trying to hold back my laugh. “I’m sorry
to interrupt your … um, whatever you were doing, but Mother wanted me to give
you a message.”

“Katerina
Dostovsky, you mean?” he asks, sounding a bit annoyed.

I
nod.

“Interesting.
I left her only moments before I came in here. I would think she would’ve said
something then.”

Oh
crud. I didn’t expect that little wrench. Frowning, he covers his mouth with
his hand, giving me a narrow-eyed, amused look that works just as well on him
as his poetry, which would be completely lame and borderline repulsive on
anyone other than Luca Martuccio.

Suddenly,
I get a grin that’s filled with mischief. He’s no fool, and I know he’s figured
out what I’m trying to do. Turning back to the blonde, he says, “Juliette, I’m
afraid our time will have to be cut short.” The girl’s glare could cut through
a steel door with the iciness I’m feeling from her gaze. Lifting her towel up
from the chair, she makes a point to smile at me just before she plants a
lingering kiss on Luca’s lips, taking him by surprise and leaving me wondering
what the lip ring he’s wearing feels like. Eventually, he pulls back, passes a
sheepish grin at me, and waves Miss Hot and Horny away toward the exit.

“All
done?” I ask, grinning.

“I
must apologize for Juliette. I don’t think she could help herself. I’m
irresistible,” he says with a boyish grin. I shake my head. He has the
cockiness of a rock star and the body of a god. I am so going to enjoy beating
him at this game. “Now. On to this er … this proposition you wanted to
discuss.”

I
shrug and head back toward the pool. Luca follows, just as I figured he’d do. I
might be destined for a nunnery, but my two best friends have taught me all
kinds of things in the art of luring a man like Luca.

I
cry out as the water covers me. “The chill gets me every time. Come in with
me.” I get a half smile as he glances around.

“Nonsense.
This water’s perfect. I don’t ever recall a time when it was too cold,” he
says, wading toward me and closing the distance between us, the smoldering gaze
I’m sure he uses to throw women into a fit on a daily basis locked on my face.
What
are you doing, Adriana? I’m taking Lis up on her dare, that’s what.
I don’t
want to have to wash tutus and leotards by hand for the next six months because
I’ve lost the bet.

“An
admission then. You do come here a lot,” I say walking backwards a bit.
Unfortunately, I slip on one of the filters at the bottom of the pool. Luca
catches me in a flash, pulling my body close to his firm one. He’s all muscle
and heat, and just raw male.

“Careful,
signorina,” he says, holding me in his arms as he stares into my eyes. “I’ve
seen you here quite often, as well.”

“Oh,
really?” I don’t know how to take this news since he’s been ignoring me the
whole time.

“The
way you swim is hypnotic, magical even.”

“You
…” I clear my throat. “You’ve been watching me?”

“Every
so often. How could I not watch such a beautiful moment,” he answers, his
half-lidded gaze focused on my lips now.

“That’s
… a little creepy, I think.”

“I
agree,” he confirms. We both share a laugh.

“No
worries, signorina. I am not stalking you. Only watching the beauty in a
ballerina’s graceful swim.” He gives me a bright grin; a sincere one and not
the irritating smirk of a player. Go for it. Now’s the time. Remember, Lis will
make you wash both her and Jobeth’s tutus, and your hands will look like
raisins by the time you’re done.

It
should be easy to say something like: “Hey, do you want to screw me so I can
get rid of my little virginity problem?” to a man like Luca, right? There’s
something else in those blue eyes of his, a small hint of loneliness. Or maybe
it’s the way he chooses not to call me Juliette again that has triggered
this—whatever
this
is supposed to be. Either way, things aren’t quite
working out the way I envisioned. We’re still holding onto each other when I
hear the door behind me open and the softest hint of footsteps approaching, the
kind that only two types of men would be able to pull off: a dancer or a
hitman. In this case, it’s both.

Luca’s
gaze drifts to the area behind me. Right away, he releases me, his smile
fading. I know Nikolai’s standing back there, but I’m still ticked off about
the way he made me feel like a silly girl at my audition. Time for some
payback.