Gambler's Folly (Bookstrand Publishing Romance) (28 page)

The weekend went by quickly, with Damiano out most of one evening with one of his men. “Why can’t you just go leopard, instead of dressing all up in black? Seems to me it would be easier,” she asked.

“Maybe easier, but how many leopards do you typically see roaming the streets at night, cara?”

“I suppose there is that. But don’t you look suspicious anyway?”

“Not so much. People are used to seeing me here in evening clothes. Dressed to hunt, I look like about anyone else on the street.”

“Are you at least finding out what you need to know? I worry about you.”

“We’re very close now. The pieces are nearly in place. I can say no more, cara. Please don’t worry. I’ll be fine. Besides, I’ll soon have a personal healer to fix me up if something goes wrong.”

Karianna was nervous about her next session. She wasn’t sure why. She’d been working with Carl, Chase, and Master Kwan for some time now. With Carl, it had been more than a year.

She was a little early, her excitement overriding her nerves. “Are you ready, Karianna?” Master Kwan asked.

“I suppose, if you think I am.”

“Let me begin by explaining what we are going to do.” He took out drawing paper and a couple pencils for her and then drew what looked like a Chinese or Japanese symbol on one sheet of paper. “It is important for you to learn this symbol. Learning it, and tuning your mind to it, will boost the energy you can use, and tune that energy to a particular vibrational frequency for healing.”

“What is it?” she asked, confused.

Master Kwan explained that everything in the universe has a vibrational energy, a particular frequency which is unique. While allowing energy to flow without the symbol worked for healing, tuning the energy would make it more powerful and effective.

“So, is there just this one symbol?” she asked.

“There are others which you can learn later, but this is the most important one to learn first. Once you have some more experience using this one, you can progress further, if you’d like.”

After she learned how to draw the symbol accurately, and learned what it was called, Master Kwan took her through the process to attune her to it. It took only a few minutes and she didn’t really feel any different afterwards.

“Not yet,” Master Kwan told her. “But now, come over here and I’ll show you how to practice with it. You should feel the difference then.”

Before she opened her mind to the flow of energy, he had her hold the symbol firmly in mind while thinking its name. Once she had done that, he told her to go ahead and let the energy flow.

Suddenly, the energy which had always seemed a tame trickle became a rushing stream, the warmth and tingling too strong to be comfortable. Her face must have shown how startled she was as Master Chang and Chase began to laugh.

“Now you understand the difference,” he said, nodding. “Practice your self-healing techniques between now and your next class. We’ll see how you do attuned.”

Karianna’s class was on Thursday and she and Damiano had made plans to leave Friday morning. Their return was planned for Wednesday morning. She had told nobody they were leaving, except for Carl. Dam had told her to keep Carl informed, since she met with him every day, except Sunday.

She got the few things together which she might need at the lodge, before Damiano got home from his meetings. She tried not to worry, but his world was so different from hers, she couldn’t put her mind to rest. All she could see was his concern and the stress which kept him awake at night.

True, he had been going out several times a week for his reconnaissance with some of the others. What they were trying to find out was not discussed around her.

“It is for your safety, cara,” he told her when she asked. “What you don’t know can’t worry you or anyone else.”

For their last evening out before the trip, she chose a gown in lush black georgette. A floor-length princess-style with a skirt which swirled delightfully, the front had a modest cowl neck, while the back draped gracefully to her waist.

“Cara, you are becoming modest on me,” Damiano commented when he first saw her. As she turned, he changed his mind. “Ah, I see. I knew you could not be bored with me already. You simply could not hide all of you away from me for the entire evening. Though how I can keep my hands to myself, I can’t say.”

“When have you ever kept your hands to yourself, lover?” she asked, amused. “Your hands were all over me the very first time we met.”

“That wasn’t quite the same thing, cara,” he protested.

“Maybe not, but since then, your hands have had a mind of their own, so to speak. And a bit of wanderlust.”

“But exploring is so enticing, amante mia.”

“I doubt there’s once inch of me you haven’t explored already, Damiano Leone,” she stated, as his lips began trailing little kisses across her shoulders. “We’re going to be late, Dam.”

“How can we be late? I decide when and where I’m going to have dinner. So if I wanted to postpone one pleasure for another…”

“You have a one-track mind,” she answered. “Dinner first, then play.”

“You are so mean to me, cara. Tempting me and then making me wait. It is too cruel.”

“I learned from the best, lover. Dinner.”

“Bene. Dinner.”

The evening was relaxing for a change, though it did heat up quickly, cutting their after-dinner tour short. They had to be up early the next day, too, so it was just as well they returned home sooner than usual. With Damiano spending so many evenings away, playtimes had been briefer lately. It seemed he was trying to make up for it all in one evening.

“Are you just relieved at taking a break from business? I’d begun to think you were tired of me already,” she asked as she curled up next to him.

“Dispiace, amante mia. I’ve been neglecting you. It’s this
affari dannati
—damned business—which keeps me away. I hate to wake you, when I come to bed in the early morning hours. But then I am gone most of the day also.”

“It’s alright, lover. I understand.”

“It is not alright to have a beautiful, attentive wife and leave her alone all day and half the night.
Finito
! Tomorrow we go on holiday and forget this business of mine for a few days.”

“Go to sleep, honey. Get some rest before we have to be up and on the way.”

Up before daylight, the two of them left separately and met Marco to drive to the airstrip. With little sleep time before the drive, Karianna was asleep soon after takeoff.

“Kari,” she heard, softly spoken in her ear. “Kari, do want some lunch?” Opening her eyes, she looked over at the amused expression on her husband’s face.

“Alright, what’s so funny?”

“You’ve been asleep for hours, cara. You must want something to eat by now. We had only coffee and toast for breakfast.”

“Did you get to take a nap?”

“Si, for a little while.”

As her stomach grumbled loudly, she shook her head. “I think maybe I should have some lunch, if I’m going to make rude noises.”

Lunch was tasty, but light. There was a clear soup, lightly seasoned, followed by a salad with grilled salmon. Dessert was sliced fruit and cheese. And of course there were apples for a snack. Damiano simply couldn’t live without them.

They arrived late in the afternoon, due to their earlier departure. The soft, rosy sunset colors faded into beautiful blues and lavenders, as the sun made its way toward the horizon. Soon after, the stars began to twinkle overhead.

As they pulled into the drive at the lodge, Damiano gave her a big hug. “This time, cara mia, I promise you, we will take one whole evening for stargazing. We’ll take some hot coffee, some brandy maybe, a nice warm blanket to cover us, and we’ll spend as long as you’d like just watching the stars. Maybe we’ll be lucky and see some shooting stars. That would be nice, no?”

“Sounds lovely, lover. But right now, I just want to stretch out.”

“It has been a long flight. Why don’t you stretch out on the sofa while I get a couple glasses of wine. We will relax in front of the fire and forget all about the Stella d’Oro and business of every kind.”

“Don’t be too long. I need my big cat to curl up with.”

Chuckling, Damiano opened a bottle of wine, poured two glasses for them, and brought the bottle back into the living room. “A little wine to help you unwind, amante.
Salute.
”

As she dozed off, she heard Damiano chuckle softly. Opening her eyes, she looked up into his, asking, “What is so amusing?”

“You are. So very sleepy tonight, after sleeping half the day. Have I worried you so much lately?”

“Maybe. I’m just so comfortable and warm, I feel I could sleep for days.”

“Let’s go to bed then, cara mia. We have nothing to do tomorrow, except what we decide.” He stood up, put her wine glass on the coffee table and helped her to her feet. Pulling her closely to him, he whispered, “Amore mia, I’m so sorry to have troubled you so much. As soon as this is all over, we’ll go away, maybe to Earth itself, and just enjoy each other. If I could make it so, you would never worry again, amante. Never.”

“No really, lover, it’s fine. I understand how things get out of hand sometimes. But it will be over soon and then we can relax again.”

“Okay. To bed with you. Sogni d’oro, amore mia. Sweet dreams.”

Karianna slept deeply, so deeply she couldn’t remember dreaming. She woke to the smell of fresh coffee and a kiss.

“Mmmm…Is that coffee I smell?”

“Of course. Would I wake you without a peace offering?” he asked, his dark eyes smiling.

“I’m not that cranky in the morning,” she protested. He was still in his robe, silk pajamas peeking out from underneath as he sat on the edge of the bed. Pulling back the comforter, he raised an eyebrow at the satin and lace she wore.

“Maybe we should wait for coffee. A little pleasure before leisure.” His arms were strong around her, his kiss warm, deep, and richly sensual. It quite took her mind off the coffee.

Sometime later, they both woke again. “Now that is the way to begin a day,” her husband said, tracing her figure with one finger. “But I think we’ll have to make some fresh coffee.”

“I think you’re right. About both. I’ll make the coffee, while you take a shower,” she suggested. After another kiss like the one which started this whole affair, he chuckled at her and headed for the bathroom.

Sitting in front of the fireplace, a lovely fire dancing on the grates, she looked over at Damiano and said, “I think I’m out of the mood for skiing today.”

“Yes. It’s a lazy sort of day. It’s a little cloudy anyway. Not a good day for skiing. Maybe we’ll take a walk later, but for now, I’m not so energetic.”

He found a book to read, but Karianna just stretched out on the sofa, her head on his lap, and dozed off and on throughout the afternoon. At one point she woke and saw that Damiano was sleeping, too, his legs stretched out in front of him, his feet on the coffee table. It was so nice to be together for a change, without all the stress and worry. Turning her head, she snuggled down and went back to sleep.

“Cara, wake up. It’s late,” she heard. A warm hand stroked her arm, and then fingers traced her jawline. “Come on, wake up.”

It was late in the afternoon, the sun about halfway to the horizon. “How long have we been asleep?” she asked.

“I don’t know. You went to sleep while I read, and then I dropped off until a few minutes ago. I didn’t realize how tired I’d been.”

She stretched and then sat up and stretched again, Damiano’s eyes taking in the whole performance.

“Mia gattina, you must be part cat to enjoy a stretch that much. I can almost see it. Nobody can stretch like a cat can. It feels so wonderful. It is a shame you can’t actually experience it.”

“That’s alright. I can enjoy stretching in this form,” she said as she stretched some more. “It must be all the riding and flying and sleeping on the sofa that has me cramped up.”

“Maybe you need a little romp to get it all sorted,” he suggested.

“Yeah? What did you have in mind, Tiger?”

Head lowered, eyes perfectly focused, he slowly stalked toward her, growling softly.

“Ahhh…I begin to see,” she said. “Do you think you can catch me?” And the fun began.

The next morning they got up early to do some skiing. Light, fluffy snow had fallen during the night, blanketing the mountain in crisp, white powder. The tree branches were all lightly dusted, sparkling as if coated in fairy dust in this magical scene. The whisper from their skis echoed off the nearby slopes, adding to the fairytale atmosphere.

By midday, they were both ready to go back, have lunch and rest up. Karianna sat on a boulder while Damiano called for Marco to come pick them up.

“Come, cara mia, let’s go down to the road to meet our ride,” Damiano said, grinning widely. “Tired?”

“Yes. You’d think, with as much as I work out every day, I could ski for half a day without a problem. But I’m really bushed.”

“Nothing you can do in a gym is a good substitute for the real thing. Ski machines, treadmills, nothing. But to get out into nature and meet her face to face, now that is a challenge.”

Marco met them with the car and they were soon back at the lodge. Showered and changed, they went into the village for a late lunch. The crusty artisanal bread and hot soup were wonderful after a morning in the snow.

“This is marvelous, Dam. How did you find this place?”

“I like to ski, so when I first came to Gambler’s Folly I tried several different areas, looking for someplace with decent snow, decent food, and a lodge I liked. Eventually I found this place.”

“What was it that drew you to this particular spot?” Karianna asked.

“I think the village. It is small, so there aren’t crowds of people to get through when I come to the village. This little restaurant has decent food, well above average. And the snow is perfect for skiing nearly year-round.”

“So even you get tired of the crowds sometimes?”

“Well, while I normally enjoy the attention, sometimes I want some peace and quiet. And this is the place for it. I’m sure they know who I am in the village, but they don’t press,” he explained.