A little while later they were zipping across the lagoon towards the island of Burano.
‘I’ve missed being out on the water,’ Lily said, glancing at Vito. The golden evening light gilded his jet-black hair and cast a warm glow over his face, but his features were set in a shuttered expression. There was no way of knowing what he was thinking. ‘It was one of my favourite things about living here, even though it was winter.’
‘You never did seem to feel the cold,’ Vito said shortly. Then, despite the fact it should have been obvious she was trying to start a conversation, he fell silent again, his expression still closed to her.
With a small sigh, Lily turned to look at the view, determined to enjoy the rest of the boat trip. The low angle of the sun across the water was creating a beautiful effect—dark indigo waves rippled against golden-orange ribbons of reflected sunlight. It was true that she’d always loved being out on the lagoon, and she wasn’t going to let Vito’s brooding silence mar her pleasure in the amazing view.
Before long they were approaching the picturesque island. With its gaily painted houses and simple style, it seemed a million miles away from Venice. There were no hotels on the island, and as the evening drew in the tourists disappeared back to the city. The local artisans packed away their handmade lace and other crafts, and fishermen and their families came outside to enjoy an evening stroll.
The driver brought the boat to a standstill on one side of the harbour, then jumped out athletically to tie the craft up. Vito disembarked first, turning to offer Lily support as she climbed out of the swaying boat onto the quayside.
She reached for him automatically, but the instant their hands made contact a jolt of highly charged sensual energy ran through her. She snatched her hand away with a gasp, then stumbled awkwardly as the boat lurched with the movement of the water.
Vito’s fingers closed around her forearm, his grip strong and steadying, but he didn’t speak as she climbed out onto the quay.
‘Thank you.’ She tried to make her voice bright and breezy as they started walking towards the main street, but it sounded strained to her own ears. Why should simply taking his hand make her so sexually aware of him? Out of the blue her body was humming with desire for him—even though he hadn’t done or said anything much since they’d left home. ‘I should know better than to make sudden movements when I’m standing on the edge of a boat.’
She lifted her eyes to his face, and the way he was looking at her suddenly made her mouth run dry. She looked away skittishly, waiting a moment for him to speak, but it seemed he was continuing to maintain a charged silence.
‘For goodness’ sake!’ Lily stopped in her tracks and turned to stare up at him. ‘Stop giving me the silent treatment. You’re the one who wants us to keep up appearances.’
‘What do you want me to say?’ Vito asked, with an infuriating lift to one black eyebrow before he turned and continued walking towards the restaurant. ‘Should I reprimand you for acting foolishly at the water’s edge? Or would you like to talk about how the simple touch of my hand on yours sent shock waves of sexual desire burning through you?’
‘No it didn’t,’ Lily said indignantly, feeling hot colour flood to her cheeks as she hurried to keep pace beside him. The very mention of sexual desire was doing things to her that she’d rather deny, especially given Vito’s current rather arrogant and hostile mood. She was glad now that they were walking along and he wasn’t looking at her any more.
‘Of course it did. And, if something as simple as touching hands turns you on, whatever will happen at the restaurant when I take you in my arms and make a show of how happy we are together?’ His voice rumbled through her, setting her nerves alight.
His absolute confidence in his effect on her bothered her on more levels than she could say. Even thinking about the fact that he could turn her on was doing exactly that. She could feel her skin start to flush, and her heart rate had definitely speeded up.
‘Why can’t we have a proper conversation?’ Lily protested, trying to ignore the way she was feeling.
‘We could try,’ Vito said, as he held the door for her to walk into the restaurant. ‘But you might as well face up to it—not much else is going to hold your attention. We both know how this evening has to end.’
Mental pictures of Vito making love to her whirled through her mind, and she could feel her body buzzing with anticipation. Try as she might, it was impossible to ignore the images and the way they were making her feel.
Lily’s cheeks were scarlet as the maître d’ rushed over to them, fussing about how long it had been since their last visit, and showing them to the best table in the restaurant.
‘Your usual glass of prosecco to begin?’ he asked.
‘That would be perfect.’ Vito flashed Lily a lazy smile that sent a frisson skittering through her. ‘After all, this is an evening of celebration.’
‘I shouldn’t drink more than a few sips,’ she said. For some reason she shied away from mentioning her pregnancy.
‘What is it you English say?’ Vito asked, with a devilish glint in his eyes. ‘“A little of what you fancy does you good”?’
Lily’s face was glowing and she could feel herself actually trembling. She told herself it was just nerves magnifying her reaction to his provocation, and buried her head in the menu to avoid his piercing gaze.
If she was going to get through the evening unscathed, she had to get herself in check. She forced herself to read the menu, concentrating very hard on all the options, to chase all other thoughts out of her mind.
She was feeling slightly more composed when the waiter came to tell them the special fish dishes available from the day’s catch, and she was pleased at the extra distraction. By the time they had both made their selections, she had more or less clamped down on her wayward reaction to Vito, although she knew her control was pretty tenuous. She’d have to work very hard to keep the conversation neutral.
‘We should discuss wedding arrangements.’ Vito suddenly spoke, taking her by surprise with his change of tack.
‘Of course,’ Lily replied, overwhelmingly relieved that he had apparently given up his campaign to make her feel uncomfortable. She picked up her prosecco glass and took a sip of the sparkling white wine that the Veneto region was famous for. The delicate bubbles fizzed pleasantly in her mouth, and for a moment she felt the tension start to drain out of her body.
‘It must be very soon,’ Vito continued. ‘And I think a relatively small family affair would be best. Is there anyone you wish to invite who would be able to come at short notice?’
‘I