Ten Days in Tuscany by Annie Seaton Read Free Book Online Page A

across the road from the brightly lit gelateria. He’d intended to do the gentlemanly thing and open the door for Gia again, but she was out and waiting on the curb before he could shut his door. Certainly not what he was used to. The women he usually took out expected to be pampered and looked after by their escorts. But then, they were usually with him at the theater or a fancy restaurant, not an ice cream shop in a little village in the Tuscan countryside. But he never took a date on his gallery visits. That was one place he always went alone. He didn’t want to have to pander to someone else when he was absorbed in appreciating the latest exhibition. Despite her hesitancy, there was an aura of confidence about Gia—Nic couldn’t quite figure out the two different sides he was seeing, but he was sure going to enjoy finding out. He checked the car was secure and joined her at the edge of the curb and smiled. “You must be hungry.”
    She walked ahead of him as they crossed the road. She wore a short black skirt and her legs were bare. Her feet were slipped into colorful sandals. Her T-shirt, molding the curves he’d checked out in the car, was a dark scarlet. The curves hadn’t been apparent beneath the waitress uniform.
    He was surprised again when she paused outside the shop and checked out the crowd inside. He frowned. She really was intimidated by her family. Maybe this idea of his wasn’t such a good one. He could see complications arising if it was such a big deal just to go out and buy ice cream.
    Then he thought of those paintings he’d seen in the restaurant. It would be worth it.

Chapter Three
    Gia did not regret ditching her eyeglasses. So things were a bit blurry; she would cope. For the first time in ages, she wanted to look…well… she wanted to look sexy, and those damn square black glasses were ugly. She’d rather go without them and get by as best she could. After all, they were only eating ice cream. She was well aware of Nic standing beside her, even though he was a tiny bit blurred. She’d already taken her fill of looking at his face tonight when she still had her glasses on, and even if she’d closed her eyes now, she’d be able to picture the color of his eyes, the curve of his sexy full lips, and that glorious dimple in his chin. The woodsy aftershave was enough of a dead giveaway as to how close he was to her, and the warmth tingling on her skin warned her that he was close enough for her to lean into him—if she’d wanted to.
    And she did.
    It had been a long time since she’d taken so much care with her appearance, and Gia was still trying to figure out why her commonsense had fled. Maybe it was because being out with a sexy man—one who was interested in her art— was so different from her usual boring life? Maybe it was because Nic looked so…so perfect? He appealed to her artistic eye; that was all. The only stimulation Gia got in her predictable days was when she was painting. It was the only time she felt truly alive…and happy. There was nothing like the anticipation of looking at a blank canvas, imagining her thoughts and feelings and letting them fill the emptiness as bright splashes of color. In a way, it filled the emptiness that she always carried inside. She was alone in the midst of her vibrant family, but independence was important to her.
    Independence? Standing on my own two feet?
    Now she turned to Nic and tried not to squint as she looked up at him. If she peered closely, she’d be able to see him more clearly, but she didn’t want to frighten him off by pulling faces.
    She grinned. Not until I’ve had my ice cream, anyway.
    “What are you smiling about?” Nic’s breath brushed the nape of her neck as he leaned closer to speak to her. “Not that I’m complaining.”
    “I’m happy.” She reached out and touched his arm.
    His deep voice rumbled through her. “Then you’re easy to please, if all it takes is ice cream.”
    They strolled into the