Dangerous Love

Chapter 18: 9 Ripe Tomatoes

Jane headed downstairs for lunch. Francesca and Sofía were already sitting at the table with a sandwich on their plates. Marco was fussing about his tomatoes because they weren't ripe and he needed 9 ripe tomatoes for a sauce he was making. Jane sat down next to the girls, clad in a gigantic smile.

"What's got you so smiley?" Sofía asked.

Jane blushed as she remembered her confession about her feeling to Enzo.

Flashback*

"Uhh..." Jane let out a very nourvous laugh. "Well, you see... I... may or may not... have,in a sense, grown slightly over the line of fond with you..." Glancing through her eyelashes she caught Enzo fighting oh so hard not to smile. And if you must know, he failed immensely.

"Bene," he nodded his head in understanding, a childish glint in his eyes as he smiled at her. "I believe the feeling is mutual. However, I must admit, my feelings for you are a bit more than 'slightly over the line of fond'."

Violent fluttering was all she could feel in her stomach. "Really?" Unable to look him in the eyes she began to play with the he of her dress until she felt a finger lift her chin.

Her ocean blue eyes met his chocolate brown ones. She felt her breath hitch and heat rise to her cheeks. Never in her entire life had she blushed so much like she does
around him. Even from their sitting position on her bed she still felt her knees about to give out every time he spoke to her.

"How would you like to go to dinner with me tomorrow night?" He held her chin in one hand and tucked a loose stand of hair behind her ear with the other.

Jane felt herself nodding in affirmation; in a drunken daze as she stared into the chocolate and caramel swirls of his eyes. The way his long, thick eyelashes sweeping his cheeks every time he blinked became hypnotizing to her.

Enzo locked his eyes on her lips that were slightly ajar. He ran his thumb over her bottom lip, pulling it down a bit in the process. The urge to kiss her was strong. They looked so pink and plump.

He leaned in, just a hair apart. She could feel the heat of his breath steaming her lips as she began to close her eyes.

Instead of planting his lips onto hers, Enzo moved to her ear and whispered, "Be ready by 7:00."

He laughed at the bewildered expression she wore once her eyes flew open. He gave her a quick kiss on her cheek to make up for it. With one last smile, he left her to her thoughts and headed to his office.

End of flashback*

"Somebody's got a date," She nudged Sofía and they wiggled their eyebrows. Marco's eyes flew up to me and he raised an eyebrow. "Sit. Tell us all about it. How'd he ask you? When are you going? What will you wear?"

"How did you know?" Jane asked as she sat down on the kitchen stool that Sofía had pulled out for her.

"Please, bambina, you take me for a fool," Francesca said in a bored tone. "It's tattooed all over your face!"

Jane's ears began to turn into two burning flames of embarrassment. She sat down and told them all that had happened, including when he told Alecia off.

"He did what!" Francesca screamed, her eyes wide and mouth agape with shock. "Mio dio! I can't believe he actually did that! Sì, lui è sicuramente innamorato di lei," Francesca spoke in Italian to Sofía and Marco, who had stopped what he was doing and leaned over the counter to listen to Jane.

"Questo è fantastico!" Sofía exclaimed, grabbing hold of Jane's arms bouncing and squealing like a teenage girl finding out her crush likes her back.

Jane glanced at Marco, he watched the girls with a small smile on his face. His eyes showed a type of emotion that Jane couldn't understand. It was like he was remembering a sad moment.

She was brought out of her thoughts when the back door opened and Matteo walked in. He was holding a single pink tulip in his hand when Giovanna entered from the doorway leading into the hall. When she saw him she scoffed, rolled her eyes, and plopped in a chair next to Francesca.

Matteo blushed and looked at the ground in embarrassment and tucked the flower in his pocket. He grabbed and apple from the table and lifted it to show them. Then, with a nervous laugh, he waked out again.

"Is everything okay between you two?" Jane asked Giovanna.

"The asshole told me I looked beautiful the other day. Do I look like I want to be called beautiful by some guy?" She ranted.

Jane exchanged very confused looks with Francesca. Next thing I know, Marco is clutching his stomach trying to contain his laughter.

"Oh goodness," he wiped the tears from under his eyes and laughed some more. "I could listen to you girls all day."

"What kind of woman doesn't want to be told she's beautiful?"

Giovanna gave a frustrated huff. "Me, obviously!"

Her response only made Marco laugh more.

"What's wrong with him complimenting you?" Jane asked as Marco's laughs died down.

Giovanna shrugged her shoulders, muttering and 'I don't know'. "I just don't like him," she stated and picked at her fingernails.

"Okay, but do you have to be so hard on him? He's a sweet guy."

Jane got the same reply this this question as her pervious one. A shrug and incoherent words.

Sensing that she didn't want to talk about this anymore, Jane changed the subject. "Where's Giulia and Lena?"

"Lena had to take a last minute flight back to Columbia. Her father is sick with some serious infection so she'll be gone for a few weeks. And Giulia is in town with her boyfriend," Sofía said in a singsong way, a playful look in her eyes as she teased her absent friend.

"Boyfriend?"

"Sì, James. He works for Enzo, of course. He's one of the guards," Francesca added.
Jane nodded her head in understanding.

'When did she start seeing someone?'

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