Mountains of Dawn

"Lunch?" she asked, pleased he didn't seem about to lecture her on her wild proposal. "Of course. I'd be delighted."

"Fine. Bring your bathing suit, we may swim afterwards. I'll pick you up shortly."

Tanya nearly flew back to her room to fetch her bathing suit. She felt as if her nerves had been wound tight and, shaken, she hurried back to the terrace just as Kevin came up the stairs.

He wore dove-grey trousers and a white shirt with borders of grey on the collar and sleeves. The grey of his eyes matched the distant hint of storm in the sky, far to the south. She shivered. With a smile, he moved closer to her and ran his finger along her cheek. "You look very lovely. And since we're old friends now, I think I can do this…" He bent and deposited a quick kiss on her mouth, just brushing her lips with his. He smiled into her eyes.

"Thank you," she said, her voice a choked whisper, uncertain if she thanked him for the complement or the kiss. He took her hand and led her toward his villa.

A round table, sheltered by a huge umbrella, waited for them beside the pool. A delicate yellow cloth covered the table and made a dramatic background for the black china place settings. In the center of the table, a small ceramic vase held a nosegay of violets.

"Marta has prepared lobster bits with a timballo di riso, one of her specialties. I hope you'll like them," Kevin said. He drew a chair away from the table and held it for her. As she sat, his hand brushed against her breast as if by accident. A thrill of sensations shot through her body.

"Ah… Oh, I'm sure I'll love it," she said. Her heart hammered in her chest. She was certain he could hear it. "And everything looks so nice." Afraid of silence, she began to babble. "I really appreciate the trouble you went to with the table, Kevin. The violets…they smell so wonderful. I had no idea their scent could be so strong." She lifted the small vase and sniffed at the tiny flowers.

"Ah, yes. Wild violets. All things that are wild are stronger, don't you think?" His smile mysterious, he touched her hand. "Yes, all wild things are stronger than the hot house variety." He took the vase from her and clasped her hand in his. "I want this to be very special for both of us, Tanya, because we have so much to look forward to, so much to celebrate." His smile deepened as he raised his eyebrows slightly.