Love is like a virus. It can happen to anybody at any time.
-Maya Angelou
Rafe Moretti's POV
While my wife still dressed for my impromptu surprise for her. I decided to check my mother's whereabouts. I still couldn't believe that she let a woman who doesn't know how to cook in our kitchen alone.
When I saw no sign of her everywhere in the house, I knocked on her bedroom. "Come in." Said the cheerful voice of my mother from the other side of the door. I went inside her room and saw her still in her sleepwear. "Good morning, figlio. What do you want from me this early morning?"
I threw a disapproving look at her while closing the door firmly behind me. I don't want anybody to hear our conversation especially my wife. "Why did you let Coco cook breakfast today, mother?"
"What?" My mother asked, frowning at me. "Isn't that what should be expected from her? I mean, she's your wife so automatically her first duty as a wife is to cook for you during meals."
I took a deep breath and glared at her. "But I hope before you pointed out to her yesterday what is expected from the wife of a Sicilian man you put into consideration that woman is a rich heiress in England and she never been to a kitchen before. My wife nearly lost her fingers while using the knife. I didn't marry her so she can slave herself from household duties and be a good Sicilian wife to me."
"Oh, dear..." My mother placed her hand to her mouth to prevent her shock. "...is she okay? It was not my intention yesterday to see her hurt. I only informed her about the duties of a Sicilian wife. I thought she knows how to cook."
"She wasn't groomed how to be a good wife to her husband in the future unlike most girls in Sicily in her youth, Mama," I told her with annoyance. "She grew up with different culture compare to us."
"Oh, I'm so sorry, figlio." My mother said remorsefully. "Believe me I have no idea. I thought the reason you married her is that you saw the characteristic of your ideal girl in her. I didn't realize that she's rather...hmm, how should I say this, a complete opposite of Laila."
I rolled my eyes and stared wryly at her. "Really, Mama? Are we going to start this conversation again? I thought we already established that this topic is now forever closed?"
"What?" My mother said defensively. "I am not opening any topic involving Laila, my son. It was just an honest observation on my part please don't get me wrong."
"Very well," I said, but still not totally convinced with her. She might accept Coco as my wife but I knew she still think that Laila is the better choice to be my wife. She had set her hopes before that I would marry the dutiful Sicilian princess. But I was glad that union didn't happen. "I hope you will watch your words especially with the topic involving me and Laila in the future when we are in the company of my wife, are we clear, mother?"
"Yes, of course." My mother replied. "You can count on me, Rafaelle."
I nodded. I hope my mother would be true to her words. I didn't like the idea of my wife still thinks that I was harboring feelings for Laila. "I need to go." I kissed both of her cheeks before walking out of her room. Once I was in the corridor I bumped into the maid. "Please inform my wife that I will be waiting for her outside."
"Sí, Signore."
I went outside to prepare the things that we would need. Several minutes later, I was leaning on my car waiting for my wife when I saw her went out of the entrance door.
"Sorry, to keep you waiting." She said, almost shyly. I hid my smile, why running my gaze to her body. Was she really shy all of a sudden to me? After everything happened to us. This woman was adorable sometimes without even trying.
"You're just in time," I informed her, though, in reality, I was waiting for her for almost half an hour here in the garage. But I was not going to tell her that. I disengaged myself from the car and walked to the passenger's door and opened the door for her before she could slide in my car I took her bandaged hands and ask. "Does it still hurt?"
"Not much," She said with a reassuring smile. I kissed her bandage hand lightly. She laughed at me, the sweet and genuine laughter of hers that I haven't heard for a few days. "I'm fine, silly."
I smiled at her before she slid inside my car. I walked briskly and went to the driver's seat. "Are you ready?" I asked when I started the engine.
"Yes," She said brightly, her eyes sparkled with joy. "I'm sorry if I took long to dress, honey. It's just I don't know what to wear. Do I look presentable in my dress? I don't have any idea where are we going so it's hard to dress up. I don't want to repeat my same mistake when I arrived at the Palazzo di Fiorenza with my wrong choice of outfit."
I laughed out loud at her anxiety, as I drove away from our house. "Your summer dress is perfect for our picnic."
Blue-grey eyes widened in my direction, while a smile played on her lips. "We are going on a picnic?"
"Ops..." I said sheepishly, driving swiftly to the road. "It's supposed to be a surprise. I should be very careful with my words. Sorry for the slip."
"I don't mind." She replied cheerfully, feeling like an excited kid. "I should have guessed that we're going on a picnic since you are wearing casual outfits very different from the straight-laced Sicilian businessman I used to know. But tell me something, honey. Is this a date? Are you going to take me on a date?"
I raised an eyebrow in her direction. "I think that's what a man and a woman do when they go out together. Though, this will not be a fancy date that used to have in the past, Signorina. Are you game for that?"
"I think this will be my best date ever." She announced firmly. I couldn't help but laugh at her positive view.
"I hope you don't set your hopes that high, wife," I informed her, taking a turn in the left into the zigzag road. "I hate to see you disappointed. This is the first time I organized a picnic date."
She smiled at me that made something in my heart which I couldn't explain. "As I said before, there's always the first time for everything. I'm so excited about this date of ours. Where are we going in the park?"
I threw a grin briefly in her direction before setting my gaze back on the road. "That will be my surprise to you."
"All right," She let me keep the location of our picnic to her secret. She pointedly looked at the dashboard of my car. "Can we open the radio? It's so silent in your car. Music is best when you're having road trips."
I couldn't help but laugh, remembering the first time she rode in my car and turn on the radio without my permission. "Please do."
She gave me a surprised look. "You're letting me open your radio? Are you sure, Rafe? From what I remember you hated listening to music while driving, right? What's the sudden change of heart?"
I stared at her for a moment. I hid my smile when I saw the amazement on her face. "If my wife wants to listen to music while we're traveling who am I to disagree?"
She shook her head slowly. "You are very dangerous to a woman's heart, honey. You know what to say to make women fall in love with you. If you are not just driving and there's a high chance that we might get killed in these cliffs I will kiss you right now."
"Relax, vixen," I informed her with a chuckle. "I will claim your kiss later when we arrived. For now, help yourself with the radio while I will concentrate on my driving."
I drove on the zigzag road of Ragusa while listening to Coco's choice of music. Sometimes she would sing along to the English song she's familiar with. Finally, we arrived at our destination. I parked the car on the side of the road.
"Our picnic is on the beach?" My wife asked in awe. "How cool is this?" She removed her heels and ran through the fine sands.
I laughed heartily, as I get our things on the compartment of the car. I saw her deep her feet on the waters. I laid the blanket on sand near the small cave and took out our food on the picnic baskets. "We haven't eaten our breakfast yet, mia moglie. Come let's eat."
"Wow, you do know how to pack, aren't you?" She asked playfully when she variety of food in our blanket. She sat on the blanket beside me. "Everything looks tasty. You even bring wine."
"As much as I want to take the credit for this bounty of food, I can't. The housekeeper prepared all of these. The only thing I did was the plan this date and where to bring you."
"Okay, whatever." She replied sassily. She took a plate and starts looking around. "Where are the utensils?"
I searched around everywhere for the utensils. "Uh-oh," I said, smiling guiltily in her direction. "It seems that the housekeeper forgot to put them in our basket. I'm so sorry."
"That's fine, silly. We're just going to eat with our hands." She took a slice of bread and placed a slice of cured meat and cheese before placing another slice of bread on the top. She was about to take a bite when she notice that I was staring at her. "What? Do you want me to make one for you?"
"No, I can make one on for myself. Just eat, I only want to look at you for a moment." I said directly to her.
She took a bite of her sandwich and blushed slightly. "You know it's rude to stare at someone when they are aware of it. Oh, wait a minute. Tell me honestly, are you already fallen to my renowned charm, honey?"
"Maybe."
I nearly laughed when she stop eating her sandwich and stared at me. "Stop staring. You are embarrassing me. You are making me uncomfortable with your intent look."
I smiled evilly in her direction, enjoying her discomfort more than I should have. I tucked some strands of hair at the back of her ear. "Why do you feel embarrassed, cara mia? I thought a woman likes it when her man only has his eyes for her."
She shook her blond hair, taking a bite of her sandwich completely ignoring my innuendo. I never thought that Coco had this soft side of her. She's still like any other woman who became shy when someone was complimenting her.
"Is your sandwich good?" I asked her, taking a bite myself while she's holding it. "Sicilian hams are the best."
"Why did you suddenly decide to have this picnic, Rafe?" My wife inquired, changing the topic. She wiped the side of my mouth. "Is it because of what happened this morning?"
I shook my head, taking her sandwich, and place it on the plate. I held her hands gently. I didn't want to put pressure and opened her wounds again. "Not just that. You don't know how I regret what happened to you this morning but part of the reason why I also take you to this date is that when we get back to London I will be extremely busy rebuilding our company. I will only have little time to date you like this."
"That's fine with me." She answered with a smile. "I understand that you are a busy man. As long as we can have time like this once in a while."
I kissed the back of her hand. "I promise you that we will have liked this again as soon as I have free time." I stared deep into her eyes. "I want to claim the kiss you promised me a while ago."
Before she could react I deep my head towards her and kissed her squarely. I teased her lips to be parted for me. I held her head in my hands so I could deepen the kiss while she sat on my lap. When the tension was building up between us I forced myself to end the kiss.
"We need to stop," I said raggedly.
"Why?" She queried, kissing my cheeks down to my throat.
"If somebody sees us making out in the public place we might get arrested for indecency," I informed her with a laugh. "Let's go home."
She stared at me with a grin. "Okay!"