Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83881 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83881 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Dante sat at the table, holding a cup of coffee and the paper. Dressed casually in a Henley and jeans, he was devastatingly handsome. He had on simple black frames that highlighted his eyes. He peered at me over the top of his rims. “There you are, Little Bee. You’ve slept for hours. I trust you feel rested?”
I approached the table, shocked to see Roomba curled up on his lap. “What are you doing with my cat?”
He lifted his hands. “Nothing. She came to me. She likes me.”
“Maybe you can get one when you get out of jail.”
“Still want to take me to the police and report a crime?”
“Yes.”
“Mind if we have breakfast first? The food in jail is bland, I’m told.”
A woman walked in, holding two plates. My stomach grumbled at the scent of food. She smiled at me and spoke to Dante. He nodded in my direction, saying something.
“He kidnapped me,” I said. “Can you help?”
There was no response, except she chuckled and patted his shoulder, then took the coffeepot and refilled his cup and poured another cup at the place beside him. She left the room, and he indicated the chair. I sat down, unable to resist the aroma.
“No help there,” I mumbled.
“No English,” he said mildly. “Eat your breakfast.”
I picked up my fork, cutting off a mouthful of the fluffy omelet. “Delicious.”
He smiled. “Not your usual Italian breakfast. But it is a carryover from living in Canada. I like eggs in the morning. I tend not to eat again until dinner, unless it is a snack.”
“You ate a picnic lunch with me yesterday.”
“You would be surprised what I would do for you, Little Bee.”
“You carried me to my room.”
He studied me over the rim of his coffee mug. “You were exhausted. No doubt from the travel and the walking miles to find your escape route.”
“Don’t forget the lingering drugs in my system.”
He shook his head. “There are no side effects to them. They are very harmless, aside from knocking you out for a while. I think you were already exhausted and reacted to them more strongly than most people. You look more rested today, which I’m glad of. You can yell louder at the police.”
I said nothing, sipping my coffee and eating my breakfast. I looked around the sun-filled room. It was charming. Simple, yet elegant and welcoming.
“You have a lovely home.”
He nodded. “I like it here. It’s quiet, and the vistas never fail to inspire me.”
“What do you do exactly?”
He tilted his head, studying me. “Curious this morning, Brianna? Wondering about your abductor?”
“Yes.”
“I’m an art dealer. I have a gallery here, larger ones in Naples and London, one in Toronto. I also collect art. I love it in every form.” He took a sip of coffee. “Your cake was a complete work of art. The attention to detail. The shape and structure. The way you created it. I had never seen anything like it. And the fact that it tasted as good as it looked? That was—” he chuckled “—the icing on the cake, to coin a phrase. Blissful. You are very talented.”
“You thought of my cake as art?”
“Yes. I see it everywhere. Art isn’t just paintings or sculptures. I can see the beauty of something in the most rudimentary of items. You simply have to look and learn to appreciate the subtle splendor of an object.” He paused. “Or a person.”
I felt my cheeks flush. The way he looked at me when he said it, I had the feeling he was talking about me. I wasn’t a great beauty; in fact, I considered myself to be quite plain. But somehow when he stared at me with that intensity, I felt different.
“So, you employ a lot of people?”
He nodded. “I also own several businesses in town and other cities. My holdings are quite vast, and I have a lot of people depending on me.”
I felt an odd sense of guilt, which I immediately tamped down.
“You should have thought of them before you kidnapped me.”
He smiled, shaking his head. “You don’t understand, Little Bee. You captivated me, and I had no choice. I needed to have you here with me. You refused to listen, so I simply made it happen. It’s what I do. I’ll accept my punishment.”
“And your businesses will suffer.”
The smile never faded from his face. “It will have been worth it to share this short time with you.”
I was nervous in the car. The town was about twenty minutes away, and Dante drove with the top down. The breeze stirred my hair and filled my head with the rich scent of the earth and sun. It was so beautiful here. In the town, he pointed out his gallery and some other shops. He pulled up to a small brick building, parking the car and unfastening his seat belt.