Page 9 of His UnBearable Touch

Allegra held up her hand. “I got it. It’s okay, Linda. Really. I just… I need a few minutes to catch my breath, if you don’t mind.”

“A few minutes,” the other woman mumbled, “yeah sure, of course, I mean you were gone forever and-”

“Allegra?”

She almost threw herself at Valerio in thanks. Linda was apparently a nervous talker and Allegra was one ramble away from a splitting headache. “Yes?”

She felt something press against the back of her chair and then a whisper of fabric.

“Allegra,” she startled, his voice in her ear, he must have knelt beside her, “I spoke to my brother and he’d like to meet you. Do you have time to have dinner with my brother and his… wife?”

She opened her mouth to answer and then paused, but Linda had no qualms about talking before thinking.

“So, it would be like a double date?”

Valerio continued to talk and Allegra almost smiled when she realized that he wasn’t answering Linda. “He says I owe him for leaving him alone with Uberto earlier. I’m usually the one that keeps them… on an even keel with each other. Salvatore and Natale have a table at Carducci’s-”

“Wait a minute!”

Allegra bit the inside of her cheek. Linda’s interruptions were more irritating than she wanted to admit.

“Salvatore and Natale? Is your sister-in-law Natale Durante?”

That caught Allegra’s attention. “The fashion designer?” She gave a little giggle at the thought. “That’s amazing.”

“So, your brother is Salvatore Orsino? Not much of a family resemblance,” she grumped, “well except for the good looks, the broad shoulders, nice suit too, by the way. You both look like you work out all day long, damn.”

“Linda,” Allegra felt a pinch between her shoulder blades, “you know you’re talking out loud, right?”

The first chair Oboe coughed out a soft chuckle. “Not so much,” she sighed. “You know that’s why I like the woodwinds, don’t you?”

Shaking her head, Allegra didn’t even try to guess.

Linda’s laugher was a little too high pitched to be genuine. “I like to keep something in my mouth all the time.”

Allegra groaned. “Really?”

“I still can’t get over the idea of you having dinner with Natale Durante,” Linda scoffed beside her.

“Why not?” Allegra shrugged, enjoying the idea. “I’m sure she’s a fascinating person.”

“Fascinating sure,” Linda groaned, “but really, Allegra? What would you talk about? What does a blind woman know about fashion?”

Allegra’s face went numb, her hands chilled to the bone.

“Walk away.”

The words came from Valerio. Quiet, steel-edged and pointed. With a huff, Linda got up from her chair and left.

She felt his hand on her arm.

“I’m sorry for speaking to her that way if she is your friend-”

“You saved me from a headache,” her laughter felt good and the gentle touch of his hand on her arm warmed her to the core. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me,” he explained, “I was about to pick you up and run out of here.”

Reaching across her body, she covered his hand with her own. “I wouldn’t have stopped you.”