The Love Lottery by Linda Andrews

Author:Linda Andrews [Andrews, Linda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B0083PUC98
Published: 2012-05-14T14:00:00+00:00

***

Gods in heavens! Lia shoved out of his arms, stumbled backward. The heat of the fire flared along her right. Dante had kissed her! A real kiss. Could her wish have been granted so easily?

Ignoring the quartet of tourists pushing into the temple, she fingered her lips and turned toward the statue of Cupid. He leaned close to his wife and whispered in her ear. Psyche's hands covered her mouth, and her eyes were crinkled.

"Look at the frescos." Another woman hissed while gawking at a picture of the two gods cavorting in bed.

"Come on." Dante hooked his arm through Lia’s and dragged her out of the temple and across the palazzo.

Doves swirled around them before settling back on the warm cobblestones. Tourists snapped their picture. Lia smiled for them. Maybe she could ask them to send one to her, a remembrance of her and Dante's first kiss. Did she look kissed? His lips had barely touched hers, yet she could taste the bread he'd eaten.

"Where are we going?"

He steered her into a narrow street. Rivulets of water ran down the shadowed passage. The scent of tomato sauce drifted out of the open windows in the stories above. Blue pots dripped verdant herbs from window sills. He released her arm to rest his palm flat against her back.

"Christabel's Tower."

The tower. Their tower. The one where he'd said goodbye to her six years ago. The one she visited almost daily, looking for a sign that he'd returned.

"Why?"

His black eyes flashed in the dim light, but his fingers tightened, gathering her dress and pulling her against his side as a couple of men walked down the street. The fair haired one raked her with his gaze. His lips quirked under his trim mustache.

"Enjoy her while you can, Trancredo. Tomorrow morning will be here soon."

Gods, no! They were going to draw for her? Lia tried to hide behind Dante, but he kept her firmly attached to his side. He didn't say anything, but his muscles had all the give of stone. Lia swallowed hard. If the gods had known he was in town, why had they urged her to enter the Love Lottery? Her thoughts chased around inside her skull as they reached Christabel's tower.

The square stone structure jutted five stories into the blue sky. Narrow arched windows and bands of dark stone marked each level. Dante heaved open the eight-foot door. The hinges remained silent as they crept inside. Globe lights competed with the scent of beeswax to fill the eight-by-ten-foot space.

His fingers brushed her hip before he laced them through hers and led the way up the stairs. A soft breeze swirled down the steps, carrying the sound of bird song.

Her lungs sawed for oxygen by the time they reached the top, and her hands shook. Her reaction had nothing to do with the climb and everything to do with the man at her side. She licked her dry lips. Would he kiss her again? A deep one? She buried her trembling hands in her skirt.

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