Sicilian Dreams (21 page)

Fully sated, she leaned against the tiled wall like a rag doll as Marco stood up once more and took her is his arms.

‘I like to return the pleasure’ he whispered, and entered her while she was still limp, rocking backwards and forwards within her, kissing her neck and mouth, moving rhythmically, a little faster now, until his climax overcame him and she felt him come inside her.

This time Cassie held him as the waves of his own pleasure subside and when his head finally came up, he gave her a cheeky grin. ‘You see, it is much more fun to shower together.’

‘Is this what you had in mind when you designed these huge bathrooms?’ said Cassie, grinning back at him.

‘Only with someone like you Cassandra’ he said, mock serious, his sensuous mouth turning up at the corners.

‘Oh look, there’s Marco’s horse’ they heard Kat say as she and Liz arrived back at the villa.

‘We have to get out of here and get some clothes on’ yelped Cassie, grabbing their discarded towels. ‘They will know what we’ve been up to.’ she added, hurriedly rubbing the damp towel through her soaking hair.

‘I think they already know Cassandra’ said Marco, wryly. ‘Besides my clothes are still out by the pool.’

‘Shit’ said Cassie. ‘What are we going to do?’

‘I am going to go out and say hello,’ said Marco. Cassie looked at him, her mouth open in surprise.

‘Ciao Katrina and Elisabeta, how was the shopping trip?’ she heard him say, confident as a lord, as he strode out with only his towel wrapped around his waist.

‘Ciao Marco’ said Liz. ‘Fantastic thanks. I have bought so much food, but I just couldn’t resist.’ Cassie combed out her hair and switched on the hairdryer. May as well make myself presentable she thought. No point in going out looking like I have been shagging Marco all morning. She carefully applied a little bronzer to her cheeks and a dab of lip-gloss, before throwing on a short, ribbed, mint green tank dress. Trying to look cool and unflustered, she walked into the kitchen and was met by Kat, grinning at her like an idiot, as she picked up some glasses from the bench.

‘Gosh, are you going somewhere Cassie?’ she asked.

‘Oh shut up’ said Cassie, grinning back at her. ‘It’s bad enough that you know what is happening between Marco and I, but that you have to witness it as well is very embarrassing.’

‘Lighten up woman’ said Kat. ‘This is the 20th century and we are all big people. Come on, come outside. Marco is opening
a bottle of Prosecco, Liz has asked him to stay for lunch.’ Cassie followed Kat outside and there was Marco, cool as a cucumber, popping the cork from the bottle; and, although barefoot; having somehow managed to get changed back into his riding clothes, sans boots; his damp hair curling around his neck. Liz was reclining on a lounger, laughing at something Marco had said.

‘Ah, Cassandra, how fresh you look’ said Marco, a gleam in his ey
e, as he passed her a flute of Prosecco. ‘Cin cin’ he said and they all clicked their glasses. ‘No, you have to look someone in the eyes when you say it’ said Marco to Kat. ‘See, like this.’ He clicked his glass against hers again and looked into her eyes. Kat laughed and did the same, opening her eyes wide and peering at him like myopic owl.

‘Si Kat, something like that,’ conceded Marco. ‘Although not to examine me so closely as if I have something between my teeth.’ Cassie couldn’t get over how relaxed he seemed and his humor and charm did much to endear him further in the eyes of Liz and Kat.

‘Okay, this is going to be a picky kind of lunch, my favorite,’ said Liz, carrying a large tray with an array of antipasti dishes which she placed on the table, along side fresh, crusty bread and the ubiquitous estate olive oil.

‘Mine too’ said Marco. ‘You’ve also picked out some of my favorites Elisabeta.’ he smiled at her.

‘Tell us what we are going to be eating’ said Kat, taking a chunk of bread and pouring a little olive oil on the side of her plate.

‘Okay, what we have here are Polpettine, which are little balls of tuna or swordfish.’

‘Tuna’ said Liz.

‘Okay, tuna. Which is mixed with pine nuts, breadcrumbs, some herbs, Percorino cheese, and eggs and then fried until they are golden
brown. These are fresh prawns, Gamberi rossi, with a little olive oil and salt, and these are chargrilled artichokes in oil. You will have tried those before.’ Kat nodded, still dunking her bread, now dipping it in the sea salt.

‘Caponata, which is a traditional sweet and sour vegetable dish.’ He tried some. ‘This is delicious. It is almost always made a little differently everywhere you try it.’

Cassie and Liz were helping themselves and passing the dishes around the table.

‘Finally, these are fried zucchini flowers, stuffed with ricotta. They are served cold here in Sicily.’

‘What about that?’ said Kat.

‘The O
ctopus salad? Well, that is self explanatory Katrina. Here, try some.’ He spooned some onto her plate and she took a tentative bite.

‘Hmm, very good.’

‘Si, e’ buona, it is very good.’ said Marco.

Cassie prepared a mixed salad, using fresh herbs and tiny cherry tomatoes from the kitchen garden. It was a leisurely affair, with lots of laughing and story telling and Marco kept them entertained with his stories of growing up on the estate.

‘So you were a tear away teenager as well?’ asked Kat.

‘Only for a short time. When I was fifteen, we left the estate.’ He frowned and Cassie saw the serious Marco emerge again, like a brief shadow passing over his face.

He had tethered Diavolo in the shade of some trees and now he looked over at the horse.

‘Thank you ladies for a most enjoyable lunch. I wish I could dine like this everyday, but unfortunately, duty calls me. He stood and moved around the table, bending to give each of them a kiss on the cheek.

‘Grazie mille Liz, you are a wonderful hostess.’ Liz smiled at him like a Cheshire cat.

‘Katrina, always a pleasure. I hear you are seeing Davide this evening, no?’ Kat grinned, looked up at him. Is that a blush I see thought Cassie, astounded, from Kat?

‘Yes, he is going to be my tour guide for the evening.’

‘Watch out for his driving. He thinks he is Enzo Ferrari.’ said Marco.

‘That’s rich coming from you’ said Cassie, the words slipping out of her mouth before she could stop them. He had just bent over to kiss her and now he grinned and whispered into her ear. ‘Later.’

To say that she felt languid that afternoon was an understatement thought Cassie. They decided to forgo the beach that day, as it was too hot to move, let alone climb into a car and drive somewhere.

Taking a siesta was a welcome respite from the heat and while Liz and Kat read books and snoozed, Cassie went into a deep sleep, only waking when Kat came into her room and shook her gently, calling out her name. ‘Hola, princess, it’s 5:30pm. Liz and I are going for a walk. Would you like to join us?’

‘This is insane. I never sleep in the afternoons, but here, I’m out like a light.’

‘I would say that is it a case of ‘sleep debt’ and you are probably just recharging your batteries. Don’t fight it, that’s what holidays are for. We’ll wait for you outside.’

‘Okay, give me five minutes and I’ll join you.’ muttered Cassie, pushing her hair out of her eyes and getting out of bed. The tiles felt blissfully cool on her feet as she pulled on a pair of running shorts and a cut off tee. Grabbing her Nike’s, she met Liz and Kat in the courtyard. They decided to walk in the direction of the main villa.

‘The olive mill must be somewhere close to the main house’ said Liz. It was still hot outside, but not unbearably so; the late afternoon sunlight casting long shadows over the valley; and a pleasant breeze was wafting over the hills from the sea.

‘What are you planning to wear this evening?’ Liz asked Kat.

‘Hmm. I was just thinking about that’ said Kat. ‘Maybe the new dress we picked up in town the other day.’

‘Where’s he taking you?’ asked Cassie.

‘Well, he said we are going to his cousin’s restaurant a little way down the coast and then maybe to a club when we return to Cefalu later.’

‘Very nice’ said Liz. ‘Don’t wear your super high heels though Kat, you will tower over him.’

‘Well, those wedges that I wore on the boat weren’t exactly flat and he didn’t seem to mind then’ said Kat. ‘Besides, that’s old hat now days. I don’t think he’s the kind of guy who would be threatened by a tall woman.’

‘Yes, he’s not that short’ said Cassie. ‘Just under six feet I’d say. Besides, if he were bothered about it, he could turn up with lifts in his shoes.’ she added, laughing.

‘Ew, yuck’ said Kat, laughing.

‘Yeah, lifts in his shoes’ said Liz, continuing, ‘and wearing a polyester jumpsuit with the zip open halfway down his hairy chest and a big, gold, medallion around his neck.’

‘Oh gross’ stop it, wailed Kat. ‘You’re spoiling the image I have of him and I don’t want to start laughing when I see him.’

‘Yes, and he’ll have on baggy white underpants,' squealed Cassie. Liz burst out laughing as Kat stopped in the middle of the road, hands on her hips.

‘Alright, that is enough you two. He isn’t like that at all, you saw him on the boat. Don’t make me think like that.’ She couldn’t help grinning at them.

‘Yes, but you have only seen him on his boat, in command, the captain.’ said Liz.

‘On land he might present quite a different picture.’

‘Okay, we’ll stop’ said Cassie, hands up in the air as Kat put her hands over her ears.

‘Let’s jog the rest of the way to the gates,’ said Cassie.

‘No way, are you crazy, it’s too hot.’ said Liz.

‘Thanks, but no thanks’ said Kat. ‘You go Cass. I don’t want to strain a tendon before my big date.’

‘Okay, I’ll meet you on the way back’ said Cassie, jogging off. It felt good to stretch out and soon she was running quite fast, her knees lifting up and her legs pumping hard as she got into her stride. She felt good when she ran. Her mind cleared and she focused on her breathing and her stride, measuring each pace and exerting maximum effort until the lactic acid build up made her thighs ache. Pushing through the mental barrier was the hardest exercise, she thought as she slowed down at the main gates and stopped, stretching first her quads, then her hamstrings. She was jogging past the main house on her return when she heard her name being called.

‘Cassandra.’ She looked up and saw Marco; leaning out of an open, second story window in what must be the carriage house adjacent to the main villa. He was looking down and smiling at her. ‘Didn’t you have enough exercise earlier?’ he grinned.

She stopped, hands on her hips, and stared up at him. ‘Well, it depends on how you look at it’ she replied. ‘Maybe I’m just an addict for feel good endorphins.’

‘I’m happy to oblige your addiction anytime.’ He leaned on his elbows, looking as sexy as a sleek cat, obviously in no hurry to return to whatever he had been doing.

‘Thanks for the offer, but I’d hate to interrupt you’ said Cassie, cheekily, smiling up at him and lazily stretching her arms above her head, making her cut off tee-shirt stretch tight against her breasts. She eyed Marco through half closed lids.

‘No interruption I can assure you,’ he purred, enjoying the view. ‘I’m just working. Why don’t you come up here to my studio and take a look at my drawings,’ he added.

‘Well, that’s one way of putting it’ she replied. ‘Maybe I’ll come by later.’

‘Make sure you do Cassandra,’ he said sternly, his voice now commanding.

She gave him the peace sign, and laughing, ran off to find Liz and Kat, who were just now within sight on the long, white road.

Returning to the villa, Liz and Cassie flopped onto the big, white, soft, comfortable sofas while Kat disappeared into her bedroom to get herself ready.

‘I’m thinking of making Caponata for dinner this evening’ said Liz thoughtfully, sipping at her water bottle. ‘It’s so hot and I’ve still got all those gorgeous fresh veggies from the market to use up. What do you think?’

‘Sounds wonderful,’ said Cassie. ‘Want me to help chop? I’ll be your sous chef.’

‘Great. The recipe I’ve got here is a typical Sicilian Caponata. We’ve got everything we need. Let’s get started.’

‘So what’s going into this C
aponata apart from eggplant,’ said Cassie a few minutes later as she finished dicing the eggplant.

‘Put those in the strainer and sprinkle them with salt and then I’ll explain the rest,’ said Liz, going into the small pantry and returning with tomatoes, onions, and celery.

‘Can you grab a jar of olives and the little one of capers on the shelf Cass?’ she asked.

‘We are going to blanch the celery and then sauté the onions and eggplant separately before we mix them together with a little vinegar. Where are my pine nuts?’ she said absently to herself, disappearing into the pantry again.

‘Yum’ said Cassie, ‘I just feel like something light for dinner this evening.’

‘You actually serve this dish cold’ said Liz. ‘So we’ll make it up now and then leave it in the fridge for an hour or so. Time for a swim and an appertivo' she said, happily. ‘Do you want to open a bottle of that wonderful white wine we had the other night?’