“I’ve had a lot more practice than you have, don’t forget. You’ll get there, darling. Plus, you have an awful lot on your schedule these days between school, work, your cooking classes, and of course,” he added with a lascivious look, “your most important duty of all – taking care of your very demanding lover.”
She reached out for his hand and drew it to her lips. “That’s not a duty, my love. I think of it as a privilege.”
Ian’s eyes darkened. “Tessa – God, I’m not sure it’s possible to love you more than I already do, but when you say things like that I begin to wonder.”
“I love you, too. And I love being here in Tuscany with you, at this beautiful villa. As wonderful as all of the company’s hotels are – well, this is actually a home, isn’t it?”
He nodded, and traced a finger over her lips. “Let me guess. This is now your new favorite place in the entire world.”
Tessa laughed. “You’re very perceptive, aren’t you? But actually, I’ve come to the realization lately about what my absolute favorite place in the entire world really is.”
“And where is that, darling?”
She turned her cheek into his palm, pressing a soft kiss there, before gazing at him adoringly. “It’s wherever you are. Whether that’s San Francisco or Italy or London or anywhere else in the world. Wherever you are at that particular moment is always going to be the best place in the entire world to me.”
Ian stared at her with so much heartfelt emotion stamped on his handsome features that it made her heart ache. “There you go again,” he murmured. “Saying such beautiful things to me that I can’t possibly tell you how much it means to me. So I suppose I’ll have to try a different approach.”
Tessa tilted her head towards him in bewilderment. “I don’t understand.”
He smiled mysteriously, brushing his thumb over her knuckles. “Do you know what day it is today, love?”
“Hmm.” She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “September twenty-something. I’m afraid I’ve lost track of time very quickly over here.”
“Well, I know exactly what day it is. It’s the twenty-third of September. And, to be more specific, it was three years ago today that you walked into my office and into my heart.”
Tessa stared at him in surprise. “Really? I mean, I knew it was this week sometime but I didn’t remember the exact date. But of course you’d remember. I’ve never seen anyone as amazing with details as you are.”
Ian shook his head. “Not with employee dates of hire. For example, I couldn’t even tell you what month of the year it was when Andrew started working for me, much less the exact date. But with you – it was still fairly early in the morning, I think just after nine a.m. I even remember what you were wearing – a little red dress with a black belt. You were easily the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen and I fell head over heels the first time I heard your voice.”
She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “And I never guessed, never ever imagined that you even noticed me from day to day. I felt like a teenage girl with this huge crush on her favorite movie start. I never imagined we would someday be together like this.”
“Sometimes fate can be cruel to us, Tessa. You’ve certainly had more than your fair share of that, after all. But then at other times fate chooses to smile fondly on us, like it’s doing right now. And I hope it will continue to do so for many, many years to come.”
They each sipped at their wine and gazed out at the landscape, now bathed in the soft glow of twilight. Ian drew Tessa to her feet, wrapping an arm around her waist as they stood against the balcony of the terrace.
“There’s another occasion to commemorate today,” he said quietly. “At least, I’m hoping there will be.”
“What’s that?” she inquired teasingly. “I already know it’s not the anniversary of our first kiss. That date I do remember very well.”
Ian smiled. “As do I, my love. No, this is something new to commemorate. Hopefully to celebrate.”
As she watched wide-eyed, he dropped down to one knee, keeping her hand clasped in his. Tears were pooling in her eyes before he could even open his mouth to speak.
“Tessa. My darling girl. Will you take pity on this very old man you see before you and grant him the greatest honor he could possibly imagine – that of becoming his wife?”
The tears fell freely as she nodded, too choked up with emotion to do more than whisper, “Oh, yes.” And then, as he slipped a beautiful ring with a fabulous blue stone onto her engagement finger, she burst out, “And you are not old!”