He'd said it like a young boy, blurting something out before he could lose his nerve, and Darcy's chest squeezed even tighter.
She pushed the emotion down and nodded once. 'Thank you. Now we can go,' she said.
Once she felt on a more even keel with Max she was like a child, with the full excitement of what he'd organised for her-whatever his motive-finally hitting her.
They were helped into the basket alongside the pilot, and then suddenly they were lifting off the ground and into the clear dawn-streaked sky. Darcy wrapped her hands tight around the basket's edge, eyes wide at the way the ground dropped away beneath them.
It was pure terror and exhilaration. Max stood beside her as the pilot edged them higher and higher, but she couldn't look at him, too afraid of what he might see on her face.
Time and time again her father had promised to do this with her and it had never happened. And now she was here with her husband. Except he wasn't really her husband.
Emotions twisted like a ball in her gut and she took a deep breath.
Max's hand covered hers. 'Okay?'
When she felt more in control she looked at him and smiled. 'Perfect.'
The balloon made lazy progress over the spectacular countryside, with the pilot pointing out Lake Como and the other lakes. Far in the distance they saw the snowy tips of the Alps. Milan was a dark blur in the distance as they passed over fields and agricultural lands.
Darcy was entranced. When the gas wasn't firing, to propel the balloon higher, she thought she'd never experienced such peace and solitude.
When she could, she tore her eyes from the view and looked at Max. 'Is this your first time in a balloon too?'
He nodded and smiled, leaning one elbow on the basket-edge. Darcy had the uncomfortable sensation that he'd been looking at her and not the view. And she hated it that she was relieved he hadn't done this with anyone else.
She teased him now. 'You're not twitching at being so far from communication and Montgomery?'
Max lifted his phone out of his pocket and held it up to show that it had no bars of service, then put it back. 'Nope.'
He sounded inordinately cheerful about the fact, and Darcy marvelled again at this far more relaxed Max.
The view filled her eyes so much that it almost hurt as the sky got lighter and lighter, exploding into shades of vivid pink and red as the sun came up over the Alps in the distance.
She didn't notice that Max had been doing anything until he produced a glass of sparkling wine for her and another for himself. He offered one to the pilot, who smiled but declined.
Max clinked his glass off hers and then the view was blotted out as his mouth came over hers and she fell deep into a spinning vortex that had only a little bit to do with the fact that they were suspended above the earth in a floating balloon.
Only their mouths were touching, but Darcy felt as if his hands were moving over her naked flesh. When Max pulled back she had to grip the edge of the basket tight, afraid she might just float off into the sky altogether. She was telling herself desperately that it had only been for the benefit of the pilot. To keep up appearances.
She took a sip of the wine and the bubbles exploded down her throat and into her belly. She couldn't be more intoxicated right now than if she'd drunk three bottles in quick succession.
They sipped their wine and gazed over the view in companionable silence. Every now and then the pilot pointed something out, or Max asked him a question about the balloon's mechanics.
Darcy hadn't even realised she was shivering lightly until Max came and took her empty glass and moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her, his hands over hers.
She settled into the hard cocoon of his body far too easily. Stripped bare by the experience. His fingers entwined with hers and his head bent and he feathered a hot kiss to her exposed neck. She shivered again, but this time it wasn't because of the cold.
They stood like that for a long time, and then the pilot said something low to Max and she felt him take in a breath behind her. Even though she knew what he was going to say, she didn't want it to end.
'We have to turn back... The air is starting to warm up...'
Darcy was glad he couldn't see her face. Tears stung her eyes but she said lightly, 'Okay.'
The ride back seemed to pass in a flash, and all too soon they were descending and the ground was rushing to meet them. They landed with a soft thud and a small bounce before the crew grabbed the basket and held it upright while they got out.
Max got out first and then lifted Darcy into his arms. For a moment he didn't put her down. Something in his eyes held her captive. And then she realised they had an audience and she blushed and scrambled down.
She went to the pilot and pressed an impetuous kiss to his cheek. 'I know you must be used to it-but, truly, that was magical. Thank you.'
The man looked pleased, but embarrassed, and said gruffly, 'You never get used to it. Grazie, Signora Roselli.'
Max took her by the hand, and as they walked to the car Darcy was aware that she'd made a decision. It was as if the balloon ride's unique perspective on the earth had shown her an eagle eye view of just how fragile life looked from above...how silly she was being not to reach out and grab precious moments, no matter how finite they might be.
The thought of continuing to deny herself after what she'd just experienced made her feel panicky-as if something incredibly precious might slip out of her grasp for ever. She didn't care about the consequences.
Max stopped at the car and faced her. He had a look of resolute determination on his face. 'Ready for the next part of the surprise?'
Darcy looked at him. She wouldn't put it past him to have organised something like a trip to Venice for the day... But she shook her head and said clearly, 'No more surprises.'
A range of expressions crossed Max's face: irritation, disappointment, renewed determination...
She took a breath. 'I don't mean what you think I mean. I'm wooed, Max. I don't even really care if that balloon ride was a purely cynical move on your part, I loved it too much and thank you for planning it. And I'm done fighting you. I want you. Take me back to the villa.'
* * *
Max wasn't sure how he drove in a straight line back to the villa. He kept Darcy's hand in his and the journey was made in silence, with the mounting anticipation coursing through his body saturating the air between them.
When he glanced at Darcy he could see a similar kind of tension on her small face and it only made his blood flow hotter. Dio. He wanted this woman so badly. More than he'd ever wanted anything.
Some kind of warning prickled over his skin at that assertion, but he ignored it.
She'd accused him of being cynical in his decision to organise the hot air balloon ride and he might have been...before. But he'd only thought of it the previous day, when they'd stood on the roof of the Duomo in Milan and she'd been disappointed not to see the Alps.
Max had remembered Dante talking about taking a hot air balloon ride with his family and seeing the Alps, and at the same time Max had recalled Darcy mentioning it some months ago.
In truth, the experience had moved him far more profoundly than he would ever have expected. He'd never seen the earth from above like that when not encased in a plane, with stacks of facts and figures in front of him, hurtling towards yet another meeting to shore up his funds, his reputation. That had all felt dangerously inconsequential when floating soundlessly through the sky.
Max was aware of the fact that this marriage to Darcy was not proceeding at all the way he might have expected when he'd first proposed the idea...the means to his end were veering way off the track. But right now he couldn't care less. All he cared about was Darcy and the fact that she would be his.
* * *
When they got back to the villa it was early afternoon. Darcy knew she should be feeling hungry because she hadn't had much breakfast, but she was only hungry for one thing: Max. Now that she'd decided to stop fighting him-and herself-the full extent of her desire was unleashed and it was fearsome.
He held her hand as they went into the villa and Julieta greeted them, clearly surprised to see them back early-evidently Max had had more plans for the day, but Darcy was too keyed up to care what they might have been.
She heard him say to Julieta that she could take the rest of the weekend off if there were some provisions in the kitchen. The housekeeper only lived in the gate lodge nearby, but still Darcy's face burned with embarrassment, as if it was glaringly obvious what they intended to do.
But the woman took her leave cheerfully, after extracting a promise that they'd ring if they needed anything. Evidently she was used to such instructions.