“And unfortunately, centuries-old Italian villas are not nearly as well insulated or soundproofed as our home back in San Francisco,” he’d told her. “Plus there’s no walk-in closet to hide inside, either. So while my family is here I’m afraid we’ll be restricted to using the shower for any amorous activities.”

“Or you can just gag me again,” she’d offered teasingly. “That seemed to work out just fine the last time.”

He had laughingly told her he’d give the matter some thought, but he had bought her a beautiful silk scarf during their shopping excursion earlier today to the nearby medieval town of Volterra. When she’d protested that she had more scarves than she could possibly use, Ian had whispered that this one wasn’t meant to be tied around her neck.

The live-in groundskeeper and his wife, who resided in a separate cottage on the property, not only tidied up the villa each day but also cooked beautiful, elaborate meals for them. Tessa, who’d lost almost ten pounds during her hospitalization and recovery, was certain she’d gained at least half that amount back after just two days of eating Luciana’s cooking.

Fortunately, she’d recovered enough to have started her online classes right on time. It was proving to be a bit more work than she’d imagined, but Ian was as good as his word and helped her when she had questions or didn’t understand a particular theory or problem. He was exceedingly proud when she got perfect scores on the two algebra quizzes she’d completed thus far.

This morning over breakfast, he’d discussed with her an idea he’d been floating around for some time - that of delegating more responsibility to both his managerial staff and Andrew. Evidently the PA had done an admirable job in delivering part of Ian’s budget talk during July’s manager’s meeting, enough so that Ian was seriously considering the idea of having Andrew take over some of the hotel reviews he did.

“Frankly, I’m getting awfully tired of being on the road so much,” he’d admitted. “And while having you along certainly makes it more bearable, I’d still prefer to be at home with you a lot more often. So, we’ll see. With the right training and some experience, Andrew might be able to take some of that load off my shoulders in the near future.”

Tessa had thought to herself that she honestly didn’t mind whatever Ian decided to do. Whether they were on the road or staying at home, so long as they were together it didn’t matter. But she knew Ian must be weary after spending so many years of his career traveling, and she decided to fully support any decision he made about cutting back.

She was wearing a plum and white patterned cotton maxi dress with spaghetti straps, something she’d picked up from a street vendor during their trip to Hawaii, and she thought it was one of the most comfortable things she’d ever owned. Her feet were bare, as were her shoulders, and this time she did shiver a bit as the sun set a little further behind the horizon.

“I thought you might need this. At this time of the year the temperatures can drop quickly once the sun goes down.”

Tessa turned her head slightly and smiled at the sight of her handsome lover walking towards her. Like her, he was barefoot and very casually dressed in a pair of lightweight beige trousers, and a cream colored shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He hadn’t shaved since they’d arrived, though he had joked earlier today about how his mother would be sure to nag him about it when she arrived tomorrow.

Tessa had pouted playfully, caressing the dark stubble that made him look so incredibly sexy. “Well, I don’t want your mother to scold you, or be annoyed with me for encouraging you, so I guess you’d better shave tomorrow morning.”

She saw now that he was carrying two wine glasses, an opened bottle of red wine, and had her new silk crochet shawl draped over his arm. He had bought it for her this morning during their shopping trip.

Tessa accepted the shawl gratefully, draping it over her shoulders as he poured them each a glass of wine. It was a rich ruby colored Chianti that he’d bought at the winery in the adjoining town where they’d lunched earlier today. And even though the wine cellar here at the villa was already bursting at the seams with its stellar collection, Ian had wanted to buy a bottle to commemorate Tessa’s first visit to Italy.

“Salute,” they told each other simultaneously as they clinked glasses and sipped their wine.

“Would you like some cheese and fruit?” he inquired. “Luciana left a plate for us.”

“Maybe in a bit,” agreed Tessa. “After all, I saw what she has prepared for our dinner and I don’t want to fill up on formaggio.”

He grinned. “Molto bene’, cara. You see, your Italian is coming along quite nicely. You were actually able to speak to the shopkeepers and the winery owner a bit today.”

She shrugged. “I’ve still got a long way to go until I’m as fluent as you are.”

She’d been enthralled to hear him converse so easily with the owner of the winery in the language she had barely begun to learn.

“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.”