Amici ed Amanti

Amici ed Amanti

~*~

Roman Holiday - Part 4

Their days fell into an easy pattern. Liam would wake early so he could get fresh fruit from the market and scrumptious pastries from the bakery around the corner. He'd read the paper while he waited for her on the terrace. They would discuss the plans for the day over breakfast. Afternoons were spent taking in ancient Rome or a museum before having dinner in one of the many restaurants the city had to offer. She found that she enjoyed the little out of the way places to the more fancy eateries. Evenings were spent sitting on the sofa sharing a bottle of wine and talking.

Neither broached the subject of what happened her first evening there.

Lucy Ann figured it was just best to let it go. They were both impaired after two bottles of wine - neither was responsible for their actions. Although she was heartened by the fact that he never once mentioned Isabella in their long rambling talks.

A knock on the door interrupted his playful teasing about her unnatural love of strawberry jam.

"I'll be right back," he said with a wink and a mischievous grin.

She was too distracted by the fine view of his arse in a pair of faded blue jeans to register the fact that he was up to something. What she wouldn't give to find out what it felt like beneath her hands...

"Do I even want to know what you're thinking right now?" he said, leaning against the open doorway looking ever so much like a blond god.

"Nothing," she said a little too quickly, flushing red at getting caught fantasying about his bum. "I was just thinking about what I'd like to do today."

"Well, I have a surprise for you."

"Oh! A surprise!" She felt a bit like an excited puppy, but was beyond caring.

"Yes," he said, settling back in his chair beside her before taking her hand. "Will you do me the honor of accompanying me to the ballet tonight?"

"I would love to!"

"My source was able to secure two box seats for tonight's performance of Giselle."

"I've never seen Giselle."

"I know, that is why I wanted to get tickets," he said softly.

She gasped as the realization of the situation hit her. "Oh no! Liam, I don't have anything to wear!"

"No worries, we are in the fashion capital of the world. We'll just go shopping."

They were dressed and out of the flat within an hour - Liam in a gray suit, crisp white shirt and a lightly patterned blue silk tie and Lucy Ann in a soft lavender sundress. He Apparated them to the shopping district where they strolled hand in hand while looking for the perfect dress shop.

He finally settled on one after almost two hours of perusing, deciding he liked the colors of the dresses there. He handed her over to two sales clerks, giving them instructions in Italian. Lucy Ann could only make out the words ballet, special and blue. She was then bustled into a fitting room where she proceeded to try on and model each of the clerk's suggestions for him.

After starting to become discouraged after the sixth dress she tried on, the tenth one caused Liam to proclaim, "That's the one." It was a pale blue silk strapless column dress that skimmed her curves and made her feel like Cinderella.

He led her to a lingerie shop after a quick stop to purchase shoes. She felt a little twinge of jealously when the young sales clerk greeted him by name, eyeing her curiously before asking what she was looking for.

"Goosey," he whispered from behind her as she waited for the clerk to retrieve some more items from the storeroom. "I think you need these." A filmy cream silk thong dangled from the end of a crooked finger that he held before her.

"William Malfoy!" She hated the hot blush that rose in her cheeks as she swatted the barely there knickers out of her face.

He chuckled, but handed the knickers over the clerk who'd just returned. "We'll take these too, in every color, except red. A redhead should never wear red."

After a quick stop by the bath shop for a sea salt soak, they headed home loaded down with shopping bags. They shared a late lunch at the large kitchen table before he sent her off to get ready for the evening.

She tried to remember the last time she'd had so much fun shopping as she sank into a steaming hot bath. Liam was so knowledgeable about the current fashions and what looked good and what didn't, it had to be an inborn Malfoy trait. He was even more fun than Stephie and Meredith combined.

A house elf by the name of Costa arrived a bit later to help her with her hair which was done up in simple loose knot, leaving curling tendrils to frame her face. She felt a small naughty thrill tingle up her spine as she slipped into the knickers Liam had chosen instead of the pair she'd originally planned to wear.

Liam was waiting for her at the bottom steps casually leaning against the post dressed in an elegantly cut black tuxedo, with a silver geometrically patterned vest and a black silk tie. His darkened grey eyes never left her's as she slowly descended the stairs.

Lucy Ann took his proffered hand, smiling as he pressed it to his lips. "You look handsome."

"You don't look half bad yourself," he said with a chuckle and wink, "but you're not completely dressed."

"I'm not?" she asked in confusion, quickly checking to make sure all of her naughty bits were properly covered. She glanced in the heavy gilt mirror that hung in the entry, but there was nothing missing or out of place that she could see.

He dangled a necklace in front of her. "Would you like to wear this?"

Her blue eyes grew large at the sight of the diamond choker that would look stunning with her dress. "Oh yes!"

"Now there's something every man loves to hear a woman say." He stepped behind to her, fastening the necklace in place.

She closed her eyes, willing herself not to shiver at the feel of his fingers as they brushed against the back of her neck. The feel of his warm breath near her ear was nearly her undoing.

"There," he whispered, "perfection."

They made a stunning image in the mirror in their evening clothes, at least Lucy Ann thought so anyway. He was so tall; she'd forgotten that the top of her head just reached his chin.

"Are you ready to go make me the envy of Rome?" he asked.

"The envy of Rome?"

"Yes, I will have the most beautiful woman in the city on my arm tonight." He tucked her hand in the crook of his arm.

The ballet was stunning from the best box in Teatro Manzoni in the old Garden District of Rome. Giselle was performed by the storied Bolshoi Ballet in a rare performance outside of Russia and one of the most notoriously difficult tickets to obtain. She didn't even want to know how he managed to get a pair of tickets, let alone the best seats in the house. After the final curtain call, they went backstage to meet the prima ballerina then to a late supper at a quiet, dark café nearby.

They walked in comfortable silence enjoying the beautiful architecture in the pale moonlight. Her hand slipped from the crook of his arm down to his hand where she entwined her fingers with his. She couldn't believe how faerie tale perfect the evening had been. He'd gone out of his way to make everything perfect just for her and she didn't think she'd ever forget it.

Liam was the only person she'd ever been around that she didn't feel the need to fill the inevitable long silences with idle chatter. They knew each other well enough that words were simply no longer needed. When she shivered, he just took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders, gave her a smile, retook her hand and continued walking.

"Are you getting tired?" His deep voice broke the silence finally.

She nodded slowly. "Yes."

He pulled her close; tightening his grip on her hand before Apparating them to the foyer of his flat. She clung tightly to him, loving the feel of his hard body pressed against the softness of her own.

He pulled the hand that he was holding to his mouth, lavishing it with a tender kiss before leading her to the stairs. "I had a lovely evening, Miss Honeychurch," he said playfully.

"I did too, Mr. Malfoy, thank you," she said, casting her eyes demurely downward and giggling softly at his silliness.

"I would love to do this again sometime in the near future."

She glanced up at him from beneath her lashes trying to gauge his mood. His face was serious and his eyes were dark. This, whatever it was, had gone beyond playfulness. "I think I would enjoy that."

"Would it be too forward of me to ask you for a chaste goodnight kiss?" he asked softly.

"No," she said breathlessly, tipping her head back at the same time he bent to kiss her. His soft lips brushed the corner of her mouth causing her to tingle from head to toe from the unexpected contact.

His eyes widened at the realization of what just happened. "I think you should head on up to bed. I'm going to stay down here a while." The tone of his voice told her the magic of the last few moments had past.

"Yes, I'm rather tired so I'll just head up to bed." She handed back his tuxedo jacket.

"Good night, then."

Lucy Ann gave him one last glance before heading up to bed, her fingers covering her lips where he'd accidentally kissed her, never wanting to forget the feel of his mouth.

~*~