Chapter 35

ALESSIO

‘ C ome, let’s go for a walk on the beach. The salt air will do you good.’

I took Cleo’s hand, the contact sending an electric current through my body.

She’d been restless for days now since we’d arrived in Sydney.

We spent most of it in bed; when we didn’t, we explored the beaches near our temporary home.

We strolled along the shore at Manly as the sun began its lazy descent, painting the sky in dazzling streaks of orange and pink. The sand was soft beneath my bare feet, the waves lapping at the seashore.

We attempted to relax, letting the salty breeze wash over us. We dined by the water, twilight ashing us in brilliant hues as we sipped wine and nibbled on seafood .

But I sensed the crowds—the endless stream of joggers, sunbathers, and surfers—were setting Cleo’s nerves on edge.

She wasn’t used to the city, the constant buzz of life around us.

This showed in her silence and quiet, the white ring of anxiety on her mouth.

I tried kissing away her angst, distracting her by touching her.

It worked, and I’d never made love so much to anyone ever.

The more I got, the more I needed.

I just couldn’t pull myself from her magic, her pussy, her lips, her essence.

I loved how she touched me, all her little elaborate ways that got me wild.

When we weren’t fucking, I did everything in my power to distract her, spoiling her with shopping trips, day trips, anything to make me feel at ease.

The weeks blurred together in a whirlwind of activity as I endeavored to lift her spirits.

I surprised her with a trip to a luxe day spa, where we were pampered with hot stone massages and champagne facials.

As the masseuses kneaded the knots from our shoulders, I tried to release the tension, the worry for her coiled inside me, to let my fears melt away.

But her unease remained, and it ate at me, knowing nothing I was doing was working.

Not that she wasn’t grateful.

She always said thank you in her soft, husky intonation.

Still, her joy had ebbed; the light in her eyes was dimming.

It was killing me.

I sensed that the city was just noise, a discomfort she wanted to escape.

I pulled her close, my arm a solid anchor on her waist. ‘What’s on your mind, amore? You seem a thousand miles away.’

She leaned into me so I’d breathe in her enticing scent. ‘I’m sorry. I know I’ve been distant. It’s just a lot to take in.’

I pressed a kiss to her temple. ‘I understand. We’ve been through a freakin’ shit season and need time to heal. This too shall pass.’

She gave me a wan smile.

She wanted to believe me, but she had doubts.

It showed in her troubled jade eyes as they leaked with uncertainty she couldn’t escape.

I squeezed tight, wanting to reassure her that our love was enough of a balm to soothe her fractured soul.

‘But it’s not enough, is it, carissima?’ I asked, keeping my voice soft but probing.

She glanced away, the city lights throwing radiance over her face.

‘It’s not,’ she admitted, just above a whisper. ‘I can’t live here, in Sydney. It’s not me.’

My brow furrowed, concern deepening. ‘You want to go home?’ I asked, searching her face for an answer.

Home.

The word twisted something in me.

For I, too, wanted a sanctuary, a haven with her.

‘Sydney isn’t it, but neither is the farm. The memories there are too dark and painful, and with the cabin gone, nothing’s left for me,’ she said, shaking her head.

I melted and reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. ‘I need to find a forever haven, too, with you,’ I rasped. ‘ Shall we search for a home together? Or will you believe in me to locate the best place for us?’

Cleo gazed into my eyes, searching. ‘Out of the city?’

‘Si,’ I nodded.

Her smile returned, flitting on the edges of her lips. ‘You pick it. I trust you.’

‘Do you, mia sola?’

‘You’ve more sophistication than I do,’ she huffed. ‘I’m a farm girl but one who can appreciate luxury if it’s surrounded by wilderness, earth, and realness. A house isn’t a dwelling with four walls. I believe it’s what you build with someone who cares enough to stick around. It’ll be the perfect home if we’re together and in nature.’

CLEO

How could I explain that Alessio’s efforts to make me feel at home in Sydney, though well-intentioned, only caused more disorientation?

The chasm between the woman I had been on my property and the one he wanted me to be seemed to grow wider with each passing day.

While I wanted to share a life with Alessio, I didn’t enjoy the noise and the distractions surrounding our current reality in the city.

I spent nights in his arms, trying to hold it together. But it was no use. The cracks were already spreading, the foundations of my trust crumbling beneath my insecurities.

Surrounded by a vast, uncaring metropolis, I shrunk.

With all its glitz and glamour, Sydney was suffocating, as if I was drowning in it.

I was often sucking air, needed to escape the oppressive press of bodies and the weight of vile words.

Why couldn’t I just be happy, grateful for this beautiful life Alessio was offering me?

I hated myself for my inability to embrace it, to let go of the past and step into the future he envisioned for us.

My man, credit to him, got the memo.

So it was with much relief that he had me pack a bag.

He whisked me away from the bustle of the city, driving us up winding roads that seemed to ascend into the clouds.

We were heading to Lorenzo and Mia’s mountain retreat, a place they called Blue Bliss .

The name sounded almost too perfect, like something out of a dream, but as we climbed higher into the mountains, the weight on my chest began to lift.

The property was even more breathtaking than I imagined when we arrived. Nestled among towering peaks, the house was an elegant blend of rustic charm and modern luxury.

Expansive windows open to views of endless green forests, the sky a deep azure above. Flowers bloomed in vibrant colors, and their fragrance carried on the cool mountain breeze.

As soon as I stepped out of the car, something shifted inside me.

For the first time in weeks, I could breathe. The tension I’d been carrying in my shoulders eased, and a tear slipped down my cheek before I could stop it. The beauty of the setting, the tranquility— was overwhelming.

I loved it.

Alessio took note, of course. He always did. ‘Would you like to live in a place like this?’ he asked, his voice soft and filled with a tenderness that elicited a chest ache.

He was so sweet and gentle, which only made the tears faster. I tried to blink them away, but he was already brushing one away with the pad of his thumb, his touch warm against my skin.

I thought about it for a moment, letting the peace of Blue Bliss seep into my bones. ‘I would,’ I found myself saying, the words almost a whisper.

The stunning views of the mountains, the beautiful grounds, the overwhelming sense of serenity—everything I didn’t know I needed until I stood there.

Alessio’s smile was soft, his eyes shining with something I couldn’t quite place.

We spent the next few days wrapped in that blissful serenity, losing ourselves in each other.

We made love in the mornings, the sunlight streaming through the windows as we tangled together in bed.

We ate simple, delicious meals, enjoying every bite as if tasting food for the first time. And we rested, letting the quiet of the mountains lull us into a calm we both needed.

There were moments when Alessio had to leave, business in Sydney pulling him away, but I didn’t mind. I wandered the gardens alone, marveling at the explosion of color and life around me.

I even found myself kneeling in the dirt, getting my hands dirty as I tended to the flowers.

With each passing day, I sensed more of my true self returning. The shadows that had clung to me since we left the farm began to fade, replaced by a sense of peace I hadn’t experienced in years.

Blue Bliss was living up to its name, and for the first time in years, I wasn’t just surviving—I was thriving.