“Good morning. Is Robbie …?” She looked around. His bedroom door had been open.
“He went out early for an errand. Should be back shortly.”
At that moment, there was a rap on the door. Alice turned.
“Please.” Curtis held up a hand, gesturing her back. He strode to the door and looked through the peephole. Then he punched in something on the alarm and pulled the door open.
Alice tried to peer past the bodyguard’s thick shoulders, but she couldn’t see who was there. It had to be Robbie or one of the other security guards, or Curtis would not have opened the door without some sort of interrogation.
“Nice,” Curtis said.
“Appreciate it.”
Robbie’s voice.
Curtis stepped to the side, and Alice had a clear view of the man in the doorway.
Her heart slammed against her rib cage. Old Robbie and New Robbie had collided, and the result was mind-blowing. His dark hair was short on the sides, wavy and thick and trimmed on the top. He was clean shaven, his handsome face on fine display. His face wasn’t one bit boyish any longer, the manliness obvious in the chiseled lines of his cheeks and jaw. His nicely sculpted lips gave his bright blue eyes a run for their money. Those lips tilted into a smile as she stared at him.
Alice’s stomach dropped out and she couldn’t swallow past her dry throat. “You shaved?” she whispered.
“For you.”
Her stomach did a happy dance. How could she possibly resist him? She was an instant away from rushing across the space and throwing herself into his arms.
“I’m not letting a beard or my career get between us this time.”
Alice’s eyes widened. Did he mean that? How could she trust that he wouldn’t leave her again? How could she keep him safe if Big Buddha targeted him?
“Please…” She held up a hand defensively. “I’m not ready.”
Robbie nodded his understanding, though the light in his blue eyes dimmed. She wanted to keep that light burning bright, but she truly wasn’t ready for him to declare he wouldn’t let his career come between them. “Do you like it?” he asked, rubbing at his jaw and ducking his head slightly.
“Like it?” she repeated. She absolutely loved the way he looked. That he’d shaved and cut his hair for her made her warm clear through.
Curtis stepped farther away from the door, obviously uncomfortable being caught in their moment. “Excuse me,” he murmured.
“No, excuse us,” Alice said. “What’s the plan for today?”
Robbie’s expression reflected a keen disappointment and a longing. She’d told him last night she wouldn’t kiss him with the beard. What was her excuse now? Especially if he truly wouldn’t let his career come between them.
“I think you’re going to love it,” he said.
She imagined he meant the plan for today, but he could be referring to her loving his clean shaven and hair trimmed glory.
“All right,” she said in a trembly voice. “Surprise me.”
“You don’t like surprises.”
She looked him over again. “I like some surprises.”
He smiled.
Alice liked him. She probably even still loved him.
But she couldn’t tell him that and endanger him.
They drove an hour north to Breda di Fregona, a beautiful natural park reserve known for the Caglieron Caverns. Robbie read to her that the caves were a unique natural and artificial landscape. A gorge carved by the Caglieron stream had been expanded by caves where sandstone was extracted in the past.
