Fire Maidens: Venice Read online

  Arturo snorted, but Tony touched his arm, catching Cara’s gist.

  “You’ll have our best guards.” Ercole motioned to his men.

  Cara stuck up a hand, indicating Rocco and Tony. “We already do. They’ve become our guards… Our advisers…”

  Our lovers. Her lioness gave its tail a lusty swipe. One for us, one for Fiorina.

  She went on quickly. “…and Venice deserves the best. Therefore, it seems fitting to assign a few new, young Guerrieri to this new committee.” She pointed to Rocco and Tony.

  Cara hid a grin. That would be one committee that was no talk and all action.

  Then an even better idea hit her, and she spoke up. “Fiorina’s right. We should reward them by promoting them to your hallowed ranks.”

  Ercole laughed outright, then froze at her pointed stare. “You can’t be serious.”

  Cara stuck her hands on her hips. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  Grazia shot her a look that said, You go, girl.

  Dozens of eyes turned to Ercole as if to say, For God’s sake, don’t piss off our Fire Maiden.

  “Um…er…” Ercole scrambled for words. “That is a serious matter indeed. No guerriero has even been made a Guardian. And adding new members to our hallowed ranks is a process that requires extensive deliberation.”

  “So, deliberate,” Cara growled.

  Now, her lioness added in a low grumble.

  Ercole’s eyes glowed dangerously, but there was no ignoring everyone’s pointed looks.

  “Well…I suppose…in due time…”

  Cara arched an eyebrow.

  “I mean…” Ercole stammered.

  Fiorina moved things along by clapping in delight and flinging her arms around Rocco. “Wonderful! You’re a Guardian now!”

  Ercole opened his mouth to protest, but it was too late.

  Cara patted Tony on the shoulder. “What do you think?”

  He grinned and gave a little bow. “It would be my honor to serve Venice.”

  “You’ve been serving Venice all along,” she pointed out.

  “Hear, hear,” Arturo echoed.

  Tony took Cara’s hand and kissed it. “In a new capacity, I mean.”

  Cara’s smile stretched, and she couldn’t resist wrapping her arms around him, nice and tight. “That makes two of us.” She kissed him, then nuzzled his cheek. “You think we’re up to the challenge?”

  Ercole didn’t look convinced, but Cara couldn’t care less. Not with Tony holding her so close.

  “I know we are, my mate.”

  Epilogue

  Three weeks later…

  Tony yawned and stretched, stirring the bedsheets. Then he snuggled Cara closer and sighed.

  It was a perfect Saturday morning — possibly the most perfect of his life. Being in the military hadn’t offered many opportunities for sleeping in, much less cuddling one’s mate. Neither did his new job as a Guardian of Venice, but after three weeks of crazy overtime, he and Cara had vowed to take a weekend off.

  So, for the first time in years — maybe the first time in his life — he was lazing around. A totally foreign feeling, yet a comfortable one too.

  His inner beast let out a low, satisfied chuckle. All part of being a well-rounded lion.

  A lion. A Guardian. A happily mated man. Boy, was life good.

  He cracked his eyes open to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. But, no — this really was his new life. The walls around them were familiar — the bare brick of Cara’s modest apartment in Grazia’s villa, with its huge, semicircular windows overlooking a quiet canal. Ercole and the others had been shocked when Cara had turned down the palace penthouse in favor of her modest apartment, but Tony had been relieved. This was much more their style.

  Cara made a little humming sound and stirred in his arms. “Hmm. Buongiorno, amore.”

  He kissed her shoulder softly. “Buongiorno, carina.”

  She slid a foot over his leg, giving him all kinds of ideas.

  “Mmm. I like your ideas,” she hummed, wiggling her rear against his groin.

  Slowly, he kissed his way along her collarbone. As Cara turned, giving him space, the soft flesh of her breast filled his hand, and he nearly groaned. Going from totally relaxed to rock hard had a way of sending all kinds of aches through a man.

  “A rough job, but somebody’s got to do it,” Cara quipped, reading his mind as she’d done so often — and doubly so since they’d exchanged mating bites. “Just make sure we don’t get too loud.”

  He slid over her body, taking the top in a movement they’d perfected over the past few weeks. “Good thing Grazia lives at the opposite end of the building.”

  “Yes, but we could set off the dogs — again.”

  He laughed. “Not our fault life is good.”

  She slid her arms around him and pulled him in for a kiss. “Life is good.”

  It is — finally, he nearly added.

  Cara must have read his mind, because she chuckled. “You know what I’m starting to think?”

  He ran a hand over her bare skin, waiting.

  “That destiny puts us through trials to make us appreciate the good times all the more,” she concluded.

  He chewed that over for a moment. If that was true, he had to be one of the most appreciative men on earth.

  Then he grinned and tugged Cara closer. “In that case, get ready to be appreciated, my mate.”

  Conveniently, they were both naked — the only way they went to bed these days, given how quickly they would shed any clothing anyway. But who could blame them for getting frisky in their downtime? They were freshly mated shifters, after all.

  As the kiss grew deeper, their bodies meshed, and his body heat rose. When he slid a hand down Cara’s body, she arched, ready for more.

  Then a fluttering sound broke out by the apartment door, along with frantic squawks and chirps. Grazia’s parakeets — again.

  “Ignore them,” Cara whispered, tugging his head down to her breast.

  For the next glorious minute, he worked her nipple with his lips. A sheer pleasure — both in the direct sensation and in witnessing his mate gradually lose control.

  “More,” she whispered hoarsely.

  He was just about to slide around and give her exactly that when the racket outside the door increased. Not only were the parakeets fluttering around, but Grazia’s pack of dogs had now joined in, yapping. All of which he might have ignored if Grazia herself hadn’t knocked on the door.

  Tony groaned, dropping his head to Cara’s chest.

  “Pretend we’re not here?” she whispered.

  He wished. But Grazia would never be fooled.

  “Maybe we should move to that penthouse the Guardians offered.” He sighed.

  Cara motioned toward the half-moon window facing the canal. “No way. I prefer this to the Grand Canal. Still, you have a point. Maybe it’s time to find our own place.”

  “Yoo-hoo, lovebirds,” Grazia called. “I hate to interrupt, but destiny calls.”

  Cara stuck a pillow over her head. “Tell destiny we’re not listening.”

  The dogs snuffled outside the door impatiently.

  “What should I tell Fiorina and Rocco, then?” Grazia replied.

  Cara glanced at the clock, then jolted upright. “Yikes. Ten o’clock already?”

  Tony frowned. Had they slept in that long?

  “Time flies when you’re having fun.” Cara brushed her lips over his, then slowly rolled to the edge of the bed and called to Grazia. “We’ll be right there.”

  So soon? Tony nearly protested.

  You know you’ve finally moved on from the military when you can sleep in past six a.m., his friend Lachlan had recently declared. At the time, Tony had dismissed the notion. That might happen to Lachlan, but it would never happen to him.

  Yet here he was, still in bed with his mate. Still hard too, but a long, cold shower might fix that.

  In the end, it was a quick, cold shower, and he’d c
ursed the whole time. The minute he and Cara found some private time, he would get right back to where he’d left off. But now…

  “Coffee,” he grunted once he’d smoothed his hair down, threw some clothes on, and opened the apartment door. The moment he did, dogs swarmed around his feet. It was a lot like visiting his grandfather and all those cats of his.

  Still, the notion made him smile. Visiting his grandfather — what a treat to know he could do that anytime he liked.

  And so far, he’d done just that, not only stopping in during his patrols but also squeezing in longer visits together with Cara. His grandfather pretended to be grumpy about all the attention, but there was a new spring to his step and a brighter sparkle in his eyes.

  Still, much as Tony loved the peace of Mazzorbetto, it was nice not to have to rush off for once.

  Nowhere, except wherever Grazia was hell-bent on dragging them off to.

  Grazia curled a finger, beckoning him down the hallway. “Right this way, young man. I have a pot of coffee brewing.” Then she looked back, waiting for Cara. “I did say you ought to go on that honeymoon sooner rather than later. You know, to get all that…er, energy out of your systems.”

  Tony held back a snort. He doubted he would ever run low on that kind of energy. Not as long as he was around Cara.

  “We wanted to let things here settle down first,” Cara explained. “Just two more weeks, and then we’ll be off. I can’t wait.”

  “No wonder, if that friend of yours has a yacht you can sail the Greek islands in,” Grazia said. “Did he finally get his inheritance sorted out?”

  Tony shook his head. “Not yet.” Sometimes he wondered if Theo would ever get it, given how demanding his father was.

  Destiny is testing him, like it tested us, his lion rumbled.

  Maybe. But he wondered if the inheritance was what Theo needed to be happy.

  He needs a mate, not an inheritance, his lion agreed.

  It was like his grandfather said — a house without a woman is like a lantern without the light.

  But that only held true for a woman you loved. And Theo was being forced to choose from a list rather than from the heart. The last time they’d spoken on the phone, Theo made it all sound like a business deal.

  Theo deserves better, Tony’s lion murmured. So does the woman he ends up with.

  Tony pursed his lips. Maybe he and Cara could talk some sense into Theo — or his father — when they visited Greece. But for now…

  “Remind me what we’re doing today,” he asked Cara.

  “Fiorina’s mystery, remember?”

  Tony sighed. Whatever the mystery was, it better be good. He had his doubts, especially when he spotted Fiorina and Rocco in the parlor, sipping coffee and staring at each other with lovey-dovey eyes.

  “Buongiorno,” Fiorina said when she belatedly noticed them stepping in.

  Tony nearly missed a step when he caught the faint scent of sex in the air. Obviously, he and Cara hadn’t been the only ones who’d had a good night.

  She’s nineteen. And hey, if we’re allowed, they’re allowed, Cara whispered in his mind. Remember, you’re not her father.

  Next best thing, he nearly growled and glared at Rocco. But Cara was right. Love was love. Who was he to mess with that?

  But, whew. Judging by Rocco’s goofy grin, he and Fiorina had probably enjoyed a night as sizzling as Tony and Cara’s had been.

  Not possible, his lion muttered, sticking its nose up.

  Cara shot him a wink then joined in on what turned out to be a delicious brunch.

  “Well, I’ve done my part,” Grazia announced when everyone had finished. She turned to Fiorina. “Your turn now.”

  Tony tilted his head. What was going on? All Rocco had mentioned was showing them something Fiorina had found.

  When his cousin led them to the dock outside, Tony’s curiosity grew. Then he whistled at the sight of the classic cruiser Rocco jumped into.

  “You didn’t steal that, did you?”

  Rocco laughed. “It’s Fiorina’s — a present from the Guardians, so she can get from her classes at the art institute to meetings with the Guardians more easily.”

  Tony smiled at that proof of Fiorina’s wish coming true — studying art and art history. At the same time, she continued to work with the Guardians and report to Cara as needed.

  Cara beamed at her friend. “You’re saving my life, you know, by going to those meetings.”

  “You’re the one doing really important work out in the lagoon. Besides, I’m actually starting to enjoy meetings. Well, some of them. It gives what I’m learning in art school a whole new dimension.”

  Tony ducked as a parakeet fluttered over his head, just in time for Grazia to announce, “This is where I leave you. Have fun, everyone.”

  “You’re not coming?” Fiorina asked.

  “No, you young people go on without me.”

  Cara tilted her head. “Going where?”

  Fiorina grinned. “Not far. I have to show you something I found.”

  Rocco gunned the engine and set off down the canal — slowly, so as not to leave a wake. Then he turned the wheel over to Fiorina and coached her while she drove.

  “A little slower… Turn right… Perfect!”

  Fiorina beamed, and Tony grinned. It was amazing, how far and fast she’d come along.

  Then Tony slung an arm over Cara’s shoulders and sat back, enjoying the side canals of their Canareggio neighborhood.

  “I know you prefer rowing, but I couldn’t talk Rocco into it,” Fiorina said.

  Cara laughed. “This is good too.” Especially with my mate nice and close, she added in a private aside.

  He pulled her a little closer. Very nice.

  They turned left, then right, making their way through the maze of canals. Many tight turns and low bridges later, Rocco signaled for Fiorina to cut the engine and drift.

  “That’s what I found,” Fiorina announced, gesturing.

  Tony wasn’t sure what she meant. The pretty little villa that stood at the intersection of two canals? The wooden ramp leading to one of Venice’s few open yards, overgrown with grass? Or the shed to one side that looked like a workshop?

  “It used to be a boatyard,” Fiorina explained.

  When the boat bumped the middle of the ramp, Rocco jumped ashore and tied the line.

  “It’s been abandoned for years, but I thought you’d like it, seeing as your family runs a boatyard,” Fiorina said as Rocco helped everyone disembark.

  Cara looked around in wonder. “I’d love to see it. But that sign says ‘Private Property.’”

  Fiorina shrugged. “It is.”

  Cara hesitated before jumping ashore. “We won’t get in trouble?”

  “Not when it’s yours.”

  Tony was glad he stuck out a hand and grabbed Cara’s elbow — otherwise, she might have toppled over in shock. As it was, her jaw moved up and down, and it took ages for her to utter a single syllable.

  “Mine?”

  Fiorina laughed. “Yours. It’s quite a story. Do you want the long or short version?”

  Cara was still stuck, so Tony replied on her behalf. “Short.”

  “Well, being on the committee for the preservation of historic buildings has its perks.” Fiorina grinned at Cara. “I remembered you telling me about your family’s boatyard, a long time ago. So, I did a little inquiring, and I discovered this place. It belonged to your great-grandfather’s family.”

  “But how can it be mine?”

  “When Giacomo left Venice with your great-grandmother, the property passed to his brother, then his nephew, and so on. But the last owner died about fifteen years ago, leaving no heirs, and the property was abandoned. It’s been waiting all this time.”

  Cara tilted her head. “Waiting for what?”

  Fiorina laughed. “Waiting for its rightful owner to claim it. You.”

  “But…”

  Tony looked the place over, just as dum
b struck. As a Fire Maiden, Cara had inherited a sizable fortune, including several properties in Venice and along the river Brenta, once favored as a summer retreat by the city’s elite classes. But most of those were huge, overdone palaces. This was a much more modest, manageable place. A nice, homey spot he could see the two of them settling down in…raising a family…even growing old in.

  Fiorina laughed and gave Cara a push. “Go on, look around. It needs a lot of work, but it has great potential. And the space!” She held her arms wide. “For Venice, this is a huge yard. You even have trees!”

  Nice, tall ones, Tony noted, that offered plenty of shade, together with a thick line of shrubs. And with no sidewalks on two sides of the property, the only passersby would be boaters — which meant lots of privacy since only a few plied that side canal.

  “It’s amazing.” Cara breathed.

  Her visions jumped over to his mind, and he imagined the two of them in lion form, sunning themselves in their own yard beside their own home.

  “Perfect,” he couldn’t help echoing.

  Hand in hand, they stepped toward the house.

  “After you,” Cara whispered when they reached the back door.

  He shook his head. “After you.”

  Gingerly, she pushed the door, and it swung open with a loud creak.

  “Wow.” Cara stepped inside, almost in slow motion.

  Bright beams of light chased them through the door, illuminating a room with tall, shuttered windows. A sun-room, Tony decided, perfect for winter days. Beyond that was a parlor…a dining room…a kitchen…

  “Nice fireplace,” Cara gushed as they went. “And, wow, look at that woodwork…”

  It was stunning. Dusty and worn-out, but stunning. With a little love and elbow grease…

  Cara dragged a foot through the layer of dust and leaves, revealing a beautiful marble floor. “This is amazing.”

  And that was just the ground floor. A curving staircase led upstairs, where Tony counted six more rooms.

  “Bedroom…bedroom…” Cara blushed a little. “Nursery…”

  His lion perked up its ears. Nursery. Good idea…

  “Office space…” Cara went on. “Guest room…master bedroom.”