Cherished: Love in London Series 2 Read Online Free Page A

the airport.
    After a few minutes of taking in the sights surrounding her, she found herself restlessly bouncing her knee. She had so many questions, but aware that this was nothing more than a weekend business deal, she was unsure how much she could ask about his personal life.
    Lost in her thoughts, she felt his large warm hand gently caress and still her knee. Surprised at the contact and thrilled by his touch, Amber felt her skin prickle with goose bumps. Wearing her favourite deep green wrap dress, it was already a few inches above her knee to start with, but sitting down, it had risen further, exposing her lightly tanned thigh. She raised her eyes to Nico to find him looking at her legs boldly. Shifting slightly uncomfortably at his scrutiny, she adjusted her dress, trying to pull it down. Nico gently removed his hand, and she instantly missed his touch.
    “Speak, Amber.” His deep voice broke through the tension.
    “I’m sorry? Pardon?”
    “You have a lot of questions. I can see from the way you’re fidgeting. So ask. What do you want to know aside from what I’ve already told you?”
    “Oh.” She looked away; slightly embarrassed that he could read her so well. “Okay, well, can you tell me a little more about yourself….about your family?” She settled back into the seat and turned to face him, tucking her hair behind her ear.
    “Sure. Let’s see.” He glanced at his watch. “We have approximately just under an hour and a half until we reach Lake Como, so in return, I want to know everything about you too. Deal?” He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her answer.
    She swallowed. Was she really ready to tell him about her screwed up family? She hesitated before answering whilst he patiently waited. However, there was something about Nico Moretti that made her want to trust him, some kind of underlying magnetic force working and drawing her towards him, even though she was trying her best to resist.
    “Okay, deal.” She spoke softly.
    “Molte bene.” He seemed almost relieved that she agreed to talk about her family. Reaching for a bottle of water, he opened it and passed it to her and then did the same for himself. After taking a long swig, he adjusted in his seat and began speaking.
    “So, my family. As I mentioned to you before, I have two sisters. We were all educated at University in England, but my eldest sister, Gabriella, decided to return home. Unknown to me, she had a boyfriend in Italy who immediately proposed upon her return. She has twins, aged two, called Benito and Carlo and we’ve just heard the good news that they are expecting their third child.”
    “Wow,” Amber laughed, “Congratulations, Uncle . That’s a handful.” She made a mental note to remember their names.
    “Si! The kids are great, but definitely entering the terrible two’s.” He laughed too, shaking his head before continuing.
    “My sister, Camilla – Mia as we call her – is a few years younger than me, just turned twenty-five, and splits her time between London and Milan.” His face softened as he spoke of her. It was clear to see that they were close. “Mia studied at The London School of Fashion and is now starting to really make a name for herself with her designs.” He frowned slightly. “I’ve told her time and time again that I can set her up with her own boutique but she refuses, wanting to do things by herself.”
    “She sounds amazing. I’m looking forward to meeting her.”
    “I think you’ll both get on very well…. you’re both very creative, obviously.”
    Amber smiled and nodded in agreement. It would be great to meet Mia and learn more about her designs. Amber especially liked the fact that she was keen to work hard and establish herself, rather than just trade on her family connections. She was immediately forming a respect for her.
    “And your parents?” she probed, enjoying learning about his siblings.
    A warm smile spread across his face. “Well, my parents have been