Part 19 (1/2)
Lucrezia stopped at that point, panting from the outburst. She looked down in horror at what she had done to the vase. ”Now look what you made me do,” she cried.
She turned her eyes back to Peppi and stared at him with a look of torment and utter surrender. He gazed back, unable to take his eyes off her. Before he could open his mouth to speak, Lucrezia muttered something beneath her breath, rushed around the table, and flung herself into his arms. Peppi squeezed her tight and the two pressed their lips together.
As he cradled her on his lap and Lucrezia smothered his face in kisses, Peppi knew right away that he was powerless to resist what was happening between them. He was too overcome with emotion, the intoxicating scent of her hair, and the thrill of her body against his. Nonetheless, despite the overwhelming tide of pa.s.sion he felt carrying him away, Peppi knew that they had to stop what they were doing at once or it would end in disaster for both of them. As difficult as it was, he tried to pull back from her.
”Lucrezia, stop,” he told her.
”No,” she sighed, taking his face in her hands and kissing him once more.
”Please,” begged Peppi. He was trying desperately to control himself, but knew that he was losing the battle. ”Please,” he said once more, ”we must stop.”
Lucrezia responded by pulling open his s.h.i.+rt and running her hands across his chest and shoulders. Her lips moved along his cheeks and down the side of his neck. She was devouring him.
”I won't stop,” she murmured.
”But we must,” he insisted.
”I can't stop myself and I won't,” she said. ”I don't care if it's right or if it's wrong. I don't care about anything anymore. I won't stop!”
”But Lucrezia,” Peppi pleaded, ”you don't understand. We must stop this now!” now!”
Finally, at hearing the urgency in his voice, Lucrezia relented for a moment and gazed at him in breathless confusion. ”Why, Peppi,” she gasped, ”why must we stop? Are you saying you don't want me?”
Peppi shook his head. ”No,” he told her, ”I'm not saying any such thing.”
”Then what?” she asked, bewildered by the look of alarm in his eyes.
”It's this chair!” Peppi blurted out. ”It's so old and rickety that I don't think it can hold the two of us for much longer. If we don't stop now it's going to collapse into pieces and we'll both end up on the floor!”
Lucrezia gave him a coy smile and pushed herself away from him. ”In that case,” she said, her eyes smoldering like embers, ”why don't we end up someplace else where the two of us will be safe?” With that she turned from him and walked to the bedroom, letting the straps of her dress fall from her shoulders as she went.
Peppi rose from the chair and started across the floor. Just as he reached the bedroom, Lucrezia's dress came flying out the door. He caught it against his chest and stopped dead in his tracks.
”Do you think that old chair's strong enough to hold that that?” he heard her say.
Peppi considered the question for a moment. Then he tossed the dress over his shoulder and hurried inside to join her.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE.
The downpour had let up, but a steady rain was still coming down when Peppi opened his eyes. He thought that he had perhaps been asleep, that what had just transpired was merely part of a very beautiful dream. The warmth of Lucrezia's thigh resting against his and her arm draped lazily across his chest told him otherwise. She snuggled closer and laid her head on his shoulder. For a long while the two lay there in bed listening to the rain and the gentle rhythm of each other's breathing. had let up, but a steady rain was still coming down when Peppi opened his eyes. He thought that he had perhaps been asleep, that what had just transpired was merely part of a very beautiful dream. The warmth of Lucrezia's thigh resting against his and her arm draped lazily across his chest told him otherwise. She snuggled closer and laid her head on his shoulder. For a long while the two lay there in bed listening to the rain and the gentle rhythm of each other's breathing.
”Dio,” Lucrezia finally sighed, running her fingers through the coa.r.s.e hair on his chest, ”I'd forgotten how that felt.” Lucrezia finally sighed, running her fingers through the coa.r.s.e hair on his chest, ”I'd forgotten how that felt.”
”I hadn't,” said Peppi. He looked over at the picture of Anna on the table beside him and let out a nervous groan.
”What's the matter?” said Lucrezia.
”Oh, boy,” he sighed, rubbing his face and eyes. ”I'm going to have a lot of explaining to do someday.”
Lucrezia lifted her hand and gazed at the ring on her finger. ”We both will,” she said thoughtfully. ”Do you think they'll ever forgive us?”
”I don't know,” said Peppi. ”I'd like to think so. But what about us? Do you think we'll be able to forgive each other for letting this happen?”
”Hey, this wasn't my idea, you know,” said Lucrezia, giving one of his chest hairs a painful twist. ”I was perfectly content being alone and miserable for the rest of my life until you came along.”
”Ow!” winced Peppi, rubbing his chest. ”Well, don't blame it on me either. All I wanted to do was come home to my little mulino and die. Now look what's happened.”
”Yes,” said Lucrezia, arching up to kiss him on the cheek. ”Isn't it amazing?”
”It's frightening,” said Peppi.
”What on earth is there to be frightened of?”
”I'm not sure,” he said, staring up at the ceiling. ”I guess it's just that not too long ago everything in my life seemed so dark, like I was stumbling around in a cave, trying to find my way out. Now that I've made it back out into the light, I can't bear the thought of ever going back in there.” He paused and caressed her cheek. ”And I couldn't bear the thought of making someone else go back there,” he added.
”I know what you mean,” said Lucrezia after a time. ”I've felt the same way. But what can we do?”
”I don't know,” sighed Peppi. ”Some things in life are just out of our control. There's no way of knowing what Dio Dio has in mind, so I guess there's no point in worrying about it. If you do, you just end up with has in mind, so I guess there's no point in worrying about it. If you do, you just end up with agita agita for the rest of your life.” At that he let out a chuckle and shook his head. ”I sound just like my cousin,” he said. for the rest of your life.” At that he let out a chuckle and shook his head. ”I sound just like my cousin,” he said.
”But can't you see that it's true?” said Lucrezia. ”Can't you see that sometimes we just have to trust life instead of fighting it all the time?”
”That's easier said than done,” said Peppi.
Lucrezia sat up and gazed out into the night where the flicker of lightning continued to light up the sky. ”What's the alternative?” she said. ”Would it be better for us to go through the rest of our lives wandering around alone, never letting ourselves find out if we could love someone again, or even just to feel love at all?” She paused and lay back down beside him. ”But in any case, it's too late to worry about all that now, isn't it? What's done is done-and you did it rather well, if you don't mind my saying so.”
”Experience counts for something, I guess,” said Peppi, allowing himself a contented grin. ”I feel bad, though, that we've let a perfectly good meal go to waste. Those pork chops really were delicious. I had no idea you were such a good cook.”
”Hmm,” grunted Lucrezia, ”well, don't get used to it. I'm a busy woman, you know. I have better things to do than to tie myself to the oven just to keep a man happy.”
”I don't mind doing the cooking,” he replied. ”I'm not so bad at it myself, you know.”
”You are are very self-sufficient,” Lucrezia agreed. ”I've noticed that about you. Most women, of course, hate that in a man, even if they don't say so.” very self-sufficient,” Lucrezia agreed. ”I've noticed that about you. Most women, of course, hate that in a man, even if they don't say so.”
”Do you hate it?”
Lucrezia propped herself up on an elbow. For a while she said nothing, but simply studied the features of his face while she ran her fingers across his cheeks and nose and lips.
”I don't hate anything about you,” she finally said, barely above a whisper.
”You'll have to speak louder,” said Peppi with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. ”I'm an old man, you know.”
”All right!” exclaimed Lucrezia, throwing her hands up. ”I love you, old man! There, I've said it. It's out in the open. Now, does that make you happy?”
”Yes, more happy than I can tell you,” said Peppi. ”But why why do you love me? That's what I want to know.” do you love me? That's what I want to know.”