The opulence of the resort reminded her a lot of the DiVasio Angency. Nothing but the finest of everything. As they wandered through the grounds of the resort after checking in, Emily could already imagine herself lying beside the pool in the warm sun;, a cool drink nearby...and a handsome Italian gentleman soaking up the rays beside her. She smiled just a little. She could taste the good life again. It was so close. This was the reminder of what she was fighting for; and dammit, she deserved this. 

In the beautifully plush hotel room, Emily first went to the window and looked out over the lights of resort. Stepping out of her shoes, she started to reach out to draw the curtains, but stopped, reminding herself that this place was made for security. Maybe, just this once, she didn't have to lock herself up so tightly. 

She turned back toward the inside of the room as Silvio collapsed back onto the massive bed. Smiling at his compliment, possibly blushing, Emily sauntered over and perched on the edge of the bed nearest to him. 

"You have excellent taste in accommodations, Mr. Violante. Oh, excuse me, Mr. 'Smith.'" 

On the nightstand sat a complimentary bottle of chilled champagne. With a light smirk, Emily lifted the bottle and read the label. 

"Our congratulations on your honeymoon. Enjoy your stay."

Emily easily popped the cork and winked to him. 

"A nightcap, Mr. Smith?" 

Silvio grinned.

"What an excellent fake name, no? And here I swore I'd never be married. I suppose the champagne isn't breaking that vow, though. Or a honeymoon. A nightcap would be wonderful. Did you notice anything troubling on the way in? I saw a couple guards giving you second looks, but I think that had more to do with the dress you're wearing than anything suspicious."

Shrugging, Emily neglected to bother with the glasses and simply took a pull from the bottle itself handing it to Silvio. 

"Perhaps. A swanky place like this known for housing secrets could be just the place the FBI would have informants. But, I've can in the wind a long time. Hell, they may not even know I'm alive."

Standing, Emily turned her back to him, tugged on the zipper that ran along the side of the dress. The dark green fabric fell free of her shoulders and back, then crumpled gracefully to the floor at her stockinged feet. In a manner that was absolutely meant to bring Silvio to a stammer, she ran her hands along her shoulders until she could slide the straps of her bra down. The undergarment landed on top of the dress. 

The tease continued until she was left in only skin, her hands seductively covering her pert breasts and a wicked grin on her lips.

"There. Now they've got nothing to stare at."

Silvio shrugged. Perhaps she was right about the informants. But it was more likely that she-

One by one, the cells in Silvio's brain stopped functioning as Emily slid her dress off. 

Mio dio. You are good. Very good.

He tilted his head.

"Did I just say that out loud?"

Emily nodded, amused.

"Ah. You know perfectly will that they have a great deal to stare at. In fact, it looks like someone stared at your back so hard that they left a mark."

She felt the lightest touch of a fingertip on her back over her scar.

"I hope you saw a doctor or nurse for this- if not, say the word. I happen to know one. But perhaps it would be better if you received a full second opinion, yes?"

Emily felt the old, familiar rush of exhilaration when he brushed her skin. Though she'd never taken vows, she had an awfully good idea of what chastity felt like. This...this was much better. Emily loved the foreplay, the teasing. Silvio was now standing behind her, his fingers playing over her skin. She turned and faced him, coyly keeping her hands over her breasts to tease him just a little longer. 

"Not to worry. I happen to be very close to a wonderful nurse. But that's for another time. Let's talk about you. What is it you like, Silvio Violante?" 

Emily let her baby blue eyes look into his through her long lashes. The way her dark bangs curled just above her eyebrows gave her a youthful, innocent look; but her smoldering gaze easily betrayed any hint of innocence.

"A very direct question."

Silvio moved closer to her for a moment, inches away from her, before he pulled back and slowly sat on the edge of the bed, where he removed his shoes before standing, shrugging off his jacket, and removing his tie. He continued to discard clothing as he slowly approached her again.

"What is it I like? I like the feel of a woman on top of me. I like the feeling of being on top of a woman. I like the feeling of playing a woman like a violin, knowing that I am making the sweetest music with her. I like the way a woman will cover her chest with her hands, and I like the moment she decides not to. I like well earned sweat. I like curves. I like your eyes. I like your body. I like the fact that not only are you putting up with me talking so much, but that it even seems to be turning you on. I like the moment after the climax nearly as much as the climax itself. But mostly... I like that for the next half hour, you and I are not going to have to talk at all."

Stepping out of his last article of clothing with a smirk, Silvio took Emily in his arms and let his body speak for him.

The night passed by with no shortage of pleasure for both Emily and Silvio. In his arms, Emily found a skilled and attentive lover; and she returned his attentions with all the lusty passion of a woman untouched for far too long. They wrecked every inch of the king sized bed, and would finally fall asleep in a nest of disheveled sheets. 

Some time just after nine in the morning, Emily awoke beside Silvio, who laid with his back to her, lightly breathing as he slept. For a moment, Emily considered waking him to reenact the previous night, but she could feel a light headache from the alcohol and thought of a better plan. Quietly, she got up and took a swig of the remaining champagne, then went to the bathroom to freshen up a bit. Her single carpet bag didn't contain a swim suit, so she would have to have the front desk procure one for her. 

A few minutes later, she climbed back into the bed and began to lightly run her fingers over Silvio's back. She kissed his neck up to his ear and whispered. 

"Good morning, handsome. I've got breakfast on the way."

​​​

Silvio woke slowly, blinking. Going to bed was a strong suit of his; waking up was not. He yawned as he rolled over and extended an arm over Emily.

"You would have been wasted as a nun. That you spent months in a habit is a crime against humanity. Or at least manhood."

He rose and stretched, retreating for just a moment to the bathroom to freshen up before returning with a more awake-looking smirk.

"What is for breakfast? A second helping of you I hope, yes? Or did you have other plans for us today?"

While Silvio was in the bathroom, Emily was stealthily picking up his clothes one by one, glancing quickly and jotting something down on a slip of paper. She had just finished writing and spreading up the bed when he emerged. 

"I assure you, there will be seconds; thirds, maybe fourths if you're up to it."

Emily had nothing with her but her dress, so she'd plucked Silvio's button up shirt from the floor. Only one button was fastened, and she remained bare footed as she approached him with a sly smile. 

​​​​​​"I'm not one to pack a lot of fuss into a vacation. I much prefer relaxing and doing as I please. But, I may have made a few arrangements for after breakfast. Besides, the maids will need us out of their way for a while."

She dragged a seductive fingertip along his well-chiseled jaw line and whispered

​​​​​​​​​​​​"We need clean sheets."

Her lips had just crushed against his as a knock came from the door. Instinct kicked in and she crept quietly to the door, peeking through the hole while asking who it was. A girl's voice answered that it was room service. She opened the door just a crack and inspected the girl briefly, then opened it fully. 

"Thank you, dear. We'll have it on the balcony. And please give this to the front desk."

The hotel worker nodded, beaming at the generous tip that came with the slip of paper. When she was gone, Emily finished the kiss that was interrupted and led Silvio to the balcony. The table was spread with quiche florrentine, roasted cherry tomatoes and mozzarella, fresh cut fruit, croissants, and a carafe of orange juice and one of coffee.

Silvio looked for almost a full minute at the beautiful woman wearing only his shirt before subtly adjusting the bathrobe he had thrown on.

"I assure you, I am up for as many courses as you are willing to offer."

As she walked toward him, he stood still, but his smile grew wider. Silvio turned away from the hotel worker and pretended to be reading something very important on the notepad left on the small table, and he gladly followed Emily out onto the balcony. He raised his beverage in a toast.

"Well. Here's to the generoso city of Las Vegas, which may be annoyingly warm, but allows a beautiful woman to wear my shirt for her clothing and eat outside with me. Un miracolo moderno. Speaking of, I believe there is at least one sarto- a tailor- well, a shop- in residence here. You could, I'm sure, find something at least somewhat suitable for that capolavoro di un corpo."

He dug into the food with gusto, making sure not to eat more than half.

"Hiding out here, I think, will be good for you. But I have been pondering your problem in between lovemaking and sleeping. It seems to me that you have three options. One is to go to the newspapers and have them reveal the information; this would, perhaps, remove your enemy from power. This may lead him to seek revenge, but it would make him more vulnerable. Second, you could find someone very honorable and trustworthy..."

Silvio rolled his eyes.

"... higher up the food chain of the government. In that case, the government would remove your enemy and possible even lock it up. If you find the right sort of man. The wrong sort would just bury the evidence. Third, you could approach those outside the law and enlist their assistance- or find someone else who has tangled with the FBI before."

He shrugged.

"Unfortunately, I am no agente segreto who can do all this for you. But, as I said, I am happy to help you stay out of sight. And this place... this place is safer than out there, I think."

Donning a pair of sunglasses pulled from her bag, Emily relaxed into the second chair on the balcony. She sat with her legs crossed under her, taking a piece of pineapple onto her fork. She couldn't help but grin, chewing the fruit and perfectly content to listen to Silvio compliment her body. She was already back in the bed with him in her mind, raking her fingers through his dark hair while she lustily explored his body with her lips; but he was right about the plans for the future. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't hide out there for ever. 

"You're right. But I think it's too risky to trust anyone on the government payroll with the information I have. No, I've got to find someone who has less noble intentions. There's a man here in Las Vegas, a private investigator named Mike Riddle. From what I've heard, he's the kind of man for the job. No loyalties to any agency, and likes to take risks. Once I've gotten a bit more info on him, I plan to visit him and see if he's interested. This won't be an easy job."

The quiche was magnificent. Emily enjoyed a few bites and some coffee, then switched things around a bit. 

​​​​​​"But what about your problem, Romeo? How are you going to rid yourself of this tyrannical father of your Juliette?" 

Silvio laughed.

"Ehhhhh. Hope he is killed by an act of God? He is the equivalent of the Godfather-Chairman of Venice. I am... very much not powerful, wealthy, or skilled in the combative arts. To think about going against him is to think about fighting a thunderstorm with a gun. I am about as far from challenging him as an ant would be to challenge your President."

He sighed, forlornly.

'So what can I do? I am not a fighter, as I said, but I do know strategy, having played much chess. I am a pawn; Signor Mattaranzi is a full board arrayed against me."

"You say it won't be an easy job- but what is the job?"

Silvio made a gun with his fingers and shot the quiche several times.

"You want this Gee Man to be removed?"

A handsome face and fantastic sex can make anyone do stupid things. That's how Emily ended up with most of the information she had collected. She knew this well, and yet, she found herself about to do that exact thing. Rising from her seat, she headed for the door back into the room and gestured for him to follow. 

From her bag, she took a folder and sat on the bed. Opening it, she sighed and revealed two photos. 

"The man on the left is the leader of the West Coast division of the FBI. I entertained him several times. The man on the right, that's the Russian Prime Minister."

Emily switched the photos. 

"This is one of several crates of weapons. US Military weapons. They're being illegally sold to the Russians. By the FBI." 

Silvio was very wise and well informed in some areas; geopolitical strategy was not one of them.

"And that... does not usually happen? As everyone knows?"

He read Emily's face, nodding.

"Si, this is... very... bad."

Silvio smiled winningly.

Emily giggled a little, the tension relieved by his innocent question. 

"No. It's not. The crazy thing is, the FBI guy had this with him one night, and left it in my room. I didn't ever plan on using it, I just kept it. The problem is that I know, so it's not just as simple as giving the photos back. That's why they want me-" 

They were interrupted by a loud banging on the door. Emily blanched, the file spilling to the floor. She looked to Silvio, immediately sorry for exposing him to any of this. 

​​​​​​"Hotel courier! Package for Mrs. Smith!"

After a long few seconds, Emily let out a sigh of relief and went to the door. The courier left a decent sized package wrapped in brown paper. Grinning, she tossed Silvio a stack from the package, including a pair of swim trunks and pair of sunglasses. 

"Afternoon plans. Get changed, then you can rub me down with tanning lotion."

With a wink, she went into the bathroom to change. She shut the door behind her and let out a heavy sigh. Her heart pounded almost audibly. Come on, Em, get it together. You're supposed to be relaxing.

Silvio frowned.

"Ah, the question then is... who took the pictures? Did someone else discover his secret? Or were this taken by his side or the Russians as potential blackmail?"

As Silvio received the swim trunks, he grinned.

"As you command, la mia signorina dei segreti."

As she left to the bathroom, he shucked off the robe and slid on the swim trunks. A little strange feeling, but they seemed excellent for the job at hand. Spinning the tanning lotion in his hand, he waited on the bed wearing only his new swim trunks and glasses.

The Las Vegas sun was warm and bright, and felt fantastic as Emily lay face-down on a lounge chair beside the resort pool. Shed taken the liberty of unfastening the straps of her halter top to avoid any tan lines, and so she lay with her head rested on her arms as she watched Silvio with a smile. Truly, she was relaxing- but she couldn't stop thinking about his conundrum. There had to be some way to get him out of harm's way, and it had to be far easier than taking out a high-ranking government official. This guy was just a rich Italian with a massive stick up his ass. Though she'd knows Silvio Violante for less than 24 hours at this point, she felt a connection with him; being in similar situations. He was handsome, charming, and seemed genuinely concerned with helping her. 

Picking up her head slightly, she slid her sunglasses down.

"Have you thought about employing the help of one of the local families? A lot has changed since I worked here before, but I still know a lot of names. He's off his turf. He may be rich, but money doesn't go as far as influence, and he's not an American aristocrat."

Silvio was like a blissful cat in the sun. He lounged around for hours, alternately napping and devouring Emily with his eyes. She'd caught him looking so often that it was obvious he wasn't trying to hide it.

"Si, I've already reached out, although your extra assistance in finding me a patron here would certainly be appreciated. If I'm being perfectly honest, every day I feel a little safer. As long as I keep my name out of the papers, I suspect I'll not be troubled. Otherwise I'd be even further away, in some village catching fish... or whatever they do in villages. Still, I am keeping an extra eye out these first few weeks."

He frowned.

"I think I will be okay, so long as I do not return. If I stayed in Venezia, I would have been killed. But now that I have run? I believe exile is my fate, rather than execution. Still, it does not hurt to be cautious."

Silvio smirked.

"And besides, if I do get shot in the head right now, at least I would die surrounded by beauty. Things are not so bad."

He nodded towards the pool.

"Do you swim?"

"God, Silvio, don't say such a thing. I couldn't stand to see such a waste of a handsome face!"

She flashed him a grin and reached back, tying up the top of her black swimsuit. 

"I love to swim. When I was a little girl, before I could even walk, I jumped into the river while on vacation without a care. I suppose I just thought I belonged in the water."

She stood and stretched, taking a moment to examine the light copper kiss the sun had given her skin, then pulled her hair down and let it fall behind her shoulders as she leaned down and hungrily kissed Silvio's lips.

"Fancy a dip before lunch?"

"I... do not know how to swim. I can pilot a gondola, rowboat, motorboat. But when I speak of Venezia's beautiful sapphire canals... this water is not swimmable. People have been throwing all their merda in there for hundreds of years."

He shrugged apologetically.