Chapter 8 : Surprise Help

*Sophia's POV*

"Don't drink all the coffee, ass. I'm going to need that to get through everything we have to get done this morning," I admonished Luca when I saw him filling his cup for the third time this morning.

"You can always make another," he teased as he tipped the pot over.

"WE DON'T HAVE TIME. We have to be over at the villa in ten minutes. Give me that damn cup," I growled as I charged him.

Luca laughed and handed me the cup, "Alright, alright, calm down. I'll be ready in two minutes."

I took a sip of the hot coffee and sighed in relief. The warmth spread throughout my body, and I surveyed my notes for the millionth time.

While Luca went to get changed, I pulled on my work boots and grabbed my coat. We set off, walking swiftly down the long gravel walkway that led to the villa.

The morning sun had barely risen above the horizon when we arrived at our destination. The air was still chilly, but I had dressed lightly under my coat. I knew once the sun fully rose, and we started doing some of the heavy work we needed to get done today, I'd be a sweaty mess.

I could feel anxiety ripple through the air as Mr. Rossi strode towards a group of men. Their arms were crossed over their wide chests, and they stared at us with hardened expressions. Every inch of them was hard and threatening, as if to say “Don't mess with us.”

"Luca, Sophia, this is the team who'll be doing the heavy lifting today," Mr. Rossi introduced us, "Men, Sophia's the boss. You'll be taking her lead. If I hear that you're not doing what she asks, you'll be replaced without hesitation. I have a few meetings to get to today, so sadly I won't get to help."

"Hopefully, by the time you make it back, we'll have the villa cleared. The yardwork has already made such a difference, this looks like an entirely different place," I admired the amazing job the landscapers had done yesterday.

"I'll come back as soon as I can to see progress. Please, call me if you have any issues," Mr. Rossi said before walking swiftly to the black car waiting for him at the gate.

"Alright men, you heard Mr. Rossi. Let's get to work," I said in a commanding voice.

"Luca, pick a team of four men to go in and begin carrying out all of the furniture. We'll have it all stored in the temporary shed Mr. Rossi has built over by the pond," I barked, "Everyone else, you'll be with me. We're going to start assessing the foundation and filling the cracks in the stone. I have a contractor coming tomorrow to go under the house to check the beams, but I'd like to get as much as we can done today."

A busy, work-filled hour passed quickly, and we all stopped to get a drink and take a breather. That's when I saw him. My stomach dropped when I realized Jacopo was probably here to delay any work being done.

"Sophia, Luca," he nodded his head at us, "I'll be overseeing the men for the duration of the restoration. I want to make sure that it's done to the standards of my Mother."

I considered calling Alessandro to let him know Jacopo was here causing problems, but I decided to ride it out. I wanted to prove to him that I was the one to help with this and that he didn't have to doubt my abilities. This was my job, my calling. His distrust was a blow to my confidence.

"Ah, Jacopo, nice to see you again. We can use the extra hands. There's a lot to get done today," I said as sweetly as possible.

As soon as we began working again, the criticisms started, "Do you think it's wise to use this kind of grout for such an old building? What if it's not strong enough?" he asked me skeptically.

I took a deep breath before replying.

"We've tested the grout in several different places on the villa, and it's held up nicely," I explained calmly, "It's also been approved by a structural engineer, so we don't have anything to worry about."

Jacopo remained silent, but he didn't look convinced. He continued to watch us with suspicion as we went back to work. He leaned against the stone wall and watched me directing the men to disassemble some of the broken pieces of furniture. He made small remarks here and there, but I kept my cool and continued with the job.

By lunchtime, Jacopo had started to increasingly get on my nerves with his criticisms and constant questioning. It felt like he was trying to sabotage our efforts, and it seemed like he was getting more belligerent as the day went on. After lunch, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I walked over to where Jacopo was sitting near the fountain, looking out onto the grounds.

"Look," I said firmly, "I understand that you're worried about the job being done correctly and up to your standards, but this is what I do for a living." I gestured around us at all of the workers moving furniture and fixing foundations.

"I'm an expert," I continued, "and I know exactly what needs to be done here for this villa to be brought back to its former glory. Also, I don't work for you. I work for Alessandro Rossi. If you have an issue with the way things are being done here, you need to take it up with him."

Red flashed through his eyes, and before I could react, he grabbed my arm and pushed me toward the side of the house. Once we were out of the line of sight of the men, he pushed his body against mine so that our noses were almost touching.

The suddenness of his actions caught me off guard, and I tried to slow the rapid beating of my heart before I looked up at him. His rough hand gripped my chin tightly and tilted my face up, forcing me to look into his eyes. They were cold and hard, but I refused to cower away from him. Under that though, there was something recognizable. It was hot and potent, and I knew what it was because I was feeling it too: lust.

"This is a very important job for Mr. Rossi," he said darkly, "You better make sure it's done properly, or else you'll be looking for a new job."

"Once again, Jacopo," I summoned every ounce of confidence I had, "I do not work for you. You can't fire me."

Who was this man standing in front of me and where was the handsome, charming man I'd met at the market?

Jacopo's grip on my chin tightened and he leaned closer, his hard body pressing against mine. His gaze bore into mine and I could feel my desire rising like a tide. He slowly let go of my chin and ran his hands down my arms until he was gripping my wrists tightly.

"You need to remember who the fuck I am," he said in a low, menacing tone, "If you fuck anything up, there will be consequences." The defiance in his voice just made me want to both punch him and fuck him.

My skin was burning where Jacopo touched me and I could feel myself trembling with anticipation. The atmosphere between us had suddenly changed and all the anger from earlier had been replaced by something much more heated.

We stayed like that for what felt like an eternity. His eyes were hooded, and they dropped to my lips. That small gesture made me feel so many things at the same time.

Then Luca rounded the corner and interrupted us. Jacopo stepped back abruptly, releasing me from his grip as Luca approached us cautiously. His eyes quickly darted between Jacopo and me before finally settling on Jacopo's face.

"What are you doing?" Luca asked suspiciously, "Soph, are you okay?"

Jacopo stepped away from me without saying a word and stormed off. I watched silently as he disappeared around the corner of the villa. Finally, when I was sure he was out of earshot, I looked back at Luca who was still waiting for an answer.

"I'm fine," I said breathlessly, "He just wanted to make sure the job gets done right."

Luca nodded silently and then gestured for me to follow him back inside.

We didn't say anything else until we were out of sight of Jacopo, and then Luca asked me again, "Hey, are you sure you're okay?"

Shakily, I replied, "Yes," but inside my emotions were a swirling mess.

“If he keeps being difficult, promise me you’ll tell Alessandro. He’s not going to let his son thwart his attempts to get the project done,” Luca begged.

“I swear, if he keeps it up, I’ll talk to him. I just keep thinking if I work hard and get things done, he’ll see that I’m only here to preserve history. I think he’s scared that I’ll kill all the memories he has of his mother. I’m trying to be understanding. You get more flies with honey and all that shit,” I muttered.

He gave me a wary look, “Not all flies like honey, Soph. Some flies can only be managed with a bug zapper.”

I gulped, unsure of what he meant. Did he mean to say that Jacopo was like a fly that needed to be zapped? Was he suggesting violence? I didn't want to ask, afraid of what the answer might be.

As we walked back to the place where the men were congregated, I couldn't shake the feeling of Jacopo's hands on my skin. The heat of it still lingered and I couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if Luca hadn't interrupted us.

It'd been a long time since I found myself lusting after someone. Sure, I had needs. But they were usually met with one-night stands from dating apps. I had no desire to get serious with someone because I didn't have the time to focus on and nurture a relationship.

But something about Jacopo had wormed its way into my libido. I was determined to keep myself in check and focus on the job at hand, even though part of me wanted to break out of my comfort zone and explore this sudden interest.

All thoughts of Jacopo were pushed aside as we reached the villa. Luca pulled me into a hug before clearing his throat and gesturing for me to join the rest of the crew. I nodded silently, plastered a fake smile across my face, and joined them.

"Where do you want the rest of the materials?" one of them asked me.

"We need to get them inside in case it rains. I'd hate to waste Mr. Rossi's money," I answered, and everyone went to work moving things.

Jacopo watched from the sidelines and intervened less. I could tell he was still mad, but I didn't care. He had no say in how this project went down, and it felt good to know that Alessandro trusted my judgment.

We worked hard until nightfall when Alessandro finally showed up.

He walked toward us clapping his hands, "Wow. I'm impressed. You got a lot done today," his thickly accented voice carried across the yard.

I beamed at him, "Well, it's all thanks to the men. They did all of the heavy lifting, I just told them where to put it. Thank you for getting them here so quickly. It would've taken Luca and me weeks to get this much done."

"You all should call it quits for the night. Get some rest, I know you're all exhausted," Mr. Rossi suggested.

We promised to be back bright and early in the morning so that we could finish up as quickly as possible. I said goodbye to everyone before making my way home feeling oddly satisfied with my progress. As I walked through the Tuscan streets under a star-filled sky, all I could think about was what was going to happen tomorrow - and whether or not Jacopo's presence would continue to loom large over me all week long.