My Saving Grace

Chapter 30

I pursed my lips, giving my undivided attention to the current task at hand of putting on my husband's tie for him. Sporting a charcoal colored suit and crisp white dress shirt, he looked every bit the distinguished professor that he was. And oh so breathtaking.

"There, all done," I said with a smile, stepping back to take in his entire 6'2" frame.

He grinned in appreciation.

"I'm gonna miss you." I sighed heavily.

"Me too, mia bella." He tenderly stroked my cheek with the backs of his knuckles, tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear.

"Send me lots of pictures. And remember to eat good food. It'd be such a waste to be in Europe and eat bad food."

"Duly noted. Anything else?" His eyes gleamed with mirth.

"No Swiss strippers, please."

He threw his head back and laughed.

"Darling, I'm gonna be stuck with middle-aged to eighty year old professors for a week."

I scoffed.

"Like their age matters. Men love that stuff, no matter how old they are."

"Trust me, these guys get turned on more by the Carnot cycle than naked women."

"Hmm, I can imagine that. And God damn, I haven't heard about the Carnot cycle since my junior year thermodynamics class."

"Good. It's purely theoretical and never observed in industry."

"Yes. But anyway, no strippers for you, Mister." I poked at his hard, suit-clad chest.

"Only if you promise to put on a strip tease for me when I return," he murmured huskily, the corner of his mouth lifting in a sly smile as he traced my lower lip.

My breathing hitched.

"I'll see what I can do."

"Good."

He stepped away from me, retrieving his suitcase from the doorway and throwing it in the trunk of his car. Then his arms were around me in a tight embrace.

"Kill it at your guest lecture, hon. And have a safe flight afterwards. Text me when you reach, okay?"

He planted a kiss on the top of my head.

"I will. Don't get into too much trouble while I'm gone, alright?" He gazed down at me lovingly.

"Can't make any promises."

He growled, capturing my lips in a drugging kiss, and then he got in his car and left, taking a piece of my heart with him. God, I was gonna miss him. We hadn't been apart a single night since our wedding.

I was unbelievably proud of him, though, for being selected to attend this year's International Conference and Exhibition on Materials Science and Chemistry in Switzerland. Most of the attendees were recognized in both the National Academies of Science and Engineering and well beyond Antonio's years, like he'd said. But his accomplishments and contributions to his department spoke volumes and made him a deserving candidate.