Page 8 of Ciao, Amore

“No.” The tension had returned to his face, his shoulders. “Don’t worry about the check.” Nico leaned forward again, his hands clasped together, fingers rubbing over his fist restlessly. He scraped at his stubbled cheek. “Alright, look. Tino did what he did, and it was fucked up and weird, but now that we’ve met and have talked, I…” A breathless laugh escaped him. “I think you should come to Naples with me for San Gennaro. But I’m buyin’ you a round-trip ticket because I think you need to see the country for yourself and then decide if that’s the life you really want.”

“You don’t have to do that. For real. I wasn’t part of your plan, and that’s cool—” she began, but he halted her words with a simple touch of her wrist.

His hands were big and long-fingered, veins running from the back all the way up to his flexed biceps. Those veins were a map; birthmarks placed here and there were rest stops to a destination unknown. She wanted him to keep touching her, to see where that map led, but she needed him to stop.

“I’m asking you to come hang out with me, Dani. All expenses covered. No strings. You’re funny and obviously, you have good taste, answering my ad. I’m kidding about that last part, by the way. Well,” he said as she laughed. “I think my trip would definitely be more fun if you came.”

If it weren’t for that glint in his eye when he said that, she’d think there was no double meaning in his words. Dani’s lips quirked again. And once again, his eyes dropped to her mouth. He did that a lot for someone who had zero interest in women.

“I mean it. No obligation to do anything—except for three things I’ll tell you about later if you decide to come. We’re staying at an eighteenth-century villa overlooking the coast. It’s not a palace, but there’s plenty of space. You won’t have to stay in my room. You can chill on the grounds, down at the private beach, or go sightseeing. You can come out with us to party—or not. Whatever’s comfortable. Whatever you want to do.”

“Talk about an offer I can’t refuse,” Dani exclaimed, and they laughed together. Minutes ticked away in silence as Nico looked at her steadily with a small smile on those full lips, waiting for her answer. Then she threw her palms up and let them fall back to her lap. “You know what? Fuck it, why not? Yes, I’ll go with you to Naplesifyou really think your family will be cool with me along for the ride.”

She ran her fingers up the skin of her arm; if he was clueless about what she was referring to, this was already a wrap.

To her relief, he nodded. “Angelo’s wife is Italian, but Tommy’s wife is Dominican, and Tino’s wife is Jamaican. I think you’ll be fine as far as my family is concerned.”

“Good to know. As for what you’ll be getting out of this, I’ll fake date you if it helps you. I’ll hold your hand during the day. I’ll go to church and party with you till the sun comes up.”

And again, there was an almost physical hit to her every sense to see the satisfaction on his face when she said yes. Let’s see if it stayed that way after what she had to say next.

“But that room situation…I will be needing my own. That’s nonnegotiable. Because I’m not ‘accidentally’ sleeping with you. I’m not going to Italy to fuck around and fall in love with anybody but me. If you’re cool with that, then let’s go.”

Dani shrugged and sat back in the booth. She’d thrown down the gauntlet and waited to see if he’d pick it up. Nico reached over the table and held out his hand for a shake. Her fingers slid against his, and at the touch of their palms, an electric shock pulsed. She let go but not before she shivered. From the expression in his beautiful eyes, she knew he’d felt it too.

“Sounds good to me. Let’s go,” he said.

They didn’t stay much longer after that. He paid the check, and she thanked him. It was when they both stood up that she realized he was tall, at least six foot two, and with the freedom to stretch out beyond the confines of the booth, he seemed even broader in the chest, his arms flexing with muscle.

For a taller-than-average woman standing at five ten without shoes, she was used to either being at eye level with men or having to look down at them. She’d worked hard to be confident about her height and her size, but she felt more comfortable standing next to a man who was solid, not someone she could pick up and throw.

It shouldn’t matter; it was the person’s character that counted, and she understood all that. But having a man who could put his arm around her shoulders with ease, let her rest her head against his chest without an awkward bend, and who had the strength to pickherup and throw her, hopefully onto a bed…well, that made her want to swish her skirts and twirl.

“Can I give you a ride uptown?” he offered when they were outside.

“That’s okay. I’m gonna run some errands while I’m down here.”

Nevertheless, she walked him to his car, somehow not quite ready to part. Expecting a beat-up muscle car, she was surprised to see it was an electric, a new model. A new electric car and an all-expenses-paid trip to Naples? During their chat, he’d told her he owned a barbershop in his neighborhood. Barbering must be booming.

They exchanged phone numbers, but there was no repeat handshake. She really didn’t want him to touch her again. A simple press of the hand might not have been enough.

“I’m gonna call you tomorrow at lunchtime. We need to start studying up if we’re gonna fake everybody out. My mom’s got supernatural skills when it comes to detecting bullshit,” Nico said.

“Ohhh, snap. I’m gonna take that as a challenge. It’s on now, Mama,” Dani answered, clapping her hands.

Nico chuckled. “Study me. Study mehard. Just playing. It was good to meet you, Daniela Grace Martina of Curaçao.”

“Nice meeting you too, Nicodemo Donahue of Parma.”

He seemed reluctant to leave, standing there smiling down at her. He smelled like a day at the beach.

“Alright. Talk to you tomorrow.”

Giving her another heat blast with a lingering smile, Nico got in the driver’s seat, but her mouth dropped when he whipped out a black Yankees baseball cap and put it on backward, then gunned the motor. He gave her a chin raise, then took off, blasting A Tribe Called Quest and leaning back in his seat with his left arm fully extended on the wheel.

“Well, there goes Dude Bro,” she said to herself with a grin.

Instead of going straight home, she briefly texted Jade to say Naples with Nico was a go.

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