Page 15 of Hidden Rocco
Interesting phrase as that wasn’t quite true because wishes weren’t worth much. As they headed inside, the heat within the building warmed her face. Once the final mirrors were on the long walls, the hall would seem bigger than now. Either way, her wants weren’t being discussed. Mica took her jacket off and tossed it on a chair in the huge side room with the stone fireplace she wished she’d started already. She put her son’s playpen beside her.
This giant room was designed for couples who wanted a quiet retreat while traveling. There were dark corners, the fireplace, the rug, and soon she’d ensure multiple bistro tables and a bar. At night, the windows near the bar would be dark and torches that led to her patio would be the only thing to see. Romance needed good ambience and this room was to give honeymooners a place.
Jacob in the crook of her arm, Mica flounced her hair to get rid of any melted snow. “Tell me more about yourself, Rocco.”
“There isn’t much to tell.” He stood like he was at attention.
Yes, he’d been in the military. It was so obvious now. She wondered what branch, but didn’t ask. She unwrapped her son from his heavy blanket and placed Jacob in the playpen she’d set up for when she read down here. “I think a man like you has tons of mystery. Enlighten me.”
Without being asked, he fetched a bottle of formula out of the bar refrigerator and ran it under hot water for a minute at the bar sink. “Nothing mysterious. I’m not important at all.”
Hopefully he was ready now as she placed the bottle for Jacob on his chest, not asking how Rocco knew to warm it. Mica avoided his gaze while she delivered her assessment. “You’re polite. You’re willing to stay in the background, but you have strength of character and interesting insights. You’re nothing like men I usually meet.”
She went to the couch and pointed for him to sit. He took the side chair opposite her and folded his hands between his legs. She ignored the thrill that went up her spine as he asked her, “Who do you normally meet?”
The opposite of good guys. Most men just wanted a notch in their belts or even worse, the right to her bank account without actually caring about her or her feelings. She shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. “Puffs.”
His gaze narrowed and it was like he stared right into her soul, past all her defenses. “Like, clouds?”
She glanced out the window at spring snow piling up. Maybe telling Rocco about them would free her from ever talking to another one of those jerks again. “Yes, the men I meet are mostly like clouds. They block the beauty of the sky and tend to bring in the storms.”
His eyes had wrinkles around the edges as he squinted and said, “That doesn’t sound nice, ma’am.”
Perhaps he honestly didn’t know who she was or how much money she had at her disposal. She hadn’t told him her name or anything about herself. Maybe that was what she liked about Rocco. She leaned back against the couch. “Most men are afraid of a woman like me.”
He relaxed but then stood suddenly. “There is nothing frightening about you. It’s refreshing to see that people like you exist.”
He walked out the door behind the bar that headed to the kitchen.
Her skin buzzed and she hoped he’d return as she called out, “People like me?”
The door still swung. She slumped in her seat. What had she said that made him leave? She’d been nice, or tried to be.
Her ears perked. She eyed the door as Rocco returned carrying two mugs in his large hand. She sat straighter as he offered her a cup of green tea and said, “Beautiful. Smart. Intelligent. Where I’ve been, women like you are often the stuff of fairy tales.”
He already knew she liked green tea from checking the kitchen cabinets.
No one had ever made an effort like that—yes, simple, but not in her world.
In movies, or through friends, she’d heard women judge men based on what he might offer her, but since Mica had everything with the snap of her fingers, she’d never realized that it might be nice if a man actually did small things. Considerate things.
The action made Rocco’s brown eyes even more warm and her stomach had butterflies as she sipped her tea, then put the mug down. Her skin was awake and aware of Rocco’s muscles as well as his sweet personality. “Where is that?”
His face flushed, just a little. Again he was unique. Men never showed emotion other than desire for sex. “Where men don’t believe women who are smarter than them exist?”
She scooted to the edge of the couch cushion and hoped he’d answer. “The puffs I mentioned earlier all believe they can run circles around me to fleece my money.”
His intense study of her was like he saw deeper into her than anyone else before. She didn’t blink, half-afraid of what he saw and half never wanting this second to end. Rocco sat back. ”"You’re too smart for that, which is a good thing.”
“I… tend to be competitive, and I think I trigger that in men for them to pretend they are more than they actually are.”
“Life is too short for lying to ourselves.”
“What about you? What’s important to you?”
“I’m happy for the place to stay and the honest work.”
A knock sounded at the front door of the chalet. She picked her son up from his playpen but he began to fuss. “Rocco… get the delivery truck.”
