Page 20 of My Italian Roommate

Mallory returns to my side and asks, “What was that about?”

I’m angry but I pretend to shrug it off and tell her, “Guess he’s a Dylan McGee fan so, by definition, he must be crazy. As crazy as or crazier than his idol.”

10

WHAT HAPPENS NOW?

MALLORY

Mario takes me to the pier for lunch, telling me he can’t let my beautiful dress go to waste. I’ve only eaten here a handful of times because it’s way out of my price range, but he doesn’t blink when he sees the prices on the menu. I don’t know how much money race car drivers make but I’m getting the idea that it’s more than I’ll make in a lifetime.

“So what’s next for you, Mario? Since the circuit is over, I mean. Do you plan to stay here for a while or are you going back home?” At this moment, I realize that I’ve never actually asked him where he calls home.

“What’s the deal, Mallory? Have you grown tired of me already?” he smirks.

“No, not at all. I just…we just haven’t really talked about what comes next.”

“We did, remember? Right before we made love, I told you that, if we did it, you would be mine.”

“So, does that mean you’re going to stay here?”

“Maybe we’ll stay or maybe we’ll go somewhere else. If you had a choice of anywhere in the world, where would you like to go?”

I think about it for a moment. If he’d asked me before we met, I might have said Australia or Ireland. Now, there’s only one place I’d like to go. I’d like him to take me to his homeland, but we’ve known each other for less than a week. How can I ask him to take me to a foreign country?

“Name it, baby girl. Anywhere.”

I clear my throat but it still cracks when I say, “How about Italy?”

His face breaks into the biggest smile I’ve ever seen, and he takes my hand, brushing his lips along my knuckles and making something warm pool low in my belly.

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

“But, I’m in the middle of a semester. I can’t take a vacation now.”

He taps his fingers on the back of my hand. After a long pause, he says, “Then I guess I’ll have to stick around here until the end of the semester.”

His words have me elated. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. This man knows how to spoil me.

He orders a seafood platter for us to share along with a bottle of champagne.

“What are we celebrating exactly? I mean, this wasn’t exactly a good day for you.”

“Every day with you is a good day, princess. Besides, I’m thirty-nine years old now. I may have one more circuit in me before I’m ready to retire anyway. This race doesn’t mean as much to me as it would have five years ago, and it definitely isn’t as important to me as you and your safety.”

“So, if you knew that they were going to disqualify you, you would have acted differently?”

“Let me tell you, baby. I knew that there would be consequences for my actions. I didn’t care. You’re mine and nobody is gonna lay a hand on you.”

Holy cow, he really is my Daddy now.

* * *

Back at my place,Mario changes out of his racing jumpsuit and into a pair of shorts. He struts through the room shirtless, and I get butterflies in my stomach watching him. He really is the sexiest man I’ve ever laid eyes on. I sometimes have to pinch myself because I still can’t believe I’m dating him.

“I think I’m going to change, too,” I tell him and excuse myself.

I’ve just taken off my dress and Mario opens the bedroom door. He puts his hands on the top of the doorframe and leans forward, causing all of his muscles to constrict. In this position, he looks like a bodybuilder. Like all of my dreams coming true.

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