Page 40 of Sinful Temptations

I shrugged. “Just about.”

A curious expression wobbled across his face. Obviously, I’d said something wrong again. “What?”

His eyes grew darker and for a second, I thought he was going to clam up. But he turned his gaze out the window, sighing. “Caterina was the opposite. She could tell you the number of calories in everything. It was so frustrating. Nearly every meal became a mathematical equation.”

“Well, that’s boring.”

When his gaze turned to me, I wanted to retract my statement.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean that.”

“It’s true. She was always pushing away Mamma’s pasta meals because they would tip her over her daily intake.” He shook his head. “She had no idea how often she ruined a meal.”

Hmmm.Maybe he was getting over Caterina after all. Excellent.

Right—mental note for my job as wing-woman—Roman wanted a partner who enjoyed her food.Check.

The taxi pulled up alongside a street lined with restaurants. People were everywhere, and the venues were full ofdiners, some spilling out onto the footpaths. The place was alive with chatter, crockery, music, and laughter.

It was impossible not to smile at the vibrant atmosphere.

We walked toward an Italian restaurant, and I prepared to turn inside with him. But he kept on walking.

He did the same with a French restaurant.

The more we strolled, the more often I spied women sneaking glances at him. Roman was a chick magnet, yet he seemed oblivious to the attention. Either that or he was accomplished at pretending not to notice.

We stalled at the Brazilian restaurant. Delicious aromas of Mediterranean spices and barbecued meats filled the air. “Here we are. Have you ever tried churrasco style of cooking before?”

“No. I’ve never eaten any Brazilian cuisine before.”

“Excellent. I was hoping you’d say that. Now we both get to experience something new together.”

“Oh.” My heart skipped a beat. That was one of the nicest things anyone had ever done with me.

William had never taken me anywhere.

Fuck off, William!

Stay in the moment, Daisy.

This is my moment with Roman. And he needs me.

ChapterNine

Awaiter arrived to escort us to a table, and Roman indicated for me to lead the way. The walls were a rich rust color and lush green foliage spilled from bold-colored pots dotted everywhere.

A display of wine bottles created a feature behind the dark mahogany bar, and the men and women seated in high-backed barstools were all drinking vibrantly colored cocktails.

We sat at a corner table, offering us a view down the middle of the restaurant, and the waiter took our drink order—a beer for Roman and a glass of wine for me.

When the waiter left, I asked, “How did you know about this place?”

“My sister Donatella—she’s the oldest one—she went to Brazil a few years ago and raved about churrasco. So, I googled to see if there was one here for us to try.”

I can’t believe he did that for me. And just like that, Mr. Perfect hit yet another level of amazing.

It was impossible to understand whyCaterina had done what she did. She would probably regret it for the rest of her life.

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