Page 94 of Sinful Promises

Roman’s eyes lingered on me until I nodded.

He kissed my lips—just a quick peck that was so familiar and wonderful, I wanted to jump into his arms and have him to myself. But all too soon, he backed away, then turned and sprinted up the stairs.

The women all laughed, and with butterflies dancing in my stomach, I was swept up in their hospitality. My glass was filled. Cheese and bread and all sorts of delicious temptations were offered to me.

I’d barely had three sips of my wine before Roman reappeared, and oh my god, he looked amazing. He’d shaved, revealing his sexy chin dimple, and washed his hair, giving him an off-the-fucking-charts wet look that I’d never seen. And for the triple jump special . . . he’d dressed in an olive-green knitted jumper and denim jeans that made him look equally classy and homey. Roman, as usual, was absolutely perfect.

He strode to me with his hand out, and I reached for him. “Okay, ladies, thank you for looking after my woman. She’s all mine now.”

His woman. My flesh tingled and my heart soared.

He grabbed a bottle of wine and two glasses, and with my hand in his, and his sisters making a cackle of cheeky remarks behind us, Roman led me down the stairs. After he helped me into my coat, I grabbed my scarf and we stepped out the back door.

We strolled across a small, paved area to a round table with four chairs. The spectacular vista beyond the patio gave an unobstructed view of the Mediterranean Sea.

The slight breeze flowing in off the water had me adjusting my scarf around my neck, but the warmth coursing through me from both the wine and the incredible situation had me heating up like I had a sun implanted in my chest.

At the table, he put the bottle and glasses down and turned to me.

Roman released a massive sigh and clutched my cheeks again. “When they told me Daisy was in town, I thought they were teasing me. But here you are. I can’t believe it.”

I placed my hand on his chest, feeling his steely muscles beneath his knitted jumper. “I can’t believe it either.”

He leaned toward me, and when our lips met, a cheer erupted behind us.

Roman cut our kiss short and scowled over my shoulder. “Go away, you crazy women.”

I turned to his sisters and mother, crowded onto the above veranda. They were all laughing and clapping.

“They’re a nosy bunch.” Roman’s grin contradicted the frustration in his voice.

My smile was so huge, my cheeks wobbled. “I can’t believe they all know about me.”

He cocked his head and frowned. “Of course they do. I talk about you all the time.”

“But it was like the whole town knew who I was.”

“It’s a small town. Gossip is the local sport.”

I giggled. “I like the sound of that.”

“It’s good and bad, but you’ll get used to it.”

I liked the sound of that too.

His statement confirmed two things. One was that he was happy to see me. Although I’d already worked that out. The other was the suggestion that I’d be staying for a while.

He pulled the chair out for me to sit and topped up our wine. We clinked glasses and he looked into my eyes. “What shall we toast to, Daisy?”

His question caught me by surprise.

There were so many things that were exciting and wonderful and worth celebrating. But there was only one that was at the very top of my list. “To us.”

His brilliant smile lit up his face. “To us.”

We sipped our wine, then he leaned forward and kissed me.

It was a gentle kiss, delicate and sweet, yet it was so powerful.

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