Page 64 of The Billionaire's Pact

“She’s married to Live Social, uhm…Wesley?”

He wrinkled his nose. “I’m not a fan. They tried to run some gossip rag stories on me.”

“I’m sorry,” I murmured.

“Don’t be,” he said smiling. “I’m happy you’re meeting people.” He took my hands. “That’s another part of attending events. Making lasting connections. I’m sorry my attention was pulled away from you.”

“I understand,” I bobbed my head. “You were talking politics? I could pick up some of it in Italian.”

“Yes,” he said and sighed. “Nothing interesting though. I’m not as keen at the moment to get involved. I’m helping support good candidates with great ideas on improving the world.”

“Is that what happens regularly or something that you seek out at these events?” I asked, in the hope of learning so I’d be more prepared to play my role in future.

“Not all the time,” he said. “Sometimes we know in advance who will attend. If someone’s there that we want to work with, even better. But most of the time it’s to have fun. I brought you to enjoy yourself.”

I sighed smiling. “I am. I’ve only been to a handful of states mostly on a bus or train. I love being here in Italy. It’s beautiful.” I looked away, not sure I wanted to remind him how different we were.

“I had a different experience,” Rocco said. “We went to Italy, Aspen, Spain, and France on every holiday break from school. I even did a year abroad at Saint Andrews in Scotland.”

“Wow, Scotland. I’d love to go there,” I said cheerily.

“I’d love to show it to you. It’s a beautiful country. We’ll add it to our list of places to visit.” He winked.

My heart skipped a beat as I marveled over his certainty. He seemed to really believe we had a future together. We headed back towards the hall that was now mostly empty with staff clearing the food from lunch.

He frowned. “Are you still hungry? I can get them to bring you more food if you like.”

I shook my head. “I’m not hungry. I’m excited about the race.”

He placed his arm around my shoulder and squeezed. “Then let’s not miss it.”

We walked to the balcony, where only a few seats were available. Rocco and I were Louisa’s special guests, so we sat in the front row while the others sat the rows behind us. Her staff treated us like VIP’s, offering drinks and snacks, along with fans to combat the heat of the hot day.

“Grazie, Grazie.” I repeated over and over again.

Rocco leaned over and kissed me on the lips. “You’re adorable.”

A wide grin spread on my face. “Everyone is being so nice, but I bet this is your every day.”

“You remind me to be grateful, Bella,” he said and gave me a peck on the cheek. “Now the Palio is not for the faint of heart. Anything and everything can happen.”

I cocked a brow. “Anything?”

He nodded. “Even death.”

I peered at him through my lashes. “No way. I…I hope not. I mean why risk it?”

He lifted his chin. “Because living fully is what makes life worth it.” Rocco was definitely a man intent on sucking the marrow out of life. That I found fascinating. But then he shifted his attention to the race below. There was a swarm of people packed in the middle, but from the bird’s-eye view, we could see the entire path of the track.

Behind a long rope were the bareback jockeys in colorful Contrada uniforms of silks, shirts, and caps that matched the colors of one of the ten wards competing today. These vibrant uniforms, each representing a different ward, added a sense of pageantry and tradition to the event. There were ten riders on horses in a row so close together I wondered how they would break away. A couple of them were even facing the wrong way! I pointed it out to Rocco.

“They’ll be ready,” he assured me.

“What are the rules?” I asked him.

He smiled. “They can’t grab the reins of the other riders.”

My jaw dropped. “That’s it?”

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