Page 11 of Marry Me in Rome

“I’m just going to . . . ” I began, motioning to the keyhole.

“Go ahead.” An adorable spot of red appeared on his neck.

“Gratzie,” I said, leaning forward to take one last look. When I finally pulled away, finding him watching me with a soft smile. I wondered how long he had been looking at me like that.

The couple from earlier stood behind us, clearly waiting for their turn, so we stepped aside. I leaned against the wall and slipped my camera back into its case. “Thank you for showing me this. It’s exactly the type of local secret I was hoping to see.”

“Prego. Tell me where you’d like to go next. Returning to your tourist spots for some more crowd-fighting?”

“If I said yes, would you come along?”

“Would you rather I didn’t?”

Matteo and Rome were quickly becoming intertwined. I couldn’t imagine spending time in Rome without Matteo at my side. The thought was a disturbing one. Good thing we only had a few hours left. “You’ve come all this way. Might as well see it through.”

“I couldn’t ditch you now anyway. I promised to stay with you until Hunter and Kennedy returned.”

I thought hard, trying to remember our conversation at lunch. “I don’t recall any such promise.”

“That’s because I didn’t make it to you.”

I grimaced. “Kennedy and Hunter.”

“Don’t be offended. It’s an older sibling thing. I’m constantly protecting my younger sister, and it drives her crazy.”

I couldn’t hide a grin. “You have a sister?”

A note of defensiveness entered his tone. “Italians have families too. I’m not sure why you’re so surprised.”

It just hadn’t occurred to me that he lived a life so similar to mine. For the first time, I realized that I knew absolutely nothing about him and his background. He could have a girlfriend. Even a wife and kids. Hunter hadn’t said anything about either, and Matteo didn’t seem like the married type. But that meant absolutely nothing.

“Do you live with your family?” I asked, trying to sound casual. “Or is there a different situation with a . . . um, you know?”

His eyebrow lifted. “A what?”

Of course he would make me say it. “A special someone.”

“You’re asking if I have a girlfriend.”

“I’m just making conversation,” I pointed out. “And you’re making it difficult. A lot of people have significant others, you know. It’s a common topic of conversation.” And I was totally babbling now.

“Is it?” He pursed his lips thoughtfully. “I’ll answer your question if you let me choose where we’re going next.”

Oooh. He wanted to play that game. If the guy had a girlfriend or a wife, he wasn’t too concerned about getting back to her. That should be my answer right there. He’d spent the day flirting with me, after all. Or was it fighting? Honestly, I couldn’t tell the difference with this man. All I knew was that I couldn’t let him win whatever game we currently played.

Alexis may be the competitive one when it came to sports, but I knew my way around a relationship. The beginning of one, at least.

Dante whimpered. I’d almost forgotten he was there. Matteo patted the dog’s head and swung his backpack around to open it. “He’s probably thirsty. Give me a sec.”

I shrugged. “You know what? Keep your secrets. I’m going to check out the view over there.”

As much as I wanted to see his face, I didn’t look behind me as I strode toward the hillside we’d passed on the way in.

It was a bald-faced lie. I wanted to know the answer very much. I just didn’t want him to know it.

The overlook was empty. Buildings covered much of the valley below, a blanket of civilization with rivers cutting through that added a certain softness to the hard landscape. I simply could not get enough of this city. How could Alexis not want to experience this again and again, day after day and week after week? I could live here for months and still find new things to explore. Probably the reason they called it the eternal city.

“How am I going to see it all by tomorrow night?” I lamented when he reached me.

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