Page 56 of Royally Roma
She seemed to be struggling not to smile. “Fine. Although I don’t believe for a minute that you’ll be on your best behavior.”
“Let’s be honest. We’d both be disappointed if I was.” He wasn’t sure why he said it. Flirting with Julia was nowhere on his current list of priorities.
She tipped her head back and laughed, and then he knew. That sound. The curved elegance of her slender neck. The way her brown eyes glittered when she laughed. Those were the reasons why he kept saying the things he did.
She deserved to smile, to laugh, be happy. Despite all the advantages Niccolo had at his disposal, he had nothing to offer her.
But he could make her smile.
That would just have to be enough.
“Are you okay, Nico?” Julia’s eyes narrowed, and the laughter died on her lips. “You look awfully serious all of a sudden.”
“I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about me, I assure you.”
“Okay, then.” She shrugged a single, delicate shoulder. “Let’s go look at the biggest fountain in Italy, and I’ll tell you all about it.”
He followed her through the throng of tourists, marveling at her ability to maneuver her way through a crowd. She was frighteningly good at it. Without pushing or jostling a single gelato-juggling tourist, she’d led him right up to the edge of the fountain.
“Have you ever seen anything so glamorous?” She beamed up at the looming travertine display surrounded on every side by water that dazzled as bright as an aquamarine stone in a crown.
There was a strange stirring in the center of Niccolo’s chest. “Never.”
She launched into a detailed history of the fountain, including the fact that it was built in honor of a virgin who’d led Roman soldiers to the spot where they found pure water way back in nineteen BC. Niccolo managed to refrain from pointing out Rome’s fondness for virgins, yet again.
Instead, he simply listened. She knew so many facts and legends about the fountain that it was impossible for Niccolo to absorb them all. If he was being honest with himself, his inability to concentrate on her history lesson had more to do with the captivating sparkle in her eyes as she spoke than with the sheer volume of information. She lit up when she talked about Rome. There was no other way to describe it. She glowed as if she were unwrapping a priceless gift. Just for him.
Look around. You aren’t an actual tourist, you fool.
Niccolo had to remind himself to keep searching the crowd for men in suits.
“Any questions?” Julia asked, squinting into the Roman sun. It glowed gold overhead, casting a soft halo of light around her upswept hair.
Questions. Right. He would probably have a few if he’d been on a legitimate holiday and hired a guide to show him the sights.
He fixed his gaze on the water. Silver coins glittered beneath the surface. Hundreds, maybe thousands. “Tell me about the coins.”
Had she mentioned them yet? He didn’t know.
“It’s a tradition. You wouldn’t believe how much money ends up on the bottom of this fountain. Every night it’s collected and given to the poor. The next day, it starts all over again.”
He lifted a brow. “You know what they say. When in Rome...”
She pulled a half-euro from her pocket and offered it to him. “Be careful. Tossing a coin in the Trevi Fountain has consequences.”
Niccolo was growing weary of consequences. “What sort?”
“According to legend, travelers who throw a coin into the fountain are destined to return to Rome.”
He could think of far worse fates. “Is that right?”
She nodded and the scarlet swell of her lower lip slipped between her teeth. Niccolo had the sudden urge to empty his bank account directly into the cool blue water.
“I suppose I could live with that.” He flicked his wrist and aimed toward the center of the fountain.
“Stop!” Julia grabbed his hand before the half-euro could fly out of his grasp.
“Problem?” He fixed his gaze on her hand covering his.
