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They hovered outside the café. Across the road, their hotel stood proud and white against a perfect azure sky dotted with marshmallow clouds. The streets bustled with tourists, and Marianna’s gaze immediately zeroed in on a man a few feet away.
Her breath stuttered at the sight of his jet-black hair and smooth olive skin. Darkness coated the sharp angle of his jaw, like a shadow. Her fingers itched to touch him, to see if the stubble was rough beneath her fingertips. And, unlike her and her brother, this man looked cool as a cucumber. There wasn’t a drop of sweat on him.
Her pulse quickened, and she was shocked at how quickly her body reacted. It was like someone had found the perfect marble statue of a man and brought him to life. Brought him here. For her.
He looked exactly like how she’d pictured the heroes of her romance novels—tall, dark, handsome. Mysterious with an undercurrent of something deeply sensual. Like a sexy secret that needed to be uncovered.
“Trust me,” Daniel said, breaking into her haze of lust by bending down to plant a kiss on top of her head. “When you’re well into your thirties, twenty-four will seem like a lifetime ago.”
“Okay, old man,” she teased.
“Call me if you need anything.” He looked at her pointedly. “You have the number for emergency services, right?”
“Yes. And the hotel concierge, and the number of the bank in case my credit card gets stolen.” She cut him off from asking any more questions by holding up her hand. “The only thing you have to worry about is whether I’m going to fit in the airplane seat on the way home from all the loukoumades I’m eating.”
She placed a hand over her stomach. Maybe she should be a little more worried about that. She had a tendency to snack while she read, a habit cultivated during many hours spent working on her studies back home.
“I’ll call you when I’m on my way back,” Daniel said.
“Good luck.” She smiled up at her brother. He worked hard and he deserved to succeed. For himself, and for their family. “I hope you bowl this guy over.”
Daniel left her alone, and the second he’d disappeared out into the crowd, Marianna’s eye drifted back to the handsome stranger. From this angle, his profile was proud and strong. He had a straight nose, heavy brows, and full lips that curved wickedly. Her blood thrummed in her veins, and the longer she stared the more she knew this was the man she wanted to take to bed.
Perhaps trying to seduce such a stunning man was aiming too high, but Marianna was sick of missing out on the joys of life. Instead of being the mousy country girl she was back home, she was going to be a worldly woman. Smart, intelligent, and sexy. Deserving of any man.
But just as she was trying to work up the courage to approach him, he walked past. The crowd moved around her, and she stepped back to get out of the way. Trying not to feel defeated, she stuck her hand into her bag to grab her phone. But when her fingertips brushed something warm and decidedly human, she screamed and balled her fist.
…
Shit! Nico Gallinas dodged a small fist as it came flying in his direction. It whizzed past his ear as he stumbled back against the guy who’d been trying to pickpocket the sister of Daniel Halsey. He’d noticed a man lurking behind her, eyes laser focused on the straw bag that was sweet but stupidly designed. Way too open at the top for a busy tourist area.
The second he’d seen the man stealthily slip a hand inside the bag, Nico had snatched at the man’s wrist. Only the woman had mistaken him for the pickpocket.
“How dare you!” She swung again, and this time it landed. It wasn’t enough to make stars dance in front of his eyes, but his jaw smarted, and he stumbled back. At the same time, she yanked her bag away from him. But the pickpocket still had a grip on the handle, possibly hoping to use the commotion as an opportunity for a snatch-and-grab. “Thief!”
The sound of material splitting cut through the air, and the contents of the bag exploded. Nico slipped and stumbled back. The pickpocket ducked out of his way and made a grab for the wallet, which had bounced next to Nico’s foot.
As the thief reached for it, Nico kicked at the man’s ankles. He didn’t fall, but it was enough to throw him off balance. And when the woman’s shocked gaze landed on the man who was really to blame for the commotion, the thief turned on his heel and darted down an alleyway.
Nico reached for the wallet, holding it out to her. What had Daniel said her name was? Marianna. “Here. You might want to consider using a more secure bag next time. Pickpockets target this area.”
She clamped one hand over her mouth as she accepted the wallet. “Oh my god, I am so sorry. I thought…”
“You made it very clear what you thought.” He shoved his hands into his pants. “I’d have to be doing more than picking pockets to afford this suit, for what it’s worth.”
“I thought the suit was a tactic.” A rosy flush filled her cheeks, and she hung her head as she bent down to pick up her things. “So you didn’t look like a thief.”
A man and a woman had stopped to assist them in gathering her personal effects from the ground. Tissues, a tube of lipstick, sunscreen, a mobile phone. A sleeve of birth control pills. She sucked in a breath and snatched them up, quickly stuffing them into her broken bag.
