Chapter 17
Antonio
Daniella Belle drives me crazy.That is, in a feel-good, I-want-you-so-bad-it-drives-me-crazy kind of a way. Yet I think I’m doing an academy-award-winning act of portraying this cool business-focused guy, who is not at allinterested.
Although I have mentally punched myself a few times when I caught myselfflirting.
Andstaring.
The woman is, after all, absolutely mesmerizing—getting to me like noother.
Perhaps it’s due to the simple fact I can’t haveher.
Yep. That’s gotta to beit.
How the hell am I to survive ten days in Milan with thiswoman?
Avoid any time alone with her—at allcosts.
We’re almost there, maybe just a couple of hours to spare. I’ve had an ingenious idea of how to get to know her a little better—asking her to tell me three things about herself that no one elseknows.
Her green eyes glisten as she thinks of what to share. “Okay. I’m ready.” She lets out a soft giggle. “One: Taylor Swift is theonlycelebrity that I would have a full-on fangirl moment over, if I met her. Two: thunder and lightning frighten the hell out of me. And…” She hesitates for only a moment, then takes a deep breath. “Three: I sleep completelynude.”
Wait. What? Did she just saynude?
Asin…
Bare. Hot.Nakedness.
Someone just killme.
The mere thought of Daniella naked makes meall—
“Nude?” I swallow the sizable lump in mythroat.
“I know. TMI, right? But you did ask for three thingsand—”
“Wait. Why nude?” Iinterrupt.
“It’s quite simple, actually. I can’t stand the way clothes get all tangled up in the covers. So sleeping nude eliminates that problem. You should tryit.”
Next to you?I shake the illicit thought from myhead.
“And what aboutyou?”
“No. I don’t sleep nude. Yet.” A chuckle escapesme.
A wry smile surfaces. “I meant, what are your three things? That no one knows about you? Her long eyelashes fan her gorgeous face as she sits, face on palm, eager to hear myreply.
Right. This is supposed to be dual participation.Think,Antonio.
“Okay, Miss Belle. Three things. One: I’ve never seen one Godfather movie. Two: the color yellow makes be wanna barf. And three: I would give anything to live a normal guy’slife.”
Daniella looks at me, wonder shooting through her eyes to mine. “A normal guy’slife?”
I lower my gaze from her penetrating one. “Yep. You know, no paparazzi, no semi-fame. Just a regular guy living life with nospectators.”
“I see. Then you should plan yourescape.”
