“You think I’m average?” he teased.
She let out an exasperated breath. “You know what I mean.”
The truth would send Kara running. He wanted a chance to know her before she disappeared from his life forever. From the moment he’d seen her in the soup kitchen, he’d sensed she was different.
And the more time he spent with her, the more he sensed she was running from something.
The nervous look in her eyes. The way she’d fought the man who’d taken her purse. She was fighting against something in her life, he could feel it. He wanted to understand, to help her, if he could. His mother always said he was drawn to strays, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to help her. So he lied. Lied to gain her trust so he could help her.
“In case you haven’t heard already, my mother pushes me to date.All the time.Something like this will keep her happy for a few weeks, at least. When we break up, I can tell her I can’t date until my heart has healed from losing you.” He said this with a wink and a smile.
Kara giggled. “I guess that might buy you a few months, maybe even a year?”
Angelo grinned. “Exactly. So… Kara, will you be my fake fiancée? Will you help me tolerate my wild, loving family for a few weeks?” He wished he had a ring to give her, even a cheapone, but nothing in the hospital room offered him any options. He’d have to get her one later, his mother would expect to see one on Kara’s finger.
He offered her his hand again. She stared at it, then his face for a long while. He wished he was privy to her thoughts, to know what secrets spun in her mind.
“So… How close would we have to be… to pretend? I mean, because if your family is around I can’t imagine younotkissing your fiancée or—” Her cheeks were a deep enough red that they would shame any rose.
“Well, I tend to be a romantic man,” he warned. “I would desire very much to kiss you, hold you, or do whatever you would allow, because that is what I’d want with the woman I love.”
Her lashes fluttered in surprise. “Whatever I’d allow?”
“Consent matters, Kara,” Angelo replied. “Whatever you feel comfortable doing…”
She suddenly smiled, the curve of her lips utterly mysterious. “Well, I don’t think it would be a hardship to kiss you… You are gorgeous.” She didn’t seem to realize she’d let her guard down for a moment of honesty.
“Me?” He gave her a boyish grin. “Everyone says Dante is the best-looking of my brothers.”
She scoffed. “Dante has nothing on you.” Then she grinned back at him, and it felt like the sun was shining on him, but the glow was coming entirely from Kara’s face. She was relaxed enough to tease him.
Kara smiling… Kara laughing… it was intoxicating,bewitching. Angelo had never been so completely captivated by someone before.
“So you’ll play along?” He pressed as he lifted his hand a little off the bed toward her.
“Okay,” she said. “It might actually be kind of fun.”
Kara’s tone was so wistful as she said “fun,” it made Angelo wonder how long it had been since she’d had any.
“Good. You know this means you must go home with my family tonight, Kara. Until I can get out of the hospital. They won’t let my fiancée go off alone on Christmas day.”
“Wait. Gohomewith them?”
“Yes, my family was having dinner at my house. I guarantee they’ll want to take you back to my place today to spend Christmas there. Things will go easier if you play along. You can stay in my bedroom for the night. They’ll fill up the other guest rooms.”
“Your room?”
“I have a big, cozy bed, a huge TV and a nice bathroom. I promise it will be like staying at a nice hotel.”
Something brightened with interest in her eyes and he wondered what he’d said that had made her excited.
“Oh… I guess I can handle that. But I’ll need to pick up a few of my things first.”
“Have Dante or Alessia go with you. You’ve been through a shock today, and you shouldn’t be alone.”
She bit her lip. “Okay.”
“Now, go out and tell my family to go home and take you with them. They should be able to warm up all of the food I had prepared for last night so you can eat a nice early dinner. If a nurse tells me that you didn’t leave with them I will be upset. You don’t want me to be upset, do you?” he asked with mock solemnity.
