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Well, I guess if I’m out of my depth already, I might as well learn to swim. Rhia is right. When will I ever have the chance again to go out with someone as enigmatic as the man standing right next to me?
Pushing my comfort zone is good for personal growth, I remind myself.
Jeez, who am I trying to convince?
How about, just for tonight, I stop overthinking everything and go with the flow? Can’t be that hard, right?
Gualtiero places his hand on the small of my back as he guides me out of the elevator and through the small lobby of our hotel. Oh gosh, this does nothing to ease my tension.
As we step outside, a couple of large, black SUVs with heavily tinted windows are waiting for us. Romeo and Zoe head to the first vehicle and slide in, already flirting unashamedly.
A driver who looks just as burly as Tiero’s guards opens the backdoor of the second car. There are two rows of seating, and Mateo gets into the front row with Rhia about to follow. At the last minute, I grab her hand and pull her into the back row with me. No way am I going to squirm next to Gualtiero on my own.
The hunky Italian rounds the car, opens the door on the other side, and slides into the back seat next to me. Great, now I’m sandwiched between him and my bestie.
Damn, why didn’t he take the hint and sit next to Mateo?
As soon as our doors close, a guard hops into the passenger seat while the other gets into the car in front of us. I notice there’re more men already in that one.
Jeez, how much security does Tiero need? And how good of an idea is it to leave Zoe alone with several men? Not that she would complain.
We set off on our way to Catania, which is at least a forty-five-minute drive. It’s a little far to go for dinner if you ask me, especially considering we have to travel the same distance back again.
Depending on how the evening is unfolding, this could get really awkward. I mean, I haven’t even had a proper conversation with the man yet. We might have nothing to talk about. My nerves spike again, and I take a deep breath and try to focus on something else.
Going to Catania could be good. It might give us glimpses of where to go when we go exploring there in the next few days. According to our guidebook, Sicily’s second largest city has cool and gritty bars, abundant energy, and an earthy spirit.
It’s also called the black-and-white city because of the black and white stones that were used for the constructions of the city’s palazzi. I’m a little skeptical about this. In my mind, black and white seems bleak. I prefer color and lots of it.
Gualtiero’s knee keeps brushing up against mine, making me only too aware of his closeness. I wish I could swap places with Mateo. He’s stretched out on the entire row, his body turned half towards us with his arm draped over the backrest.
To my relief, the conversation in the car flows easily and evolves around our exploration of Palermo and the west coast on the first few days of our trip.
To our delight, both men know a great deal about the history of the city, which they’re only too happy to share. Turns out, Palermo is the most conquered city in the world. Because of its strategic location on the Mediterranean Sea, the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Moors, Normans, and Spanish all took over the city at some stage until it became unified with Italy in the mid-nineteenth century.
Both Tiero and Mateo are passionate about their country and have a fountain of interesting stories to share. Who would have thought these commanding men were history buffs? It’s unexpected and adds a level of depth to their characters I didn’t see coming.
“Ladies, did you know Sicily is home to not only one, but two of Italy’s three active volcanoes?” Mateo asks when we move on from our exploration of Sicily’s history. “Stromboli and Etna.”
“What is the third one?” I ask.
“That would be Vesuvius. It’s near Naples. It was responsible for the destruction of Pompeii,” Mateo replies, having turned around in his seat to give one of his megawatt smiles to Rhia.
I’m sure few women resist his charm and melt on the spot. But if he’s hoping for that, he’s going to be sorely disappointed. There’s no way in hell Rhia would reciprocate.
Before Lex, my bestie would have been all over this hunk, would have wrapped him around her little finger in no time, but those days are thankfully long gone. Now her entire world is focused on the man who stole her heart.
“Mount Etna is the tallest volcano in Europe,” Tiero butts in before Mateo can continue.
They’ve been stirring each other up the entire ride, competing with their trivia knowledge and making us laugh. Their dynamic has been interesting to watch. Even without Tiero’s earlier introduction, it’s obvious those two share a close bond.
“And pray tell, what would be the highest volcano in the world?” Rhia asks, raising an eyebrow in challenge.
Mateo pumps air into his cheeks before letting it out in an exaggerated manner. Pointing at Tiero, he’s giving him center stage. “Volcanoes are your specialty, dear brother. I don’t want to upstage you.” He smirks and ignores Tiero’s death stare. “You know what the highest volcano is, right?”
“Of course, I do.” Tiero stalls a little. “The tallest volcano in the world would have to be…” he scratches his chin, thinking hard. “It would have to be in South America…”
His facial expressions are hilarious. He has no idea.
