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It landed on the other pillow—the pillow where not so long ago Roberto had been. She picked it up.
Good morning, beautiful! Had some things to take care of before we head off on our next adventure. See you soon. Roberto.
The note should have made her smile. It didn’t. The knowledge that their night together had meant more to Roberto than an itch he needed to scratch or a casual fling scared her.
It wasn’t the reaction she’d been expecting. The truth was that she’d had no idea how she would react to their lovemaking. She hadn’t let her mind jump that far ahead.
He was the first man she’d been involved with since Lukos. For so long, she’d sworn there wouldn’t be another man. And now there was Roberto.
She should feel guilty for moving on, shouldn’t she? But she didn’t.
After all, Roberto wasn’t a stranger to her. She’d known him for quite a long time, and while on the cruise, they’d grown close as friends. Still, what had happened went beyond friendship—far beyond it.
Last night, their relationship had been irrevocably changed. Their fake relationship was now a real one. Her stomach shivered with nerves. Where was this leading? Where did she want it to lead?
She didn’t have the answer to those questions. The only thing she knew was that her life had just become even more complicated.
* * *
History abounded around them.
But all Roberto could think about was the woman standing next to him.
They’d just toured the sixteenth-century Castle of Charles V. And, if asked, Roberto couldn’t tell anyone what they’d seen. His attention was distracted by Stasia’s quietness.
He knew their night together had been a huge step for her. He’d been so worried that in the aftermath she’d pull away from him—so worried that he hadn’t taken time until now to realize how significant the moment had been for him.
For so long, he’d kept everyone at a distance, but that was impossible to do with Stasia. There was no wall, no barrier that she couldn’t scale. She saw through him—straight through to his damaged heart.
He didn’t know what to do about it. Stasia had already been hurt so deeply when she lost her husband. Roberto didn’t want to do anything to cause her more pain. Or was it too late?
Not liking the direction of his thoughts, he started to talk about his project for his grandfather. It seemed like a safe enough topic.
But after a while, he noticed Stasia’s distinct lack of input. “Enough about me,” Roberto said. “You’ve been quiet. Is everything all right?” He stopped and turned to her. “Are we all right?”
She sent him a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “We’re fine.”
He nodded in understanding. It was going to take them both some time to make sense of what was happening between them. He took her hand in his and they began to walk.
“We’ve talked a lot about me and my stuff—it’s time we focus on your future.”
“I don’t think so.”
“You’ve helped me so much. Now I want to return the favor.” He really did want to help her. “If you just need someone to bounce ideas off, I’m your guy. If you need me to make a phone call and pull some strings, I’m there for you. If you need—”
“Okay. Stop.” Stasia smiled. “I appreciate your support. I really do. But this is something I have to figure out on my own.”
“I can’t imagine that a little help will hurt.”
She glanced over at him as they continued to walk around Crotone with no particular destination in mind. “Maybe a little.”
“Okay. What can I do?”
She paused as though thinking over her answer. “What career do you think I should pursue?”
The fact she wanted his input touched him. Sure, people wanted his opinion when it came to business—to making a deal. But this was different. This was so much more personal. And that was something he’d been avoiding...until now.
“I can’t tell you what to do.” When she went to say something, he stopped her. “But I can ask you a question. In your past, when were you happiest?”
They continued walking in silence as though she were giving the question some deep thought. After a while, she said, “That’s not an easy question to answer. I did retail when I was a kid.”
