AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“How odd. The same thing happened to me yesterday,” the stranger admitted too, his devastatingly handsome smile stretched across the width of his face. Against my will, I began to sweat. Taking him in, I swore that this man was the hottest guy that I’d ever seen. Standing over six-foot tall, he possessed broad shoulders that tapered to a slender waist. The man was physical perfection. Big, delicate hands with long fingers. Strong, corded forearms. Legs that stretched for days. Powerful thighs. And his chest! One stolen glance and I knew he possessed that desirable V. The sex lines that made even the most frigid of women hot under the collar and left them aching to trace those sexy lines with their tongues. My temperature shot up in response. Before I knew it, I was sweating.
“How interesting that that happened to both of us at the same spot, just a day apart.” My newfound companion attempted to keep the conversation going, but my suspicious nature (Thanks the fuck a lot, Phil!) stepped forward and ruined what could have been a beautiful moment.
Don’t trust this guy, that inner voice said.All men are the same. For all you know, this dude and that old lady could have been in cahoots to steal your wallet or kidnap you for your organs!
And just like that, I suspected that I’d been played. The gullible target of scammers or thieves.
“Okay, cut the crap.” I huffed out a snort.
“Excuse me?” His eyebrows rose again.
“I said cut the crap. The jig is up. Whatever you and that old lady are playing at, you can just forget it. This is one American who isn’t going to fall for her malarkey or your drop-dead gorgeous charms.” Planting my clenched fists upon my hips, I stared him down, letting it be known that I wasn’t about to let them hoodwink me. I’d been through enough and wasn’t about to let anyone add to it.
“I swear. There’s nothing fishy going on, and I’m not trying to ‘pull over’ anything on you. You just caught my eye. That’s all.” The stranger held up his hands in surrender.
I narrowed my eyes, taking him in as I contemplated whether he was telling the truth. My gut feeling, which I might add is never wrong, called that inner a voice an idiot and sang this stranger’s praises, promising me that I could trust what he said and that he was, in fact, being completely honest with me.
“I just caught your eye?” My own eyebrows raised questioningly despite how his words set currents of electricity sparking through me.
“You did. It was the way the sunlight reflected on your hair. It looked like gold had been spun through the threads. I’ve never seen such a beautiful red mane before.”
“And that led you over here to speak to me?” I couldn’t keep the slight flirtatiousness out of my voice.
“It did. I’m sorry if that offends you.”
“Not in the slightest,” I admitted. “Actually, it makes me feel a little bit better.”
“Is something wrong? Are you ill?” His eyebrows dipped into a V as his calm face tightened with concern.
“Not physically. What I’ve got is more like heartbreak.”
I had no idea why I said that to him. This guy didn’t know me from Eve. For all I knew, he was looking for a quick fuck while in a foreign city. Not that the idea sounded all that bad, but still…
“What kind of idiot would break your heart?” His own flirtatiousness was back and on the verge of growing stronger. “He’s got to be insane.”
“The kind that has been with me since we were fourteen, but decided that it was not only okay to cheat on me, but to also confess and break up with me over a text message. We were engaged to be married. I was supposed to go shopping today to pick out my dress, but you can see how that turned out.”
The stranger slightly shook his head as a low rumble sounded from the base of his throat.
“I know that I barely know you, but that guy is an asshole. Only a complete dickhead would do that to someone. And, if you don’t mind me saying it, you’re better off without him.”
I nodded, agreeing with him. “He is and you’re right. I am better off without him.”
“Is that why you’re here in Rome? To get over your heartbreak?” I nodded again.
“My parents thought it was a good idea to get away for a bit. You know, to step back from everything. Give myself time to figure out what the next step will be. And I’ve always wanted to see the Trevi Fountain. What about you? Are you here on business? Do you live here, or are you just visiting?”
“Visiting. A tourist like you.” He sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out as if steadying himself for what he was about to say. “I’m here in Rome because my mother recently died. It was her dying wish that I come.”
And just like that, my heart ached for someone else other than myself. I tried not to shiver at the somber turn of our conversation and did the only thing I could think of. Let him know that he wasn’t alone.
“I’m so sorry.” I was quick to apologize. “I know how hard it is. I lost my mom too. I was nine when she died.”
The stranger’s face went hard like stone.
“Mom died six weeks ago after a battle with ovarian cancer.”
“Ovarian cancer is a bitch. It took my mom from me, too.”
