Chapter 1
Cole
Overseas business trips were exhausting, but they had many perks. This one had brought me to Rome. I’d flown in from New York a week ago with the goal of signing one of the biggest business deals in my career. It took six days of negotiations, but here I was, deal in my pocket.
I hadn’t had time to enjoy the city until now, but I planned to make up for it tonight and tomorrow.
I’d already made up my mind that I had to come back once more for an actual vacation.
So far, the food was excellent and the weather was to my liking—at least now in March.
It was pleasantly warm, and humidity was low.
I was dining at a rooftop restaurant in Piazza Navona that was bursting with customers. I heard the occasional phrase in Italian, but there were mostly tourists here.
My phone kept buzzing with messages. My three siblings were congratulating me on sealing the deal. We had a WhatsApp group where we shared news and updates… or just teased each other for no reason.
Tess: I knew you could do it.
Skye: Don’t repeat that too often or it’ll go to his head.
Tess: Hey, he deserves all the praise right now.
I chuckled. I couldn’t wait to go back to New York. My family was very tight-knit. My sisters had been to Rome years ago, and they’d been so excited that I was coming here that they’d almost joined me too.
Tess: Also, just in case you forgot, we’re expecting presents.
Skye: Yes, tons.
I smiled, typing back. I’d already bought them presents on my first day here. Didn’t want to risk forgetting what with all the negotiations happening.
Cole: Done already.
Tess: Awww, you’re the best.
Ryker: Best what? Brother?
Tess: Best at buying presents :-D
Ryker: Nice save.
Hunter wrote next. He was my cousin and business partner. We were running a huge real estate development company together, Caldwell Real Estate. The deal with Delimano marked the start of our expansion in Europe. We were going to build a shopping center in Rome together.
Hunter: Well done. Now blow off some steam. You deserve it.
Hell, yes. I planned to do that in spades. I felt on top of the world right now, drunk on my success, pleased with my negotiation skills in bringing even a tough guy like Delimano to heel. Where he pushed, I pushed back harder. In the end, he’d bowed to my terms, and now it was time to celebrate.
Tess: Have you met up with Laney yet?
Cole: No, I’m seeing her tonight.
Tess: Isabelle says she’s an expert on Rome. You’re lucky.
Isabelle was Hunter’s sister-in-law, and when she’d heard I was in Rome for a week, she’d insisted I meet with her friend Laney, who was here for a medical exchange program.
I’d texted Laney as soon as I landed in Rome but hadn’t had time to actually meet with her until tonight.
She was supposed to be here by now. Right on cue, my phone buzzed.
Laney: I’ll be a few minutes late.
A few minutes turned into fifteen, but it didn’t bother me.
I wasn’t on a schedule anymore. I just relaxed in my chair, inspecting the menu.
I’d been eating at Italian restaurants every evening, but I hadn’t cared much about what I was eating.
When my mind was on business, I tuned out everything else.
“Cole Winchester?” a female voice asked.
I looked up. Laney was a damn fine sight. She was tall and slender with blue eyes and a mass of blonde hair wild around her head.
“Yes.”
“Laney Smith.” She smiled broadly. I got to my feet, shaking her hand. I couldn’t help but give her a thorough perusal, because damn, she was gorgeous.
“I’m so sorry I’m late,” she said as we both sat down.
“No problem. Glad we could finally meet. What do you want to drink? They have the specials listed there.” I pointed to the blackboard next to the bar. The specials were written with colored chalk.
Laney squinted. “Hmm… the house specialty sounds like a tourist thing. I’ve never seen Italians mix limoncello with orange juice.”
“I heard you’re an expert in all things Italian. What would you recommend?” I smiled taking in her sparkling eyes.
Laney grinned. “Well, limoncello is actually a dessert drink. Usually one starts with wine… but we could break the rules tonight.”
“I’m all about breaking rules.” I looked at her intently. She swallowed, lowering her gaze to the menu, but I kept my eyes trained on her.
We ended up ordering limoncello, bruschetta for a starter, and spaghetti for a main course.
“When are you flying back to New York?” she asked.
“Tomorrow evening.”
“Hmm. That doesn’t leave you much time for exploring.”
“No, but I’m hoping you can give me tips for a speed tour. Since you’re an expert and everything.”
She laughed. “Did Isabelle say that?”
“Yes.”
“What else did she say?” Her blush was telling me all the things I wanted to know.
“That you’re here on a medical exchange, though I didn’t catch what kind of doctor you are.”
“I’m a surgical resident at The Liberty.”
It was a private hospital in New York. I’d heard great things about it.
“Wow, that’s impressive.” She took my compliment well, but I could tell she was shy about it.
“Thanks. Anyway, there was an opportunity to come here for two months, and I thought, why not? It’s a unique experience, and Rome is fantastic. It was a bit of a stretch, because my Italian isn’t that good and I don’t know anyone on the team, but I’m glad I took the leap.”
I liked the passion flaring in her eyes, that she was fearless and adventurous. I liked her guts even more than her magnetic smile. When we received our bruschetta and limoncello, Laney immediately took a sip, licking her lips.
I had to force myself not to stare too long at her mouth.
The rest of her was just as smoking hot: long, slender neck and a delicious cleavage.
Her white dress was snug around her body.
The rest of her was hidden by the table, but I’d gotten an eyeful of her curves when she’d arrived.
I couldn’t wait for an opportunity to admire them again.
“You’re a New York native?” I asked her.
“No, I just moved to the city two years ago for my residency. Before, I was in Philadelphia.” She darted her gaze away, before quickly adding, “You work with Hunter, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’m glad Isabelle thought about putting us in contact,” she said.
“I’m glad too. So… back to you being an expert?—”
“I’m not, really. Just did a lot of research about the country before I came here. I wanted to make sure I saw and did everything. Isabelle is always too generous with her praise.”
“Did she praise me ?” I asked in a teasing tone.
Laney laughed, shrugging. “Wouldn’t exactly say praise…”
She was teasing me? Game on. The mutual attraction was palpable.
“I like to make the first impression face-to-face, not by hearsay.”
She flashed me a taunting smile just as the waiter took away our empty starter plates, replacing them with the main courses. We both had spaghetti. My spaghetti was simple, just with tomato sauce and basil. Laney’s had seafood.
“Why, you’re afraid the hearsay isn’t true?”
“Some things might be exaggerated. Or taken out of context,” I responded.
“I’ll ignore any previous information and make up my own mind. Satisfied?”
The things that would satisfy me were so inappropriate that I couldn’t even believe where my mind just went, but I nodded.
“So, about those tips?”
“Well, since you only have one day, you probably should go on two walking tours. They each last about three hours and show you different parts of the city. You can sign up on Tripadvisor. There is also a hop-on, hop-off bus, but the traffic here is a nightmare, so I wouldn’t recommend it.”
“Okay. You did all that?”
“Yes, on my first day. It was the perfect way to get an overview of the major attractions and decide in what order I want to visit them.”
“I like that you said in what order, not which of them.”
“I’m thorough. The schedule here is a little lighter than back in New York, but I mostly did my sightseeing on the weekends.”
We focused on our food—everything was so delicious and enjoyable—as we ate in companionable silence.
Then she told me how she knew Isabelle; they’d grown up in the same town in Montana and went to school together before moving to Philly for college.
She didn’t have an accent, but then again, neither did Isabelle.
She also told me that she’d been here for seven weeks and was staying one more.
“This was delicious,” I said once I cleared my plate. “I was thinking this place might be a tourist trap.”
Laney’s eyes widened. “You thought I was an expert but would bring you to a place with bad food?”
“Not bad, just for tourists.”
“Hmm… so far, you’re not doing great on that first-impression thing.” She was teasing me again. I liked this woman.
“The evening’s not over yet,” I pointed out.
Laney tilted her head to one side, drumming her fingers on the glass. “I don’t know, Cole. We’re already at dessert.”
She’d ordered profiteroles as dessert. I’d asked for lemon tart, and we’d both wanted another round of limoncello.
As if on cue, the waiter arrived with our drinks and sweet treats. Damn, couldn’t he have taken longer? Laney chuckled, grabbing the new glass of limoncello. I grabbed the other one, and we clinked the glasses.
“To meeting new people,” she said.
“I’ll drink to that. Pity you already did the walking tours. Would’ve liked hearing your commentary along with the guide’s.”
“Isabelle was right.”
“About what?”
“Oops. Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that out loud.” Her dimples were adorable, and the cute little O-shape of her mouth was arousing.
“Now I’m even more curious.”
She blushed, looking at her plate. I leaned a bit over the table, wanting to be closer. She shook her head, shrugging. “Nope. My lips are sealed.”
“Remains to be seen.”
She blushed again, this time a deeper shade of red. She watched me with a funny expression while devouring her dessert.
“If you want, I can show you a few things around this part of the city center after we leave the restaurant. The important monuments are lit up at night. Where is your hotel?”
“Around here somewhere. I only needed ten minutes on foot.”
“Let’s do it, then.” Damn, she was cute, hands pressed together in excitement, eyes wide.
It took a few tries to get the waiter’s attention and ask for the bill.
After paying, maneuvering our way out of the establishment was hard work.
It was even more packed with people than when I’d arrived.
The congested entrance was filled with diners waiting for a table.
We took the stairs from the rooftop level to the ground because the building was old and had no elevator.
I walked right behind Laney, appreciating the view.
Her white wraparound dress was just mouthwatering.
I’d met her tonight out of politeness, because a family friend had insisted, but I’d gotten more than I bargained for.
Laney glanced at me over her shoulder as we stepped out onto the street, as if assessing if I was still interested in the tour.
I was interested… but not in the tour.