He burst out laughing. “Thanks.”
Embarrassment spilled through her. “Like you don’t already know.”
He shook his head.
“What?”
“You’re just…”
“What?” But doubt surged inside of her. She’d said something wrong, something stupid. He thought she was stupid. Oh boy. She wished the world would swallow her up.
“Refreshing.”
He said ‘refreshing’ but she felt like he meant gauche. “Thanks?”
“It’s a compliment,” he assured her, a frown briefly marring his features before he continued to eat his soup.
“But you do this a lot?” She prompted. “Tabloid exaggeration not withstanding?”
“Not really.”
She arched a brow. “You don’t need to obfuscate to protect my feelings. This is just a fling, remember?”
He laughed. “Refreshing,” he said again, and this time, a hint of a smile touched her lips.
“So?” She took another mouthful of soup. It was truly one of the nicest things she’d ever eaten. Or perhaps it was sharing it with this man, here in Italy, the rain drizzling around them, the night warm, the air thick with summer and magic.
“I enjoy the company of women,” he shrugged his shoulders. “I prefer short affairs to relationships, so I’m always open about that from the start.”
She expelled a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding. It was reassuring to hear him discuss this in such clinical terms. Like there was nothing new here for him, nothing unexpected. They were on a track he ran often. She was nothing special. Nothing special, just like Michael said… God, get out of my head, she thought with a stifled groan.
“And the women you date are happy with that?”
“If they’re not, I don’t get involved with them.”
“That’s clinical.”
“Yeah.” He lifted his shoulders, but there was something a little jaded around his eyes. “I’ve learned it’s better to be open and honest. Always.”
“Was there a time when you weren’t?”
His expression shifted. “No. But I’ve been on the receiving end of dishonesty once or twice. Enough to know I’d never knowingly inflict that on anyone else.”
A frisson ran down Maddie’s spine as it occurred to her that by concealing her connection to him she wasn’t being completely honest. It sounded like he had every reason to be angry about that, to resent her for it.
She hated that, but she wouldn’t let anything stand in the way of her having what she wanted, what she deserved: a fun fling with the sexiest man she’d ever known. To hell with the future, to hell with everything. She was sick of worrying, sick of stressing. She just wanted to feel, and no one had ever made her feel quite like Nico Montebello did.
Nico grinned as he peeled the skin off a banana, his eyes on the beach. The storm of a few nights ago had washed right out to sea, leaving Ondechiara sparkling and vibrant. His beach was pristine. Rolling waves glistened in the morning’s sun, the sand shone white like crystals and the sky was the most striking shade of blue, almost as stunning as Maddie’s eyes.
His smile grew broader.
It had been a couple of days since he’d seen her, since that night in La Villetta when he’d made love to her slowly, thoroughly, enjoying her piece by piece until she’d fallen asleep. He’d left her like that, perfect, heavenly, angelic, but he’d written a note and propped it on the pillow beside her.
Dinner, Friday night. I’ll pick you up.
Short, simple, to the point. Of course, it was only Wednesday and he was already craving her in a way that had caught him completely off guard, but even that was good. Good because he felt alive and excited in a way he hadn’t for a long time. Since Gianfelice had died? No. Since Claudette.
The thought brought a metallic taste to his mouth. Her deception was one he’d never forget – but at least it had taught him a valuable lesson. He’d never again allow himself to be as gullible as he had been with her. He’d bought every single one of her lies hook, line and sinker. It was only by sheer accident that he’d woken up and discovered the truth.