What if half a day spent together had softened her to him? Robbie’s heart beat faster at the prospect. By tonight, he could be holding her close and kissing her. He’d keep her safe, but they’d have a two-week romantic vacation together.
Robbie settled into his chair and thanked the maître d’ as he handed them menus. His heart settled as well. He wasn’t going to have some romantic getaway with Alice, then ditch her again. That wasn’t fair to her, no matter how he longed for the bond they once shared and for her in his heart and his arms.
Studying the menu, he vowed to be more immune to her charms.
He’d fought in ops throughout the world that most people thought were only happening on movie screens. He’d survived, thrived, and been proclaimed one of the ‘toughest and most versatile soldiers’ by teammates and superiors.
But he didn’t know if he was strong enough to stay away from Alice.
Chapter
Six
Alice savoredher caprese salad for lunch. The creamy buffalo mozzarella and tangy balsamic vinegar were a step above any variation of the salad she’d eaten in the states. She had a bite of Robbie’s wood-fired pizza, a specialty Napoletana loaded with meat, which the waiter explained wasn’t typical of their pizzas. Thankfully, the waiter spoke English and the food was as iconic as the view.
Robbie was happy to find the meat pizza on the menu. He ordered a side of Romano chicken to ‘get full and get enough protein’.
Their guards sat at a table close by, eating their own lunch. The two had been working to be inconspicuous all day, blending in with the crowd in T-shirts and slacks and sunglasses as well as two large men could. They were a reminder that danger and Big Buddha might not be far away.
“You have some cheese …” She gestured to the side of his mouth where a bit of cheese was trapped in his beard. Though his beard and hair were thick, he kept them clean and presentable.
“Thanks.” He grabbed at his napkin and wiped at it. “Better?”
“No.” She hid a smile. Reaching over, she plucked the cheese from his beard with two fingers. The side of her thumb brushed his mouth.She startled and yanked in a breath as his blue gaze intensified on her face. One simple touch and she longed to touch him more.
“Thank you,” he said in a husky tone. Was he thanking her for getting the food out of his beard or for touching his mouth? She wanted to touch his mouth with a lot more than the side of her thumb.
“You and Chase and your ‘brotein’,” she teased to lighten the moment, pulling her hand back and wiping the cheese on her napkin.
He flashed her a grin amidst that thick beard, his blue eyes lighting up. “A burly man needs his brotein.”
Alice laughed along with him. She felt light and airy in this fabulous city teeming with architecture and history. She loved the uniqueness of the canals, bridges, and narrow alleys shooting off every which direction. Without Robbie, she would’ve been hopelessly lost.
Without Robbie. She sneaked a peek at him. He’d almost devoured his large pizza, and the chicken was long gone. He had decent manners, didn’t chomp with his mouth open, but he was a large man who consumed a lot of food. It didn’t bother her. She liked how massive he was and that he was a hundred percent man.
That yellow suit in the boutique’s window would’ve been hilarious on Robbie but also enticing. They’d laughed so hard because they both knew he wouldn’t be caught dead in something like that. Preston would not only wear a suit like that, but he’d buy it without a glance at the price tag. He was ‘preppy’. Preston was handsome and suave, but Robbie was the most appealing man she’d ever known.
Her mother had called Robbie ‘an uncouth ogre’ and worse. Alice could only imagine what her mother would say about the beard and long hair. She had always believed Robbie was Alice’s way to ‘rebel’. Alice hated that. She wasn’t rebellious, and Robbie was a catch, not some scuzzy guy who would ruin her life.
If he had stayed with her, they could’ve built an incredible life together. Yet she would’ve felt guilty for forcing him to stay, and guilty for going with him. It was a conundrum she’d never been able to solve. Even now.
Those memories pulled her lips into a frown. She picked at the rest of her salad, no longer hungry, though the combination of buffalomozzarella, capellini tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar dressing was delicious.
“Are you going to eat that?” Robbie asked as she twirled her fork through the balsamic covering her plate.
“No.” She smiled and pushed it toward him. “The mozzarella has to have some protein in it.”
“I think about fifteen grams.”
She smiled that he knew that. He’d always been into fitness and nutrition. She tried to eat in moderation and be active, but counting carbs or hitting the gym had never been her style. Robbie had always told her that her curvy body was ‘the best shape of any woman around’. She was confident and didn’t let it bother her that she wasn’t thin, but she missed Robbie looking at her and telling her that she was perfect in his eyes.
He polished off her caprese salad and the rest of the focaccia bread. They waited and waited for the bill. She could tell Robbie was chafing, but she feasted on the latticework and arches of the connected and colorful homes across the waterway. She also liked watching people walk by on the wide sidewalk or boats cruise by on the Grand Canal. It was sweet to see couples snuggling as a gondolier rowed them slowly past and intriguing when a police boat went by with the unique European whir-whir sound. The police boat and a larger tour boat rocked a gondola with their waves and the couple almost tipped into the water. Their surprise and then laughter made her smile. She looked to Robbie, but he was frowning at the crowd on the nearby Rialto Bridge.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
His blue eyes darted to her. “All seems well.” He tilted his chin to their protectors.
“I didn’t realize you were focused on security.” She shivered, almost forgetting the danger and death. She felt a world away in this idyllic spot with the sun sparkling off the water, surrounded by architecture and history, with Robbie by her side.
