He didn’t appear to like her redirection, but he pulled out his phone. “Padua. It’s a historic city with roots back to the tenth century, built on a river. I’m sure the architecture will be impressive.”
“Sounds amazing.”
He studied her and simply nodded.
They finished their dinner and cleaned up their garbage, putting the food away in the fridge. The food always seemed to magically appear and disappear. She didn’t know if their guards were polishing it off or a maid was coming by. Her room was also refreshed each morning, so it might be a combination of the two.
Robbie walked her up the stairs and to her room. She whirled to face him, her heart thumping, as he rested his hand on the doorframe and leaned in.
Alice didn’t know how to defend herself from new and old Robbie crashing together. This was the man she’d longed for and dreamed of reuniting with for the past fifteen years. The only woman on earth who wouldn’t agree that he was the most enticing man on the planet was her mother.
She frowned, thinking of her mother and how she’d loathed Robbie.
“Alice?” his voice was husky and full of yearning. “Everything okay?”
“I … I’m tired.”
He nodded, but he didn’t ease away. “Last night you said you wouldn’t kiss me with the bush growing on my face.”
Her eyes widened. He’d gone there. She wanted to slide her fingertips along his firm jaw, then thread them into his thick hair and kiss him for a very long time.
“I never said Iwouldkiss you if you did shave,” she whispered, trying to maintain some sense of rationality.
“It was implied.” He gave her a slight smile, but his eyes were too serious, too invested in her.
Her stomach lurched. She wanted him and she loved him.
“Robbie … I can’t,” she murmured, even as her hands itched to reach for him and give in to her desire for him.
“Why not?” he asked, still not moving toward her or away. If only he’d take away all the confusion, decimate her resistance, and simply lean down and kiss her.
“Fifteen years of reasons.”
His gaze cooled at that, and he straightened. “I understand. Goodnight.”
Turning, he strode to his room, shutting the door quietly behind him.
Alice wilted against her own doorframe. She was proud of herself for resisting and knew her mother would be proud. At the same time, it was devastating not to kiss and hold the man she’d always loved. She stared at his door, willing him to stride back out and claim her mouth like the impressive man he was.
Several long moments ticked by.
Finally, she turned and pushed into her room, almost as devastated as the day he’d left her fifteen years ago.
Chapter
Thirteen
Robbie wishedhe could’ve broken through Alice’s walls. In his mind, cutting his hair and shaving his beard was a very generous peace offering. Regrettably, it wasn’t enough. He’d even told her that he wouldn’t let his career come between them. And her response?
Fifteen years of reasons.
How was he supposed to overcome that? Was it right for him to even try? After this time together, he’d go back to working for Aiden and putting his life on the line and she’d go back to her architecture work and her needy mom. He would be willing to give up or change his career for her, but he didn’t know that Marietta was a healthy place for them to start a relationship. Was it wrong to beg her to move far away from her mom? Where would they even settle? He couldn’t take her on dangerous jobs, and she had a business she was building and a grouchy mom to take care of.
The next few days were a blur as they toured cities in the surrounding areas.
Padua with its elliptical square and a water feature surrounded bystatues, one of the oldest universities in the world, and the Scrovegni Chapel with a fresco by Grotto, a masterpiece of Renaissance art.
Vicenza with its ‘elegant Renaissance architecture, especially the works of Andrea Palladio, a fifteenth century architect’, according to their tour guide.
