The driver, a lean Italian wearing sunglasses, helped Anika descend the boat along with the other passengers. She blushed when he kissed the back of her hand. His gentle flirtation was just what she needed to soothe the painful reason for her trip toItaly.
She dragged her rolling suitcase into the lobby and checked in, and within half an hour had dropped her luggage in the room, pulled her hair into a ponytail, and made her way backdownstairs.
Standing in front of the hotel, she studied a street map. Her first trip abroad by herself, and all of a sudden the magnitude of the experience overwhelmed her. Originally she’d planned to go with the flow of the vacation, but now she wasn’t so sure that was a good idea. She needed a plan, but what should she do first? She flipped open one of a handful of brochures. Go to the piazza now or a cafe for a bite to eat? And where was a good placetoeat?
She should ask the concierge for advice. She turned in the direction of the hotel with every intention of doing that, when a familiar voice arrested hersteps.
“Well, well, well. What havewehere?”
A faint tingle of apprehension dotted her shoulder blades. All the way from Georgia to Venice, and she runsintohim.
Reed Stewart stood with a little smile twisting up one corner of his mouth, a Georgia State baseball cap pulled low on his head. Last time she’d seen him was at a party, holding a half-empty beer bottle and grinding on a brunette in acorner.
“Hey,” she said dryly, immediately annoyed. She’d had the misfortune of working with Reed in the school dining hall, and he’d been nothing but a pain in the rear. He didn’t take his job seriously and spent way too much time flirting with the female students andstaff.
Despite all that, he had a magnetic personality—enough so that she avoided him whenever possible. She became uneasy around him but couldn’t put her finger on the exactreasonwhy.
“What are you doing in Venice, AnikaTaylor?”
“Summer vacation.” She kept her answer short and scanned the brochure about moped tours, hoping he’d take the hint and leave heralone.
He didn’t. He surveyed her from his superior height. “Are you here byyourself?”
“What’s ittoyou?”
“Why so touchy,princess?”
His grin annoyed her. She suspected that he was laughing at her. The word princess annoyed her, too, because she had the impression it was by no means acompliment.
“I’m not being touchy. I just don’t know why you need thatinformation.”
“I’m making conversation. I’m here by myself. See how easy that was? How about you? Are you here byyourself?”
He’d managed to make her feel like she wasoverreacting. “Yes.”
“No friends? Nofamily?”
“No. Only me. That’s what by myselfmeans.”
His eyebrowslifted.
“Why did you do that?” Anikaasked.
“Dowhat?”
“Actsurprised.”
“I don’t know, I figured you’d be here with someone.” He folded his arms across his chest, giving added definition to the pectorals under the cottonshirt.
Anika kept her gaze up so she wouldn’t stare. “Are you saying I don’t seem like the type to solotravel?”
He shrugged one shoulder. “Sorry, youdon’t.”
Her mouthfellopen.
“Come on, you know I’m right. I can’t believe your boyfriend let you come on this trip alone. What’s his name again? Is itEmmett?”
“Emerson.”
