Everything goes cold, and it takes me a moment to realize what the hell just happened.

One moment we’re basking in the afterglow of our intense love-making session, the next we’re taking a dip in the canal.

Talk about going from hot to cold in about the time it takes to blink.

It’s almost like an out-of-body experience, and I’m frozen until I realize that I have to swim if I want to avoid drowning.

Unfortunately, swimming has never been my strong suit, and as I flail my arms desperately in some warped version of the doggie paddle, Dante grabs me around the waist.

“I gotcha.” His low voice reverberates in my ear. Any other time, and I’d be jumping his bones. Again.

Right now, though, his voice provides that element of comfort that Ryan’s never did.

He effortlessly pulls me to his exposed chest and navigates us to the edge of the canal.

We collapse on the shore and just gape at each other for a moment, panting as we catch our breaths.

His hair is matted against his head, and I can only imagine what mine looks like. A bird’s nest, for sure.

I wring it out and let it fall over my shoulders. I’ll fix it later in the shower. There’s nothing I can do about it now, after all.

“You should’ve told me you fancied a swim. Could’ve done it in a pool or something.” He smirks. “We really gotta stop taking dips in the canal.”

Our pants quickly turn to giggles, which then turn to full-on laughter. I wipe tears away from my eyes and clutch at my sides.

I haven’t laughed like that in forever. And it’s all thanks to Dante.

“Thanks for saving me again.” I lean against him. He kisses my forehead.

“I’d save you a million times if I have to.”

The sincerity in his voice rings through, and I can tell he means every word.

We sit on the shore for a while, just taking in the nighttime air and the romantic scenery that surrounds us.

The gondola happens to float by, and I can’t contain the giggles that erupt.

All I can think is that someone is going to discover the empty gondola with my underwear inside.

What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall when that happens.

The moonlight dances across the rippling water. And while the water was cold, the atmosphere is anything but.

Dante has his arm around my waist, warming me up in more ways than one.

My mind drifts back to the amazing sex we had in the gondola, and how gentle he was at first. While it was nice, as he grew rougher, he excited me more and more.

None of this would’ve happened had things gone according to plan.

There’s no denying that the last few days have been nothing short of strange, starting with my arrival in Venice.

“It’s so strange…” I mutter under my breath.

“What is?”

I look up at him, and I’m overtaken once again by warmth and desire when our eyes connect. “Everything.” I smile.

I look back out over the water and let out a long breath.

The truth is, I came to this city to marry Ryan and ended up married to Dante.

“Sometimes life has a mysterious way of leading you to exactly where you need to be.” He pulls me closer to him.

“Maybe…but you know, it’s funny. Even though everything turned out exactly the opposite of what I was expecting, I’m not uneasy.”

I lean up and kiss his lips softly, letting them linger there for a long moment.

“To be honest, there was always a little bit of doubt in my mind. Things with Ryan and I moved way too quickly, and I guess I got caught up in the moment.”

This much is true. I defended his behavior to everyone who dared to speak against him. But in the back of my mind, I was always questioning him and his motives.

The fact that he couldn’t be here to welcome me to Venice, or hell, even attend our wedding, is more than enough to make me realize that he wasn’t the one.

Our relationship was stiff, awkward at times, even. Kissing was almost torture, and I never desired him the way I desire Dante.

“I guess all he really wanted was a trophy wife.”

Thinking back, the way Ryan wooed me was so formulaic. He put no real effort into our relationship. Our dates were mundane, even though he could afford anything.

Not that money is the be-all, end-all of a relationship, but he had the money to put the effort forth. And he fell flat every time.

Dante, on the other hand, has made these last few days so meaningful that I’ve barely had a thought to spare to Ryan. It didn’t matter if we were walking or dancing; he made me feel alive, which is something Ryan could never do.

“Who knows what that asshole was thinking.” He rests his head against mine, and I snuggle closer. “The one thing I can say, though, is that his fucking loss is my gain.”

He leans back to look me in the eyes.

“I mean that, you know. The moment I laid eyes on you, I fell for you, almost literally.”

I can’t help but chuckle at that.

I certainly made a splash on my first day in Venice, and he was there to save me. Just like tonight.

It seems like he’s always saving me—saving me from the water, from Ryan, and from what was sure to be a life of misery.

He’s my own knight in shining armor.

I owe him a lot, and I’m beginning to see just what he’s done for me in so little time.

Since I’ve arrived in Venice, I’ve been more of my usual self than I was the entire time I spent by Ryan’s side. Whether I was sketching or dancing, I got to feel free and valued for being me, not someone Dante wanted me to be.

Dante’s made me realize that I need to remain true to who I am and not sacrifice myself for someone else’s sake.

Certainly not for someone who decided not to show up when it mattered. Who didn’t spare a thought to how I would feel being blown off.

“C’mon, Mrs. Walsh.” He stands up and extends his hand. “Let’s get back to the hotel, check on Luciano, and shower. As much as I love the canal, I don’t want to smell like it any longer.”

“Together?”

“If you want.” He takes my hand, interlacing our fingers. “I won’t ever say no to showering with you.”

“I bet you wouldn’t.”

“A chance to see you naked and sudsy? Count. Me. In.”

We walk back to the hotel, hand in hand the entire way.

A girl could get used to this.