Arrangements of geraniums, tulips, and other flowers were right outside the store on a stand. Recently picked and blooming, they were bright with color and vibrant with life. The small shop was several blocks away from my gallery, but I didn’t take my car because I enjoyed the walk. I grabbed a coffee on the way and finished it by the time I got there.

When I walked inside, various flowers were scattered across the table, scissors and tools right beside it, along with a thick pair of gloves. Arrangements in glass vases were in the small refrigerator in the back. Directly next to the shop was a little greenhouse, a plot of land that had the perfect location to get sun exposure for most of the day.

Carmen emerged from the back, her hair pulled up in a loose bun. She wore a yellow sundress, an ideal shade for her olive skin. With bright red lipstick, Barsetti eyes, and a slender figure, she was the perfect person to work in a beautiful shop all day. “Vanessa!” She set down the flowers she was holding and gave me a hug. “What a pleasant surprise. I’m so glad you stopped by.”

“The shop looks beautiful. You’ve made a lot of changes.”

“Yeah, I did,” she said. “But I like the way it turned out. I wanted something unique, and I think the number of customers has increased because of it.”

“Or because of the pretty girl behind the counter,” I teased.

She rolled her eyes. “Most of my customers are women.”

“They might like the pretty girl behind the counter too.”

She chuckled then grabbed the flowers she’d set down, purple tulips. She carried them to the island in the middle of the store. A plastic wrapper was on the table along with some ribbon. “I was just making another arrangement to put outside. I had a whole selection, but it was wiped clean this morning. I’m going to have to find a new place to grow my own flowers. Buying them from someone else is just too expensive, and I’m running out of room.”

“Well, both of our parents have a ton of soil.”

“No.” She dismissed the idea with a shake of her head. “I don’t want to use them for anything. I want my business to sustain itself.”

“I know what you mean.” My family didn’t help with my business either. Bones did all of that, his parting gift to me. I stood across from her at the island. “Can I help?”

“Sure.” She gave me a pair of shears and some gloves. “Trim all the extra leaves.”

“Got it.” I started to work.

“I’m surprised you aren’t at the gallery.”

“I’m on lunch right now. I did a painting this morning, had a few customers, and then closed for an hour. I got a bagel at the coffee shop.”

“Some lunch,” she teased.

“At least I eat,” I countered.

“Whatever,” she said with a scoff. “You weren’t eating for weeks at one point.”

Because I was too depressed. Thinking about that dark time made me falter in my movements.

Carmen immediately looked guilty for what she’d said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“It’s okay,” I said. “Let’s just forget it.”

She gave me a smile and kept working. “So…rumor has it a hunky man is after you.”

I never told her about Antonio, so there was only one way she could have found out. “My father told you?”

“My mama did.”

“Which means he told everyone…”

“Naturally,” she said. “But don’t act surprised. Nothing stays a secret for long with the Barsettis. So why the hell did you say no? That man sounds sexy as sin.”

“Because I’m not over Griffin.” I shouldn’t even have to say that.

“Well, are you ever really going to be over him?” she countered. “That’s never going to happen. He’s always gonna have a piece of your heart, Vanessa. Even when years pass, you’ll never forget him. So maybe the best thing for you to do is move forward.”

“Maybe,” I said. “But that wouldn’t be fair to Antonio. What kind of man wants to be with a woman who’s still hung up on her ex? I wouldn’t be interested in that…”

“He might not care, Vanessa. He might want you enough to be patient. A really confident man wouldn’t care about something like that, because he knows he can make you forget about the other man.”

“Not possible.” Even if I fell in love again, I would never forget what I had with Bones.

“You never know…” She finished preparing the flowers then arranged them with her fingers. She took the ones I was working on and combined them, placing them in a perfect arrangement because she had a natural ability. “So, you’re just going to ignore him forever?”

“I’m not sure what to do.”

“Vanessa, he sounds perfect.”

I rolled my eyes. “Carmen, I know absolutely nothing about him.”

“Not true,” she countered. “You know he’s a hot painter. What else do you need to know?”

“I’m not sure, but I need more.”

“Then get to know him,” she countered. “Have coffee with him. You don’t have to jump into bed right away. You don’t even need to kiss the guy. Just have a conversation.”

Having a conversation with him seemed just as intimate as sex, especially when he looked at me like I was the only woman in the world who mattered. “I don’t know…”

“Vanessa, you know I liked Griffin. I thought our family was being too harsh and he deserved a better chance. He obviously loved you and was willing to do anything for you. That was all that mattered to me, and I’m sorry our family didn’t see it the same way. You should be with him. You should be happy.”

I bowed my head, missing him deeply.

“But he’s gone, Vanessa. It’s over. He’s not coming back.”

I closed my eyes for a moment, hating the harsh truth.

“So what’s the point in staying this way? Staying this miserable? You like this guy, right? Just have coffee with him. That’s not scandalous. You aren’t betraying Griffin. And you can have coffee with a guy and still be in love with someone else. You could even sleep with him and still be in love with someone else.”

“How?” I demanded. “That’s wrong.”

“Not if you’re honest about it,” she argued. “Be transparent with him. Tell him exactly what he’s getting out of you. He can decide if he still wants to be involved. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

I looked at the handful of flowers in her hand, surprised by how effortlessly she’d made a professional arrangement. “Those look nice. You’re a natural.”

“Thanks.” She gave me a smile before she dropped it again. “I’ll let you change the subject, but think about what I said.” She wrapped the plastic around the stems then secured it in place with a rubber band. “Because there are only so many young, sexy painters out there…and he’s not going to be available for long.”

I finished the painting an hour after the sun rose that morning, so I hung it up in my gallery when it opened. I’d always been an early riser, and that behavior was necessary for my artwork. The light couldn’t be more perfect on a clear day, and I captured some of the most amazing pieces that way.

I wrote the price on the tag before I turned the card over. It hung on the wall, the other side showing the name of the painting, along with the date on which I painted it. I always wrote the exact time it was made on the bottom corner so people could build a deeper story around the image. Sometimes they were painted at sunrise, and sometimes at sunset. Art collectors were always interested in those things.

“Beautiful.” His suave voice and masculine tone crept up behind me, so smooth his words grazed across the back of my neck all the way down my spine. My hair stood on end because of the way his tone soothed me.

I knew who it was without even turning around. I kept staring at my painting, my heart suddenly pounding when I recognized the company I was in. The next step would be to turn around, but I paused for a few more seconds, collecting myself before I faced him head on. I reminded myself that he wasn’t as handsome as I imagined, that he was just a man like every other one. He wasn’t special, just an artist who shared the same love of artwork. I shouldn’t allow him to affect me at all, to make me feel anything.

He waited for me to turn around, patient as always.

I finally turned on the spot, my eyes locking on his. His beard had grown a little thicker, and now hair was sprinkled across his jaw and along his cheeks. Deep brown, nearly black, it complemented his dark skin perfectly. With eyes the color of warm coffee on a winter day, he was even more beautiful than I remembered. In a black V-neck and black jeans, he looked handsome as hell in the color. It matched his dark hair and eyes.

Damn.

His lips rose softly in a smile, his mood elevating the longer he looked at me. Antonio seemed to read my moods, to understand what I was thinking even though he didn’t know me well enough to do so.

“Thank you.” I forced the words out, choosing to speak instead of sit in silence. The silence was worse than talking because it was too intense, too potent. “I painted it this morning.”

His soft smile remained, but his eyes focused further on my face. His eyebrows shifted slightly. “I wasn’t talking about the painting.”

Shit.

“But it’s beautiful as well.”

My hair was down today, one of the first times I’d actually done anything with it. But I skipped the makeup and the cute outfit. I wore a light blue summer dress and sandals since it was going to be a hot day in the city. When it was humid and warm, jeans were a terrible choice. My skin had started to deepen in color from being in the sun more often, so the tone contrasted with the brightness of my dress.

I knew Antonio wasn’t going to walk away from me, not so easily. He’d left me alone for the past few days, just like last time. He seemed to have a pattern, or it was just a coincidence.

My eyes shifted to the floor, breaking the contact because I couldn’t take it anymore. With Bones, I could hold his gaze forever without flinching. When he made love to me, I never stopped staring at him, even when our lips touched. Looking at Antonio made me think of those nights, and the idea of having that kind of intimacy with him terrified me.

“Don’t be afraid to look at me.”

“I’m not.” I flicked my eyes up again, remembering I should never back down. “I just don’t want to.”

Again, the rejection didn’t sting him the way it would sting someone else. It was like he didn’t hear it at all, like it didn’t mean anything. He seemed to see past my excuses and my lies to the truth behind them.

That I felt exactly what he felt.

“There’s so much beauty in the truth. So let’s only speak with the truth.”

It was a riddle of a sentence, but I somehow grasped his meaning. “I told you I wasn’t interested.”

“I remember.” He kept his arms by his sides, his muscled arms covered in veins the way I liked. His skin was beautiful, kissable. A corded vein went up his neck, prominent against his tight skin. Without his having to remove his shirt, it was clear to see that he was ripped in all the right places. There was nothing but muscle underneath that cotton. “But it wasn’t the truth.”

“I’m not ready to see anyone.”

“I believe that one,” he said. “And I respect it.”

“Doesn’t seem like it.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

He watched my movements before his eyes flicked back to mine. “I’m only asking for your companionship, nothing else. Have dinner with me. Let’s get some coffee or gelato. Whatever you want. All I’m asking for is your time. Please give it to me.”

We bypassed all the normal conversation that two strangers had. We skipped to the middle, speaking to each other with such candidness it was like we’d known each other our entire lives. The connection was so strong there was nothing I could do to stop it. It was there—and we both knew it. “I don’t want to waste your time. You’re a beautiful man…there’s not a woman out there you couldn’t have.”

He raised one eyebrow, sincerely surprised. “Even if that were true, I don’t want a woman out there. Right now, I want the woman in here. And you’ve never wasted my time, Vanessa. Even when you reject me, I still enjoy these moments.”

The way he said my name sent shivers down my spine. It was intimate, like he pressed his lips against mine and said my name directly into my throat. “I’m in love with another man…” I said the words out loud and felt a jolt of pain in my chest. I didn’t want to hurt Antonio, and I didn’t want to harbor these feelings any longer. Carmen made an excellent point when I spoke to her that afternoon. Carrying a vigil for Bones in my heart hadn’t done me any good. It only caused me pain.

Again, Antonio didn’t react. It was like those words meant nothing to him. “But you aren’t seeing him anymore.”

“How did you know…?”

“Because if you really were with someone else…” He raised his hand and moved it toward me before he pointed at his chest. “Then this wouldn’t be happening. So this man must be gone…either from life or your life.”

“Yes…he is.”

He lowered his hand again. “I appreciate your bluntness. But it doesn’t change anything.”

This man was so confident that he didn’t care what I’d just said. It didn’t seem like he was concerned about anything I could say. He wanted me, and he wasn’t going to stop until he had me. “I’m just not ready. It wouldn’t be fair to date someone when I still feel this way. When I put myself out there again, I want to be ready to love someone. I’m definitely not there, and that’s not fair to you, to anyone.”

He gave a slight nod. “I understand your reasoning. The timing isn’t right. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t be interested in getting involved with someone under those circumstances. But I want to get to know you anyway. All I’m asking for is your friendship. That’s something you should be able to give me right now.”

“I…”

“Vanessa.” His voice sounded a little more powerful when he spoke my name, the word reverberating off the walls of my gallery. It went straight into my ear, making me melt into a puddle on the floor. “Have coffee with me.” This time, it didn’t sound like a request but a command.

“I just…” I couldn’t keep denying him forever. He would find his way into my heart eventually. At least I could do this on my terms. “Alright. But I want something from you, a promise.”

His shoulders tightened slightly when I said yes. “Anything.”

“Don’t kiss me.” I didn’t want him to walk me to my door and surprise me with an embrace. I didn’t want him to slide his hand into my hair and caress me with his mouth. I didn’t want him to rush the relationship, not when I wasn’t ready for it.

His eyes didn’t flash with disappointment or annoyance. “How about this. Anytime I want to kiss you, I’ll tell you. If you don’t want me to, say nothing. And when you are ready, just say yes.”

That still gave me the power to stop anything physical from happening, and I also didn’t actually have to say a word to enforce it. Antonio seemed like a man who would keep his word, and if he didn’t, he knew I would never trust him. So it seemed like this was going to work. “Okay.”

That handsome smile stretched across his lips, making his brown eyes shine a little brighter. He looked at me with possession, like he’d finally gotten what he wanted. “I’ll pick you up after work.”

It was a quiet evening in the coffee shop. Most of the tables were empty, and the sound of the gentle music overhead was low. The glass counter was stuffed with different pastries, and the workers used the large espresso machine to make steaming cups of coffee.

I sat at the table with my foamy cappuccino in front of me, froth on top along with sprinkled chocolate. It was a short cup on top of a saucer with a small handle.

Antonio got a black coffee—keeping it simple.

I hadn’t taken a drink yet because the drink was too hot.

Antonio watched me from across the table, wearing a white linen collared shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. The stark color was perfect on him, contrasting against his dark skin and hair. His eyes matched my coffee, warm and smooth.

I tilted my face down and took a drink, letting the froth move over my tongue and down my throat.

Antonio kept his fingers around his mug but didn’t take a drink. He seemed far more fascinated with me than anything else in that café.

I thought we’d come here to talk, but all we seemed to do was stare. It was the strangest first date I’d ever been on. When I met guys on the town, we usually flirted back and forth, made small talk, and if there was a spark there, I saw them again. But in this instance, talking was unnecessary. We seemed to like each other without really knowing one another. “How long have you had your gallery?”

“Ten years,” he answered. “I also have one in Milan and Positano, along with a few outside the country. But I’ve settled in Florence for the foreseeable future. It’s a great city. I can get the chaos of the city and then drive a few miles and be in the countryside.”

“You live in town?”

“Yes. I live a few blocks from the shop in an apartment. If I lived above my shop like you do, I would never stop working.” He gave me a smile before he took a drink of his coffee.

That was all I ever did with my time—work. “My world seems to revolve around it.”

“That’s how you know you’re an artist, when it’s all you ever want to do.”

I took another drink of my cappuccino, letting the froth stick to my lips. I licked it away with my tongue.

Antonio watched me, his eyes glued to my mouth. His gaze narrowed slightly, his focus pinpointed on that spot of my anatomy. He forced his gaze back to my eyes again, but there were remnants of his attraction. “I didn’t recognize your last name right away. But are you associated with Barsetti Vineyards?”

“Yes. My parents and uncle run a few in Tuscany.”

He nodded. “Great wine. I’ve got at least two bottles at home.”

“Thanks. When I first got started, I would hang my paintings at the winery. Customers would buy them when they were wine tasting.”

His eyes brightened in approval. “Smart idea. Most people who wine taste are tourists, so they usually want a souvenir to take home. What an excellent marketing strategy. That seems to be the biggest hardship for artists, finding a place to show their work. Selling your stuff on a street corner doesn’t exactly project quality artwork.”

“Exactly.”

“And then you opened this shop a few months ago?”

“Yeah…” I had nothing to do with it. Bones made the leap for me. He believed in me so much that he laid the foundation for my future for me. He got me a great gallery, a great apartment, and a car. He established the rest of my life, giving me the independence I’d always wanted.

Antonio seemed to catch my look of sadness because it mirrored my own. “Where were you before this?”

I decided to skip my time in the countryside with Bones. It didn’t seem like a story I could appropriately slip into the conversation. “I was actually going to university in Milan. I was studying fine art.”

“Did you graduate?”

“No…I dropped out.”

He grinned, like that impressed him. “You made the right decision. There was nothing more you needed to learn.”

It was a quite a compliment coming from someone like him, a man who’d made a living as an artist for over a decade. When I looked into his work, I saw his expert craftsmanship. He was brilliant with the paintbrush, constructing beauty from just his mind.

“There are techniques we all need to learn, but art isn’t something that can be taught. It’s something that you’re born with, something that you feel. Paying someone to teach their opinion on the matter isn’t the best way to spend your time. You should spend your time painting—only painting.”

“Yeah. I think I made the right decision.”

“Yes. You did.”

“What about you?” I asked. “How did it happen for you?” Now that the conversation was going, I didn’t feel so uncomfortable being this close to him. It seemed to feel natural. A relationship based on more than deep attraction and connection began to form.

“I’d always known I wanted to be a painter from a young age. I was a teenager when I got serious about it. By the time I was an adult, I’d sold a few paintings. Things fell into place then, and I never looked back. I started my own gallery when I was twenty, took out a loan from the bank, and once I found success, I kept going. It’s been a great ten years.”

“Wow…that’s amazing. Your family must be proud.”

“My mother always was. My father was angry about it for a long time. He’s a businessman, operating a few restaurants. He wanted me to get into business or finance, something steady. He never thought I wasn’t good enough to be an artist, but he didn’t think it was appropriate to pursue. But once I opened my third shop and proved my success, he finally came around.”

My parents would never act that way. Whatever I wanted to do, they would always be supportive. When Conway wanted to be a lingerie designer, they were supportive of that too. There was nothing we could do or say to make them disapprove of us. Then I remembered the one thing they could never accept…the one person they could never approve. It was the only instance when my parents didn’t give me what I wanted. It was too difficult for them to look past. “You proved him wrong a million times over…”

He nodded, still smiling. “Yeah, I did. And it felt good.” His collared shirt fit across his chest nicely, stretching over the muscles of his upper body. He was lean, but it was clear he was strong. I’d seen his sculpted arms before, and it seemed like everything else under his linen shirt was the same. “Can I ask you about the painting you bought from me?”

I had it hanging in my living room, a perfect picture of Tuscany. I could talk about artwork forever, so the question didn’t bother me. “Of course.”

“What made you love it so much? Don’t worry, my ego isn’t fishing for compliments. But, you know, one or two wouldn’t hurt.”

He made me smile against my will. Even a small chuckle escaped my chest. “I really loved the colors. It was painted in the morning, right?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“I grew up in Tuscany, spending my time at the winery with my parents and looking out my bedroom window to the vineyards beyond. Whether it’s sunrise or sunset, the place is so beautiful. It’s so simple. When I looked at your painting, my childhood flashed before my eyes. I’d painted a similar image many times, but your work spoke to my heart. I had to hang it in my living room. I had to see it every single day.”

His smile faded away, a softness in his eyes. “That’s quite a compliment.”

“You’re quite an artist.”

“Never realized how much until right now. It’s one thing to create something that someone loves, but it’s another to capture something that someone has experienced a hundred times…but it somehow makes them feel something new. That’s the purpose of art, to make people feel something when they look at it. That’s what I love about my work, and hearing you say all those things…makes me very happy.”

When he was touched, he had this warm look in his eyes. He was so talented but so humble at the same time. He seemed to care about the success of his artwork, not of himself personally. He was deeply artistic, poetic, and sensitive. Well-spoken and well-read, he was a special kind of man. I’d never met anyone like him before. “May I ask why you liked mine?”

His expression became focused once more. “Yes. I was hoping you would. I loved all the details in it, from the scrapes against the limestone wall, to the flower boxes full of geraniums, to the old, beat-up blue bicycle parked in the alleyway, to the slightly slanted window that we’re sitting in front of now. It was a better image than any camera could capture. The vibrant red color of the flowers in contrast to the ancient brown stone. It illustrated a small moment in Florence, a moment I’d experienced so many times. Unlike a photograph, it was so much more evocative…so much more emotional. When you’re painting something, you’re capturing a feeling, an emotion, and you did a beautiful job of accomplishing that.”

Hearing such heartfelt praise over something I cared so much about meant the world to me. When Bones loved my artwork, it pulled at my heartstrings. It made me fall for him, because even though he knew nothing about art, he felt something. Now I was listening to a professional praise my work, and his words weren’t empty because he’d bought my painting before he even knew anything about me. Everything he said was sincere. “Thank you…that means a lot coming from you.”

“Why?” He cocked his head slightly to the side.

“Because you’re an amazing artist.”

He chuckled quietly. “As flattered as I am, I have to correct you. I think your talent far exceeds mine. The only difference between us is I’ve been in the game much longer. When I buy artwork, I’m very picky. There’s only so much wall space, and you have to choose carefully. I never want to throw a painting away. I have collections ranging from Monet to Picasso. When I saw yours, I didn’t think twice about it. I knew I had to have it. So before you assume I’m the better artist, just keep that in mind.”

Getting coffee with Antonio was much better than I expected. The conversation unfolded naturally, and by the end, it seemed like I was getting coffee with an old friend. He was interesting, polite, and easy on the eyes. He never made it seem like a date. When we’d first walked into the coffee shop, he didn’t even try to pay for my drink.

It was nice.

I enjoyed his company because we had so much in common, and it was nice to talk to someone who had no tie to my past. With Antonio, I didn’t have to see him pity me like the rest of my family did. It felt like a fresh start, turning over a new leaf. He was the first friend I’d made in Florence, and I hoped he would stay my friend.

We left the coffee shop and walked back to my apartment, his arm almost touching my shoulder on the sidewalk. The streetlamps were on, and there were very few people passing through town. I was only a few blocks away, and even though I told him I could make it back on my own, he insisted on escorting me.

“Thanks for having coffee with me,” he said. “I enjoyed getting to know you better, Vanessa.”

I loved it when he said my name. He had such a sexy voice, and he made the single word sound so deep. “Yeah…I did too.”

He stopped in front of my gallery, next to the stairs that led to the second story where my apartment was located. He didn’t try to walk me right to the door, which was a relief. We stood on the sidewalk, in the glow of the light from the streetlamp. There weren’t any pedestrians near us, so it seemed like we were completely alone.

I faced him, purposely keeping several feet between us. “Well…goodnight.”

He kept his hands in his pockets. “Goodnight.” He stayed rooted to the spot, looking at me with chocolate-colored eyes.

I’d already said goodnight, but I was still standing there.

He smiled slightly.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he said, still wearing that charming grin. “I knew we would have a good time if you just gave me a chance.”

“Well, it’s nice to make a new friend.” I purposely dropped that word in there, rejecting him subtly. I didn’t mean to offend him, but I didn’t want him to think anything had changed between us. I enjoyed his company and he enjoyed mine, and if this had been a real date, I’d be inviting him to my apartment right now. But my heart was still in the same place as it was before…in the palm of a different man.

Like always, Antonio wasn’t offended by the way I turned him down. “Absolutely.” He took a step closer to me, closing the gap in between us until we were dangerously close.

I stopped breathing for a second, my heart pounding at the proximity.

His eyes shifted down to look at me since he was so much taller than me. He had a kind face, but he also had a sexy smolder without trying. He stood perfectly straight like a confident man, understanding the exact effect he had on me.

He said he wouldn’t kiss me unless I asked, so I knew there was nothing to be afraid of. I could tell he was a man who kept his word, and it didn’t seem like something he would do so soon anyway.

“I think a handshake would be strange. So, how about a hug?” He kept his hands in his pockets, not touching me with his fingers but touching me with his proximity. His soft eyes looked into mine, commanding my full attention. His piercing gaze burned me from the inside out, made me feel alive.

I stared at him.

He waited for a yes, and if he didn’t get it, he wouldn’t touch me.

I didn’t see anything wrong with a hug. Friends shared more affection than that on a daily basis. “Sure.”

The corner of his mouth rose in a smile before he moved in. His arms circled my waist, his large palms gliding across my back. He pulled me into him, making my tits hit his strong chest. Instead of moving his face into my neck, he rested his forehead right against mine.

My arms circled around his neck, and I froze as I sucked in a deep breath. I hadn’t expected the intimate closeness, the feel of his breath on my face. I expected a quick hug, something that wouldn’t last longer than five seconds.

But it seemed to go on forever.

He held me outside my apartment, his large hands taking up most of my back. His cologne was heavy, along with a hint of paint. With his fingertip touched the bare skin between my shoulder blades, I couldn’t contain the air in my lungs. I took a deep breath, moved by the touch.

He kept his forehead against mine, his eyes closed. He never moved in to kiss me, keeping his distance like he promised.

All I had to do was move out of the way, and he would let me go. But I stayed there. I stayed absolutely still, like any movement would bring him closer or push him farther away. My hands moved down his arms, feeling the solid muscle I’d stared at in the past. I rested my palms on the crook of his elbows, feeling the prominent veins underneath his skin.

A quiet moan escaped his throat, just as his chest rose and fell with a deep breath. “Fuck…”

I imagined him saying that very word in bed, when he was hot and sweaty on top of me, enjoying me. I loved being touched by someone, getting affection I hadn’t had in so long. The last few days with Bones were full of tears and heartbreak, not real connection. The sex wasn’t what it used to be, not when all we could think about was saying goodbye. I didn’t realize how much I wanted it until now, from a man that wasn’t Bones.

“I could do this forever.”

I could do this forever too, and that’s what scared me. I liked everything about Antonio, from his personality to his confidence. I liked the way he carried himself, the way he created art. I liked the connection we had, as if we’d known each other before we even met. But those feelings alarmed me, made me feel so much guilt that I despised myself. It’s been months since Bones left and he’d been with other women by now, but that didn’t change the way I felt. I stepped back, putting an end to the tenderness before I could enjoy it a second longer. “I should get going…” I turned my back on him before he even had the opportunity to say anything.

His footsteps sounded as he followed me to the stairs. “Vanessa.”

I stepped on the first stair and gripped the rail.

He spoke again, a little more authoritatively. “Vanessa.” He didn’t reach out and grab me, but his voice was enough.

I turned around, eye level with him.

“How long has it been?” He moved his hands into his pockets again, telling me he wouldn’t try to touch me.

I knew he was asking about the man I loved. “Two months.”

“That’s a long time.”

“Not long enough,” I whispered. “I’m sorry. I told you I wasn’t ready—”

He held up his hand to silence me. “You don’t owe me an apology or an explanation. I’m only asking.”

I gripped the rails on either side of me.

He returned his hand to his pocket. “Can I ask what happened?”

“I…I don’t know.”

He nodded to the steps. “Sit with me.”

After a moment of hesitation, I sat on the bottom step with him. There were a few inches between us, so we weren’t touching.

He rested his arms on his knees, his hands coming together. “Did he pass away?”

“No. I’ll give you the short version of the long version…”

“The long version is fine with me.” He stared straight ahead, looking at the street.

“My family has a long history with his family. His father did some terrible things to my mother and aunt. That was before I was even born. Then I met Griffin… the son of the man who did all those terrible things. I didn’t expect to fall in love with him. I did my best not to. I even hated him like everyone else at one point…but I couldn’t help it. I fell in love with him. We were really happy together. I didn’t want to keep it a secret forever, so we tried to get my family to accept him. But that didn’t work. My father tried to get to know him and let go of the past, but eventually, he just couldn’t do it. He told me he didn’t want me to see Griffin anymore. I know I’m a grown woman who doesn’t have to listen to my parents, but my family is so close that I need a husband who can be part of my family. I want a husband whom my father will love like a son. That wasn’t him…so we went our separate ways. That was almost two months ago…”

He massaged his knuckles, listening to every word I’d said. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“You are?” I whispered.

He nodded. “He’s your first love?”

“And my only love.”

“Then, yes, I’m sorry to hear that. It’s rough losing someone you love.”

“It is.”

“So, you feel guilty for having feelings for me…because you feel like you’re betraying him.”

“I never said I have feelings for you.”

A long stretch of silence passed. “You’ve never needed to. I can feel it, Vanessa. I can feel this connection between us. The second I realized we fell in love with each other’s paintings, I knew there was something special here. It’s not just physical or romantic…but something else. I’m not the kind of guy that goes after women who are heartbroken over someone else. I’m not that patient. But with you…I realized I could be as patient as necessary.”

“You hardly know me.”

“I know,” he said. “And I have the rest of time to get to know you…which I’m looking forward to.”

“It’s hard for me to imagine myself being with anyone else. I thought I would marry Griffin. I still miss Griffin.”

“It takes time. And I don’t mind waiting for as long as that takes…as your friend. When I held you, I felt this explosion inside my chest. Sex has never felt that good. Love has never felt that good. But whatever that was…it felt right.”

I felt it too, but I refused to admit it out loud.

“I will gladly settle for being your friend until you’re ready to be something more.”

“I don’t know how long that will be, Antonio. You shouldn’t waste your time on me. There could be someone much better out there.”

“I doubt it,” he whispered. “There are a lot of beautiful women in the world. All special in their own way, they’re smart, interesting, fun…everything. But I’ve never felt this way for any of them. I was never looking for something serious. I was never looking to settle down. And then one interaction with you changed all of that. You know exactly what I’m talking about…I can feel it. But you aren’t ready to acknowledge it or embrace it. That’s fine. I would rather wait until you are…because when you’re ready, I want all of you. I don’t want just a piece of you.”

I stared forward, unsure what to say to that deep confession. Antonio was mature, poetic, and unbelievably romantic. If only this had happened some other time, I might have said I found the person I wanted to spend my life with. I would have been swept off my feet, and we would be making love all night long right upstairs. If I’d met Antonio first, Bones might never have had a chance.

But I did meet Bones first. And he was the man I loved. “We’ll see what happens. But for right now, at this moment in time, we’re friends. Just friends.”

A week passed, and I didn’t see Antonio. He seemed to give me the space I needed, the space I never asked for. Our galleries were so close together, but we never crossed paths. I was sure he made that intentional, knowing I couldn’t be with him all the time. If we really were just friends, then there was no reason to see each other on a daily basis.

That embrace we shared in front of my apartment gave me a rush of feelings. It felt good. I would go as far as to say it felt right. But at the same time, my heart rejected the affection because it was too soon. I hadn’t healed yet. I still needed more time.

I was in the gallery when my family surprised me. Conway and Sapphire stopped by, along with Carmen.

“Wow, it looks so nice in here,” Sapphire said. “You’ve got paintings on every wall, and they’re all new.”

“I make a few paintings every week to keep the walls stocked,” I said. “I’ve actually been selling paintings pretty consistently. I started an email list, so old clients come back and buy new paintings. I just ship them out.”

“That’s awesome,” Conway said. “It sounds like your gallery is a success.”

“Yeah, it is.” Thanks to one special person who made all of this possible. My father could have done the same for me, but I never would have accepted it. He’d done so much for me already. “How was the honeymoon?”

“Beautiful,” Sapphire said with excitement. “I loved it there. We were right by the harbor with all the ships…and the food…I could go on and on about the food.”

“Pregnancy will do that to you,” Carmen said. “I can’t wait to be pregnant.”

“You hardly eat as it is,” I countered.

“But when you’re pregnant, you can get away with it,” Carmen said. “And people think it’s cute.”

“I think my wife is cute no matter what she does,” Conway said, his eyes on Sapphire.

Carmen and I both made a disgusted face.

Sapphire beamed brighter than before.

“Anyway,” I said. “Did you guys just stop by? Or did you want to get lunch?”

“Yes,” Carmen said. “You have an hour to spare?”

“Of course,” I said. “The shop can close for an hour.”

We left the gallery and walked up the road.

“Maybe you should hire someone,” Conway suggested. “Someone who can run the gallery while you aren’t there. You could spend that time painting.”

“Maybe,” I said. “I’ve only been in business for a few months, so I wanted it just to be me for a while. But pretty soon, I may need the help. So, where did you want to go?”

“How about that bakery over here?” Carmen said. “They’ve got good sandwiches.”

There was a slight hint of anxiety in my chest since that was Antonio’s favorite place. I didn’t want to run into him, not when my family was in tow.

“Let’s go,” Sapphire said. “I could go for a turkey sandwich and a decaf.”

“Whatever my muse wants,” Conway said, not really caring.

Looked like I was outnumbered even if I wanted to make a protest. “Sounds good to me.” We walked inside and ordered, and of course, my billionaire brother had to be the big shot and pay the bill.

We sat at a table near the window with our coffees and lunch and talked about the wedding and the honeymoon. My brother seemed happy with Sapphire, even happier than he was before. He was different before she came along, a lot quieter and brooding. All he cared about was money, success, and booze. But once the jewel of his life came along, his priorities changed. He showed a more vulnerable side that I liked to see. Even if I hadn’t liked Sapphire personally, I would love her because she made my brother better. But fortunately, she was an awesome sister to have.

“What’s new with you?” Sapphire asked me. “Besides the gallery.”

All three of them looked at me, wanting me to talk about Antonio. They all knew about him because my father couldn’t keep his damn mouth shut. “Nothing, really. I sold a few paintings this week. It’s been a pretty hot summer, so I’ve been eating a lot of gelato.”

They all wore a look of annoyance, wanting me to discuss the elephant in the room.

But I refused to mention Antonio, not when he was just a friend and nothing more. I drank my coffee and kept my eyes on my food.

Conway stared at me but didn’t press me on it.

Carmen practically exploded because she’d been holding her breath for so long. “What about Antonio? Have you seen him since?”

I rolled my eyes. “Shut up, Carmen.”

“Oh, come on,” she said. “We’re all thinking about him, so you might as well spill it.”

“There’s nothing to say,” I said. “He’s just my friend.”

“Her apparently hot friend,” Carmen said to Sapphire. “If he didn’t already have a thing for her, I’d be swooping in…”

“Then swoop in,” I said. “You can have him.”

Carmen laughed sarcastically. “That would drive you crazy, and you know it. You like the guy.”

“I don’t want to talk about this, alright?” I said. “He’s just a—” I almost dropped my coffee when Antonio walked inside, dressed in jeans that hung low on his hips and a t-shirt that made his arms look incredible. His chiseled jaw was as sexy as ever, and I remembered exactly how those big arms felt wrapped around me. I remembered the heat between us when he held me close. I remembered losing my breath because the chemistry was so scorching. My body naturally hummed to life when I looked at him because I found him deeply attractive, his mind and his body.

When I stopped talking, Carmen’s eyes drifted to him. “Look who it is…”

Shit. I hoped he wouldn’t see me, but the place was so small, it was only a matter of time before he spotted me.

Carmen raised her hand. “Antonio!”

You’ve got to be kidding me. “Carmen!”

“What?” she asked innocently. “Can’t say hi to your friend?”

Why was this happening to me?

Antonio stopped when he heard his name, and once his eyes took me in, he changed his direction and came my way, grinning in his typically charming way.

Conway immediately watched him, examining him like a protective older brother. He’d never liked Bones, could barely say two words to him. He wouldn’t like anyone, because in his eyes, no one was ever good enough for me.

Antonio was about to walk into a trap.

Confident as ever, he approached me and three strangers. He greeted me before he spoke to anyone else. “Vanessa, how are you?”

“I’m good…” I could have come up with something better than that, but words failed me when I needed them the most.

He patiently waited for me to introduce him to everyone, and when that didn’t happen, he did it himself. “Allow me to introduce myself. Antonio.” He extended his hand to Carmen first. “Family? You have the same features.”

“Carmen,” she said. “And yes, we’re cousins.”

He turned to Sapphire next. “Nice to meet you.”

“Sapphire,” she said. “This is my husband, Conway.” She smiled when she said the word husband, grinning from ear to ear.

Antonio extended his hand.

I expected Conway not to take it, to grill him with a million questions. But instead, my brother stood up and shook his hand.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

“Nice to meet you.” Conway gave him a firm grip and looked him in the eye. “How about you join us for lunch?”

My mouth dropped open. “Seriously?”

Antonio and Conway both turned to me at the same time. Conway glared at me, and Antonio seemed genuinely bewildered.

“You’re just going to invite him to eat with us when you know nothing about him?” I asked in shock. “You don’t know anything about this guy. He could be a rapist or something.”

Antonio lowered his hand, and instead of being offended, he smiled. “Uh…I’m not a rapist. Just so everyone knows…”

Conway continued to glare at me. “Knock it off, Vanessa. I’d like to meet your friend.”

“You’ve never cared about any of my other friends before,” I snapped. “You never made an effort—”

“Vanessa, be quiet.” Conway threatened me with his hostile gaze. “You’re overreacting.”

The only reason why my brother was being so polite was because he wanted me to forget about Bones. But if Antonio were just some random guy, Conway would have growled at him like a watchdog. He wanted Bones to be a distant memory so much that he didn’t care who showed an interest in me.

Antonio picked up on the tension. “I’m going to grab a coffee. I’ll be right back.” He headed to the counter so we could talk in private.

Conway sat down again, his wedding ring standing out because he’d never worn jewelry before he got married. He kept his voice low so no one would overhear us. “If you don’t want to die alone, I suggest you knock it off. Antonio seems like a nice guy, and I’d like to get to know him.”

“Because Father liked his ten-second interaction with him?” I asked incredulously.

“No,” Conway said with seriousness. “Because this guy doesn’t kill anyone. That’s why I like him. Griffin set the bar pretty damn low.”

I took a deep breath, insulted by the remark. “And you’re so much better? I’m sure Sapphire loved being a prisoner for—”

“Don’t go there.” He looked like he wanted to flip the table over. “I’ve been patient with you because you’re going through a hard time. I love you, so I’ve been pretty damn understanding. I hate seeing you in pain. I hate the rubble Griffin left behind. But my patience is worn out, Vanessa. I’m sick of your dramatic bullshit, and I’m not putting up with it anymore. The whole reason we’re here is to check on you. Don’t forget that Father is the one who made the decision, not me. I could be doing anything else right now, but I’m here with you—as are all of us. So instead of pushing us away and making an idiot out of yourself in front of this guy, chill the fuck out.”

Just when he finished his sentence, Antonio came to our table with a mug in his hand. “So, is that invitation still on the table?” He stood next to the chair, not crossing the line I’d drawn on the floor.

Conway stared at me, still pissed.

Antonio looked at me, his warm eyes full of patience.

I didn’t want to be angry with my brother, not when he’d always been there for me. And I didn’t want to make Antonio feel unwelcome, not when he’d always been so kind to me. It wasn’t his fault that I actually liked him. “Yes.” I finally looked him in the eye. “Please join us.”

He smiled slightly before his eyes lit up with approval. “I’d love to.” He sat down and set his cup on the table, keeping his posture perfectly straight and his shoulders squared. Steam wafted from his coffee toward the ceiling. He looked at me for a moment longer, quickly reading the expression on my face before he turned to my family. “I bought one of Vanessa’s paintings. It’s hanging in my apartment right now, in the living room. She’s very talented. I’m sure you guys already know that…but she is.”

Carmen grinned from ear to ear as she listened to him talk, affected by his sexy voice just the way I was. “She is. We’re all so impressed by her. No one else inherited this talent.”

Conway cleared his throat.

“You aren’t a painter,” Carmen said.

“You design lingerie, right?” Antonio asked. “I love painting, but I think you might have the best job in the world.” He wore a playful grin, indicating he was joking.

Conway obviously liked the compliment. “There are worse ways to make a living. And it’s how I met my wife.” He moved his arm around her shoulders.

“That’s awesome,” Antonio said. “And you’ve got a little one on the way?”

“Yes.” Sapphire moved her hand to her stomach. “They’ll be here in a few months.”

“Congratulations.” Antonio turned back to me. “You’re about to be an aunt. Very exciting.”

“Are you an uncle yet?” Conway asked. It was shocking my brother was asking him anything considering he hated seeing me with a man at any time. He usually intervened in my dates, didn’t aid in them. But now he was talking to Antonio like a friend, making him feel welcome instead of barking at him like a guard dog.

“Yes.” Antonio drank from his mug. “I have two nieces.”

“Aw, that’s nice…” I was learning this information for the first time. It was strange that I didn’t know Antonio at all but I enjoyed his company so deeply. I was comfortable around him even though there was no foundation to our friendship. We just clicked. “How old are they?”

He turned back to me, clearly excited by my interest. “Seven and four. They’re beautiful little girls—like my sister. But don’t tell her I said that. She’s got a huge ego.”

I chuckled. “Your secret is safe with me.” It reminded me of something Conway would say in confidence, before my parents stabbed him in the back and told me what he said.

“Does everyone live in Florence?” Antonio asked.

“No.” Conway rubbed the back of Sapphire’s neck. “My wife and I live in Verona. But we actually have some exciting news…” He turned his gaze to me.

I already knew what he was going to say before he said. “You’re serious? You guys are moving back to Tuscany?”

Sapphire couldn’t keep the words in her throat. “Yes! We’re looking for a house right now.”

“What?” Carmen almost knocked over her coffee mug when she threw her arms down. “That’s so awesome! Do your mom and dad know?”

“Yes,” Conway answered. “We told them last week.”

“You have no idea how happy you just made them.” My parents were hurt that I was heartbroken, but they were also happy I was right down the road. Both of my parents stopped by to see me whenever they felt like it, and they were overjoyed to have my close by. Now their son was back in town, just when he was starting his family.

“I think we do,” Conway said confidently. “So, it looks like the two of us will be seeing a lot more of each other.”

“Good.” My brother could be a jackass sometimes, but it didn’t change the love I had for him. “I miss seeing both of you. Now Sapphire and I can hang out all the time, bringing the baby along.”

“We can have those family dinners every week,” Carmen said. “It feels like our family just got a little bigger.”

I felt Antonio stare at me, so I shifted my gaze to him. He wore a gentle smile, his eyes lit up with affection. His thoughts were clearly written on his face, his adoration for me obvious in the glow of his coffee eyes.

“What?” I asked.

He grinned before he looked down at his coffee again. “You’re cute, that’s all.” He said the words out loud, not caring that my brother and cousin heard it. His confidence always dictated his behavior, made him indifferent to the opinion of others. He didn’t care what anyone thought of him, and that made him even sexier. “I like a woman who’s close with her family. I’m exactly the same way.”

Antonio returned to work, and the four of us walked back to my gallery to say goodbye. Carmen had to return to her shop, and Conway and Sapphire were having dinner with my parents.

“Thanks for coming down to see me,” I said, appreciating the fact that I was never alone, even in my darkest hour. My brother was always there for me, even when I didn’t deserve it. I looked up to him in ways he would never understand.

“Of course.” Conway gave me a one-armed hug. “It’s nice to see that you’re doing better.”

“I am?” I asked in surprise.

“Definitely.” Sapphire hugged me next. “It’s the first time I’ve seen you smile in over two months.”

I smiled? “Yeah…I guess so.”

Conway kept his arm around Sapphire’s waist as he looked at me on the sidewalk. “I like Antonio.”

I didn’t narrow my eyes even though I wanted to. “Con, you hardly know him.”

“But I liked what I saw,” he said. “He included himself in our conversation instead of being intimidated. He connected with all of us. He made jokes, never took himself too seriously, and he was always himself. Plus, I can tell he’s hung up on you.”

I tried to stop the blush from entering my cheeks, but it was no use.

“So infatuated with you,” Sapphire said. “It’s obvious.”

They had no idea just how intimate Antonio and I had already been, that he was willing to wait until I was ready before something could finally happen between us. The second he set his sights on me, he’d made up his mind.

“Any man who can spend time with your family so casually is good enough,” Conway said. “Father looked into him and saw how successful this guy is. Now I’ve seen how down-to-earth he is. This guy has nothing to hide. He’s clean and kind. That’s all we want, someone who understands you and can make you happy.”

“As much as I appreciate that, you’re still jumping the gun,” I said. “I’m not dating Antonio. We’re just friends. I’m not ready to be in another relationship. I’m not even ready to go on a date.”

“That’s fine,” Conway said. “And it’s obvious this guy likes you enough to be patient with you. But whenever you are ready, he’s got the approval of the whole family, which is something you’ve always wanted in a partner. So…just keep that in mind.”