Reckless Nights in Rome by C. C. MacKenzie

a provincial fool
completely out of her depth and behaving like an unsophisticated
moron.
    “I am surprised
you are not married.”
    The question
brought her head up. Okay he wanted to chat; she could do that, no
problem.
    “I had a narrow
escape.”
    Nico speared a
pepper and drew back to study her face.
    “What
happened?”
    “Things didn’t
work out.”
    “Why?”
    Carefully
Bronte set down her knife and fork. She didn’t want to do this with
this man, not now, not ever. What business was it of his? Anger and
frustration curled in her stomach.
    “He’s moved
on.” Her eyes stayed on his. “These days I feel a certain amount of
ambivalence about marriage. Anyway, what about you? Any
family?”
    She caught his
surprise, the flash of pain and realised she’d touched a nerve.
    His gaze
clouded.
    “I have no
family.” The words were spoken as a challenge. “We are talking
about you.”
    The look in his
eye warned her to step back. He couldn’t have it all his own way.
It simply wasn’t healthy. Someone needed to take a stand against
his incredible will.
    She ploughed
right on.
    “No, you are
talking about me. I’m talking about you. No mother, father,
siblings?”
    He shot her a
look of smouldering impatience mixed with something dark she
couldn’t identify.
    “My mother died
when I was ten. I never knew who my father was.”
    Immediately
contrite, her hand found his. Easy sympathy for him flooded her
heart; she knew exactly how it felt not to know her biological
father.
    “Oh, Nico, I am
so sorry. What happened?”
    He pulled his
hand from hers and picked up his glass, took a sip and stared at
her with eyes that had gone so cold she shivered.
    “I was a child.
It is not something I care to discuss. As I said, we are talking
about you.”
    She held his
stare and their eyes clashed. Okay, have it your way, she thought.
With a bravado she knew she didn’t possess, she shrugged.
    “What would you
like to know?”
    “Did you love
him?”
    Thrown by the
blunt question, Bronte opened her mouth and then found herself
being totally honest.
    “I don’t know.
At the time I must have thought so or I wouldn’t have said yes to
his proposal. He’s incredibly attractive and intelligent with the
fidelity of a tom-cat. He thought my family had money, which made
him a fool and me an even bigger one for believing in him. I
suppose it’s better to find out before we tied the knot rather than
after.”
    She heaved in
an unsteady breath and sampled a sliver of lamb.
    “He cheated on
you?”
    His shocked
tone made her smile and feel marginally better.
    “Apparently,
with the girl who is now his wife. I learned something very
interesting about myself too.”
    His eyes never
left her face. “Which was?”
    “I don’t
forgive betrayal.”
    Nico ran his
tongue over his top teeth, picked up his glass and sat back.
    “What did you
do?” A gleam entered his eye as a hot flush rose to her cheeks.
    Licking her
lips, she stared at her plate.
    “Well, he asked
for his ring back and the way he did it and the things he said, I
...” She took another breath.
    “What did you
do, Bronte?”
    Her eyes met
his – she spoke very fast,
    “I sold my two
carat princess cut diamond set in white gold on eBay for ten
pounds.”
    His shout of
laughter gave her a jolt. As did the soft kiss he pressed to the
back of her hand.
    “Good
girl.”
    She merely
shrugged and nibbled delicately on another piece of lamb.
    “He got his own
back. He has a clever tongue and a sly charm. People think I
started Sweet Sensation because I’m destitute and have no other
skills to fall back on. They also believe I’m single and I don’t
date because he broke my heart and I’ll never get over him.”
    “Hmm, so is
that why you went out on a date last night? To prove that you are
over him?”
    Heat flared
into her cheeks.
    “No. Apparently
Anthony’s sister approached Rosie.”
    He took a sip
of wine, watching her over the rim of his glass.
    “Is