3

Maeve

“Hey, gorgeous.”

I gasped at his voice. Damn, I didn’t think men still had such husky and bedroom voices.

He called me gorgeous.

My face heated up when he flashed a smile at me.

Even the dim light couldn't hide the hint of a dimple on both his cheeks.

Before I could react or say anything, he dragged me with him.

I didn’t know what to say or what to do so I just let him pull me with him.

Instead of continuing in the direction of the exit, he pulled me with him through a secret door.

I knew I should say something. I knew I shouldn’t blindly follow a stranger out of the club but it seemed that my senses took a break when he touched me.

Did I forget to mention that my body was tingling even though he was only holding my hand?

I couldn’t remember the last time someone had such an effect on me.

My gorgeous stranger pulled me through a series of stairs and soon, we were out in the open night and that’s when I realized we were at the rooftop.

“Sorry that I dragged you here, I asked for you and you turned me down.

I opened my mouth to respond.

To tell him the reason I said no to the server but I still couldn’t get a word out.

I didn’t know what to say. I could only stare at his gorgeous face as he smiled down at me.

Damn, why does he have to be so tall?

I couldn’t even deny my attraction to him. It was instant and too heated for me to deny it.

Even after he let go of my hand, I still felt tingling where he had touched me.

“So?”

He asked with a smile that made a million butterflies erupt in my stomach.

My whole body tingled just from seeing him smile and fighting the attraction was harder than I thought.

I didn’t even know the man and I couldn’t look at him without thinking about how those lips would feel on mine.

I never thought I would look at another man lustfully not to talk of wanting to kiss him.

I tried to speak and felt stupid for not being able to get any words out. I bit my bottom lip and gasped when his eyes zeroed in on my lips.

I saw his reaction. It sent a fresh wave of heat through my body and the butterflies in my stomach tripled.

Whatever I was feeling wasn’t one-sided.

“Don’t do that.”

I swallowed. I fought the urge to keep doing it just so he could stop me with his mouth on mine.

“Are you ever going to say anything to me?”

He asked me with a hint of a mischievous smile on his face.

“I am just--- sorry, what do you want from me?”

I felt stupid for asking that question.

“What do I want? Do you want the whole truth?”

I shook my head.

“I should go.”

I didn’t come to Italy to find a new man. I came because I wanted to forget the one who hurt me and prove to myself that I can move on from him and do life on my own.

Even though this gorgeous stranger made me feel things I haven’t felt in a long time, I refuse to acknowledge it.

“Why? Do you have someone waiting for you in your hotel room?”

His question stopped me.

“How would you know if I don’t?”

I asked him and he flashed me a dimpled smile.

“You are alone in the resort’s clubhouse.”

He pointed out the obvious.

“My date could be somewhere in the resort.”

I pointed.

“No, I saw you when you arrived and you were alone.”

I blinked in confusion. He saw me.

“When?”

I questioned.

“It’s not important. What’s important is that I know you are alone. What’s your name?”

Against my better judgment, I told him my name.

“Eve.

“Wow, a pretty name for a gorgeous woman. Nice to meet you, Eve.”

He said and stretched his hand out.

I sighed deeply before I took his hand and I wasn’t surprised by the jolt of heat that rushed through me.

I tried to pull my hand away but he held on tighter and gave me a knowing smile.

“Spend the night with me, Eve.”

I gasped at his directness. I pulled my hand away from him.

Did he see me as a hooker or someone looking to spend a night with a random stranger?

No matter the effect he has on me, I wasn’t about to spend the night with a man I don’t even know.

Not to mention that he has a date.

“I don’t think your woman will appreciate you leaving her on her own just to ask another woman to spend a night with you!”

I felt proud of how my words came out firm and direct.

He looked confused at my words.

“What woman?”

Oh wow. Was he really going to deny the beautiful woman with him earlier?

“The one you were talking to before you left her to come to me!”

I pointed out.

“Oh, that’s my sister and she probably already left with her husband. I didn’t think you noticed me.”

I bit my bottom lip because I realized that I just ratted myself out that I had been watching him

“It doesn’t matter. I am not spending a night with you! I am not a hooker.”

I told her and started to leave again.

“Hey, wait!”

He let out and grabbed my hand.

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

He let out as he spun me to face him.

“What did you mean when you said to spend a night with you?”

I questioned him.

“What I meant was for you and me to spend the rest of the night talking and getting to know each other.”

Oh. I thought…

Never mind what I thought.

“I am sorry but that wasn’t how it sounded to me.”

I smiled.

“My apologies for the misunderstanding.”

I don’t know if it’s the way he said the words or the hint of mischief I sensed from him but I was sure he didn’t feel sorry at all that I misunderstood him.

“Will you give me a chance to redeem myself?”

I should say no to him and just leave but I found myself nodding.

“Good.”

He said with a smile and led me closer to the edge of the rooftop.

“So, tell me, what brings you to Venice?”

I considered telling him the truth but when I opened my mouth to speak, I couldn’t get the words out so I just lied.

Okay, it wasn’t a lie. Just that I didn’t tell him the whole truth.

“I came to have a good time.”

His laugh after I said the words made me feel things that I shouldn’t be feeling.

I tried to push aside the obvious attraction but I couldn’t.

The more I tried, the harder it became.

“Tell me about yourself, Eve.”

He urged me.

“Okay, but first, you have to tell me your name.”

I told him and he smiled.

“I thought you would never ask. My name is Andro.”

I knew his name was short for something but I didn’t ask for his full name.

I will probably never see him again after tonight so it doesn’t really matter if I get his full name.

I didn’t tell him mine either.

“Nice to meet you Andro.”

I told him.

“Nice to meet you too.”

I smiled and from there, the conversation just kind of flowed without us even trying.

I told him about myself, my company, and some about my family.

He listened so well and asked all the right questions that I found myself telling him more.

In all, I didn’t mention anything about my failed relationship and when he asked me if I was single, I just nodded.

I gasped when he reached out and touched my hair.

It was a feathered touch but just having him touch any part of me made my body heat up.

My attraction to him was embarrassingly obvious and there’s no way he didn’t notice.

“When you said you came here to have a good time, what did you mean by that?”

As he spoke, his finger slowly left my hair and traced my face leaving tingles everywhere he touched.

I cleared my throat and tried to speak but couldn’t get any words out and it’s all his fault.

He leaned closer to me and captured my attention with his piercing gaze.

I couldn’t look away.

I knew I should break the spell somehow but I couldn’t.

I just continued staring at him and then…

He walked me backward, pinning me against the roofguard. And then without warning…

Holy fucking shit—

…His lips were against mine.