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She deflated a little under the pointed criticism. “I’ll take it under advisement.” Old world vocabulary aside, she wasn’t comfortable dating, no matter who introduced her. She’d never told anyone her reasons—and didn’t plan to start now. She’d been working on her problems, she just hadn’t solved them yet. “I’ve asked them for more time,” she murmured. Parental pressure wasn’t helping matters.

“What’s the rush?”

She shrugged. “My mother is the only one of her friends without grandchildren. She thinks I’m too focused on my career and wants me to have balance. According to my dad it’s all about retirement. They want to hand the management company over to a?—”

“Good Italian boy?” he finished for her.

“Yes.” Not her. Not by herself at any rate and that stung. Deeply.

“Why didn’t Bachelor Number Two work out?”

She flicked a hand. “That was more of a mutual decision. He was nice enough.” At least on the surface. Appearances could be deceiving, and she’d been fooled before. “There was no chemistry,” she said, seizing on an excuse Harper had supplied when they’d chatted at the time.

“Because?”

“Pardon?”

“Why wasn’t there any chemistry?”

Why was he pushing her? Possibly for the same reason she seemed to be sharing so much. “He’s gay. He assumed that I was too and, like him, had reasons for keeping that private. He thought we could marry each other and keep our secrets along with our true loves. Especially with my career so far away from Italy.

“Now though, I wish I’d done it,” she muttered.

“Married a man who wasn’t interested?” Rhett whistled. “One way to defy your parents. But this whole mess is absurd. Want my dad to talk to them?”

The Ellington siblings were good friends. “Harper suggested the same thing a while ago.” She shook her head. “What’s the point? They see me as their pudgy awkward daughter who works because there’s nothing else to do.”

“You could date anyone,” he declared.

“Please don’t,” she warned. She didn’t want platitudes, not from a man as handsome and accomplished as Rhett.

“You’re lovely, Trina.”

She snorted. He couldn’t be serious. Rhett was the man who’d glowered at her through their entire year of study in France. Although she might’ve started it by turning to others for that first team project. At the time, she was all-in on her own goals and he was so carefree, almost lazy.

Until she’d started winning every challenge.

“Referring to my professional personality, surely.”

“I’m not. You could have your pick of men.”

“Hm.” Where were these compliments coming from? Harper wasn’t here to see him making the effort. He was being too kind and she couldn’t afford to let her mind wander. “I should’ve picked Bachelor Number Two.” She fiddled with her phone. Maybe if she called him now…

“Why would you settle for an illusion, when that’s not what you want?”

He had no idea what she wanted. Correction: he didn’t know what she needed. She’d heard the rumors about his active dating life. All the sexy fun, none of the commitment. Which didn’t bother her, he was welcome to choose whatever made him happy.

“Because then this would be over,” she said. “Over and done.” She swore in her native Italian. “Really, Rhett, these issues aren’t your business.”

She needed to go back to the Inn and do whatever shecould to brace herself for the new arrival. “Thanks for checking on me.” Standing, she dusted the sand from her dress. “Good night.”

“You’re scared.”

It wasn’t a question, though she treated it as one. “What are you talking about?”

“Bachelor Number Three,” he clarified. “You’re scared of him.”

She counted on the moonlight and shadows to conceal her shock. He didn’t know her well enough to reach that conclusion. She felt a moment’s panic that he’d somehow learned her terrible secret. But that was impossible. She didn’t speak of it outside of therapy.