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‘That would not be fair,’ he protested. Considering I probably wasn’t Romeo’s favourite guest, I would’ve thought he’d be relieved. ‘There is no reason for you to miss it because your match is… unable to come. If you are worried about being alone, I suppose I can…’ He paused. ‘I will stay with you.’

I could tell from the pained expression written all over his face that he’d rather have a root canal without anaesthetic than spend time babysitting me.

‘Thanks, but I’m no one’s charity case, so it’s fine. I’ll stay here.’

‘No,’ he growled. ‘You want to come on the trip. My job is to make sure every guest is looked after and that includes you.’

‘Hmmm.’ I narrowed my eyes and studied him. ‘Ah, I get it. If I don’t come, you’ll get in trouble with your boss.’That and because he wanted me to give him and the hotel a glowing review.‘So, I’m basically doing you a favour, right?’

‘Absolutely.’ He flashed a small smile.

‘Personally, I’d rather eat my toenails than walk around with you, but I’ve heard a rumour about where we’re going and it sounds cute. Plus, if I get you in trouble with your boss, that’d be bad karma, which I definitely don’t need.’

‘Exactly.’

‘Because you’re basicallybeggingme, I’ll go,’ I said, resisting the urge to laugh.

Despite my first impression of him, we’d had a few funny interactions since yesterday, so I reckoned he could take a bit of banter.

‘Grazie, Samantha.’ He put his hands together like he was praying. ‘I amsograteful that you are such a selfless angel that you would suffer through visiting one of the most beautiful places in Italy, just for me.’ He smirked. ‘Now, if you do not have any other charitable acts to perform, please could you get back on the coach, so we can leave? We are already running late.’

‘Yes, sir!’ I did a mock salute and he rolled his eyes. I wished I could say he had evil peepers, but of course they were pretty, just like the rest of him.

Ugh.

I wasn’t supposed to notice that he was hot. But yet I had…

My mind should be filled with thoughts of Edward. Especially given how ill he was.

As I returned to my seat, I questioned my decision. If I couldn’t talk to Romeo for a few minutes without thinking about how fit he was, how the hell could I cope with talking to him on a romantic excursion forhours?

Fuck.

14

ROMEO

We had just arrived at Alberobello and although we had not even started the tour, something told me that I had made a big mistake.

It was not a good idea for me to spend so much one-to-one time with a guest. But what was I supposed to do? I could not leave Samantha alone.

I felt bad for her. She was so concerned about Edward, yet he did not care about hurting her. As a guest it was my job to keep Samantha happy. And if that meant spending a few awkward hours with her, that was what I had to do.

If my gut feeling was right, she already had disappointment coming her way. I had to make sure that she at least enjoyed this excursion so her holiday would not be completely ruined.

‘Benvenuti!’ I said as the guests stepped off the coach. ‘This is Alberobello, an ancient town and one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.’

‘Who’s UNESCO?’ one of the guests, Phillipa, asked.

‘UNESCO stands for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. They have a list of World Heritage Sites which are special, natural or cultural places that are important to preserve for future generations.’

‘So, like, pretty old places?’ she asked.

‘More or less. In the United Kingdom, cities like Bath and landmarks like the Tower of London are World Heritage Sites. In Italy we have many places including Rome. We will also visit another special site this week, but today, we are here to see thetrulli, which are limestone huts constructed around the fourteenth century. As you can see, the roofs are shaped like cones.’ I gestured towards the houses in the distance.

‘They’re so pretty,’ Samantha said as she appeared beside me.

Her fruity scent filled the air. It smelt citrusy, but was sweet at the same time. Like lemon sherbet. Or a shot of delicious limoncello.