Page 101 of Rivals

“Then I better get used to sitting still for longer periods,” I say into his shirt. His chest vibrates with laughter, and he kisses the top of my head.

“Or at least long enough for me to know the exact shape of your lips when you kiss me, frown, or purse them, or how your eyes brighten when you smile. That’s one of my favorites. I don’t see it often, so that means you need to do it more so I can study it. You know, for research.” I bite my lip and smile, but he can’t see it. The butterflies are in a full swarm as his hand comes to the base of my neck and tugs my hair so he can look down at me. The smile is still sitting there, and he beams back. “Yeah, that one,” he says. I watch his eyes zip around my face, memorizing.

Details are important.

Chapter 60

Lachlan

“Comeon,baby.You’vegot to get up. We need to go,” I say, trying to get Revna to move. She groans and flips over. Her shirt is bunched up around her waist, revealing scarred and smooth skin.

“Why,” she groans.

“We’re going to Florence. I’m surprised you’re not leaping out of the bed right now,” I say.

She smiles softly. “I could just spend the whole day here with you. I think that sounds nice.”

I love that she wants to spend the day in bed together. It sounds like a dream, but we’re living our dream right now. “Then let’s do it when we get back,” I say, pushing her bedhead out of her face.

“Fine. Give me ten,” she hops up and saunters into the bathroom. We packed most of our stuff last night. We decided to share a suitcase because there was no point in packing everything in both again. We’ll be in Florence for only a few days, and then, on our way back, I’ll surprise Revna with our trip to Milan.

I’m more excited about Milan than Florence, even though I look forward to seeing David and the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.

I finish getting my boots on and wait at the door. “Revna!” I call.

“Coming!” she yells back. She has her hair in space buns, ripped-up baggy jeans, and a fitted t-shirt. She shucks our backpack over her shoulder and grabs her hoodie. “Ready.”

***

Revna promptly passed out on my shoulder when we sat down on the plane. She didn’t wake up until we landed and left a nice drool stain on my shirt, but I couldn’t bring myself to wake her up.

The flight to Florence was a little more than an hour, and the short nap seemed to give her the extra fuel she needed as she looked around the city like a kid in a candy store on our way to the hotel. All of the other artists are buzzing. Florence is considered to be the town where the High Renaissance began.

We dropped our stuff off at the hotel and then got back on the bus to our first stop. We start at the Piazza Della Signora, then the Santa Maria Cathedral, known for its massive dome.

***

“What did you think of the cathedral?” I ask Revna as we descend the five small steps to the small plaza around it. She spins on her heel and looks up at the enormous cathedral.

“I like the outside more than the inside if I’m being honest.” She spins around to look at the baptistery that sits in front of the Duomo. “I figured you would like it more because a sculptor did the dome.” I shrug and look around. Crowds wait their turn to get into the Duomo, and I hear faint music playing in the plaza, echoing off the stone walls.

“Let’s go wander,” I say, holding my hand out. She takes it, and we walk down the street, passing a variety of old and new buildings. Some are molded together as if time updated them, but the past couldn’t let go.

Revna pulls to a stop in front of what looks like some kind of playhouse. She looks at me, and I frown. We can’t afford it right now, mainly because she has no idea we are going to Milan.

“I didn’t realize you were interested in live shows. It’s probably all in Italian.”

She throws me a look. “I may be a painter, Lachlan, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have other interests.”

I nod and tug her closer to me. “Ok, fair enough. Come on, I think we should find a park or something. Maybe grab some croissants and stuff?”

“That sounds perfect,” she sighs.

We find a local market and grab some meat and cheese. Revna stands off to the side while I talk to the vendor. He points me in the direction of a park nearby. He slips a bottle of wine in the bag and tells me to enjoy it with my bella. I thanked him, and we headed to the garden. It’s quiet, green, and lush.

Revna inhales a deep breath. “It smells so good,” she says. Roses bloom across the garden with perfectly trimmed hedges to create a pattern. She goes to the grass under a large tree, and I sit beside her. She crosses her legs and watches me unload the bag. “Where did the wine come from?”

“The old man at the market told me to enjoy it with my bella,” I say in a poor Italian accent.