Page 74 of Our Chaotic Love Affair

I went back inside and headed for my side of the suite. I tripped over one of her heels and couldn’t resist kicking it out of frustration.

I needed a shower. The colder the better.

The woman was infuriating. You could lead a horse to water but it didn’t mean you could make them drink. Cleo had the chance to be with a man that would give her multiple orgasms. She had her dreams of building her own career right at her fingertips.

And she wasn’t going to take it.

There was nothing I could do about it and I sure as hell wasn’t going to beg her.

I didn’t beg for shit and I wouldn’t start now.

CHAPTER 26

CLEO

My head felt clearer this morning than it had in days. The talk on the balcony had worked. It had drawn the boundary I needed, put the night before in a box I could close and label and set aside.

I’d slept with Cash Bancroft. It had been incredible. And it was over. Now I could focus on what I’d come here for. I had done my part and now I could enjoy Rome. I wanted to appreciate the experience and the opportunity to do something just for me.

And if my chest felt a little hollow, that was fine. I’d get over it. I was operating in full-experience mode. I didn’t need to overthink things. We partied. We had sex.

I’m in fucking Rome. Hello. I am not about to let what happened between us ruin what is the trip of a lifetime.

I munched on the granola bar from the minibar. It was probably going to cost Cash fifty bucks, but he could afford it. I waited for him to finish getting ready. If he thought he was going to stall me out of seeing Rome, he had another thing coming. I’d go without him. I was a strong independent woman and I did not need a man to hold my hand.

But it would be nice to have a big strong guy watching my back in a foreign land.

Finally, he strolled back into the room, dressed in khakis and a dress shirt. I was in a flowing skirt with purple and silver threads, comfy shoes, and a loud blouse, and he looked like he was about to go yachting. At least he had the top three buttons of his shirt undone and his sleeves were rolled up his forearms.

“Ready?” I asked.

“Yes. The car is downstairs.”

That was when I realized he’d been hiding in his room waiting for the car. I couldn’t decide if I was offended. I felt offended but whatever. None of this was real.

And I’m in Rome.

We left the suite with my crossbody bag across my chest. I had my sunglasses, phone, and a credit card, but I knew Cash would handle any expenses. That had been the deal.

My face was practically glued to the window as the driver navigated through the city, which was amazing. Any direction I looked, there was something cool to see. Old buildings, fountains, and so many people from all over the world.

And then we were there. The place I’d seen a thousand times in textbooks, documentaries, and even a few movies. But standing here, looking up at the arches and the crumbling stone and the size of it, it was clear the pictures paled in comparison to the actual Colosseum. It was something that had to be seen in person.

“Holy shit,” I whispered.

Cash glanced at me. “That bad?”

“That good.” I turned in a slow circle. “It’s just, it’s still here. You know? Two thousand years and it’s still standing in the middle of a modern city. Like time ignored it. Just let it be.”

“You sound like a tour guide.”

“I’m about to sound like a walking Wikipedia entry, so buckle up, Bancroft.” I grinned at him. “Did you know the Colosseum could hold between fifty and eighty thousand spectators? And they had a retractable awning system to provide shade?”

“I did not know that.”

“Well, now you do. You’re welcome. Save all questions until the end of the tour.”

Cash smiled at that. “I’ll try to restrain myself.”