Page 12 of Sinful Promises
Woah. I stifled a giggle. Now that was an image I’d be happy to retain.
His mother had to of had some kind of divine intuition naming him Roman.
My mother probably had veins full of dope when she’d named me. No divine insight for good ol’ Daisy Chayne. What the hell was she thinking? It was just one of the many questions I planned to ask her when I saw her again.
Jesus, Daisy. Focus! Why was I thinking about that bitch when Mr. Perfect was at my side? Grrr.
After regaining my breath, I directed his attention to the middle of the arena. “So, you know they had gladiator fights, right? Do you know what else the crowds came to see?”
“No. What?” He tilted his head and the setting sun caught in his irises, igniting the honey color in a way that I hadn’t seen before. It was like we were somehow destined to be in this exact position, at this exact moment. I met new people every month, but I’d never met anyone with eyes like his. I wondered if his sisters had eyes like him.
Maybe one day I’d find out.
It’s never going to happen, Daisy. So, stop it. Focus.
I cleared my throat. “In the peak of the Colosseum’s event life, between the first and the fiftieth centuries, a typical day involved simulated animal hunts in the morning, complete with hungry lions and other exotic animals. Then lunchtime would be public beheadings.”
“Nasty.” He scrunched up his nose.
“Yeah, but the crowds loved it. And the afternoons would be gladiator fights to the death.”
“Sounds like fun.”
You’re fun. I grinned up at him.
He blinked at me.
Oh, God. Did I say that out loud?
Unsure whether or not I had, I pointed to the center of the arena, which was now a series of excavated walls. “The floor of the arena used to be made with wood that they covered with sand. After all the blood and gore, they’d simply sweep it away. Oh, and they had these lifts that they raised by hand to sneak hungry animals into the arena. A little added bonus for the spectators. Not so good for the gladiators.”
“Nothing like blood and guts to get the crowd going.” Roman did that cute thing where he scrunched up his nose and all I wanted to do was kiss him. He was beautiful and cruel and mean. And everything I wanted in a man but could never have.
He was killing me, and he didn’t even know it.
Back down on the first level, as we skirted the arena and I pointed out all sorts of trivial stuff, Roman seemed utterly fascinated. But I still couldn’t work out if he was doing that for my benefit or because he was genuinely interested.
And being the fucked-up mess that I was, I couldn’t decide which one would be better anyway.
Even with all that doubt crushing my sanity, I still loved every one of my ninety minutes with him in the Colosseum.
I’d been here thirty-four times—this time was the one I would always remember.
It even eclipsed the first time I’d visited, and that had been spectacular.
As a guard ushered us toward the exit, Roman continued to ask me questions about different aspects of the Colosseum, convincing me that he was genuinely interested.
Deciding to capitalize on that curiosity once we were outside, I started strolling toward Roman Forum. These ruins were within walking distance of the Colosseum and in my opinion, just as spectacular. They were so vast it was impossible to control visitors, so entrance was easy and free.
We ambled along side by side, him pointing out things and me explaining what he was looking at and how it slotted into Rome’s incredible history.
Just when I thought our afternoon couldn’t get any better, Roman drew my attention to a building to our right with festoon lights draped across the front terrace. “Is that a restaurant?”
“Looks like it.”
He grabbed my hand and squeezed. “Come on. Let’s go see if they can fit us in for dinner. I’m starving.”
Fifteen minutes later, I felt incredibly underdressed as a waiter sporting a dinner suit—complete with a waistcoat and bow tie—walked us right through the restaurant which was about a third full, and offered us a front-row table. My breath caught, and my embarrassment over my unsuitable attire evaporated the moment I saw our view overlooking the Roman Forum and the Colosseum.