‘It wouldn’t be so bad if she was only shouting in Italian, but for some reason she keeps switching to English, probably because she’s been talking to me all day,’ she grumbled.
‘I see,’ Ben said as Rose let out a forlorn sigh. ‘You want to come in?’ He took a step back, unsure if she’d agree, even less sure if he wanted her to. He could smell strawberries and wondered if it was her shampoo. ‘It’s just Coco and me. No ghosts or wild parties I’m afraid.’
‘I’m disappointed, seems I might have got you all wrong.’ Rose gave him a half smile as her eyes skimmed the room. He hadn’t turned on a light, but there was enough coming from thebathroom to illuminate the two double beds and bedside table that separated them. There was also a small wardrobe and a dresser covered with cream doilies. ‘Oh,’ Rose said, striding to pick one up and switching on a lamp. ‘My grandmother used to have loads of these.’ She held it up to the light. ‘Mum used to put them around our house until Dad threatened to burn them.’ The look of enchantment on Rose’s face evaporated as she recounted the memory, and Ben got a glimpse of an emotion he couldn’t quite read. He took a step towards her, before he caught himself and stopped, gulping down his need to soothe. He wasn’t looking to bond with this woman.
‘Do you still have the doilies?’ he asked instead, injecting his voice with a teasing tone, trying to lighten the mood.
‘I’ve got a few in my loft,’ she said, looking sad. ‘Mum took them with her when they divorced, but her third husband hated them and tried to throw them away. I managed to rescue a few when she agreed to dump them for him.’ She frowned. ‘She tends to be very pliable when she’s in her honeymoon phase.’
‘Is she still with him?’ Ben asked.
‘No.’ Rose sounded amused. ‘She’s on husband number six. At least she’s about to marry him.’ She looked perturbed.
‘You don’t like him?’ he asked.
Rose sighed. ‘We haven’t met. Mum enjoys a whirlwind romance, so there’s not usually time to meet the daughter before the confetti gets thrown.’ She paused. ‘I’m sure he’s perfectly nice – and probably wrong for her. I expect the marriage won’t last. It’s a pattern I’ve grown used to. But I’ll be there to pick up the pieces until the next man comes along.’ She winced.
How would it feel to be constantly caught up in other people’s relationships? Worse, to be a shoulder to cry on one day, and dismissed the next? And why didn’t Rose just walk away?
‘Aldo, stop tickling me!’ Aurora exclaimed, and Rose widened her eyes and quickly went to shut the door to the bathroom, instantly muffling the shouts.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said.
‘It doesn’t matter.’
Ben decided not to ask for more details. The more he knew about this woman, the more he seemed to like her and he really didn’t want that. Distance was the only way to handle his attraction. Although that was going to be difficult if they were sharing a room…
‘Actually, I’m sorry.’ Rose suddenly shook her head. ‘I know this is an imposition.’ Her eyes shifted to his unmade bed before they shot back to him. ‘I tried to sleep in the bathroom, but…’ She glanced at the bed on the other side of the room which hadn’t been touched, her expression filled with longing.
‘You’re welcome to stay in here with me.’ Ben shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, suddenly realising he wasn’t wearing a shirt. Had Rose noticed? He swallowed before nodding at Coco. ‘At least we’ll have a chaperone.’ His voice was rough.
‘I’m not sure I can rely on the Demon to save me – or you for that matter.’ She winced. ‘Besides, that’s not a problem. I’m not your type and you’re definitely not mine.’
Rose’s eyes skimmed his chest, and Ben could have sworn they lingered, making him wonder if she was telling the truth. He wanted to ask why he wasn’t her type. Why she thought she wasn’t his, but knew that would be a terrible idea. Surely it would be easier to keep his attraction in check now he knew they were on the same page.
He felt a prickling sensation under his skin, and turned abruptly so he could tug out a fresh T-shirt from his bag before pulling it on. At this rate nothing would be clean when theygot to Marco. He winced – what if one of his friend’s relatives offered to share their wardrobe with him?
Rose cleared her throat when he turned back, perhaps realising she’d been staring. Ben wrapped his arms around himself as she began to pace. The air in the room had grown hotter since they’d shut the door, despite the fan spinning above their heads. Why did the atmosphere suddenly feel heavy and why was he finding it so much more difficult to breathe?
This is exactly what he’d spent the last two years trying to avoid. Keep things light, don’t let anyone get the upper hand was his mantra. So, why was his body ignoring all that excellent advice?
Rose pushed her hair from her shoulders as she turned around. It was mussed from when she’d been lying down, but thejust-got-out-of-bedvibe looked surprisingly good on her – and was having the oddest effect on his ability to listen to his misgivings and do the right thing.
‘You can take that bed,’ he said gruffly, pointing to the other double.
‘Thanks.’ Rose sounded breathless. She hopped in and lay on her back, then pulled the covers over herself, tugging them up to her nose, her fingertips gripping the edge of the sheet tightly.
Ben went to switch off the lamp and quickly shrugged off his jeans before climbing into his own. Then he lay staring at the ceiling – how was he supposed to get any sleep now?
After a few moments, he heard a muffled shout.
‘I’m now realising why the Marinos always put Aunt A on the top floor of the villa, far, far away from everyone else,’ he muttered. Rose snorted out a laugh and Ben found himself chuckling too before they both lapsed into an awkward silence.
‘Do you think my suitcases will turn up?’ Rose asked suddenly.
Ben winced. ‘I’m not sure,’ he admitted. ‘I lost my luggage on the way to Italy three and a half years ago and it never arrived. I had to claim everything on insurance.’
He frowned. He’d packed an engagement ring ready for a proposal that he’d been planning for months, and he’d had to claim for that too. Now he wished he’d seen the fact that it went AWOL as an omen and called the whole thing off.
