I can’t help but laugh. I start doing the same as him, wandering down the narrow aisles, letting my fingers skim along spines until something holds my attention. “I need to put Istanbul on my list next time I’m in Europe,” I say.
I feel his heat at my back before I even hear his voice, deep and close to my ear.
“I can show you Istanbul anytime,” he murmurs. “I have a house in Bebek.”
A shiver rushes through me, and I pull a book from the shelf, pretending to be far more interested in it than I actually am.
Alexander chuckles, clearly catching on, and moves ahead, leaving me to roam the shelves on my own. The entire time, my pulse keeps beating frantically at every innocent touch and whispered word.
I take my first bite of the chicken bánh mì, a small sound slipping from my throat before I can stop it.
“So...” Alexander says, his voice rough. “That good?”
I nod, and then notice he hasn’t touched his pork belly one. “Try yours.”
He takes a generous bite and nods in approval. “It really is.” Then he looks at me and lifts it slightly. “Want to try?”
I lean in and take a bite of his sandwich, meeting his eyes as I swallow. “Yours is even better. That’s what I’m ordering next time.”
“You’ve got a little sauce right here,” Alexander murmurs.
Before I can reach for a napkin, his thumb brushes the corner of my mouth... Then he brings it to his lips.
What should’ve been an innocent gesture turns into something my body reacts to long before my mind can catch up. He meets my gaze, expression unreadable... except for the glint of amusement in his eyes.
“If you want, we can trade,” he offers.
“No.” I straighten up, taking a breath. “I definitely want to come back here before we leave Edinburgh.”
We ended up spending almost an hour inside Armchair Books, and I walked out with five new additions tucked under my arm. Alexander insisted on paying, and before I could protest, his card was already in the cashier’s hand, who had been smiling at us the entire time before muttering something in a language neither of us understood.
Just a few steps from the bookstore, we spotted an older man walking past with what might have been the most tempting sandwich in the world... and we couldn’t resist.
We grabbed sandwiches and two bottles of water and, not far from the shop, found a bench along the street.
Watching Alexander sit sideways beside me, eating his sandwich without a care about the mess or the lack of a table, shows me how much more there is to learn about him. He didn’t flinch for a second or try to push for a restaurant when I suggested making this our lunch.
I’d never imagined him like this. And that’s exactly what makes it all the better.
“Excited to see Pisa?” Alexander asks as soon as he finishes his sandwich, wiping his hands with a few napkins before tossing them into the bin beside us.
“Very,” I admit, taking another bite right after, mostly to buy myself a few extra seconds.
When I finally swallow, I realize Alexander hasn’t looked away.
“Are you sure it won’t be a problem staying at your family’s villa?” I ask, hesitating. “I can stay somewhere nearby if I need to. I just... I don’t want to impose.”
“Che sciocchezze.”
I know that one. It isn’t the first time he’s used it with me.
Nonsense.
“Nobody’s going to welcome you like my family will,” he adds. “They’re all excited to meet you. Nonna is already planning this huge family lunch.”
He says it as if my being there was a done deal and highly anticipated. And yet... my stomach fills with butterflies.
“What did you tell them?” I ask.
