Page 10 of Italy and Forever

She bit her lip, not sure she could agree with him, especially now she knew the sound of his quiet voice – the slightest hint of a Welsh lilt – when he spoke whole sentences instead of monosyllabic mumbles. She was nervous about just how big a crush she could develop on him.

‘Er, how long have you had that piercing?’

She blinked as he gestured to his lower lip. ‘Oh, this?’ She must have been fiddling with her labret stud again. It was a bad habit.

‘It’s very… recognisable,’ he commented.

She would interpret this attempt at conversation as progress. ‘I got it at uni,’ she answered. ‘I had a rebellious boyfriend. This was easier than getting a tattoo and I got in less trouble with my dad. Now it serves to remind my parents of what could have been, so they don’t come on too strong with the “wanting to see me settled down and happy” talk.’

That answer was obviously more than Rhys had bargained for, but he’d asked.

‘Aren’t you a little young to be settling down?’

Ginny shrugged. ‘You should tell that to my dad. My sister is engaged. She’s twenty-five and I’m three years older. What were you doing when you were my age? Exploring the world, free as a bird?’ She waited, holding her breath, to see if he’d fall for her ruse and let slip some personal information. She was dying to know how old he was, because his enigmatic face gave nothing away.

‘It was a long time ago,’ he muttered. ‘I was living in Bolivia.’ Another person might have gone on to explain who he’d been living in Bolivia with, doing what, but Rhys had no respect for Ginny’s bottomless curiosity. Whatever ‘a long time ago’ meant, he clearly thought he was much older than she was.

‘Well, there you go,’ she said when he didn’t continue. ‘If I told my dad I was moving to Bolivia, he’d have a heart attack and I don’t particularly want two dead parents.’

His eyes narrowed. ‘Your mum has passed?’

She nodded. ‘When I was five. But I’m close to my stepmum.’ She clutched her own hand and squeezed to get herself to be quiet so he’d respond.

‘Did it hurt? The piercing?’

‘Are you thinking of getting one?’ she teased with a jumpy laugh. ‘Not pain, exactly. The anticipation was the worst, then the shock. But I don’t think it actually hurt, you know? This one was worse. It hurt for months.’ She tweaked the stud in her upper ear. ‘I don’t think I’d get either again.’

‘Perhaps it was a good thing you didn’t go for the tattoo, then.’

Her gaze shot to his. ‘Do you⁠—?’

‘I should get back—’ He stood, knocking his shins on the table and spilling his drink.

She shot out her hand to steady the mug. ‘You didn’t drink your coffee!’

He peered at the mug as though seeing it for the first time. ‘I didn’t.’

‘It’ll be cold now.’

He headed for the door, clearly fleeing.

‘Wait, do you want me to book your travel for the wedding? Equipment transport? Anything special you need?’

Shaking his head, he called over his shoulder, ‘I already have everything booked.’

‘Do you want me to arrange a visit to the chapel beforehand?’

‘Okay,’ he mumbled with a longing glance at the door.

Ginny couldn’t help it. ‘Did I say something wrong?’

‘No,’ he insisted quickly. ‘Maybe…’ His tone was pained. She pained him, for some intolerable reason.

She clasped her hands behind her back, holding in all the words crowding her mind while she waited for him to continue.

But all he said was, ‘Maybe you make me nervous too.’

She was still frozen in shock at his words when he smiled at her, an action that transformed him from good-looking to utterly compelling.