Free The Playboy of Rome by Jennifer Faye

father sent him a you are crazy look. Dante wasn’t going to argue with the man—it wouldn’t change things. He never lived up to his father’s expectations—not like his brother, Stefano, always did. Just once, he’d like his father to clap him on the back and tell him he’d done something right—something good.
    Dante sat rigidly on the couch. Not even his father’s jabs were enough to make him leave the room. He assured himself that it was just to keep an eye on what Lizzie said to his grandfather. Because there couldn’t be any other reason. Unlike the rest of his family, he was immune to her charms.
    Sure, he knew how to enjoy a woman’s company. Her smiles. Her laugh. Her touch. But that was as far as it went. He refused to let himself become vulnerable. He’d seen too much pain in his life. It wouldn’t happen to him. The L word wasn’t worth the staggering risks.

CHAPTER EIGHT
    “ T HIS PLACE IS AMAZING . ”
    Lizzie didn’t bother to hide her enthusiasm as she glanced around the spacious living room with a high ceiling and two sets of double doors that let the afternoon sun stream in. She’d trade her Bronx apartment in a heartbeat for this peaceful retreat.
    “I love it here.” She spoke the words to no one in particular. “Very different from city life.”
    “It is different.” Massimo’s words took her full attention between the accent and the slight slur from his stroke. “I’m glad you’re here. Is my grandson treating you well?”
    Her thoughts flashed back to their first meeting. But she wasn’t so sure that Massimo would find it amusing that Dante mistook her presence at the restaurant and put her to work as a hostess. She opted to save that story for a later date.
    She glanced across to where Dante was pretending to read a cooking magazine. “Yes. He...he’s been a gentleman.”
    Massimo gave her a quizzical look. “My grandson is a good man. He knows a lot. Make him teach you.”
    His choice of words struck her as a bit odd. Either the man was eager to shorten his sentences or he sensed that things between her and Dante weren’t going smoothly.
    “I will. I just wish you could be there. I was really looking forward to working next to such a legend.”
    Massimo attempted to smile but the one side of his mouth would not cooperate. Her heart pinched. She had no idea how frustrating it must be for your body not to cooperate. But beyond that, the man’s face spoke of exhaustion. Dante had warned her not to overtax him. And she wouldn’t do anything to harm Massimo. The place in her heart for him had only grown exponentially since meeting him in person.
    “I’ll let you get some rest.” Lizzie went to stand when Massimo reached for her hand.
    His grip was strong but not painful. But it was the look in his eyes that dug at her heart. “Promise me you won’t give up. Promise me you’ll see through our deal.”
    “But—” She’d almost uttered the fact that Dante was opposed to the whole idea. “I’ll do my best.” It was all she could offer the man.
    “My grandson needs someone like you.”
    * * *
    The following morning Lizzie hit the ground running.
    She wasn’t about to waste a minute of her time at the villa. The big, brilliant ball of orange was still low in the distant horizon. She stood just outside the kitchen door with a cup of steamy black coffee in hand.
    She wandered across to an old wooden fence and gazed out at the endless acres of grapes. The golden rays gave the rows and rows of vines a beauty all of their own. She’d never been someplace so wide open. She reveled in the peacefulness that surrounded her. And that was something she truly found amazing. Normally her nights were full of restless dreams and her days full of running here and there, doing this and that. But here she could take a moment to breathe—just to be.
    Her thoughts trailed back to her unusual conversation with Massimo. Was the man some sort of matchmaker? But why? He hardly knew