though she stood outside. She shook her head slowly.
“I know this is my first affair, but I thought you’d keep others, especially family members, out of the equation.”
“It is an agreement I made in order to assure our privacy.”
She gave him a look of disbelief. “Your family has that much power over you?”
His smile widened. “Have you ever been around an Italian family, especially one you co-managed a hotel with?”
She shook her head. Yet, she understood family pressure and gave into it a few a times herself. Still, this wasn’t what she planned. She wanted a non-complicated affair. Looking over at Antonio, his expression told her there was no chance of that happening.
She frowned before looking at him. “Do you think your family will have a problem with me not being Italian?”
He chuckled. “If I don’t have a problem with it, they definitely won’t.” He leaned closer to her. “My family is very accepting and open-minded. They will love you.”
It hadn’t crossed her mind until he brought this up. She was open-minded when it came to who she dated because her parents raised her to be. Besides, what could be so bad about spending a few hours in the presence of his family? If they were anything like him, everything would be okay. She took a deep breath.
“Okay. If I agree to meet your family, when is it planned for?”
Antonio gave her an apologetic smile. “Tomorrow night.”
Chapter 6
The bottom of her stomach dropped, and she began to feel faint for the first time in her life. Antonio actually reached across the table to steady her when she began to sway.
“Tierra , are you okay?”
She didn’t bother to hide her apprehension. “I think I am going to faint.”
He smiled. “If you do, I will be here to catch you.”
She gave him a look through narrowed eyes.
“I am glad you find this so amusing,” she huffed indignantly, folding her arms across her chest. “I am also glad we have not consummated this relationship.”
His dark brows arched. “Well, we will and soon whether you meet my family or not. If you aren’t comfortable meeting them, I can put it off, but trust me, my family is insistent.”
She smiled. “Is that where you get it from?”
He nodded, and she had the pleasure of seeing his cheeks heat with slight embarrassment, but he still answered her honestly. “Yes, it is.”
Leaning back in the chair, he waited. She finally sighed in resignation.
“I’m not one for putting things off. If we are going to do this, we might as well get it over with.”
He shot her a wicked grin. “I prefer to take my time.”
She looked at him with every ounce of exasperation she felt. “You know what I mean.”
He brought her hand up to his mouth. “Yes, I do. I am glad you are willing to meet my family.”
She tilted her head to the side. “Is it important to you that I do?”
“Yes, it is. I am a representation of my family, as they are of me.”
She closed her eyes, understanding exactly what he meant but still wondering if she were going to regret this. There wasn’t anything she’d done that she regretted, at least not yet.
“ Cara , have you ever made love with a man?”
Her eyes popped open at his unexpected question. The man had an uncanny way of changing the subject. It made her hesitant about giving him an answer to the question because she knew it could change her plans, but her only option was to be honest, if she wanted this to work. Shaking her head, she gave him a small smile.
“No, because of you I am starting to realize I haven’t,” she whispered. “But I have had sex.”
He gave her his characteristics smile. “Well, cara , I am glad to be the one who is showing you that there is a difference between the two.”
His expression suddenly changed to a frown. “I would hate to think what would have happened if it wasn’t me you ran into in the bar.”
She gave him a slight shrug of her shoulder. He had no idea how long she
“I know this is my first affair, but I thought you’d keep others, especially family members, out of the equation.”
“It is an agreement I made in order to assure our privacy.”
She gave him a look of disbelief. “Your family has that much power over you?”
His smile widened. “Have you ever been around an Italian family, especially one you co-managed a hotel with?”
She shook her head. Yet, she understood family pressure and gave into it a few a times herself. Still, this wasn’t what she planned. She wanted a non-complicated affair. Looking over at Antonio, his expression told her there was no chance of that happening.
She frowned before looking at him. “Do you think your family will have a problem with me not being Italian?”
He chuckled. “If I don’t have a problem with it, they definitely won’t.” He leaned closer to her. “My family is very accepting and open-minded. They will love you.”
It hadn’t crossed her mind until he brought this up. She was open-minded when it came to who she dated because her parents raised her to be. Besides, what could be so bad about spending a few hours in the presence of his family? If they were anything like him, everything would be okay. She took a deep breath.
“Okay. If I agree to meet your family, when is it planned for?”
Antonio gave her an apologetic smile. “Tomorrow night.”
Chapter 6
The bottom of her stomach dropped, and she began to feel faint for the first time in her life. Antonio actually reached across the table to steady her when she began to sway.
“Tierra , are you okay?”
She didn’t bother to hide her apprehension. “I think I am going to faint.”
He smiled. “If you do, I will be here to catch you.”
She gave him a look through narrowed eyes.
“I am glad you find this so amusing,” she huffed indignantly, folding her arms across her chest. “I am also glad we have not consummated this relationship.”
His dark brows arched. “Well, we will and soon whether you meet my family or not. If you aren’t comfortable meeting them, I can put it off, but trust me, my family is insistent.”
She smiled. “Is that where you get it from?”
He nodded, and she had the pleasure of seeing his cheeks heat with slight embarrassment, but he still answered her honestly. “Yes, it is.”
Leaning back in the chair, he waited. She finally sighed in resignation.
“I’m not one for putting things off. If we are going to do this, we might as well get it over with.”
He shot her a wicked grin. “I prefer to take my time.”
She looked at him with every ounce of exasperation she felt. “You know what I mean.”
He brought her hand up to his mouth. “Yes, I do. I am glad you are willing to meet my family.”
She tilted her head to the side. “Is it important to you that I do?”
“Yes, it is. I am a representation of my family, as they are of me.”
She closed her eyes, understanding exactly what he meant but still wondering if she were going to regret this. There wasn’t anything she’d done that she regretted, at least not yet.
“ Cara , have you ever made love with a man?”
Her eyes popped open at his unexpected question. The man had an uncanny way of changing the subject. It made her hesitant about giving him an answer to the question because she knew it could change her plans, but her only option was to be honest, if she wanted this to work. Shaking her head, she gave him a small smile.
“No, because of you I am starting to realize I haven’t,” she whispered. “But I have had sex.”
He gave her his characteristics smile. “Well, cara , I am glad to be the one who is showing you that there is a difference between the two.”
His expression suddenly changed to a frown. “I would hate to think what would have happened if it wasn’t me you ran into in the bar.”
She gave him a slight shrug of her shoulder. He had no idea how long she
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