“You are thinking very hard,” Cristiano said, breaking through her reverie.

“How can you tell?” Keira asked.

“You are frowning,” he replied, laughing, mimicking her expression.

Keira laughed too, but she felt too clammed up to reveal the real reason behind her facial expression to Cristiano.

“Is it because of the article?” Cristiano asked. “Are you finding enough material?”

She looked up into his dark eyes. “More than enough,” she told him, trying to push the real meaning behind her statement all the way into his soul. It didn’t work. Cristiano just went back to sitting quietly, allowing Keira some space with her thoughts.

“Let me get us some gelatos,” Cristiano said suddenly, standing up. “This is a long boat ride and it will get only hotter as we go.”

“Thanks,” Keira said. She’d gotten quite the taste for gelatos since coming to Italy. She wished there was an authentic counterpart in New York City somewhere, but so far the stuff she’d tasted back at home wasn’t close to what the real Italy had to offer.

“Can you get me an exciting flavor?” Keira asked.

Cristiano flashed her his wicked smile in affirmation, and she watched him walk across the deck and disappear inside. He really was a work of art, a finely sculpted man. From his looks to his choice of clothes, everything about him was kind of perfect.

Keira wondered if that was the real thing holding her back. No one was perfect, Shane had been testament to that. She’d thought she’d found Mr. Forever but she’d actually just found Mr. For The Moment. Was she worried that Cristiano wouldn’t measure up in reality to the Romeo of her fantasy? Was she more into the idea of Cristiano than the real person?

As she ruminated on these thoughts, becoming more and more lost in her daydream, a group of Italian men came and sat in the row of red plastic seats behind her.

One of them leaned forward so that his face was in line with hers.

“Hey, lady,” he said, smiling.

Keira turned, feeling a little tingle run through her at the familiar thrill that came with being flirted with.

“Yes?” she said coquettishly. “Can I help?”

“Of course,” the man said. “I am Luis. This is my good friend Jorge, and his brother Paolo. We saw you sitting alone and thought it was not possible for a woman of your magnitude to be unaccompanied.”

Keira laughed. As far as pickup lines went, it was very heavy-handed. “You speak good English,” she laughed. “Magnitude. That is very poetic.”

“Perhaps majestic is another word you will like?” Luis continued.

Keira laughed aloud. The whole encounter seemed thoroughly amusing to her. She tried to imagine how Bryn would handle such a situation—probably by taking all their numbers and dating them in turn! But once again Keira found herself reticent, hesitant. What was it that made her shy away so often?

Just then, Cristiano returned, a pink gelato in either hand. When he looked upon the scene of Keira and the three men, she noticed his face fall. It was the first time she’d seen him show any emotion other than nonchalance or a flirty smirk.