“That’s a really cool souvenir place.” I pointed to a small shop on the corner with a tiny side street.
Leather bags and hats hung on a rack next to the entrance door. Leather-bound diaries and miniature alabaster figurines of Roman gods were lit by an uninspired blue light in the display window.
“It has a mix of everything, and the prices aren’t too bad.” I loved this mix of shops in Rome. This souvenir store was right next to a fancy shop selling big Italian-brand purses, like Gucci and Valentino.
“Already bought a truckload of presents for everyone,” he said. Okay, so Isabelle had been right about the Winchesters being tight-knit.
“Ready to hear about Piazza Navona?”
“Sure.” His smile was a little taunting and far too charming for my good. I tried not to make too much eye contact as I spoke because part of that incredible sex appeal were those blue eyes.
I talked a little about the Egyptian obelisk, as well as the Baroque architecture all around us. The attractions were very well lit. Even at this hour, the piazza was chock-full of street artists painting caricatures or spraying monument renderings on me
tal canvas. Sellers offered everything from fake designer handbags to fluorescent gadgets they kept throwing in the air and catching.
“Ready to move to my favorite spot?” I asked.
“You’re the boss, doc.”
There he went with that gorgeous smile again. Yeah, Cole Winchester definitely was a charmer. Isabelle had been right about this too. I was trying to remember everything she’d told me about him. I was so happy my best friend was finally moving to New York.
She was going to open a practice as a psychologist, and so far, finding the right spot had proved to be a challenge. But Isabelle was an optimist and a hard worker, and I wanted to help her in every way possible. She’d been living in my apartment while I was here in Rome, to save on rent. She was moving out this weekend, though. She’d found a great place for herself. I planned to call later to check on her.
We slipped into the street called via del Salvatore toward another favorite monument of mine—the Pantheon. The street was narrow and crowded. Cole walked right next to me. Every time our gazes crossed, my breath caught. I couldn’t explain why, but it felt as if a livewire was connecting us.
There were restaurants every few feet with tables lined to the wall and taking up a lot of space on the sidewalk, so one had to be careful not to bump into others. The smell of garlic and roasted vegetables was thick in the air, along with that of burnt wood and melted cheese from the pizza ovens. Truthfully, since living here, I was eating nonstop on every trip around the city. There were delicious treats at every corner, and my willpower was nonexistent.
We took two more turns and arrived at another piazza. It was smaller than the last one. There was yet another Egyptian obelisk here too, but the centerpiece was of course the Pantheon itself.
“It’s one of the best-kept monuments from antiquity,” I said. “It’s been restored quite a few times.”
The facade had eight massive columns, but it was even more impressive on the inside.
“The dome has a circular hole in it, but it’s best if you see it during the day,” I told Cole. “It used to be a Roman temple, but now it’s a church.”
“You know a lot. I read a travel guide but don’t remember much.”
I grinned. “Oh, yeah. I just read a ton of them, so the info stuck. And then I heard it all again during the tours, and now it’s lodged in my brain. Oh, before I forget, see that old shop there, Antigua Carniceria?” I pointed to the corner of the building on the right of the Pantheon.
Cole stepped right next to me, following my hand with his gaze.
“Yes.”
“They have excellent sandwiches. Local stuff. It’s the best in the city.”
“Recommended by guides?”
“Yes, but also tested by yours truly. I can confirm it’s delicious. I stalked a few bloggers, and they also recommended it.”
Cole cocked his head toward me, and I sucked in a breath. I couldn’t believe his nearness had this effect on me. I’d been rather immune to masculine charm over the past two years. It hadn’t even been a conscious choice. Since losing Ryan, it was as if there was a thick veil between me and men.
“You take research very seriously.”
“I don’t get out much, so when I do, I want to make the most of it.”
“I’m tempted to ask you about New York. Bet you know more than I do, and I’ve lived there for twenty years.”
“Not really. My work schedule in New York is insane. I mostly sleep in my free time, so I don’t get to see much of the city.”