Dante took two steps after her before stopping. Their reunion had not gone as planned. Not one little bit. Holding her in his arms had been all too brief. As for the kiss on her cheek, he wanted to taste her lips, drink from her soul.
Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he pivoted about and headed for his family’s bakery.
Had she really thought he’d deserted her? For the last six years, he’d spent every spare moment outside culinary school looking for any hint of her family. He’d only returned when he’d heard of the consiglio comunale’s decision to evict her from Amores. He’d hoped to persuade her to marry him and use the engagement period to woo her.
To make her stop seeing him as a brother.
For a moment there he’d thought…
He shook his head. That had just been wishful thinking on his part.
Stooping he picked up an empty Cupid’s Elixir bottle along the curb and chucked it into the trash bin. His sister said Lia had classes until noon. He checked his Gucci watch. That gave her three hours to cool down and him time to plan.
If he couldn’t convince her to see him as a man—a suitor—and withdraw her name from the lottery then he’d add his name to the list of bachelors. But how was he to draw her name?
The shady street gave way to the sunny palazzo. Cupid and Psyche smiled at him from the windows of the council building. Who better than the gods? And he knew just the offering to curry their favor.