Nodding, I felt my cheeks heat. "I do, and that surprises me."
Nic ran his fingers down the side of my cheeks. "You look beautiful when your cheeks get flushed. When I talk to you like that, they turn a beautiful pink."
I dropped my gaze.
"Don't be shy, Gabi. A nice girl can have a little bit of naughty in her too."
My head dropped onto his chest and I felt his body rumble with laughter.
When I finally gained the courage I need, I dropped my head back and looked up at him.
"I've only ever been with one man. And even then it was a . . . forced relationship."
Nic frowned. "He didn't . . ."
I shook my head. "No, no, nothing like that. We were friends and our families thought we needed to be more. He never hurt me, but he certainly didn't care how I felt about things. If that makes sense."
There was no doubt that was anger I saw in Nic's eyes. Maybe I needed to think about getting into a relationship a little harder. No. No I've waited long enough and I'd never felt like this with anyone else before.
The deal I made when I went into this was to wait three years before I became romantically involved with someone. It had been six.
There was only one thing I was unsure of though. Did I want a relationship built on a lie? The truth hidden deep within me and the fear it could show its ugly head at any time.
If Nic ever found out the truth . . . the thought made me sick to my stomach. He would hate me.
Bending down, his finger lifted my chin. "Hey, are you okay? You're shaking."
Forcing a smile, I nodded. "Yeah, just a little chilly with the wind up here."
He didn't believe me. When he looked like he wanted to press me for more information, I stepped away and walked a little further into the meadow. My arms wrapped tightly around my body.
I had only known Nic two days, and I was already longing to tell him everything. I was greedy though. The longing for happiness outweighed the need for the truth.
"Gabi, you can talk to me, you know that, right?"
Smiling, I replied, "I know. I'm just taken by how beautiful this is and how I've been missing out on it."
"I've got so many more places to show you if you want."
In that moment I knew what I wanted. It was time to move on and leave the past in the past. I'd go to Italy, do what I needed to do and then never look back. It would destroy both me and my family, but the only way to be truly free was to break the tie.
Nodding, I softly replied, "I'd like that very much."
I PUSHED AWAY the notion I had that Gabi was hiding something from me. I didn't have to know every single thing about her past, just like she didn't have to know everything about mine.
"I'm starving!" she gasped as we made it back down to where we first started.
"There's a great place to eat in Woodland Park."
The drive into town was comfortable and easy. Like always. There was never a moment of awkwardness between the two of us. The only time Gabi wandered away from the conversation was if it had to do with her past. Anything that had happened the last four years was open game, before that, forget it.
"This is it. Joanie's. Best damn place in town."
Gabi chuckled. "What no Greek?"
I rolled my eyes. "Let me get your door."
Jumping out of my truck, I jogged around to the passenger side and opened her door.
"Such a gentleman."
She wouldn't be saying that if she knew the things I was thinking about doing to her right now.
The place was packed like always. When it was finally our turn to order, Gabi got a Chicken Pesto Melt and I got the Reuben.
Gabi snagged a table outside while I grabbed our drinks.
"Their desserts looked heavenly," she said as I set her Diet Coke in front of her.
"I have an in with a bakery in Old Colorado. She makes the best panna cotta this side of the Mississippi."
She cleared her throat and raised an eyebrow so I added, "In the whole country, honestly."
"I have a confession."
The waitress brought out our two sandwiches. "Anything else?"
We both said no.
I took a bite of my Reuben and asked, "What's your confession?"
That sweet face of hers turned a shade pinker. "I made you something last night. I couldn't sleep after . . . well . . . after you left."
There was no way I could stop the wide grin from moving over my face. I knew I left her horny as hell, but the idea of her finishing herself off without me pissed me off. "I'm sorry about that, agapiméni."
Her eyes lit up. "What does that mean?"