Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Nolia

My eyes open slowly and look around at the room I'm in. I try to remember what the fuck happened and where I'm at. It takes me a long time to muster enough brain power to figure out I'm still in Italy…with Rome.

It's been two weeks, and this is starting to seem more like a vacation than a work thing. He's been with me nearly every day we've been here, taking me shopping, sightseeing, dancing, and eating until late. And kisses. There have been lots of kisses.

Not just on my mouth either. What he did to me on the plane while flying here is something he has done almost every night -and more than a few mornings- since we've been in Italy. I have tried to keep some sort of space between us because none of this is real but the longer his mouth is on me, the harder it is to hang onto.

And waking up in his bed is not helping me either. I should put a stop to it. I should tell him this can't keep happening. I need my own room. this place is plenty big enough for me to pick another room. I should do it now and stop putting it off. I should find my clothes before I do anything else. I move under the arm he has around my waist and bring my hand up so I can shake him awake only to stop dead in my tracks.

The sun is so damned bright, but it's not the thing that has my heart going still and my stomach rolling. It's the big ass diamond ring on my hand that is lying on top of another ring that looks suspiciously like…No!

No!

We didn't!

More things start filtering into my memory as I recall being on the beach in a white dress next to Rome. No!

"Oh my fucking…!" I sit up too fast as the whole room starts spinning around me.

"Sunshine? What's wrong? What's the matter, baby?"

As soon as he lifts his arm, I am scooting away from him. But not before I grab his left wrist and bring his hand up so that I can find the match to the ring I have on my own left finger.

"No! No! NO!" he looks up at me with a sleepy gaze that any other time would capture me and tempt me to come back to him. "Roman, get up! Get up, Rome!"

"What? Nolia, are you alright?"

All I can do is shake my head as my voice fails me.

I finally find it, "What…what did we do?"

He starts to shove his hand through his hair but again the light starts playing off the ring on his hand and he brings it back down to look at it closer. "Huh."

Huh? Is that all he has to say? Why is he not freaking out? Why is he not hyperventilating like I am right now?

Why the hell is he not doing something?!

His eyes come up to meet mine and finally, he realizes I am freaking out. "Baby, are you okay?"

"Quit calling me that!"

"Okay, Sunshine. Are you okay?"

I give him another head shake. "No! I am not alright! I…I think we did something really bad last night, Rome."

He holds my gaze for a long time before he looks around the room. "I don't see any bodies so…"

"What?"

"You said we did something really bad last night, and I'm telling you…I don't see any bodies lying around the room so we didn't commit murder."

I shove him hard. "This is serious, Rome! I think…I think we got married."

His eyes widen and he has a look of quiet surprise on his face…but not shock. "Okay, ba…sweetheart, I want to think this through and try to remember what happened but… you're going to have to cover up your tits or I'm never going to be able to do anything other than put one of them in my mouth."

"Oh my God!" I jerk the sheet up and wrap it around me. "I…Rome! Please!"

"Yeah, you begging like that ain't helping a thing, baby."

I fall back and let out a small shriek.

"Listen, I think…I think we would know if we got married. It takes a while. You have to get the proper paperwork and…don't you?"

"I don't freakin' know!" I sit back up and say a small grateful prayer that the room doesn't spin again. "All I remember is standing next to you on a beach dressed in white while someone spoke…he looked pretty official, Rome."

"Oh yeah. I remember that…we worried we couldn't find a translator in time."

"In time for…?"

"Yeah, I think it's exactly what you think it is."

"Oh my God!"

"I remember taking you to lunch and both of us polishing off a bottle of wine…and then dinner and more wine and maybe…rum and vodka. How are we not dead?"

"I'm eighteen! I'm not supposed to drink."

"No, I told you it was okay here. And we…started dancing."

"Oh, and then we ran into your friend and his girlfriend." I help him fill in some blanks with what I can remember.

"And they started joking with us about being married…and…"

"You got a special license from the Bishop." My heart sinks as the reality of our words begins to really sink in.

"And you went with her to…"

"Buy a dress and find flowers." My eyes fill with tears as I finish. "Oh my God, Rome. We got married last night."

"I think it was right before the sun set actually."

My temper flares and I grab the closest pillow to me and let it fly. Right into his smug, too-handsome, unconcerned face!