Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 94124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Excitement ignites in my chest. I desperately want to ask him why he’s here and to confess that he hasn’t left my thoughts for a single second, but just as I’m about to make my move, I notice he isn’t alone.
A beautiful woman with long, glossy locks and a petite frame slips out of the SUV beside him. Every inch of her is flawless, and I shrink away, suddenly aware of my rumpled clothes, my tired eyes, and the anxiety of my sudden weight gain.
Compared to her picture of perfection, I look like a slob.
My heart sinks as I watch the dark-haired stranger take the brunette’s hand in his. His fingers lace with hers with easy familiarity, like it’s something they do regularly.
As they walk hand in hand toward the clinic, a million questions fire through my head.
Two stand out more clearly than the rest.
Is she his wife?
His girlfriend?
Looking for a ring never crossed my mind, and I didn’t have time to ask the right questions. I was too frazzled from the near miss and, if I were honest, my body’s particular reaction to the stranger.
I’ve met many handsome men in my life, but there was something about him, something unique, that made me curious about the sparks that fired between us that morning.
Now, watching them, I feel foolish for even pondering more.
The stranger doesn’t enter the clinic with the beautiful brunette. He guards the door protectively—or is it aggressively?—and his aviator sunglasses covering his dark eyes reflect the screen of text he reads while waiting for her to return to his side.
Suddenly, his head jerks up from his phone, and he scans the crowd wedged between us. Afraid he might see me, I duck behind a pillar and watch him from afar.
War wages inside me for several long seconds. I want him to see me so I can prove that the chemistry I felt that morning wasn’t a lie, but I shouldn’t want that from a taken man.
I am the result of an extramarital relationship, so I’d never volunteer to be the other woman.
As that mantra rings on repeat through my head, I slip around the side of the building and find the secondary entrance I used during my last visit. It’s quieter here and hidden from any eyes that might recognize me.
After letting myself in, I lean against the wall of one of many examination rooms off this corridor and steady my breathing. Inside, the clinic is bright and sterile, and cleaning products are acute in the air.
Once my lungs are functioning close to normal, I head to the receptionist area. I check in at the desk and hand over my paperwork before answering the secretary’s questions with automatic precision.
The receptionist is kind and her smile is gentle, but I barely register her words. My mind is still outside, with the dark-haired stranger and the woman beside me who is impossible to ignore.
She’s the woman I saw outside, and up close, she’s even more intimidating.
When she eyes my paperwork as if privacy is merely suggestive, a dazzling grin doubles her beauty. “I hope they don’t get us mixed up.”
Confused, I peer at her with a screwed-up nose. Her glossy dark locks cascade flawlessly down her slim shoulders, and her handbag costs more than my entire wardrobe. We couldn’t be more different if we tried.
It dawns that I’m the only one comparing us when she says, “Our names are so similar it’s scary.”
I lower my eyes to her paperwork, stomping on her privacy as she did mine, before gasping.
Her name is Valeria Raimondo.
“Were you born in Palermo?” Even though she’s asking a question, she doesn’t pause for an answer. “Your accent reveals you’re not from around here, but you look familiar. Have we met before?”
“Um. No… I don’t think we have.”
I give her a weak smile, then retreat into myself. I feel like a troll standing next to a fairy tale princess and wondering what it would be like to be transported to an alternative universe where my life would be easier and better offers no comfort.
My hair is limp and lifeless, and my clothes are the cheapest in the store. We’re worlds apart in terms of beauty, so I won’t mention financial stability. I highly doubt Valeria is here to sell her eggs, and the knowledge worsens the swirls of my stomach.
I’ve had many inappropriate thoughts about her partner over the past month, but he most likely forgot about me the instant he dropped me off at San Giorgio’s.
That hurts to admit, but it’s clear now why he fled so quickly. Why would he want to spend a second longer with me when he had the epitome of perfection waiting for him at home?
Graciously, I’m saved from my dour thoughts by the clinic’s head nurse. “Signora Raimondo.”
“Raimondo or Raimondi?” Valeria asks, giggling. Even her laughter conjures up images of angels serenading someone in heaven.