Rome for Always (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Collection) by Judy Angelo Page A

and calm just like she was. Two could
play that game quite well.
    He could see she was surprised when he walked over and
sat down next to her, taking the chair his mother had just vacated. “Daniela,”
he said as he picked up a spoon and began to toy with it, “if you’re not
playing a game, what exactly are you doing?”
    For some reason the question made her laugh. “Ah, Rome,
if you only knew.”
    He kept toying with the spoon, not looking at Daniela,
focusing his attention on the utensil in his hand. It was either that or
explode and he wasn’t going to do that. He would not give her the pleasure. “What
should I know, Daniela?” he asked, his tone deliberately pleasant. “You’re
dying to tell me so why don’t you?”
    She chuckled. “You know me so well.” Then she reached
over and took the spoon from his fingers and dropped it with a clatter onto her
saucer. “I’m not playing games,” she said with a sly grin. “I’m simply doing
someone a favor.”
    He raised an eyebrow then sat back in the chair. “A
favor. Can you be a bit more specific?”
    She shrugged. “If you insist. I’m doing your mother a
favor. She asked me to…scare off a certain someone who’s no good for you. After
all we meant to each other how could I say no?”
    “My mother set you up to this? So this wasn’t you trying
to start up where we left off?”
    “Goodness, no. Of course not.” Daniela looked like she
thought it was the most ridiculous idea in the world. “I’m happily engaged to a
wonderful man, a man I truly love. Why would I want to get back together with
you?”
    “Why indeed?" He shook his head, knocking the
thought loose from his mind. “So you’re engaged,” he said, turning thoughtful. “Does
my mother know this?”
    The question made Daniela hesitate. “No, I guess not. I
never mentioned it.” Then she shrugged. “But that’s not important. She knows
I’m in a relationship. After all, that’s why you and I broke up.”
    She said it so casually, like it was what everybody did.
You’re in the middle of a relationship until you find someone you like better
and then you move on, just like that. Not that he was complaining, though. She’d
done him a huge favor when she’d fallen in love with someone else.
    “What do you know about the woman I’m in love with?”
    “N…nothing.” Daniela blinked. “Why do you ask?”
    “I ask because I find it a bit strange that you’re so
quick to destroy my relationship when I willingly gave you the freedom to
pursue yours.” He could see his words were having an effect on her so he
pressed on. “You know what it is to fall in love. Why are you so happy to deny
me that pleasure?”
    “I…it was your mother. She said the woman wasn’t right
for you.” Daniela swallowed. “I was only trying to help her.”
    Rome gave a snort of annoyance. “Don’t do anybody any
favors, especially not my mother. Not where I’m concerned, anyway.” He folded
his arms across his chest. “Do you remember how your family reacted when you
broke up with me?”
    Daniela winced then she nodded. “They thought I was
being an idiot. They didn’t want me to be with Warren at all.”
    “Exactly. They would have loved it if we’d stayed
together but you made your choice and I respected that even if it took your
family a while to accept.” He tightened his lips and when he spoke again his
voice was cool. “Now I would appreciate it if you would pay me the same
courtesy and respect my choice and stay the hell out of my business.”
    A crimson blush crept up Daniela’s neck and she dropped
her eyes. “I’m sorry, Rome. I didn’t think…”
    “Well, please do,” he said, not letting her off the hook.
“There’s a lady sitting in another room in this house who was hurt by your
thoughtless actions. I’m going to have to work real hard to make things up to
her.”
    “I’m sorry,” she said again and this time she actually
looked like she meant it.
    But now that