Chapter 123: Building trust - Fiona

My cheeks tighten when he walks over to me, and it's not from the cold. Luckily, Lily has already packed up her stuff and went to work on her painting in her studio, so we have the garden all to ourselves.

"Your cheeks are pink from the cold." Dante smiles, handing me the coffee he brings every single day since he started doing it last week.

I think the pink on my cheeks actually intensifies just from his smile.

I didn't kiss him goodnight on Saturday night like Bella told me to, only because I'm way too shy for that. If Dante however, decides to kiss me, then I'll kiss him back, but there's no way I'll be making the first move.

What if he doesn't really like me like that? I mean, we hung out again on Sunday again, and it was really great, and he held my hand again while we explored Navy Pier, and like a true gentleman he had me back home at seven pm. No kissing.

Lily said he's maybe taking things slow because of the fact that he really likes me.

"You don't want to go inside?" He shivers in his coat. "If this is fall, I'm scared for winter."

"Winter is my favorite season." I smile. I love the colors, the hot chocolate, the comfiness of the comforter on my bed.

"Say that again when you experience your first Chicago winter." He chuckles.

"I'm looking forward to it." Everybody's been warning me about winter. "How's training going?"

He told me on Sunday how busy he actually is, with training and needing the right nutrition, on top of working too. I think it's admirable that he's working so hard to achieve his goals, and I'm not gonna lie, it does leave me feeling a tad bit less than. I don't have any real future plans, I like going to beauty school, sure. But I also really like being Lily's assistant, and I get paid much more than what I even thought. Do I even fit with him when I'm so unmotivated?

"It's going." He smiles at me, those dimples making my heart ache.

He's too good looking, too sweet, and he definitely doesn't deserve someone like me.

"I need to lose about five pounds before next week, though." He continues, and I frown.

"Why?" I've seen this man in the boxing ring, and his body is utter perfection. "You are really ripped, that what you guys call it, right?"

He chuckles at my words, nudging me. "Have you been looking at me, miss Fiona?"

Now my cheeks are probably really, really pink. "I...I...I..."

"I'm playing wth you." I tense up when he slings his arm over over my shoulder. "I somehow gained a few pounds, so I have to lose it again for my next fight."

"You have another fight?" I cringe inwardly, remembering that hit in his ribs. I was so worried about him, but he walked out of that ring as if it was only a tickle.

"Yeah, I must say that Elio is very good at organizing fights." He nudges me playfully. "Will you come watch me again? I'll make sure to win and then we can go out dancing afterwards."

I do like dancing. And I like seeing him win, so even though I'm feeling insecure, and knowing that I'm probably going to get my heart broken sooner rather than later, I smile at him. "I would like that."

We spend the rest of the time in the garden talking about everyday things like what movies we like, our favorite colors, and that he actually doesn't like winter at all. It makes his balls shrivel up. His words, not mine.

By the time I go back insde through the kitchen door, I have a huge smile on my face, looking forward to when I will see him around the house before I go to bed, already setting my alarm mentally to say goodbye to him when his shift ends.

Yes, I'm totally infatuated by Dante Dangerous.

"It's cold outside." Allegra smiles at me, the only one the kitchen.

"I know." I beam. "I like the cold, though."

"Oh, so it has nothing to do with Dante sitting on that bench next to you?" She winks playfully at me, making me laugh.

"Maybe just a little."

"He's a good guy." She nods. "He was raised right."

"Do you know his family very well?" I'm not gonna lie, I was a little suspicious of her after I saw that she was the one on shift when Rosa had the weekend off, but so far she hasn't done anything to make me more suspicious.

"We're from the same neighborhood." She smiles, kneading dough, and I immediately go to wash my hands, finding this the perfect opportunity to get to know her better and finding out if she had anything to do with the poisoning. "He still helps his mother out a lot, he's a good son."

I really love to hear that about Dante. It is however, somehow solidifying the fact that I'm not good enough for him.

"He is very sweet." I smile. "How about you, are you seeing anyone? I noticed one of the other guards come in here a lot when you're working."

"Nico?" She giggles. "No, he's just such a huge flirt, but that's all it is. I have a son, so I'm not really dating right now."

"Oh, how old is your son?" I ask, hoping she will trust me, and like me like Rosa does, so I listen to every detail when she tells me about her son. "Your son sounds sweet, maybe you should give Nico a chance."

"Nico is also married." Allegra rolls her eyes. "Like I said, he's just a big flirt."

"Aaahh."

So if Nico is a married man, and Allegra is for sure not seeing him, what the hell is he always in the kitchen for then?