CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

"Buonasera, Signorina. Do you have a reservation?"

"Yes, Jerrica Benton," she replied.

"Ahh, Miss Benton," the Italian man at the front desk replied. "We have beautiful room ready for you! Che bellisima!" he added.

"Prego," she said with a smile. "I'm looking for my colleague, Rory Llewelyn. Could you possibly tell me which room he's in?"

"I'm sorry," the man replied, "it's the hotel's policy not to give out guest information even to such an important guest as yourself. But I did see Signore Llewelyn enter the dining room not too long ago," he smiled.

"Oh, wonderful!" Jerrica replied beaming from ear to ear.

"Shall I have the bellhop bring your luggage to your room while you join Signore Llewelyn?" he kindly asked.

She paused for a moment. After traveling for nearly 16 hours, Jerrica was hoping to freshen up, but knew she couldn't waste any more time. She needed to see him. "That would be wonderful," she finally answered. "Thank you."

After completing her guest registration at the front desk, Jerrica quickly stuffed her wallet, room key and passport into her purse, and made her way to the hotel's restaurant. She had no idea what Riot's reaction would be seeing her there. At least she knew he wasn't mad at her. But perhaps he wanted to be alone and wouldn't be too thrilled with her company. Perhaps her being there made it look like she didn't trust him with business. But it was too late now to turn back.

"Good evening, Signorina," the maître d greeted her. "Table for one or do you have an awaiting party?"

"Well, um," Jerrica began to stutter as she looked around for Riot, "I'm looking for someone. I'm looking for –." Just as she was about to say his name, she spotted his golden mane across the room at a table nestled in the corner. To her dismay, he wasn't alone. Sitting across from Riot was an attractive woman with piercing green eyes and long red-hair. She could have easily been a model.

"I'm sorry, Signorina," the maître d replied. "I did not hear the name of your party."

"I-I-I –." Jerrica found herself unable to utter a single word. While she didn't expect Riot to welcome her with open arms, she least expected to find him with another woman. After all, his feelings for Jem ran deep. At least, she thought they did. Could she have hurt him that much to make him go after the next gorgeous woman he met? "I'm sorry," Jerrica finally managed to say. "I think –."

"Jerrica?" Before she could continue explaining herself to the maître d, a familiar voice interrupted.

"Riot," she murmured as she turned to face him. "Hi."

"What on earth are you doing here?" he smiled.

"I got your message," she began, "and I thought you could use some help on business. I mean, not that I thought you needed help. I just thought you could use some company. That's all." She began to turn as red as Riot's companion's hair.

"I'm sorry to have left in such a hurry and leave you with a PR mess," he explained. "So I made sure my PR and legal teams were at your disposal."

"Yes, thank you. I greatly appreciate that," she replied. "I left instructions for my team at Starlight to work with them while we're gone. I'm sure they're all handling it perfectly fine," she smiled.

Riot smiled back. His eyes still looked sad, but the unexpected sight of Jerrica brought a little life back to his face. "Please," he said as he held his hand out for her to take, "I have someone I'd like you to meet." As he led her back to his table, Jerrica was apprehensive about finding out who his woman could be. He wouldn't have been so eager to introduce the two of them if she was suddenly Jem's new replacement, knowing that Jerrica and Jem were friends. "Jerrica, I'd like you to meet my cousin Vivienne Cavill. Vivienne, this is Jerrica Benton, head of Starlight Music and manager of the Holograms."

"It's a pleasure meeting you," the tall redheaded woman greeted her.

"It's a pleasure meeting you as well," a relieved Jerrica replied as the two women shook hands.

"Rory's been telling me so much about you," Vivienne added, much to Jerrica's surprise.

"My cousin lives in London," Riot explained. "I called her a few days ago when I began making plans for the trip and found out she is engaged to the manager of the band we're looking to meet with. She said they would be in Rome this week, so I changed my plans to Rome."

"Wow! This is a surprise!" Jerrica laughed. "And congratulations on the engagement," she added.

"Thank you," Vivienne responded. "Congratulations are in order for you as well. I read the news of your engagement. That's wonderful!"

An awkward moment of silence ensued as Jerrica tried to crack a smile. "Uh, I'm no longer engaged," she confessed. Riot was surprised.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Vivienne replied with a hint of embarrassment.

"Please, don't be," Jerrica reassured her. "It's a long story," she replied to avoid having to explain herself. Another awkward moment of silence ensued. "And now, here we are," she quickly said to change the subject.

"I'm glad you both could be here," Vivienne smiled. "The band is playing tonight at one of the clubs nearby. I invited Rory as my guest. You should join us!" Vivienne insisted. "I can introduce you both after the concert."

"That would be wonderful!" Jerrica answered with delight. The evening was turning out much better than she had expected.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

After dinner, Vivienne went ahead to meet with her boyfriend before the start of the concert. Jerrica returned to her room to change into something more appropriate than a tailored business suit. She knew Riot would be waiting for her, so she didn't waste any time getting ready. She remembered to pack something for a night out on the town, or two – something Jem would wear.

Jerrica settled on a purple jumpsuit with a strapless sweetheart neckline and silver belt with matching silver high heels. After growing her hair out the last few weeks, it was finally long enough to put in a high ponytail. "It's show time, Synergy," she murmured as she gave herself one final glance in the mirror before heading down to the lobby to meet Riot.

The elevator ride was slow, typical for a turn of the century hotel. She could feel her heart palpitating faster as the elevator ticked, 3 . . . 2 . . . 1. Ding.

As she got out of the elevator, Riot simultaneously got out of the adjacent car and the two music executives avoided a near collision. Instead, they locked eyes with one another.

"Jerrica, I'm so sorry," Riot greeted her. "I should pay more attention to where I'm going," he smiled, taking a step back to admire her appearance.

"I should do the same," she coyly laughed.

"You look very beautiful tonight," he complimented her.

"Why, thank you," she replied. "You look beautiful too, I mean –," she turned as red as her earrings, "you look wonderful as well," she managed to correct herself, turning even more red.

"Thank you," he smiled, knowing what she meant. "Shall we?" he asked as he gestured for her to lead the way.

"We shall," she replied, slowly turning back to her normal shade.

"Are you up for a walk?" he asked. "The venue isn't too far from here. It would be quicker to walk than hail a taxi."

"I'm up for anything tonight," Jerrica answered. "It's quite a beautiful night," she mused as she gazed into the Roman sky.

"Have you been here before?" Riot asked, leading her through the narrow the alleys of the ancient city.

"No, I've been to Venice," she replied. "It's beautiful there."

"Venice is beautiful," he agreed. "But Rome," he paused as he thought for the perfect words to say, "Rome is called the eternal city for a reason. Its culture, its history, its beauty, its mystery. No matter how many times I've been here, it's still as enchanting as the first time," he mused.

"Well, you'll just have to show me around," Jerrica smiled.

"It would be my pleasure, Miss Benton," he smiled back.

"When are you planning on heading back home?" she asked.

"I have yet to schedule a flight home," he replied. "And you?"

"I haven't scheduled a return trip yet either," she answered. "I just needed to –," Jerrica paused.

"Needed to get away?" he finished her sentence.

"I guess, you can say that," she admitted.

"I'm sorry to hear about your engagement," he said, phishing to see if the engagement had something to do with Jem.

"I'm sorry too," she sighed, trying to find the courage to tell Riot the truth.

"Rio is a fool," he blurted out, much to Jerrica's surprise. "I'm sorry if I'm being too forward," he replied.

"You're not," she assured him. "May I ask why you suddenly left for Rome?" She knew the reason, but she was eager to listen to his side of the story.

Riot fell silent. She glanced over only to see the pain of betrayal still lingering in his dark green eyes. He sighed, but before he could respond, a black Fiat suddenly turned the corner and headed towards their direction in the cramped alley. Blinded by the bright headlights, Jerrica stood motionless. As the car quickly approached them, Jerrica felt a pull and soon found herself pressed up against a chilly brick wall with Riot using his body to shield her.

"Are you alright?" he asked, caressing her cheek, as soon as the car passed them.

"I-I-I'm fine," she stuttered, looking up towards him. Still blinded by the bright lights, Jerrica could barely see, but felt the warmth of his breath. He leaned in towards her, their noses just slightly brushing against each other. She closed her eyes. He gazed down at her, her beautiful face cupped in his hands. "Riot," Jerrica began, "there's something I need to say –."

"Rory! Jerrica!" cried a voice in the distance. Both turned in the direction of the voice. It was Vivienne. "I thought that was you," she said as she emerged from a dimly lit alley.

"Hello, Vivienne," Riot greeted her.

"The concert is this way," she smiled. "You're both just in time!"

She led them down the alley to the backdoor of the concert venue. It was a small indoor theater, which seated just barely 100 people. The rest was standing room only, but the theater was packed and the fans were chanting the group's name, Voyager. They took their seats at one of the private balconies just as the music began. The crowd was electric. Jerrica felt the energy on stage, reminding her of Jem's last performance with Riot. If there was any hope for more performances with Riot in the future, she needed to tell him the truth – the truth about who she really was.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

"Aren't they amazing?" Vivienne marveled as Voyager took one last bow on stage. Jerrica and Riot both smiled at her in agreement. "Peter and the band will meet us as the club next door," she said as they turned to leave the balcony. Peter Lund was her boyfriend and the manager of Voyager. Jerrica and Riot were hoping to get him to agree that night to the band recording a song for their Christmas album.

They quickly arrived to a packed nightclub, about half the size of the theater they had just left. Vivienne led them to a table in the corner where a dark-haired, bearded man was sitting. As he saw them approach, he promptly stood up from his seat. "Hello, Darling," he greeted her in his British accent.

"Hi, Peter," Vivienne said, leaning in for a kiss. "Peter, this is my cousin Rory Llewelyn and his colleague, Jerrica Benton."

"Riot!" he exclaimed as he reached his hand out to the Stinger. "It is a pleasure to meet you!"

"And you as well," Riot greeted back with a handshake.

"I'm a huge fan of the Stingers," he grinned, "and Jem and the Holograms as well," he said turning to greet Jerrica. "It is a pleasure of mine as well to meet you, Jerrica Benton," he said, kissing her hand.

"Very nice to meet you, Peter," she replied. "The concert was amazing!" she exclaimed. "Thank you both of having us," she said to Peter and Vivienne.

"Please, sit," Peter replied to his guests as a waiter came by to take their drink orders. Once the two couples settled into their table, the after party was underway. Both Riot and Jerrica wanted to talk business before the drinks started to pour more heavily, but business seemed the furthest from Peter's mind. He was more interested in talking about the Stingers, or Holograms. He seemed more of a fan than a band manager.

"Peter, Jerrica and I would like to have Voyager record a Christmas song for an album Stingers Sound and Starlight Music are doing for charity," Riot finally said.

The permanent grin on Peter's face was suddenly not so permanent. "Riot, my friend," he began, "I believe your lovely cousin failed to mention that I hate discussing business at a party," he snidely remarked.

"Who does this fool think he is?" a chagrinned Riot thought to himself. He was beginning to seethe. He couldn't decide if he should give Peter a taste of his own medicine, or take the high road and leave with Jerrica.

"Peter, please," Vivienne interjected, embarrassed by her boyfriend's drunken demeanor.

"That's quite alright, Vivienne," Riot replied, unsuccessfully hiding his annoyance in his visage.

"Next time you and Miss Benton want to talk business, at least entertain me with a song or something first," he laughed mockingly. Unknown to Jerrica and Riot, Peter was known to push people to their limits just to see how far they would go to get what they wanted out of him.

Jerrica felt Riot's anger. She was angered. Peter Lund had no right to talk to them that way, but she wanted Voyager on the album. They were currently the hottest new band in Europe and would help increase sales overseas. Jerrica knew she had to do something before Riot did. While he was definitely a more humble Riot these days, he was still a proud man. Without saying a word, Jerrica stood up from her seat and marched on stage. Voyager had just played a quick encore performance for the smaller crowd. She whispered something to the lead guitarist, who then relayed it to the rest of the band. The lights went dim and the spotlight focused on Jerrica as the band began to play Only Me and the Music.

Riot's jaw dropped as he watched Jerrica mesmerize the crowd. He was mesmerized. He never thought in a million years she could sing like that, like Jem! He had seen Jem perform that song on stage several times and Jerrica performed it exactly the way she did. It was as if Jem was on stage at that moment. Once the song ended, Jerrica was given a standing ovation. The crowd loved her. She was a natural.

"That was amazing!" a completely stunned Riot marveled as she returned to the table.

"Thank you," she coyly smiled at him, still in disbelief at what she just did.

"Jerrica, I didn't know you sang too!" Vivienne exclaimed. "That was wonderful!"

"Thank you, Vivienne," she replied. "Well, Peter," she said turning to Vivienne's boyfriend, "now will you agree to Voyager doing the album with us?"

Peter was in complete aw. "If you promise you'll perform for us again sometime, then yes!" he exclaimed. "That was absolutely amazing!"

Jerrica smiled and turned to Riot. The anger was gone, erased from his face thanks to Jerrica's impromptu performance. He proudly gazed at her as the members of Voyager flocked to compliment her performance.

Vivienne turned to her cousin, "That Jerrica Benton is one incredible woman," she said to him, noticing the look in his eyes.

"She is," he agreed, still shocked at what he just witnessed.

"Is this other woman really worth the agony?" she teased. Riot gave her a thoughtful look.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

"Miss Benton, Mr. Llewelyn, it was a pleasure meeting you both!" Peter Lund exclaimed as his stretch limousine pulled up in front of Jerrica and Riot's hotel.

"The pleasure is ours," Riot snidely remarked, avoiding all eye contact with him and turning to his cousin for a hug.

"I'll give you a call, Rory," his cousin whispered to him.

"Vivienne, Peter, thank you for a wonderful evening," Jerrica smiled as the driver held open the door for her to exit. Riot followed.

"I'll be in touch!" Peter exclaimed as the limousine pulled away.

Jerrica turned to Riot and exclaimed, "We did it!" as she pulled out an envelope from her purse. Inside was the contract Peter just signed to have Voyager record on the album.

"No, Jerrica Benton, you did it," he corrected her with a smile. "Peter Lund is a classless, drunken fool, but what you did was incredible," he marveled. "I didn't realize you had that voice in you." She looked at him thoughtfully, trying to find a response, but all she could do was smile. He smiled back and sighed. "Would you like to join me for a celebratory drink?" he asked, offering his arm for her to take

"Yes, that would be wonderful," she smiled, reciprocating his gesture as he led them inside their hotel and into the restaurant, taking a seat at the bar. It was near midnight and the restaurant was as roaring as it had been during dinnertime. Groups of tourists and executives filled the restaurant, most likely trying to fight the fatigue of traveling, commonly known as jet lag.

"Buonasera, Signori," the bartender greeted them. "What would you like to drink tonight?"

Riot gestured for Jerrica to order first. "I'd like a glass of red wine, please," she told the bartender.

"Any preference?" he asked.

"Would you happen to have any Barolo from the 1964 vintage?" Riot asked before Jerrica could reply to the waiter.

"Only by the bottle," the bartender replied.

"A bottle it is," he smiled giving the bartender the go ahead. "If you don't mind," he quickly checked with Jerrica for her approval.

"Not at all," Jerrica replied. "You know your wines," she added.

"Impressed?" he purred with a smile that could make any girl faint.

"You're a very worldly man, Rory Llewelyn," she replied. "What do you suggest I do in Rome before returning home?"

The waiter returned with an unopened bottle of Barolo. "Ecco!" he said as he showed Riot the bottle for his approval. Riot nodded. They watched as the bartender opened the bottle and poured a small amount into a glass for Riot to taste. He nodded in approval, and the bartender began pouring a glass for each of them.

"Let's toast to a bright future ahead between Stingers Sound and Starlight Music," he suggested, raising his glass to Jerrica.

"To Stingers Sound and Starlight," Jerrica toasted back, beaming from ear to ear as she took a sip from her glass.

"I didn't realize you could sing like that," Riot changed the subject. "Why are you not on stage?" he asked.

"Performing isn't really my thing," she replied. "I leave it up to the other girls."

"You have an amazing voice," he complimented her. "You should sing more often," he smiled.

"Well, thank you," she blushed.

"You know, I'm working on this album," he teased her. She smiled.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Mr. Llewelyn," she flirted back.

"I know the people in charge pretty well, so if you change your mind," he teased her again.

"I'll think about it, but don't hold your breath," she joked back.

"Was there something you wanted to tell me earlier?" he asked her, remembering the incident in the alley.

"Uh," Jerrica stuttered. "I wanted to tell you something about Jem," she confessed.

"About Jem?" Riot was surprised.

"I know about the exchange between her and Rio after the concert the other night," she began. Riot was all ears. "It wasn't what you think," she said. "Jem was trying to help me."

"What do you mean?" a puzzled Riot asked.

"I didn't have the heart to tell Rio the truth about me not wanting to marry him. So she tried to tell him for me and you overheard at the worst possible moment," Jerrica revealed.

"You mean you came all the way to Rome to tell me that?" a shocked Riot replied.

"I guess you could say I was returning a favor to Jem," she hesitantly answered.

"Thank you for telling me, Jerrica," Riot smiled. "You're a good woman, you know that?"

"I know you care about her a lot and she cares a lot about you too," she answered. After an awkward silence, "Well, thank you for the night cap," she said. "I should head up to bed and try to get some rest. It's been a long day of travelling."

"Thank you for joining me and thank you for being a great partner," he smiled.

"Are we still on for sightseeing tomorrow?" she asked, stepping down from the barstool.

"Of course. It would be my pleasure," he answered, getting up from the stool to give her a hug goodnight.

"Until tomorrow," she said, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek before walking towards the elevators. He watched her as she disappeared into the lobby.

"Good night," he paused as he thought for a moment, and then whispered her name.

"You are quite the lucky man," the bartender interrupted his thoughts.

"Yes, she's an amazing woman," a thoughtful Riot replied. He quickly motioned for the bill.

Back in her room, Jerrica replayed the events of that night over and over in her head. She wanted to tell Riot the truth about who she really was, but the closer she got to him as Jerrica, the more scared she was of losing him. At least she still had him as Jem, but she couldn't help to wonder if he really was falling for her, as herself. Sinking deep into her thoughts, Jerrica was surprised by a knock.

"Riot!" she exclaimed as she opened the door.

Without a word, he placed his arms around her waist and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. She kissed him back. As he slowly pulled away, he looked Jerrica in the eyes, studying her face. With a bewildered expression, he whispered, "Jem?" Jerrica stood silent. "Are you really Jem?" he asked.

Jerrica was stunned. She wasn't ready to tell him the truth at that moment, but she knew that he could see through her disguise and could no longer hide it from him. She didn't have the heart to betray him nor the energy to keep up with her charade any longer where he was concerned. She knew if she didn't tell him now, she would never tell him and would find herself in the same predicament she found herself between Rio and her alter ego. After a long hesitation, she finally found the courage to speak. "Yes, Riot," she confessed. "I am Jem."

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

The morning sun peered between the historic buildings of Rome and through the sheer curtains of Jerrica's hotel room, shining brightly on her face, awakening her from a somewhat restful night's sleep. "Was last night a dream?" she mumbled to herself, half awake, half tempted to close the thick, Venetian curtains she didn't bother to close the night before. She peered over to the clock on the nightstand – 9:25. She rolled over to see that the other side of the bed was empty, yet disheveled. Still in a bit of a haze, partly from jetlag, mostly from the events of the night before, Jerrica quickly got out of bed and put on a terry cloth robe. She tiptoed out to the parlor of her suite and noticed the sheer curtains dancing in the warm breeze. The French doors to the terrace were open.

"Good morning," a smiling Riot, wearing unbuttoned black satin pajamas, greeted her as she walked onto the private terrace, which overlooked the Capitoline Hill.

"Good morning," she replied as he got up from the small table to kiss her cheek and pull out the chair next to him.

"Coffee?" he asked.

"Yes, please," she responded. "Have you been up for long?" she asked.

"About an hour," he mused as he poured her a cup of coffee from a small cart next to the table.

"An hour?" she reiterated. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"You looked so peaceful. I didn't want to disturb you, especially after you went to sleep so late," he devilishly smiled at her as he sat down again. Jerrica blushed. "So I returned to my room, put on something more appropriate for lounging while I waited for you to wake up, and checked in with Minx and Rapture."

"I should probably check in with the Holograms myself," she thoughtfully replied. "How are Minx and Rapture?" she asked wondering if he mentioned anything to them about her.

"They're up to being their usual selves," he responded, somewhat mocking them and their lack of positive contribution to the world other than their music. "And in case you're wondering, I did not mention a word about you or Jem," he reassured her. "You can trust me, Jerrica," he said, looking her sternly in the eyes. "You have my word."

"I know. Thank you, Riot, I appreciate that," she replied.

"You can thank me by being 100 percent honest with me from now on," he continued, alluding to keeping Jem's identity from him. She was silent, unsure of how to explain herself. "But I understand why you didn't say anything for so long," he added, much to her surprise.

"You do?" she asked. This wasn't the reaction she expected, at least from Rio. With Riot, she was unsure what to expect.

"Yes," he replied bluntly. "As much as I've wanted Jem –" he corrected himself, "I mean, you to be open with me as much as I've been open with you, I understand why. In a way, I am glad you waited to tell me."

"You're not mad at all?" Jerrica clarified.

"Should I be mad?" he questioned her.

"I was always afraid to tell Rio the truth –," she began to explain.

"You mean he doesn't know?" a shocked Riot interjected. Jerrica quickly shook her head. Riot was stunned. "How could he not have known?"

"Like was saying, I was always afraid to tell him the truth for how he might react," Jerrica replied.

"But how could he have spent so much time with you, and you as Jem that he didn't know?" a perplexed Riot pressed further. Jerrica was silent. She had no answer. "I've seen you radiating through Jem, and last night at the club, I saw Jem radiating through you," he said thoughtfully as Jerrica remained silent, unsure of how to respond to his revelation.

"I have no answer for you, Riot," she managed to reply. "I'm just relieved you're not mad."

"I'm not Rio," Riot quickly reminded her. "I can see that there's an unselfish reason to everything you do," he continued. Jerrica smiled. "And why should I be mad?" he asked her. "Do you not remember the many times I told Jem that I respected her desire to keep things about her life private until she was ready to share them?" he teased her. Jerrica nodded. "And to be honest, considering how madly infatuated I've been with her the last few months, I wouldn't have been able to see the real you had you told me so soon," he said to her as he reached over to hold her hand.

"I don't know what to say," she muttered as she felt a mixed emotion of guilt, relief, and joy. "What do we do now?" she asked.

Riot thought for a second, "We get to know each other, as Rory and Jerrica," he responded. "No more Riot and Jem, it's just you and me," he smiled. Jerrica smiled back. "As much as I know what there is to know, I want to know you more, Jerrica. Really, I know you as Jem and I know you as my colleague. I want to know you as my Jerrica," he said, playfully caressing her hand.

Thinking back to when they first met, Jerrica never imagined in a million years that the man before her, rock heartthrob and the most sought after bachelor in music, would be interested in the real her, not her gorgeous alter ego. "So what do we do about Jem?" she inquired. "It would be awkward and the makings of a great Harriet Horn show if you left for Rome as Jem's boyfriend and returned with Jerrica Benton," she teased.

"Did we ever come out officially as a couple?" he teased, referring to her as Jem.

"No, but people know," she responded.

"Only my Minx and Rapture," he answered, "but I can certainly think of something to tell them."

"And Kimber," she admitted.

"Of course," he replied.

"She figured it out," she clarified.

"Well, I could continue seeing Jem and make it public, but just how long will dating Jem last?" he asked her.

Jerrica was unsure what he meant by that. Was he telling her that he did not plan to date her that long? "I'm not so sure I understand what you mean," she replied.

"Jerrica, I'm only human," he said candidly.

"You want to date other women?" she blurted before he could continue.

"No, that's not what I meant," he protested. "Dating is only temporary. At some point, I imagine, a man would want to make a more serious commitment to the woman he loves," he explained. "I can't be seriously committed to someone who doesn't really exist, can I?" he asked rhetorically.

She laughed, "I guess you can't."

"Jerrica, if I'm going to be with you, the real you, I want the whole world to know," he replied as he stood up from his chair, pulling her up to wrap his arms around her. "I don't want to be running around with Jem when you're not around, and with you when Jem's not around. Despite what how the media tries to portray me, that's not the kind of man I am. Even though it's still you, the world won't see that. You can be anyone you want to be with me privately, but I only want one woman publicly – you," he said, planting a delicate kiss on her lips.

In an instant, Jerrica went weak in the knees. She melted in his arms as his words resonated with her, "Whatever you want, Rory," she managed to say as he intimately rested his forehead on hers.

"I like that," he purred. "One more thing," he said, suddenly pulling away, "You are no longer engaged, correct?"

"As far as I'm concerned, I was never engaged to begin with," she explained.

"Good," he said as he scooped her up into his arms and carried her back into the suite. "Sightseeing can wait until tomorrow," he playfully smiled.

Stay tuned for 'Part II: Revelations' as secrets are revealed and a shocking admission is made.