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Wearing a wry grin, she slides out of her flats, then dips a toe into the water. “It does feel nice,” she announces.
“What do you say?” I ask, kicking off my shoes and then peeling off my socks. My gaze never leaves hers as I work on my belt next, and her teeth sink into her bottom lip. The action does nothing to hide a naughty smile. “How about we start this trip off the right way?” I suggest with a smile that mirrors hers.
She pretends to resist for another three seconds before giving in. “If you insist.” Suddenly, her sweater is lying on the floor, soon joined by her bra. I watch, my breath quickening with every layer she peels away until she dives gracefully into the deep end.
When she surfaces, her hair is slicked back, and she’s laughing. “It’s fantastic! Hurry up and get in here, Luca!”
As if I needed an invitation.
15
EMILIA
It’s like living in a dream. The sweetest, most perfect dream imaginable.
I’m sort of sad two days have already passed, but there are still five to go when I wake up in Luca’s arms, wrapped in a soft, down comforter and practically floating on the most comfortable bed imaginable. I’ve slept like a baby since we arrived. I never knew it made such a difference in the bed a person used.
There I was, thinking I grew up comfortably—which I did, having a lawyer for a father—but I sure as hell never knew it was possible to live like this.
I realize the bed isn’t all there is to it once I identify what’s now become a familiar sound. The bedroom features tall French doors that open onto a balcony overlooking Main Beach and the water beyond it. The sound of waves crashing against the shore has lulled me to sleep every night. I can see myself spending summers here, living by the rhythms of nature, waking with the sun, and having my coffee out on the balcony where I can drink in every sound, every sparkle on the water’s surface.
Luca is still asleep, but damn, I don’t want to waste a minute here. We can sleep in at home, where there isn’t a gorgeous beach waiting to be walked along. After taking a minute to admire how his skin glows in the morning sunshine, I press a soft kiss against his scruffy cheek. “Good morning,” I whisper, smiling when he does. “Come with me for a walk on the beach. Maybe we can go to that little café we saw yesterday and get some breakfast.”
His eyes are still closed when he releases a growl. “I was thinking we could get our exercise in other ways this morning,” he murmurs as his hand slides down my back.
“Oh, we’ll still do that,” I promise, placing a long, lingering kiss against his lips and giggling when his eyes snap open. There are few surefire ways to get his attention, but this is one of them.
Trying to take a nice morning walk when bodyguards are following us is a little awkward. I can’t exactly forget they exist, even though I try to do just that as we walk with our arms around each other’s waists, admiring the guys in wetsuits who are somehow crazy enough to surf in the cold. One of them stands at the water’s edge and clearly stares at the men tailing us before shrugging and turning away. Considering the size of the other homes lining the beach, I can’t imagine we’re the only people in need of a little protection sometimes.
It’s the same in the village, where we manage to have breakfast while tucked away in the corner of a charming café, almost like being an average, everyday couple, except for the presence of the two burly men waiting for us a few tables over.
“I’ve been thinking.” Once Luca has finished plowing through his stack of banana walnut pancakes, he pushes the rest aside and folds his arms on the table. “Let’s do something special tonight.”
I’m still too busy having a love affair with my stuffed French toast to think about the future. “I thought this whole week was special,” I point out, taking another bite and trying not to moan out loud.
But the sight of him doesn’t make it any easier. He is so damn handsome in his cream-colored turtleneck, which sets off his dark coloring to perfection. “I know, but I wanted to do something a little extra for you.”
I reach across the table and squeeze his hand. “You’re already doing so much.” I’m sure memories of what he left behind have to be weighing on him, even if he keeps it to himself. Dante has called at least three times that I’m aware of, and I caught little bits and pieces of Luca’s side of a tense argument last night before we went to dinner.
There’s no hint of that in his easy smile. It still has the power to take my breath away. “I’m the one who decides if I’m doing too much, and I haven’t come close yet. I want you to treat yourself today. I want you to go to the salon around the corner from here and have your hair done, nails, pedicure… whatever you want. Pull out all the stops.”
The idea leaves me fighting back a laugh. “I can’t just walk in, even if it is off-season,” I remind him. Only a man would think it’s that simple.
Then again, this is not any ordinary man. “I already called and let them know you’d be coming in, and they understand the sky’s the limit. Whatever you want.” He sits back in his chair, arms folded, smirking at my surprise.
“What!” I gasp. “That’s… Luca! You’re spoiling me, you know that?”
His thick shoulders lift. “No such thing. And even if I was, it would only be because you deserve it.”
“What are you going to be doing while I’m so busy getting pampered?” At the slight creasing of his brow, I realize it’s the wrong question. He probably has phone calls to make and business to be done. God forbid we should have a week to ourselves, but I need to be realistic. He’s always going to be a busy man.
“Don’t you worry about that.” He signals for the check, then has a silent conversation with the guys before they head outside to wait for us. It’s like they can read his thoughts. “You are under strict instruction to spoil yourself today. Pete will follow you, and he has my card. Do a little shopping afterward, get yourself something nice. We’re going to have a special dinner tonight.”
My head is spinning by the time we get up from the table. “I can hardly wait.” He helps me put on my coat, then settles the bill while I step outside to wait. As usual, the bodyguards don’t bother saying anything to me. They only nod respectfully, then hold the typical murmured conversation.
“All right, go on now,” Luca urges when he joins us, then jerks his chin at Pete before reverting his gaze to me. “We’ll have to work on our exercise when you get back,” he adds in a softer voice, full of meaning.
“Then I’ll make sure to hurry back when I’m finished.” We’re both grinning happily before we share a soft, lingering kiss. He tastes like coffee and syrup, and I would love to indulge him some more.
