Chapter Six
NATE
As I drive to Ria’s mansion, I’m nervous.
I know I’m going as her friend, and she obviously doesn’t want anything other than that, but I can’t help but wonder what kissing Ria would be like.
Those plump lips, that tiny but curvy frame, holding firmly against me.
I’m growing hard just thinking about it.
I rearrange myself as I pull up to the security gate.
Jersey looks at me and nods, pressing the button to open it.
After one visit, I like that he seems to know me.
I park by the fountain, and Ria walks out wearing a short, tight as fuck dress.
It does nothing to ease my aching cock as I rearrange it again before sliding out of the car and walking up to her.
She beams and pulls me into a tight hug.
I kiss her cheek, earning a little laugh, and she grabs my hand.
Just like before, we head straight for the pool.
“It’s good to see you.”
“You too. You look great,” I say honestly.
“Oh… this old thing,” she says with a sarcastic laugh.
Shaking my head, I grin as she takes up her usual spot on the sun lounge, and I sit down on the one next to her. “So, what’s the plan for today?”
She smiles, throwing her hand in the air and clicking her fingers. I furrow my brows until I see a maid come rushing out.
“First things first… drinks. Marianna, sweetheart, can you please get Nate and me something to drink?”
Marianna smiles like she loves the hell out of Ria and nods. “Of course, Miss Ria… the usual for you?”
“Yes, please. Nate, what would you like?” Ria asks.
“Um… I’ll have your usual too, please,” I say, not knowing what it is and hoping for the best. Ria nods, and Marianna smiles, walking over to the bar.
“What?” Ria glances at me, and I raise a brow.
“You have a maid as well as a chef?”
“And a gardener and a pool boy.”
“Okay. I’m gonna say it. Wow!”
Her smirk falls as I lie back on the lounge. “Do you think I’m a snob?”
I look at her. “No, not at all. I think you’re a product of what your parents made you. But I can see by the way Marianna looks at you that even though you have staff, you treat them well. So that’s the main thing.”
She half-smiles. “Yeah, Marianna’s been with me a long time.
I’ve considered not having staff and doing things myself.
I do answer the door sometimes. But then, when I think about not having staff, it concerns me that they would be out of a job, and I don’t want to do that to them.
Plus, I like the company when they’re here. Marianna is like another mother to me.”
Smiling, I glance over at Marianna. Her salt-and-pepper hair frames her face, and only now do I notice she isn’t wearing a maid’s outfit but everyday clothing. “She’s not dressed like a maid?”
“No, I don’t want her to. She’s more than a maid to me. Marianna’s my friend, so I let her wear whatever she wants.”
“See, you treat them well. You’re a good person, Ria.”
“I hope so.”
“You are, Miss Ria, and I love you dearly. Sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear. Here are your drinks. Sparkling water with a splash of lemon, three ice cubes, and a straw for you, Miss Ria. I didn’t think you’d want a heart-shaped straw, Mr. Nate.”
Ria smiles at me. “Thanks, Marianna.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll be inside. You kids have fun.”
“We will. And, Marianna…” She looks at Ria. “I love you too.”
Marianna smiles wide and then walks inside, leaving us to our sparkling water and the glistening sunshine.
“That was sweet,” I say, and Ria smiles.
“Right, enough distraction… it’s time to learn, Mr. Nate,” she says, getting up from her sun lounge and moving over to mine. “Do you remember what I taught you last time?”
“Every bit,” I say honestly.
She pulls the books over, opening the notepad. “Okay, so what’s this word?”
I chuckle and shake my head. “Easy… it’s Ria. The dove kinda gives it away.”
She nods while flipping the page. “Okay, and this?”
I look at the word, trying to avoid looking at the picture until I figure it out. “Heart.”
“Yes, great work.” She flips the page as her leg shifts right up against mine, and she leans in closer so I can see better. Her body is leaning completely against me, and I take a deep breath as her perfume fills my senses.
“I was able to read the word without looking at the picture.”
She turns her head and stares at me with her eyes wide open. “Oh my God, really?”
I nod, gazing directly into her eyes. She’s so close to me now—I feel her breath on my face—and everything in me is screaming at me to touch her in some way, but I don’t want to spoil the moment.
We’re close enough that if I leaned in a fraction more, our lips would connect.
My breathing quickens as she doesn’t back away this time.
Her chest rapidly rises and falls as we continue to gaze at each other, drifting closer and closer.
The energy between us is scorching as I decide to go for it, so I move forward.
“Miss Ria, a package arrived for you,” Marianna announces from the doorway.
Ria’s eyes widen as she turns, and we both instinctively lean back.
I pull away so quickly that I lose my balance, slipping off the sun lounge and tumbling onto the pavers, then rolling straight into the pool.
The warm water feels like frigid ice, completely ruining the moment.
As I resurface, gasping, I hear Ria’s laughter ringing out.
Wiping the water from my eyes, I look up to see her rushing over, her laughter infectious, spreading a grin across my face until I can’t help but laugh along with her.
She leans down at the pool’s edge, still giggling, and for a moment, her joy makes me feel alive.
“Oh my God, are you okay?” she asks through another giggle.
Still chuckling, I nod and hoist myself up onto the edge of the pool. My clothes stick to me like a drowned rat, and the laughter that had started to die off starts again. Only this time, her giggling borders on hysteria as we both get to our feet. I look down at my wet clothes and shake my head.
“Shit! It’s gonna suck getting into my car like this.”
Ria’s still laughing as she grabs my hand. “Don’t worry, my stepdad has some clothes here. You can borrow some of his. Follow me.”
I reach down and pull my shirt up and over my head, wringing it out into the pool. Ria looks at my abs and chews on her bottom lip, then turns abruptly, heading for the pool house.
Grinning, I follow her lead.
The pool house is like a house in itself, or at least a large unit. It’s huge, being mainly open space with everything you need in one place. There’s a living area, a giant bed, a little kitchenette, and I’m sure the back area has a bathroom.
Ria heads to the sliding cupboard and pulls out a giant fluffy towel, handing it to me. With a smile, I grab it from her and throw it around my neck. I’m not shy about my body, so I grab my shorts and pull them down, leaving me in my briefs.
Ria gasps as she gawks, then pulls her lips tight while I grab the towel and dry myself. She finally turns—after having a good look—back to the wardrobe and pulls out some clothing, laying it on the bed. My gaze never leaves her as she turns to look at me again.
“Well, I’ll let you get changed.”
Smiling, I nod with a shrug of my shoulders. “Sure… thanks.”
She looks me up and down once more, shaking her head slightly, then walks out. I smirk as I step over to the pair of white shorts and a polo shirt.
Very golf-esque.
Not very rock 'n' roll.
But I guess I can’t be picky right now.
I pull off my wet briefs, dry off, and get changed. Once dressed, I head outside, and the moment Ria spots me, a giant smirk spreads across her face.
I shake my head, unable to hide my own grin, and say, “I’m not much of a golfer.”
Her hand flies to her mouth, barely muffling a laugh as she winces. “I’m sorry, but it’s all I’ve got.”
“No, it’s fine,” I reply with a shrug. “A change is as good as a holiday.”
Ria sits back down on the sun lounge. “Can you draw me something?”
“What would you like?” I ask as I, too, sit down.
“An underwater theme.”
Grabbing the pad and colored pencils, I get to work while she sits back and watches silently.
She takes it all in as I draw the scene using various techniques.
The entire time, her eyes never stray from the page.
Having someone watch would usually make me uncomfortable and distract me from relaxing in the moment, but because it’s her and she’s into my art, I’m finding a new connection.
I finish the last stroke of color and lean back, taking a deep breath as I admire my work.
The page is alive with vibrant shades of blue, green, and bursts of coral, capturing the magic of the underwater world.
Schools of fish dart across the scene in shimmering oranges and yellows, weaving through the seaweed that dances in gentle waves.
Satisfied, I rip the page from the notepad and hand it to her. The colors seem to ripple as though the ocean is trapped in the paper.
Her eyes sparkle, catching the colors on the page, and her lips curve into the brightest smile as she gazes at it. “It’s perfect,” she whispers, her voice soft but filled with awe like she’s glimpsing into a hidden world.
“For what?”
“For the wall in the pool house.”
“What? You want it on the wall… in your pool house?”
“If that’s okay, artist?”
I exhale and slide my fingers through my hair. “Um… yeah. No one’s ever liked my art enough to have it on their wall.”
“Well, I love your stuff, Nate. I’d have a piece of you on every wall if I could.”
I can’t hold back my smile, uplifted and happy. “Why are you so good to me?”
“Because you deserve someone to be on your side. Because there’s more to you than people realize. You don’t let people in, and you have to realize how talented you truly are.”
Swallowing hard, I sigh. “I want to let people in, but I’m scared of what they’ll think of me when they find out the truth.”
“That you can’t read?”
“Yeah, that, and the reason why.”