XXXV
Hazel Winters
T he heat of Italy hits me as soon as I step onto the plane steps. My eyes drift around my surroundings, taking in the European climate in all of its glory. Descending the steps, I follow the others into an SUV and stay silent for the hour journey to wherever we’re going.
Knowing I have the other three back on my side has relaxed me slightly, but Atlas’ cold glares still keep me on edge. Dawson squeezes my hand as he sits beside me. I turn to him, catching his subtle nod toward the window. When I follow his gaze, a gasp escapes me.
A large villa has come into view. It looks more like a Sicilian mansion, covered in pure white paint. The manicured garden spans around the whole building, with the hint of a pool behind. Large windows with shutters decorate the front of the building in equal spacing, along with two sets of staircases leading to a large terrace.
The car pulls to a stop and we all climb out, with me fighting the urge to run inside and check out the whole place. The villa screams of old money and history that I would love to explore. Andros nudges me forward, anticipating my impatience to explore and I smile at him before walking up the stairs.
Pushing open the front door, my breath catches at the large staircase in the centre of the vast foyer. White marble embellishes the place, being the main feature in the flooring and stairs. The artwork and sculptures must cost thousands alone.
The door behind me opens again and I hear the guys conversing in Italian. Atlas commands something and the others groan.
“Upstairs, third door on your right,” Theo whispers in my ear, making me jump at his proximity. I turn around to see him looming over me with a smirk. He winks and I can’t help but swoon at the burly giant.
His black suit makes him look extremely irresistible, especially since he’s ditched the jacket and has his sleeves rolled up. My mouth waters at the muscle and tattoos on his forearms, and he chuckles when he sees what I’m staring at.
With a slap to my ass, he follows the others out of the room and I don’t waste any time heading upstairs. Following his instructions, I open the door of the third room on the right and gasp.
A large four poster bed commands the attention in the centre of the room. Voile curtains are draped over the top of the frame, allowing the light from the French doors to stream towards the bed.
The overall airiness of the room feels like a breath of fresh air. Everything is white, from the bedding to the furniture. It looks like a room made for a goddess, and I feel lucky for it to be mine.
I unlock the French doors and push them open, delighted to find they lead out to a small balcony. It overlooks the infinity pool below, the soft hum of the water in the subtle wind relaxing me. Taking a seat on one of the two sunbeds up here, I try to process the whole place.
The sea looms in the distance, along with mountains and fields of goats. It seems like a fantasy destination, one I never imagined I would be. Images of my apartment flash in my mind, providing a deep contrast to my current surroundings.
Heading back into the room, I see my suitcase on the bed. I open it up and pull out a bikini, hoping to catch some of the sunlight before it sets. Pulling it on, I smile at the girl in the mirror. She’s one that isn’t afraid of showing her scars. She’s fearless.
She’s me.
The bikini accents my body, drawing attention to two of my best features. It’s white, with traditional, green, floral patterns. Tassels dangle from the end of the strings that tie it together and it covers just enough to be modest, whilst teasing my breasts and ass.
Grabbing my white coverup dress that ties behind my neck, I head downstairs with a bottle of suncream in my hand. When I locate the boys, they’re sitting out back on the patio. They look deep in discussion but it draws to a halt when I walk outside.
“Planning on sunbathing, Angel?” Andros asks, heat flaring in his eyes. I nod my head and smile, waving the suncream in my hand.
“Someone help me with this?” I ask and watch their faces as I undo my dress with one hand, letting it fall to the floor. Instantly, Dawson and Theo stand up, with Andros scowling at his crutches at the side of him.
“Fuck off, Theo,” Dawson calls and rushes over me. Theo glares at him, reluctantly sitting down. I laugh and hand over the bottle of suncream to Dawson, who takes his time in lathering it into my back. His hands linger on my ass before he grabs it and pulls me back into him. I feel his hard erection as he pushes it against me and I bite my lip, closing my eyes when his hot breath tickles against my throat.
“Wear this for me tonight,” he whispers into my ear, eliciting a shiver from me, despite the blaring heat. I nod my head and he smirks before releasing me.
I take the stairs down to the pool area, leaving them to watch my movements as I settle on one of the loungers. I lather the suncream on the rest of my body before looking over my shoulder.
I expected to see the others watching me with lust, but I didn’t expect to see Atlas staring too. His eyes roam over my body before meeting mine. We stare at each other and I wait for him to make a move but he clears his throat and looks away.
Turning around, I try to swallow the bitter pill of rejection from him and settle down on the sun lounger. The heat soaks into my skin, the sun bright as it looms over me.
Pulling out a book I stole from the library in their house, I read for about an hour until Theo, Andros and Dawson join me. The book immediately falls close when they come into my view, their tanned, muscular torsos making my mouth run dry.
Each one of them looks like they were chiselled by God himself, the swim shorts they’re sporting only making me wetter. Andros’ are aqua blue, matching his eyes, and distract from the cast on his leg. Dawson wears hot pink, and in true Dawson fashion, he pulls the style off effortlessly. Not expecting anything less, Theo’s are a simple black, matching the ink of the tattoos covering his body.
They each take seats next to me, with Theo coming to sit behind me. He manoeuvres me between his legs and I lean back on him comfortably.
“I fucking hate this cast,” Andros exclaims, looking truly pissed off as he glares down at it. Dawson chuckles and hands him a beer before giving one to Theo and I, too.
“I like this,” Theo comments as he pulls softly on one of the tassels on my bikini bottoms. I roll my eyes and take a pull from my beer bottle.
“What did we say about rolling your eyes, Spitfire?” Dawson asks, his eyes turning dark with domination. I bite my lip, feigning innocence as I shrug. Andros laughs and shakes his head, pulling his sunglasses over his eyes.
Theo’s hand moves under my ass and he palms it like a stress ball, squeezing enough to make me bite my lip harder. He releases it and sits back, putting his arms behind his head.
When Dawson stands up, I eye him warily as he stalks towards me.
“You look a little too hot there, Babygirl,” he smirks and I frown before squealing as he lifts me into his arms. He runs towards the pool and jumps in, dragging me with him. We submerge under the water and I gasp for air when we reach the surface again.
Somehow, whilst we were underwater, he managed to untie my bikini top and it now floats on the surface of the water. The cold water brings goosebumps to my skin and I wrap my arms over my naked breasts to try to hide them.
“Don’t you dare hide what’s ours, Little One,” Theo growls. I look over to see him and Andros watching me intently from their sunbeds. Hesitantly, I move my arms back down to my sides. Dawson swims up behind me, his hands creeping to rest on my hips.
“Shall we give them a show?” He whispers in my ear. After thinking for a moment, a wave of bravery hits me. I nod my head.
He moves his hands up, one gripping my throat whilst the other palms my right breast. I whimper as he pinches my nipple and he presses his body against my back. Keeping one hand wrapped around my neck, he slowly drags the other down to the top of my bikini bottoms. Before he can dip it under, Atlas’ voice rings out like a bucket of ice water.
“You three, inside…NOW.”