Chapter 14
JETT
I woke in Locke’s arms, plastered half-starfish-like across his chest and one long leg. There was no telling what time he’d finally come to bed, but I knew better than to risk waking him. Hopefully, his office wouldn’t start bothering him for several more hours because of the time difference.
After sneaking out of his bed to my own bathroom, I showered and dressed. Concetta was nowhere to be found, so I followed the cooking sounds and smell of bacon until I found the kitchen.
There was music playing on an honest-to-god radio with an antenna sticking up, propped on the counter next to a stack of papers and two pencil stubs pockmarked with teeth imprints. A middle-aged man in a chef’s coat and baggy black-and-white checked pants hummed along to the music.
“Mi scusi, potrei avere una tazza di caffè?” I asked in deliberately mispronounced beginner Italian. I fully expected the resident ornery chef to curse me out of his domain.
The man turned around and grinned. “Parli italiano?”
“Molto male, lo prometto.”
He wiped his hands on a nearby towel and held one out to shake. “Mr. Davis. Please welcome. I am Roberto Sanna.”
“Please call me Jett, and thank you for the incredible dinner last night. I’ve never had sorbetto like that. It was amazing. You’d better guard the leftovers. I plan to sneak in here in search of them one night.”
He laughed. “You would be welcome anytime. Come, let’s get your caffè. How do you like it?”
“Un cappuccino, per favore.”
He gestured to a nearby attendant, a young man this time, who immediately got to work on the large silver espresso machine on the other side of the commercial kitchen.
Roberto turned back to attend to his food, asking me at the same time how I’d like my eggs.
When my coffee and food were ready, I planted myself on the other side of the large central island, where there were plenty of stools and where the other man had been peeling potatoes before stopping to make my coffee.
“Please don’t make me sit at the adult table out there by myself,” I said, flashing Roberto a humble smile.
He waved my concern off. “You sit here and tell us the news from America.”
We spent the next forty minutes gossiping like TMZ fans. I’d spent a lot of time in the past several years chatting up people from all walks of life on various jobs. It was something that came easily to me, maybe because I had social parents and an enormous, gregarious extended family.
But I also appreciated the opportunity to have a break from it, so after scheduling a time later in the morning to talk to Roberto and Concetta about the upcoming Paxis tournament and its hosting needs, I decided to indulge myself with some time in the sun.
I returned to the room and peeked in on Locke, confirming he was still dead asleep.
Then I changed into swim trunks and made my way out the terrace doors to the pool.
The sun was warm, and the sky was a deep, clear blue.
I covered myself in sunscreen and threw myself onto a chaise, barely restraining a pleasured groan at the expansive view and the feel of the warm sun on my skin.
This was the life. No wonder so many celebrities vacationed here.
While my body rested, my brain kept running at full speed.
Was last night’s emergency response a common occurrence in Locke’s business?
How had he known what to do? The man had been in charge of the company for less than six months, but he’d acted like someone with twenty-five years more experience.
Before I inevitably moved from appreciating his competency to remembering his hand on my dick, my phone buzzed with a text from my brother.
Gabe
Where are you and why is it Italy?
You have to stop tracking me. Seriously, it’s not okay.
I wasn’t sure how he did it, but I worried he’d find a way one day to track me even when I left my personal cell phone at home on official missions.
Gabe
Answer the question. Mav flew up to surprise you and you weren’t there.
My stomach dropped.
Fuck, seriously? Why didn’t he tell me he was coming?
Gabe
You know the dads. They never want to ruin a vibe or be a nuisance.
Since when? Beau is always in my shit, ruining all kinds of vibes.
Gabe
Okay, fine. Mav had a work thing in the city. But still. He was bummed you weren’t there. Did you get a last minute consulting assignment? Amalfi Coast seems a strange place for it. Do they even have companies in that tiny town you’re in?
It’s not work. It’s pleasure.
The water splash-slash-cum emoji appeared. Even though I knew he was implying that I was somewhere nice getting lots of dick, I played dumb.
Yes, in fact I’m in front of a swimming pool right now.
I sent him a photo of the water, tightly cropped so there was no identifying information in the shot.
Gabe
Who’s the guy?
I hesitated. Thankfully, before I responded, another message from him popped up.
Gabe
Guys, plural. I forget you don’t do repeats. Who are you with, though, and do they need another Marian? Because I could be free if needed.
Not sure Hunter would appreciate that.
My brother’s bestie was territorial as fuck, even though Gabe was oblivious.
Gabe
Hunter doesn’t care who I fuck.
Sure.
Gabe
Why are you so fucking squirrelly? Why can’t you just tell me where you are and what you’re doing?
I’m in Italy with a friend. Why are you awake so early in the morning?
Gabe
Couldn’t sleep. Which friend?
I closed my eyes and let out a groan under my breath. It was impossible to do what I did for a living and be in the Marian family.
You’re worse than Beau. You’re worse than *Aunt Tilly*.
Gabe
Take that back.
I closed my eyes and let the heat of the sun sink into my skin again, but the phone buzzed a minute later.
Gabe
I hate that you don’t talk to me anymore.
I stared at the words, absently rubbing the ache in my chest. He wasn’t wrong. And I felt the same way.
My fingers hovered over the screen before I typed a response.
I came to Italy with a straight guy. Someone I hooked up with before. Someone I should steer clear of. But I can’t seem to stay away from. There. You happy?
Gabe
Bro.
Don’t say it.
Gabe
brO.
I clicked the screen off and tossed it on the chaise next to me to keep from typing more. There was nothing my brother could say that I hadn’t already thought myself.
It was ridiculous to catch feelings for a straight guy.
And even if Locke was coming into his own in terms of appreciating his walk on the wild side, he wasn’t exactly the kind of guy who was going to start shopping for dildos and jocks and introducing his boyfriend at the annual Longshoreman’s Ball.
It’s just sex.
And I loved sex. Loved it. Couldn’t get enough of it.
I also loved lying in the sun by a crystal-clear pool and a wide expanse of the Mediterranean Sea.
So this was enough.
In fact, it was plenty.
The perfect renewal and recovery before throwing myself back into the career I wanted way more than any relationship. Helping others and making the world a better place.
I ignored the subsequent buzzing of my phone and allowed myself to doze with nothing but the floral-scented air and the faint sound of a gardener doing work in the distance.
Being a highly paid escort had its upsides.
It was enough, I told myself again.
It was plenty.