Chapter Six
Ella
Just do it.
Rhia’s words echo in my mind.
“Rhi, you know casual sex isn’t for me. I can’t keep my heart out of the bedroom.”
“You’ve never tried it. How do you know?”
“Because I know myself.”
“You can only say that with confidence if you’ve actually given it a go. Until then, it’s speculation. You might enjoy no strings attached.”
“I sincerely doubt that.”
“You’ll regret it forever if you don’t explore where this could go. You might have the best sex of your life with that man. He’ll deliver on that promise, I can tell.”
“Which is exactly why I shouldn’t,” I counter. “If he’s even half as good as you think, I’d end up comparing every other man to him. That’s not exactly a winning strategy for my future.”
Rhia takes an exaggerated breath and scowls. “At least you’d know what great sex is like, so you don’t settle for less.”
As every best friend should, Rhia knows everything about me, including my less than adventurous sex life with my exes.
“Rhi, he’d eat me alive. He’s intense. That kind of man doesn’t ease into things. He consumes.”
“El,” she says patiently, “what is the one thing I keep telling you?”
I roll my eyes as we say it together. “Push your comfort zone.”
“Exactly!” Rhia beams. “You always play it safe.”
“And what’s wrong with that?” I challenge, planting my hands on my hips.
“It’s predictable. And it makes for terrible stories. What are you going to tell your grandchildren one day?”
She launches into a mock version of me.
“I met this outrageously hot Italian who looked like a gift from the gods. He was ready to give me my happily ever after, or at least the best sex of my life, but I ran away scared.”
She scoffs.
“You’re not missing this opportunity on my watch. We’re going to dinner tomorrow with Gualtiero De Marco and his entourage. And if his brother and friend are half as good-looking, even better. I need eye candy.”
She gets a faraway look and sighs.
“I miss Lex. It’s been ten days since I last talked to him. I hate it when they send him to some remote region in South America to recover an airplane. Honestly, why do these crooks have to hide their planes in the jungle?” she huffs.
“Probably because they’re harder to find there?” I offer.
“Funny,” Rhia replies dryly. “So you see, you have to do it for me. Those looks have to run in the family, right?”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. Her level of enthusiasm is tiring.
“Undoubtedly. Same gene pool and all.”
Rhia studies me, rubbing her chin.
“What else is holding you back? There’s more, isn’t there? I can see it in your face.”
Damn, I can’t hide anything from her. It’s a blessing and a curse that she knows me this well. And she never stops until she has the full picture. Probably one of the reasons her PR company is doing so well.
“Someone tried to run him over,” I admit. “Someone is clearly after him. We shouldn’t be getting involved in any of this. What if it puts us in danger?”
“Ask him about it. It’s not fair to write him off over one incident without knowing the facts.”
“And you think he’d share the facts with me?” I raise an eyebrow. “Rhia, I’m a complete stranger. You just told me there’s barely anything about him online because he’s so private, and you think he’ll suddenly open up to me?”
“Maybe not everything. But he’ll give you some kind of explanation.”
I stare at her.
“Come on, El,” she presses, still buzzing with excitement. “Give it a chance. When will you ever meet someone like Gualtiero De Marco again? He’s a rare specimen. Let’s have an adventure.”
I shake my head, then finally voice the thought that’s been circling in my mind since we left the café.
“What if he’s in the mafia? I really don’t want to get mixed up with someone like that.”
“Oh my god, Ella Rose O’Neil, you did not just say that,” Rhia snaps.
“What? It’s not that far-fetched. He has bodyguards. He orders more than he asks. And…” I widen my eyes at her. “… someone tried to kill him in broad daylight. That would make anyone suspicious.”
“Just because he’s a rich Sicilian with bodyguards does not make him a mafioso. Stereotyping much? You’ve read too many mafia novels,” she huffs.
I raise my hands in mock surrender. “You’d think I insulted you personally.”
She exhales. “Sorry. You know how I feel about pigeonholing people.” Her tone softens. “Come on, El. Live a little.”
Rhia has a talent for seeing only the exciting parts and ignoring the rest. Like so many times before, her enthusiasm begins to wear me down. By the end, I usually forget what made me hesitate in the first place, and she gets to say, ‘Told you so.’
I need to pull her back to reality before she runs too far ahead.
“You do remember it’s only dinner? We’re not signing up for an adventure tour exploring the lava reservoirs of Mount Etna.”
Did I just agree to this dinner after all?
“There’s plenty of hotness to be had with that man,” she says enthusiastically. “It starts with dinner. Then you see where it leads.”
She tilts her head. “Honestly, the way he was looking at you was melting my panties. Where is Lex when I need him? I’m horny as hell.”
The memory sends butterflies swirling through my stomach again.
“I should avoid him,” I mutter. “He turns my brain to mush. I’m going to make a fool of myself.”
“No, you won’t. Remember the Seinfeld episode where George did the opposite of what he’d normally do? That’s you tomorrow night. You’re playing Opposite Ella. Say yes when you’d usually say no. Be touchy-feely when you’d normally hold back.”
Rhia is on a roll now, and I know better than to interrupt. Her grin is enormous and completely infectious.
“Here’s how I see this playing out. You walk into that restaurant like you own the place, radiating confidence and sensuality. Sexy as hell, but still graceful and feminine.”
She really has this all mapped out in her head.
“This is your chance to try on a different version of yourself. Nobody knows you here. You can be wild and unencumbered. A confident woman who isn’t afraid to take what she wants.”
Hmm. Maybe she’s onto something.
What if this is my chance to let loose? I’ve always imagined walking into a place and owning it, soaking up the attention instead of shrinking from it.
Could I pull this off?
Gualtiero feels like the right partner in crime for that kind of experiment.
“All right,” I say. “If I’m doing this, we’re going shopping in the morning. Opposite Ella will need a dress Normal Ella would never wear.”
Rhia claps her hands. “That’s my girl!”
“Does that mean you’ll be Opposite Rhia too? All demure and shy?” I tease.
“God, no. Not a chance.”