Chapter Seventeen Ella
Chapter Seventeen
Ella
Knock, knock, knock.
What is that obnoxious pounding?
I pry one eye open and immediately regret it. After lying awake for hours, it feels like I only just fell asleep. It cannot possibly be time to get up.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The interconnecting door flies open, and Rhia bursts in like she’s powered by caffeine and bad decisions.
I groan and glare at her. Now is not the time to be giddy.
“Wakey, wakey, sunshine!” she sing-songs, launching herself onto my bed. The mattress bounces like we’re in a trampoline park.
I clutch the sheet. “What time is it?”
“Nearly eight. Rise and embrace this glorious day.”
I drag my pillow over my face. “I refuse.”
She yanks it away and tosses it to the floor like we’re in a hostage negotiation.
“Why are you this happy?” I groan.
She beams. Actually beams. “I had a fantastic night.”
“That’s great. Now go away.”
She ignores me completely. Of course she does.
“So,” she says sweetly, climbing closer on her knees. “How was it?”
“How was what?” I mumble, burrowing deeper into the sheets.
We both know exactly what she means. But it is too early on a Sunday morning to be interrogated by my cheery friend.
Rhia rips the sheet off me.
“You slept with him, right?” She stares at me like she’s about to win the lottery.“Please tell me you slept with your hot Italian stud.” She clasps her hands and looks upward. “Dear Lord, let this be true.”
I blink at her. “Are you serious? How long have you known me?”
“Come on. You were Opposite Ella. That girl absolutely would have done it. It was the perfect opportunity.”
“You drank too much. It’s given you amnesia and made you forget who you’re talking to.” I squint at her. “What time did you and Zoe get back, anyway? I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Just now.”
That wakes me up. “What? You were out all night with your sister and the two Italian gods? Did you…” I lower my voice. “…do something reckless?”
There is no way she cheated on Lex. No way.
But her grin stretches wider and wider, and she looks deeply, suspiciously satisfied.
“Jeepers, Ella. How could you even think that?” she says, perfectly reading my expression.
“Don’t blame me. Have you looked in the mirror? You’re glowing like you had sex all night.”
“That’s because I did,” she says, rolling her eyes. “With Lex.”
My brain stalls. “What? I thought he was in South America with no reception.”
“He’s back in civilization. He called. Zoe, Mateo, and Romeo disappeared early. There are hotel rooms above the club, and Mateo handed me a key.” She shrugs innocently. “You can connect the dots.”
“Oh.” I blink. “So Zoe got her threesome.”
“There was no stopping her. You should’ve seen them on the dance floor. I actually blushed. Mateo is… wow.” She fans herself dramatically. “But enough about Zoe and me. Back to you. We’re not derailing this conversation.”
“I don’t like this conversation.”
“Too bad.” She leans closer. “Tell me why you didn’t go for it. You’re clearly attracted to him. And he practically devoured you with his eyes all night. At least admit you were tempted.”
“Yes, okay. I was tempted.” I admit with an exasperated sigh.
And since I absolutely refuse to unpack the emotional mess behind that statement at eight in the morning, I decide to have a little fun.
Biting the inside of my cheek to keep from grinning, I lift my nightdress and reveal my spectacularly bruised groin.
Overnight, the swelling went down. I had fully prepared to cancel our Mount Etna tour, but after obsessively checking the damage throughout my sleepless night, the bite site steadily improved. What remains now is a bruise the size of a fist.
Rhia freezes.
She leans closer.
Her eyes widen.
“What happened?”
I sigh dramatically. “Well. Unlike your man, who clearly understands basic anatomy, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome does not.”
Her eyebrows shoot up.
“He missed the hole entirely,” I continue solemnly. “Didn’t even notice. And as you can see, I’ve been… thoroughly battered. We had to call a doctor.”
Her mouth drops open. “You’re joking.”
“I wish I were,” I reply gravely, while internally I am moments from collapsing in hysterics.
The fact that she’s unsure delights me.
And then—
Knock. Knock.
I nearly ascend to heaven.
Oh, this is too good.
“Just a moment,” I call sweetly, scrambling into a robe.
When I open the door, Dr. Agosti stands there, medical bag in hand, professional and calm.
“Buongiorno, Dr. Agosti,” I say politely, stepping aside.
Behind me, Rhia looks like she’s witnessing a crime scene.
“How are you feeling this morning?” he asks.
“Much better. The cream worked miracles. The swelling is gone, though the area is still… visibly traumatized.”
“Let’s have a look.”
I lie back and lift my nightdress again, wincing slightly when he presses the bruise.
“This is uncommon,” he murmurs. “I’ve only seen something like this once before.”
Rhia makes a choking sound.
I focus on her face to avoid thinking about the fact that a distinguished Italian physician is currently inspecting my crotch.
“What the hell?” she mouths silently.
Oh, I’m enjoying this. Let’s up the ante.
Turning my attention back to the doctor, I say, “Yes, I was so shocked. I never thought something like this would happen to me. Tiero really surprised me when he called you. I expected him to know what to do.”
Dr. Agosti nods seriously. “He did the right thing calling me. One should never take risks in such delicate areas.”
Rhia’s pupils are enormous.
“Everything looks fine,” the doctor assures me. “Continue the cream three times daily. And avoid anything… hazardous near the area.”
I cough violently to disguise the laugh trying to claw its way out of my throat.
I see the doctor out and turn to face Rhia as she sits down open-mouthed on my bed.
“Are you serious? That doctor knows how this bruise happened?” She points at my groin, flabbergasted.
“Well, we had to tell him. How else could he determine how serious my injuries were?”
How did I say that with a straight face?
Rhia’s shocked expression is too much, and my laughter bubbles over.
“Gotcha!” I cry as I bend over, holding my stomach, tears running down my cheeks.
Rhia, of course, doesn’t understand yet and stares at me, eyebrows raised.
When I’m able to catch my breath, I explain, “Tiero didn’t cause the bruise, silly. It was a nasty little spider that crawled up my dress and bit me.”
Rhia picks up the pillow from the carpet and whacks me with it.
“Bloody hell, Ella. I believed you!”
Holding up my arms to protect my head from her hits, I say, “Yes, you did. And I’m very proud of my achievement. It’s not easy to fool you. And you went for it hook, line, and sinker.”
She sticks out her tongue at me.
“I was horrified that Tiero would be so inept. Now tell me what really happened.”
I fill her in on the entire disaster, from the spider ambush to Tiero scooping me up like I’d been mortally wounded.
By the end of it, Rhia is doubled over again.
“Oh my God, Ella. Only you,” she gasps, clutching her stomach. “I cannot believe those men were betting on who’d see your pussy first.”
“Yeah,” I mutter. “If only they knew I understood every word.”
That sets her off again.
Then we both freeze.
“What time is it?” I ask, searching for my phone.
Rhia beats me to it. “Shit, our tour starts in fifteen minutes. Let’s move.”
Chaos erupts.
We scramble into clothes, hopping on one foot, yanking shirts over our heads, brushing our teeth at record speed.
As Rhia wrestles with her jeans, she calls out, “You should really stop sitting on things.”
“I did not sit on it,” I snap. “The spider crawled up my leg.”
She appears in my doorway, stuffing sunscreen into her bag. “This was your third near-death incident. So technically, you should be safe now.”
“Huh?”
“You said bad things come in threes. First the near hit-and-run with Tiero. Then the almost collision in the one-way street. And now the spider attack.” She shrugs. “That’s your quota. Unless you start a new set.”
I pause mid-sneaker.
“I have absolutely no interest in another round of almost dying,” I say.
“Unless this time the three events involve wine, orgasms, and a five-star restaurant,” Rhia suggests, laughing.
I grin back. “Now that’s a trilogy I could support.”
Rhia’s expression shifts.
Uh oh.
That look means trouble.
“So,” she says slowly, eyes gleaming. “If the spider hadn’t intervened… what would have happened?”
“I’ll tell you on the bus,” I reply quickly.
“Nope. I want it now.”
“Nothing would have happened,” I say firmly. “Remember? I do not do one-night stands.”
She tilts her head. “You could’ve turned it into a seven-night stand. That’s how long we’re still here.”
I refuse to dignify that with a response.
If I engage, she will feast.
Instead, I pivot. “Where’s Zoe? Is she coming?”
Rhia snorts. “Not for a while. She needs recovery time.”
“…Recovery time from what?”
She gives me a look. “From what she described on the ride over? She climaxed so many times she can barely walk.”
I blink.
“Wow. What did they do to her?” I ask, half impressed, half alarmed. I’ve never needed a recovery day after sex.
“Things she was extremely enthusiastic about,” Rhia assures me. “But she went straight to bed. I don’t think Mount Etna is happening for her.”
“But that was the one thing she actually said she wanted to see.”
“Please. You’ve watched my sister all week. Sightseeing was never her priority.”
Fair.
As we head toward the lobby, she fills me in on the rest of their night. Zoe and the two Italians apparently operate on the same frequency: bold, shameless, and very committed to experiential learning.
My thoughts drift.
To Tiero.
Would he be like that? Controlled until he isn’t? Precise? Intense? Given how my body reacts to the slightest brush of his hand… how far would that reaction go?
Heat unfurls low in my stomach.
I clear my throat.
“By the way, Tiero is taking me to dinner tonight,” I say casually. Then correct myself. “That’s inaccurate. He informed me he would be taking me.”
Rhia grins. “Good. I have a FaceTime date with Lex. It’s our two-year meetaversary.”
“Of course it is,” I say. “How could I forget? Last year was ridiculous. I’m still swooning. That man sets the bar offensively high. Too bad he can’t be with you this year.”
“I know,” she sighs. “Well, at least he’s got cell reception. That’s something.”
“And knowing you two, you’ll still make it memorable.”
“Always,” she says, smiling.
I’m oddly relieved she has plans. Not that she’d care if she didn’t. Rhia could land in Antarctica and walk away with three friends and a dinner invitation.
“And hopefully tonight you’ll let Gualtiero De Marco give you the kind of night worth writing home about. Don’t waste perfectly good Italian talent, El.”
I snort. “I currently have a bruised groin.”
She waves that off. “Minor detail.”
“I believe you heard the medical advice,” I say primly, adjusting my bag. “The good doctor was very clear. Nothing remotely dangerous is to be allowed anywhere near the area.”
Rhia grins. “So you’re saying he qualifies as dangerous?”
I pause.
“Extremely,” I say, and head for the elevator.