Chapter 34
ROMEO
I reached for my phone, then jerked my hand back again.
That was the third time I had attempted to pick it up to message Sammie in the last five minutes before reminding myself that it was not a good idea.
When I had told her at lunch yesterday that it was better we did not see each other again outside of official meetings at the hotel, I meant it.
Things had gotten out of hand.
I should never have invited her to the pottery studio.
I should never have kissed her.
And I definitely should not have fucked her.
But although I knew I was supposed to regret it, I did not.
Fucking Sammie was the best thing I had done since… since forever.
I did not even need to think about whether it was the best sex I had ever had. I knew it for a fact.
I loved the way she tasted.
I loved the way she responded to my touch.
I loved the way her body moved beneath mine and how amazing it felt as I buried myself inside her.
I loved the way she screamed my name when I made her come. Twice.
I loved everything .
But I hated the fact that I wanted to do it all over again. Because we could not. There was too much at stake.
That was why I had taken her back to her driver’s meeting point after lunch yesterday and had not contacted her since.
Despite that, I was sure there was not a minute that had passed when I had not thought about her.
And that was why I could not message to invite her out. Even if I wanted to.
It was a bad idea anyway. Today I was taking Mamma and Biscotti to one of the most beautiful beaches in Salento.
Mamma loved it there and I was sure Sammie would like it too.
I’d already crossed too many professional lines.
I could not start crossing personal boundaries too by introducing her to Mamma.
Mamma would get excited that I was spending time with a woman and start asking questions which would make things more complicated than they already were.
I shook my head, slid my phone into my pocket, picked my keys up off the desk and headed to my car.
As I climbed into the driver’s seat, started the engine, then set off, I exhaled. I loved working at the hotel, but it was good to know that I had time off.
During the second week of our guests’ stay, things were much more relaxed.
Most of the couples had breakfast in their villas, but I tried to spend at least a few days doing breakfast service at the restaurant just in case.
Afterwards I would work in my office for an hour or two, helping the guests organise their couples excursions.
Then I would have the rest of the day to myself, before returning for dinner service to catch up with the guests, ask if they’d enjoyed their trips and find out their requirements for the following day.
This evening, though, I would not be working and tomorrow I had the whole day off. After working long hours all last week, I was glad to have a break.
Once I’d pulled up outside of my parents’ house, I switched off the engine. I had barely stepped out of the car when Biscotti raced over.
‘ Ciao , Biscotti!’ I crouched down and stroked her beautiful chocolate fur. She had made an incredible recovery and seemed more like herself which was great to see.
‘Hello, son.’ Mamma threw her arms around me and squeezed tight like it had been three years since she had seen me instead of just days.
‘ Ciao , Mamma.’ I kissed her on both cheeks. ‘Are you ready?’
‘Yes, I just have a few things in the hallway. Can you carry them out for me?’
‘Sure,’ I said, ruffling Biscotti’s fur again before striding towards the hallway.
I was relieved to see that Papà’s shoes were not there.
I always preferred it when he was out. I picked up the beach umbrella, two folding chairs, a large bag and cooler box, then carried them to the back of the car.
‘What do you have in here?’ I asked as I heaved them into the boot. ‘Rocks?’
‘Just a few essentials for the beach, snacks for Biscotti and of course some things I made for lunch.’
‘Feels like there’s enough to feed an army!’
‘With all of the long hours you work, I have to make sure that you’re well fed,’ Mamma said, as she strapped in Biscotti with the special dog harness then checked she was comfortable on the back seat, before sliding herself into the passenger seat. ‘Are you eating properly?’
‘ Sì ,’ I said as I set off to the beach. She had asked me the same thing when I visited on Sunday.
‘I wouldn’t have to worry about you so much if you settled down with a good woman to take care of you.’
‘Mamma.’ I rolled my eyes. ‘I do not need a woman to take care of me and I keep telling you. Times are different now. Women have their own careers. Like Mirabella.’
‘Your sister works too hard. You all work too hard. When will you have time to find a wife and have a family with all of this working ?’
‘I am happy.’
‘I’m not so sure,’ she huffed. ‘I can’t remember the last time you brought a woman to meet me. Not since…’
‘Mamma,’ I warned. ‘I do not want to talk about that.’
‘Okay, but I don’t understand. You’re such a gorgeous man. Any woman would be lucky to have you. Is there really no one special?’
My thoughts immediately turned to Sammie, which was stupid because it was just sex.
Sì , I admit that the connection between us was incredible and Sammie was unlike any other woman I had met, but when Mamma said special she meant someone I was dating, properly .
‘How is Biscotti?’ I changed the subject. ‘When is her next vet appointment?’
Mamma launched into a long account of how much progress Biscotti had made since my last visit. I was glad about the level of detail because it kept her from asking more questions about my relationship status for the whole journey.
Once I had parked, I took out everything from the boot and we set off with Biscotti.
‘It’s so beautiful,’ Mamma said as she slid off her sandals and sank her feet into the fine, white sand.
‘ Sì ,’ I said, looking out to the crystal-clear turquoise sea.
Luckily, because it was not high season, the beach was reasonably quiet.
There were many other beaches in Salento that were less popular with the tourists, but Mamma liked this one.
Probably because she liked being around people from other countries, including England.
Hearing their accents made her feel more at home.
After Mamma had chosen a spot, I took out the beach blankets, set up the umbrella and arranged everything whilst she went for a swim.
‘When Mamma is back, we will go for a walk,’ I said to Biscotti as she curled up beside me under the umbrella which I had angled over her to make sure she stayed cool.
Once Mamma had returned, I removed my T-shirt and led Biscotti down to the sea. We walked along the shoreline and we were only a few minutes away from our chosen spot when I stopped in my tracks.
My eyes popped.
Emerging from the sea like a goddess was Sammie.
What was she doing here?
Sammie was wearing a pink bikini and the sight of her set my blood on fire.
Those curves.
Those perfect breasts.
Those legs.
Her beautiful face.
Everything.
My cock instantly thickened and I wished that I could sprint over to Sammie, scoop her up in my arms, carry her somewhere secluded and fuck her all over again.
My brain was so focused on fantasising about all the different ways I would take her that I did not realise she had seen me until it was too late.
‘Hey, you!’ Her face broke into a smile, causing my heart to race. That was the other thing I liked about her. When she smiled it was like everything became brighter.
‘ Ciao .’ I swallowed hard, warning my body to calm down. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘You recommended this beach to me, remember? I didn’t realise you’d be here today too!’
‘I came here with Mamma and…’
‘Oh my God! Is this Biscotti?’ She crouched down on the sand and started stroking her chocolate-coloured fur. ‘She’s gorgeous!’
Biscotti, who was normally wary of strangers, wasted no time getting closer to Sammie, before she started licking her face.
‘Stop!’ I laughed. ‘Excuse her. She clearly likes you.’
Biscotti was not the only one. I never thought I would be jealous of our family dog, but the fact that she had got to lick Sammie made a wave of envy wash over me.
Flashbacks of my head between Sammie’s thighs as I licked her clit invaded my thoughts and I tried to push them away.
‘Can you blame her?’ Sammie chuckled.
‘Honestly, no.’ The corner of my mouth twitched. She always made me smile.
My eyes raked down her body, taking in the sight of her breasts, stomach and between her legs, before sweeping back up again.
Seeing her damp bikini bottoms reminded me of how soaked her thong was when I’d lifted up my T-shirt in the pottery studio. She was so wet for me and I loved it.
As I followed the droplets cascading from her neck down between her breasts, my cock twitched again.
Our eyes locked and we held each other’s gaze.
‘There you are!’ Mamma’s voice snapped me out of my trance and I spun around to face her.
‘I-I, Biscotti was enjoying the sea,’ I said.
‘I was worried because this is the first time she’s been out properly since her operation and I tried calling you, but there was no answer.’
‘I left my phone in my bag. I did not want it to get wet.’
‘Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?’ Mamma grinned.
‘ Sì .’ My brain was currently being controlled by my dick so I was not thinking straight. At least Mamma’s arrival had cured my boner situation. ‘ Scusi . This is Sammie. Sammie, this is my mother.’
‘Lovely to meet you!’ Sammie beamed. ‘Actually, no. No, I don’t mean it isn’t nice to meet you, when I said no , I meant I should say it in Italian. Piacere di conoscerti ,’ she said proudly.
‘Oh, my goodness! She’s English and she speaks Italian!’ Mamma clapped her hands together excitedly. ‘I’m so happy to meet you, Sammie! Is this the surprise that you said you had for me, darling?’ She turned to face me.
‘No,’ I replied quickly.
‘That’s a shame. I was just saying earlier how lovely it would be if Romeo found a new friend. So, how do you know my lovely son?’
‘I’m one of the guests at the hotel and Romeo’s my Love Alchemist.’
‘Oh.’ Her face fell. ‘So where’s your match?’
‘With any luck he’s in hell!’ Sammie cackled and a smile touched my lips. I was glad she was able to laugh about the situation.
‘You two didn’t get on?’ Mamma frowned.
‘The arsehole left me at the hotel, no note, no message, nothing. Then I found out he’d gone back to his pregnant ex!’
‘No!’ Mamma gasped. ‘That’s terrible. Romeo, how did this happen?’ She glared at me like I was responsible. ‘You poor love.’ Mamma rubbed Sammie’s back affectionately and another jolt of jealousy shot through me.
It was like everyone except me got to touch Sammie today.
‘Oh, no, don’t worry. It felt shitty at first, but your amazing son has been looking after me, so things are much better now.’
Sammie turned to face me and licked her lips.
Those soft, full lips that I wished I could taste again.
Electricity crackled in the air around us and my mind took another unauthorised trip to Sammie fantasy land. This time I was picturing how it would feel if those lips were wrapped around my…
What the hell was I doing?
I could not be thinking about doing those kinds of things with Sammie when my mother was only standing a few feet away.
‘Wait. Are you two together ?’ Mamma’s hand flew to her mouth.
‘No,’ I said quickly. ‘My boss asked me to make sure Sammie was looked after. Love Alchemists are not allowed to date guests.’
‘Yeah,’ Sammie jumped in. ‘Romeo was just doing his job. He’s been the perfect gentleman.’
Mamma glanced at me, then at Sammie, then back at me.
I knew that look.
That was the look she gave when she was not convinced about something.
Like when I used to tell her I was going to a friend’s house to do homework when really I was sneaking out to see a girl.
‘Hmmm,’ she said. ‘Sammie, have you eaten?’
‘Er…’ Sammie’s eyes flicked to mine like she was not sure how to respond.
‘We were just about to have lunch. You should join us.’
‘Oh, no, I couldn’t…’ Sammie said awkwardly. ‘I’m sure there won’t be enough. I’m fine. I’ll just get a sandwich somewhere.’
‘Nonsense. Romeo was just saying that I’d brought enough food to feed an army. Weren’t you, Romeo?’
‘ Sì ,’ I said awkwardly.
‘That’s settled then!’ Mamma’s eyes lit up. ‘It’ll be lovely to speak to another Brit and find out more about you, Sammie.’
‘You can tell me all of Romeo’s secrets too!’ Sammie grinned.
‘Don’t you worry! I’ve got lots of those. I was going through old albums last week and took a few snaps on my phone, so I can show you old baby pictures too!’
‘Perfect!’ Sammie grinned and turned to face me.
‘Mamma mia .’ I shook my head, realising there was nothing I could do.
As I watched the two of them link arms when Mamma led Sammie to our blanket, a mixture of emotions flooded my chest.
I was glad that Mamma seemed to like Sammie. And I was happy that she was here. Especially as I had thought about inviting her myself earlier.
But I was supposed to be spending less time with her, not more.
And something told me that having lunch together and allowing Mamma to get to know her better was about to make Sammie even harder to resist…