19. Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Nineteen
Zeke
Never in my life had I exercised such restraint. While my demon had heckled me, insisting I take what was mine, I dressed and walked to the kitchen to make coffee.
If it took my mind off the gorgeous man lying naked in the bed just feet away, then coffee it was. How I’d not followed through on my initial thought to make him scream my name over and over, I didn’t know.
Frustration settled like a damp blanket. Cold and unyielding. Where did I stand with him? Was he open to my advances?
He blew hot and cold, confusing the hell out of me. I took comfort from the fact that he’d invited me to his bed, something I didn’t think would have happened had we been back in London.
I know he’d do nothing of the sort while Carlotta was around.
Talking of Carlotta, I’d promised we’d visit the villa today and see how she was faring. I knew she’d be fine, but for his peace of mind, the visit was essential.
I set about making coffee and served up some pastries, bread, and cheese. Italians weren’t usually big on breakfast, dinner usually being their main meal of the day.
As I placed the last plate on the table, Rory walked in, freshly showered, his hair still damp. Small curls stuck to his forehead.
“That was quick.” I’d been gone five minutes at most.
“I was hot and sticky after travelling and, well, you know.” He selected a piece of cheese from the plate and nibbled on it.
Was that a blush? Was Rory embarrassed?
“You know we did nothing wrong. Just two men enjoying each other’s company.” Except it possibly meant more to me than it did to him.
He shrugged and picked up a pastry. “God, I’ve missed these.” He took a bite, closed his eyes, and groaned.
“Do you need a minute with it?” But I couldn’t take my eyes off him as he devoured it. Small flakes of pastry clung to his lips, and as tempted as I was to lick them off, I contented myself with a swipe of my thumb across his plump bottom lip.
His eyes flew open, and his tongue flicked out, catching the end.
I hissed at the contact, feeling a stirring in my shorts. Did everything this guy do get me aroused?
My senses were heightened with him so close. No doubt this was also a symptom of the mating. If it didn’t go ahead, I wasn’t sure how I’d cope with a pissed-off demon.
Hopefully, I wouldn’t find out, and Rory would agree. How the fuck was I going to break it to him, though?
Sometimes life wasn’t easy, and right now, it was a bitch. I longed for years ago when all I had to worry about was which person I’d take to my bed.
“I’ll pour us some coffee. Sit and enjoy your pastry.” I needed a moment.
His phone chose that moment to ring, and he stared at the screen.
“Who is it?” I asked, fearing the worst.
“It’s Carlotta.” With a flick of his finger, he answered. “Hey, sweetheart. How are you?”
Not wishing to eavesdrop, I walked into the en suite and turned on the shower. It might have been autumn, but it was still warm, and sweat clung to me.
The quick shower refreshed me, and by the time I returned to the kitchen, Rory was sitting in quiet contemplation.
“What’s wrong? Is everything okay?” I sat next to him. What the fuck had happened?
“Nothing’s wrong. She’s having a great time. Her grandfather is being attentive, and she’s spending another day with her friends. They’re going to a nearby lake, taking a picnic, she said.”
“So why the long face?”
“What am I doing keeping her in London when it’s clear she belongs here?” He scrubbed his face, and when he removed his hands, tears filled his eyes.
No, this wouldn’t do. This was exactly what Ernesto wanted, for Carlotta to have such a good time here that she wouldn’t want to return to London. That wouldn’t happen. I’d make sure of that.
“Do you really think she loves him more than you? Is that what you think? Why wouldn’t she want to return? As far as she’s concerned, that’s where you are, and you are her home. Not Ernesto. You, Rory Tushingham-Smythe. Now, let’s have none of this.”
Mal would laugh at me right now. Gone was irresponsible Zeke, the guy who couldn’t care less what happened to anyone other than himself. Selfish Zeke had been replaced by someone who cared for the man sitting in front of him.
My mate. Except he didn’t know it yet.
He didn’t look convinced.
“Have you given up on your daughter?”
“What? No… why would you say that?”
“Then get your arse in gear and man up. You’re acting like it’s a done deal. Fight for your daughter and fight for your family.”
He looked at me and blinked. Had I overstepped? Did I give a fuck? I didn’t care either way, but I wasn’t giving up on her, and he shouldn’t either.
“I haven’t given up on her. I could never do that, but you have to admit he’s doing a fucking fine job of proving that he’s better than me.”
“He’s not and will never be a better choice for your daughter. Don’t you ever let me hear you say that again.”
I knew how much she meant to him, and I was surprised at his attitude.
“What’s brought this on? You were ready to remove her last night. What changed?”
He shook his head. “Her face lit up when he turned up. He has money and status.”
“But he’s not her father. You are. I don’t understand why you’re willing to give her up.”
He stood, his face mere inches from mine. “I’m not giving up.”
“Sounds to me like you are.”
“What do you know? She’s my daughter. She belongs with me.
I’ll not let him take her away from me and keep her here.
” His voice rose. This was what I was looking for.
This was the attitude I wanted from him, not the apathetic man sitting at the table a moment ago.
I might have goaded him, but it had got results.
“Thank you. About time you realised that. Now, drink your coffee and let’s get going.”
“You did that on purpose.” He sipped the hot black coffee I’d poured for him.
“Damn right, I did. He won’t win. Carlotta loves you over everything. And in a week’s time, she’ll return to London and carry on living out her life with you. Not him. You know I’m right.”
“I’ve been second-guessing my decision to move. Seeing and hearing her so happy, I thought it was the wrong one.”
“You know she’s safe today. How about we take a ride out, spend the day on the bike? Nothing to think about, nothing to worry about, just the open road.”
“That sounds good, actually. But when did you get a bike? Didn’t you leave it in London?”
“I don’t go anywhere without having a bike. I hired one. It’s sitting outside.”
Bikes were my passion. I loved them. I’d take one over a car any day, and in weather like this, they were a joy to ride. Having Rory on the back would be the icing on the cake.
“Do you have your leathers with you?” He waggled his eyebrows. “I love your leathers.”
“I go nowhere without those either. Maybe you want to help me get into them? It’s a two-man job.”
“I could be persuaded.” He stood and walked towards the bedroom. “Shall we?”
Putting them on took longer than expected, but maybe that was because we didn’t actually get to the trousers for at least half an hour. A make-out session followed by another shower. It was almost ten a.m. by the time we left the villa.
I started the engine. It purred like a cat, a well-oiled machine. I loved my bikes but Ducatis in particular. There was just something about them that drew me to them. Some preferred their Harleys, their BMWs, but to me, nothing satisfied me more than straddling my Ducati and roaring away.
With Rory settled in behind me, I pulled away, revelling in the sound.
The roads wound around the mountainside, hairpin after hairpin.
We moved in unison, Rory leaning into the corners.
I rarely took a passenger, but something about having his arms wrapped around me, his body flush with mine, was a temptation I couldn’t pass on.
My destination was a mountaintop village offering spectacular views.
“In all the time I lived in Italy, I never visited here. It’s breathtaking.”
“There’s a small trattoria in the centre. I thought we could stop for some lunch.”
We chose an outside table in the small plaza and watched tourists bustling about the souvenir shops. Rory had relaxed, and it was good to see him smile. The lines etched in his face of late had smoothed, although the dark circles remained. Maybe by the end of the week, they too would have lessened.
Lunch was a light meal, a charcuterie board with some delicious meats and cheeses, but as the meal came to a close, a sensation of being watched washed over me.
It wasn’t just anyone, though. This was a demon. I sniffed the air, trying to pinpoint the location, but the aromas from the various eateries masked the smell.
“I’ll be back in a moment.” I excused myself and left Rory to finish his meal while I scouted the area.
Where was the danger? For that’s what it was. Were they after me or Rory? There was no way of telling, but it was time to leave.
Fuck it. We were having such a great day.
I slid into the seat next to him and smiled.
“What’s wrong?”
“Why should anything be wrong?”
“I don’t know. You look on edge. That smile is as false as the eyelashes on a beauty queen.”
“Strange analogy, but okay. I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”
“And now I’m worried. You never say everything’s fine. What am I missing?”
“Nothing. I told you. I’ll pay the bill, and we can get going.”
He sighed, wiped his mouth on the napkin, and threw it onto the table. “I’ll believe you. Thousands wouldn’t. I just need to use the bathroom.”
As he walked into the restaurant, I looked around, alert to every person in the plaza. No one followed. No one looked out of place, but a demon could blend in anywhere.
I called over the waiter, paid, and waited by the door for Rory.
One minute, five, and he still hadn’t returned. Where the fuck was he?
“Did you see a man a little shorter than me? Blond curly hair, wearing jeans, blue button-up shirt, leather jacket.”
The woman behind the bar shook her head. I began to worry. Had someone taken him? I’d been watching the door. No one had gone in, and no one had come out. He wouldn’t have gone back to the bike. He knew I’d be waiting for him.
Should I check and make sure? Never in my life had I worried so much about a person, and right now, my demon was scratching at my insides.
“Yeah, I feel it too. Something’s not right,” I muttered. I scanned the area and still couldn’t pinpoint the feeling of unease. Rory finally exited the restaurant, laughing with the owner, and relief washed over me. Thank fuck, he was safe. For now anyway.
It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him where the fuck he’d been, but his look was apologetic as he said goodbye.
“I’m so sorry. I ended up in the kitchen, and the owner insisted on telling me about his pigs. Weird, I know, but he was so friendly. Then, of course, I still needed to pee.”
“Let’s just go.” I took him by the elbow and steered him towards the bike. The sooner we were away from here, the better.
“Where’s the fire?” He pulled away and stopped walking. “Why are we rushing? I thought we were having a peaceful afternoon, just the two of us. Why the urgency to leave?”
“I have an uncomfortable feeling in my gut, and I’m never usually wrong.”
I rubbed my face and handed him his helmet. How could I explain this to him? My demon and I both knew something was off.
“Get on the bike.”
“No. Not until you tell me what’s going on.” He folded his arms and looked at me, his jaw set.
“We don’t have time for this.” I grabbed his arm, but he pulled away.
“Tell me, else I’m not getting on that bike.”
Fucking brat. I took a deep breath, contemplating what to say to him.
Out of nowhere, two men appeared.
That right there was the reason for my discomfort. Who were they here for, and what would they do? I rolled my shoulders and, with purpose, placed the helmet on the bike. If they wanted a fight, they’d get one, but it wasn’t ideal.
We were shielded from the plaza in a quiet part of the village. A few people milled about, but no one paid us any attention.
If they wanted to start something, I was good with that. Two against one were no odds, but they’d not met me. I played and fought dirty. They wouldn’t last two minutes.
Unless, of course, they revealed their demon form. That would be a completely different fight.
“Stay back, Rory, and don’t say a fucking word.” I stood in front of him, partially hiding him from view.
For once, he did as he was told, the bike now between him and the approaching demons.
“Who sent you, and why are you here?” I shrugged out of my jacket and handed it to Rory. The last thing I wanted to do was shift, but if I did, I needed as few obstacles as possible.
“We don’t want a fight. We just want him.” The bigger of the two men spoke. There was a shift in the air, and I knew without a doubt where this was going to go.
This wasn’t how I wanted Rory to find out about us. About demons and the other species that inhabited this world. I’d hoped for a more private reveal, but if they wanted to bring it on, I was ready for them.
“Rory, go back to the restaurant and wait for me there.”
“I’m staying.” I knew it was futile telling him to go. He wouldn’t leave me, but it was worth a try.
“Hand him over. We don’t need to fight over this.”
“Who wants him?”
“Not our place to say. Hand him over, and no one gets hurt.”
Well, that would never happen. Without knowing who wanted him or where they’d take him, I wasn’t letting him out of my sight.
Things were about to get interesting.