Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 80715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
I was still on the couch, awkward and out of place in this sphere of luxury.
He looked me over before he opened the back door to the patio, the sunshine potent without a cloud in the sky. “Come on.”
“Look, we don’t need to do the whole charade,” I said as I got to my feet, wobbling slightly because I wasn’t prepared for the height of the heels. “I should have left last night, but I was knocked out cold—”
“If I wanted you to leave, I would tell you.” He didn’t raise his voice, but he somehow infused his words with unquestionable strength, the kind I was way too scared to challenge. Something about the look in his eyes and the way he held himself told me he was being sincere. “Come on.” He nodded toward the patio and stepped outside, barefoot, and pulled out my chair before he sat in his own.
I hesitated before I followed him, being hit with the sea air the second I left the suite and moved to the chair. When I tried to scoot my chair closer to the table, the legs got caught in the grooves between the stones, and it sounded like nails on a chalkboard.
He reached over, grabbed the bottom of the chair, and effortlessly pulled me to the table like the chair and I weighed nothing and the friction of the stone was practically smooth ice. He grabbed the steel pot of coffee and filled my cup before he filled his.
I was frozen to the spot, unable to believe I was sitting beside this gorgeous man in the light of day with this glorious view of the sea. He was even more handsome in daylight. His jawline was clean because he must have shaved after he took a shower. Maybe I should have let him go down on me last night so I could have experienced the coarseness of his beard between my soft thighs.
My eyes immediately shifted away when the heat surged through me.
Not over breakfast, girl.
I took a drink of the coffee and removed the lid from my dish to reveal the mulberry granita and brioche I’d ordered. I also had a side of scrambled eggs. There was a pastry basket on the table, but I hadn’t ordered that.
I was a bit self-conscious of my appearance, especially in the brightness of the midday sun, because when I’d gone into his other bathroom, I’d seen my reflection in the mirror. I looked like I’d been hit by a car and dragged down the street. My eye makeup was a total disaster. I couldn’t believe he’d seen me like that and invited me to join him for breakfast. My hair was a complete mess too, and I tried to manage it with my fingertips.
“Fan of the granita?” he asked.
Granita was similar to sorbet, but it had an icy texture rather than a creamy one. It wasn’t very sweet, and spread over a warm piece of brioche, it just worked. I’d only had it once since I’d arrived here, which was a shame because I’d intended to eat it as much as I could on this trip. “Yeah, it’s good.”
“Tried Bam Bar?”
It was a famous spot in Taormina that was known for its granita. The restaurant was decorated in warm colors of yellow and orange with round tables made out of volcanic stone from Etna. I’d seen a lot of pictures online. “Not yet.”
He took a bite of his omelet and chewed it. Then he sat back in his chair and watched me for a moment.
He watched me so hard that I had to ignore my food and meet his gaze.
“Don’t do that.”
Both of my eyebrows shot up my face. “Sorry?”
“You aren’t being yourself.”
The man barely knew me, but he called me out during our first meal together. “Well, I’m wearing a cocktail dress to breakfast, and I look like hell.” I released a tense chuckle. “Just wasn’t expecting this.”
“Then take off the dress.” A smile moved onto his face. “Won’t bother me.”
I felt the slight smirk come over my lips before I rolled my eyes.
“And you don’t look like hell.”
“Well, I look less like hell because I cleaned up the explosion of makeup on my face.” I’d washed my face with the hand wash on the sink because that was better than letting myself look like a clown.
“You look thoroughly fucked.” The smile was still on his face, a smile that I would love to see through the lens of my camera. “I like it.”
My eyes flicked back to the granita, and I dug my spoon into the fruit and the dollop of cream on top before I smeared it on a piece of the brioche. I popped it into my mouth and chewed, aware of his stare on my face.
He turned his attention back to his omelet and took another bite.