Looking disgusted with himself, Will got off my legs and turned away from me.
“Okay,” I said to his back. “We can wait if you want.”
He turned around, his eyebrows lifted. “Okay?” He sounded disappointed.
I leaned over and pecked his mouth, trying not to smile at his floored expression. “Good night.” Smirking, I turned around in the bed. I could feel his confusion, but I knew what I was doing. I wanted him chasing me again—I wanted his hands running up my hips when we were out in public.
“Tease.”
The bed bounced as he left the bed to go to the bathroom. I smiled to myself.
Chapter 7
So how is he? Is he behaving?
Sort of. I’m having the time of my life! How’s Luke?
Her next text was a bit troubling: Not so good. Can’t tell you on text.
I frowned to myself and glanced at Will, who was passed out on the train we were taking to Monterosso al Mare, Italy. His cat slept on his lap.
She must be referring to the lawsuit with Will’s father. I chewed my lip, feeling bad for Luke, but what could I do about it?
I told Will about the lawsuit and he is going to see his father in Chicago.
She texted back quickly: Really? Wow.
William reacted with anger and disappointment towards his father whenever I mentioned the lawsuit. He might not be a friend to Luke, but he did not approve of his father’s actions. I could tell that he was itching to go back to Chicago.
I returned to the sketch on my tablet. Over the last week, I sent dozens of designs to the marketing department and the feedback so far was overwhelmingly positive. Though, who knew if any of them would be actually used? I had a vague understanding of where we were going, only that it was on the Italian Riviera. Occasionally, the train would leave a tunnel and I would catch a glimpse of a deep, blue ocean crashing on a green coast, and my heart soared.
We left the damp isles of the UK and took a plane to Èze, France, a gorgeous, coastal town with breathtaking views. Will had assured me that the next stop would be even more spectacular: Cinque Terre. It meant “five lands.”
It didn’t even really matter whether this job amounted to anything. I was having an incredible time with Will exploring all these places. Throughout the week, Will had been able to keep his hands to himself. There was still the occasional, hot make-out session, but nothing more. It was really frustrating.
Will twitched and moaned in his sleep. Recognizing the signs, I leaned forward and shook his shoulder hard. His eyes shot open and he nodded, thanking me.
I wanted to ask him about it, but every time I did he shut down. My mind flooded with doubts about continuing this—whatever this was between us. There was a deep sadness within him that I just couldn’t reach and I felt myself drifting further away from him.
“Wow,” I said when we disembarked the train.
‘Wow’ was the only appropriate response I could think of. A small, white beach gleamed under the bright sunshine, sparkling, deep blue water crashing on the shore. Behind the train station was the tiny cliff-side village of Monterosso. Pastel-colored, cramped buildings sat on top of each other. Vineyards filled the green hills, spiraling around and around. We walked along the beach with our luggage and the sounds of accordion music lifted me up.
“This is incredible.”
Will blinked in the sunlight and smiled at me. “I told you.”
We walked through the tunnel into the heart of the town. According to a placard in front of it, the tunnel was erected after a disastrous flood in 2010. My suitcase rolled and bumped on the cobblestones. Ahead of me, the stone path lifted and snared around the hill, which would lead to the next village, but Will and I turned left to find our bed and breakfast. There were markets and restaurants, tourists lifting heavy cameras from their necks to document every spectacular angle. My eyes moved restlessly from detail to detail. There were just a thousand things to look at and my brain couldn’t process them fast enough.
The street became steep and my legs strained, until finally there was a sign, “Villa Steno.” Lemon trees surrounded the cheery, yellow building and we rolled into the tiny lobby.
“We’re excited to have you here, Mr. Pardini.” The receptionist handed him the keys to our room and she showed us the way, with only the slightest hesitation at the cat sitting on top of Luke’s luggage.
“Breakfast is from seven to nine, we also serve drinks in the lobby after seven. There’s a terrace on the roof where people like to have drinks. Here’s your room.”
The sunshine-yellow room had a double bed. She walked across to open the patio doors and we received a magnificent view of the town and ocean.
“Here are trail maps for hiking. If there’s anything else you need, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
Will nodded at her, looking pleased with the arrangements. There was a safe in the closet, a desk, several chairs, but for me the greatest thing was the patio, which overlooked the tiny village and the sea. Tom jumped out of his cage the moment he was freed and dashed outside to perch on the patio wall. The door closed softly and finally Will and I were alone.
“What do you think?”
He slid up behind me and curled his arm around my waist. After seven days of rainy, cloudy British skies, the sunshine pouring over my face was a welcome reprieve. I turned into Will’s arms and nestled my head under his chin.
“I love it.” I played with the fingers wrapped around my waist and felt his chest swell and exhale a long breath. “It’s amazing.”
I watched Tom bathe himself on the wall, his fur gleaming in the sun. Surrounding the patio were dozens of lemon trees and brightly colored homes, which faced the rolling ocean.
My body relaxed in Will’s arms, but at the same time my heart was galloping forward. “This is nice.”
A deep sound of assent rumbled through his chest. “Yeah, it’s beautiful here.”
“No, I meant being held like this.”
I turned around in his arms and looked up at his face, which stared down at me with unhidden longing. I lifted myself on my toes and kissed him softly, with a hint of my tongue sweeping inside to make him long for more.
His breath shuddered when I pulled back sharply, his fingers kneading my back. The battle raged behind his eyes. “Natalie, I want you, but—”
“But nothing. I want you, too. So why can’t we?”
His eyes blazed and then they clouded, as if he had been dealt a serious blow. “I don’t deserve you.”
I was worried by the expression on his face—he looked really low. Even his voice sounded as if he’d lost all of its energy. “Why not?”