Chapter 195: Giddy Morning
- RORY -
I wait to hear the sounds of Luciano leaving the room before I turn on the water for the shower.
How? How did I end up curled around him like a damn octopus?
I woke up totally exposed—totally vulnerable. Not in a physical way... I had clothes on. But I don’t cuddle. Ever. It seems the rest of the locks that existed between him and my innermost part somehow swung open on their own overnight, and I woke up practically ready to feed him my heart.
I guess if that was a test to see if he only wants to sleep with me, then he passed. So far.
My hand shakes under the water while I check the temperature. Giddy nerves are fizzing up under my skin and roiling in my stomach as I think about how he felt next to me. That was the best however many hours of sleep I’ve had in... I don’t know how long. It was peaceful. And comfortable. And safe. And then insanely sexy when I woke and found him gazing at me, only partially emerged from sleep.
I wanted him to kiss me... wanted to know what all those sharp, scary angles feel like when they’re clashing with mine. He touched me, and I thought he would. His dark eyes softened and grew warm. But he stopped. Why did he stop?
What am I doing even asking that question? It’s a good thing he stopped.
I climb into the shower and scrub myself quickly, recalling that haunting dream. I don’t know what it means. I don’t want to know. I just want to forget it.
By the time I’m toweling myself off, I decide that I just have to click all those locks back into place and secure my defenses. We have a long time to be here on vacation together, and I can’t afford to hand over something to Luci that’s already damaged enough as it is. And I don’t know if it’s possible that getting close to me could hurt him in any way, but I don’t want that either.
There is every reason for us to just remain friends. That’s enough.
Hair wet and dripping, I rummage through my bags and wonder what the hell I was thinking not bringing more modest clothing. This is Raya’s fault. She was steering me toward the dresses and bathing suits while we were shopping, and all I ended up arriving with are scraps of fabric. There is one sweatshirt buried in my bag for when it rains or gets chilly, and judging by the way it feels in here today, it’s not going to be a sweatshirt appropriate day.
"Dammit," I whisper.
I guess Luciano is going to get a show while I’m busy stitching myself up to hide all of my inner soft, vulnerable parts.
After deciding on a loose black swing tank and khaki shorts, I do a once over of myself in the mirror and pause. I don’t look miserable. The dread in my eyes that meets me every morning is... gone.
Raya’s voice tears me away from the surprising reflection, and I go out to meet her.
"Good morning," she says, bouncing on the heels of her feet, very cheery this morning. Dex is behind her on the deck, staring out into the forest with his cell phone nestled against his ear. I guess CEOs don’t ever really get a vacation.
"Good morning," I smile. "How was your night?"
"Uh," she bites her lip. "Good."
Apparently, she doesn’t know how to tell me that Dex officially proposed, and it makes me laugh while I watch her try to figure it out.
"What?" I chuckle when her cheeks start to flush. "Spit it out."
"You look better," she says, and my eyes roll up to the ceiling with a groan. She can’t just make something about her for once.
I pad over to her and grab her hand, pulling it up so I can clearly see the ring.
"Congratulations," I tell her, watching as her shyness turns to something else—something deeply affected by the course her life has taken.
This isn’t just the two of us giggling under covers at night, imagining what our future husbands and engagement rings might look like. This is Raya having discovered her life partner—the one who will care for her for the rest of her days. This is everything she’s always deserved.
"I’m so happy for you."
The smiles we exchange become teary, and she gives me a big hug.
"Thank you," she says, turning into my neck. "Thank you for being here for it."
"Were you surprised?" I ask once we pull apart and she stares down at her own glittering finger.
"Yes," she chuckles. "Apparently Dad is coming. And Luciano’s family."
"Really?" My eyebrows shoot up. "Dad, huh?"
"And his girlfriend, Patty. We finally get to meet her."
"Wow." I cross my arms over myself. "All it took was a trip to Costa Rica."
She sighs heavily but doesn’t reply, and I’m not going to go on and on about it. It’s just annoying. I love Dad and all, but I can’t get rid of that thread of resentment that rankles wherever he’s concerned.
I haven’t heard from him. Sure, he was fed some elaborate story about how my kidnapping was related to Dex’s father’s business and that it was all quickly taken care of—that I was never in any actual danger. I’m not even sure all the details that went into making that convincing, but you’d think Dad would... I don’t know... reach out? See if I was okay anyway?
"The ring is beautiful," I tell her—an apology for the sarcastic comment about our father. Raya deserves to just enjoy this right now. I’m not going to make it difficult.
"It was his mother’s," she says quietly, admiring it again.
"Wow. It looks like an antique."
That explains why Dex didn’t need my help picking a ring out. I’m not sure what I expected from the ring—maybe some huge, gaudy 10 carat thing that weighed her finger down and could never really be worn in any practical way. But I should have known better.
Dex is obviously a very sentimental person, and he isn’t exactly flashy. There’s class and understated wealth to just about everything he does. He might not be able to blend in with an average crowd, but that’s because of his remarkable good looks and strong, dominant aura—not because of his flashy lifestyle.
Luciano on the other hand... my lips twitch at the thought of his very obvious enjoyment of all things luxury. Luci looks odd when he isn’t flashing what he’s got. When he showed up with Angelini’s in jeans and messy hair that day, I was... shocked.
Luci looks like the kind of guy who was born in a suit. What is the saying? He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth?
"I’m terrified to lose it," Raya admits, closing her right hand over the left and shielding the ring from the world.
"Oh, don’t be silly." I grab her arm and start walking to the kitchen area where there must be some kind of coffee. "He obviously picked the perfect person to protect it. Besides, it’s not the ring that’s irreplaceable, Raya. It’s the person wearing it."
Thankfully I’m a full cup of coffee into the day and onto the second, reclining out on the deck with the two starry-eyed lovers when Luciano arrives. I’ve had time to prepare. I glance at him with the steely edge that I’ve always had—imagining him as that obnoxious flirt that followed me around and trying to ignore the freshly showered, easy appeal that wafts off of him in every direction. Maybe he’ll catch someone else’s eye and save me the trouble of having to shoot him down or ignore him for two weeks.
Luciano’s gaze goes directly to my mouth. Once he catches the barbed glare I’m very purposely giving him, amusement glitters in his eyes. He smirks. Bastard. It actually makes him look more confident—more like his old self before this complicated, dramatic mess.
"You look nice today, Lorelei." His voice dips into that gravely baritone that wants to flow right through me to all of my vulnerable, needy parts. But I stop it before it can get too far.
"Thank you, Luciano." I smirk evilly—I think—and lift the coffee mug to my lips without returning the compliment.
Once my mouth is out of view, his gaze descends to my legs.
"So what’s the plan for today?" I ask when I notice Dex and Raya sharing a look.
"Breakfast?" Raya suggests.
Luci’s eyes stay trained on me when he replies. "Excellent. I’m starving."
