I raise my hand to place it on his strong abdominal muscles and then move it up to his chest. The smoothness of his skin against the hardness of his muscles feels incredibly good—like he was made to be touched.
Moving my hand back down to the ridge below his belly button, I lift the waistband of his swimming trunks a bit but then change my mind and let the fabric fall back down on his belly.
I decide to go and let him sleep a while longer when he grabs my arm.
“I didn’t mean to wake you up,” I say with a smile on my face.
“I’m glad you did,” he says, pulling me down to lie next to him.
“You were supposed to say I didn’t wake you up,” I say, kissing his cheek.
“What time is it?” he says, rubbing his eyes.
I shrug. “Not sure. It’s early still. The cell’s dead.”
“How long have you been awake?” he asks, spotting my lame excuse of a sand castle.
“Not long, maybe an hour.”
“An hour,” he says, sitting up. “You should have woken me up then.”
“But you seemed so peaceful.”
He plants a kiss on my lips and then brushes a finger against my nose. “Screw peaceful. We can’t have that cute little nose get all red and flaky.”
“Who are you?” I say, grinning.
“Seriously, we better get moving.”
“No objections from me. My hair could use some shampooing and conditioning. I can barely get my fingers through it.”
“The car, shit. We’ll have to walk all the way back to it,” he says, helping me up. “Do you see our shoes anywhere?”
Shoes. So that’s what has been missing. I knew something was missing.
We look around unable to locate a single shoe.
“What do you make of that?” I ask, not really expecting an answer.
“It’s a mystery all right,” he says, putting an arm around my waist and pulling me closer. “What are your thoughts on last night?” he asks.
“I’m thinking it was incredible, amazing.” I say, throwing my hands around his neck.
“Really?”
“Yes, really. You didn’t think so?”
All joy leaves his face. “I haven’t done much thinking. If I had, I’d hate myself.”
“Don’t go all enigmatic on me, Tomas,” I say, pulling him closer.
“I’m not, pinky swear,” he says, sporting a new smile for me. “So, how did I stack up against all the legions of your lovers?”
“Legions?” I say, unable to control a laugh.
“How would you call them? Troops? Platoons?”
“Do they have to be warriors?”
“They’d fight for you, wouldn’t they?”
I can’t deny it, it’s flattering that he thinks of me that way but it’s also important that he knows the truth. I’m not going to start this new chapter in our relationship based on false impressions.
“You assume too much,” I say. “The truth is I mostly bark but rarely bite.”
He squints his eyes curiously. “Meaning?”
“I’ve created a persona. No one knows that. Even Grace thinks I slept my way through high school.”
“And you didn’t?”
“Not even close. I’m not saying I’m an angel and I’ve definitely had my share of passionate nights but I haven’t had that many lovers.”
“How many?” he says, throwing his head back to take a better look at my face.
“I’m not going to tell you that.”
“Less than a hundred?”
“Oh my god. Did you hear a word I just said?”
“Less than fifty?” he says teasingly.
Okay, he better get his answer or this merry go round could go on for a really long time. “Yes, Tomas, less than fifty. Way less than fifty. I’m afraid I’m not the fuck goddess you thought I was.”
Is it my imagination or does he seem pleased with my confession? Am I a better trophy now that he knows I’m not easy? Or does he really care for me so much he likes it that I chose him? Will I ever be able to read him accurately?
“What about you?” I say, to change subjects. “How many lovers?”
“If there ever was a quantifiable amount, I wouldn’t know it.”
“Your modesty is humbling.”
“Modesty is for cowards and those with petty ambitions, angel.”
His lips find mine and stay there for a long, wet kiss. My lips and tongue get all tingly and happy. No man has had that effect on me since… since forever.
“I have to admit, I didn’t think you’d be such a considerate lover,” I say, biting his lower lip softly.
“I’m not,” he says, totally serious. “I take what I need.”
“But you are. Considerate, knowledgeable, passionate.”
He grabs my ass with both hands and lifts me an inch off the ground. “Stop flattering me or next time I’ll show you my true colors.”
“What makes you think there’ll be a next time?”
He sets me down to sneak a hand under my blouse. He twists my nipple hard.
“Ouch!” I protest loudly. “What the hell was that for?”
“That was for being obnoxious. And also because I love your nipples. Rosy and puffy and getting hard at the slightest provocation.”
“You love them, so you want to make them suffer?”
“Don’t be so dramatic. Your nipples love a little pain every now and then.”
“No, they don’t.”
The expression forming on his face is alarming to say the least. “Let’s test that theory of yours, shall we?”
I make a run for it but I’m not fast enough. He catches up with me easily, grabbing both my wrists with one hand behind my back. He uses his free hand to cup a breast under my blouse.
“Don’t you dare,” I say as his thumb finds my nipple, stiffened and alert with anticipation.
“And don’t you dare me,” he says, leaning in to kiss my neck. The movement is interrupted by the sound of an engine followed by the whoosh of sand. We turn to see a blue sedan parked nearby on the beach.
The front door opens and a man gets out. He’s in his early forties and dressed in a disheveled tuxedo.
“We’re not the only ones that stayed out all night,” I tell Tomas but he places his index finger on his lips to stop me.
The man circles the sedan to open the passenger door. A girl in a mini pink dress steps out of the car. She is tall with long, curly red hair. She comes close to losing her balance more than once as she walks on the sand in monstrous high heels.
The guy takes hold of her arm to steady her on her feet. Soon afterward, they spot us and head to us.
As they get closer, I become aware that the girl is extremely young, nineteen, maybe even younger without the makeup on. She is breathtakingly beautiful with perfectly harmonic features and porcelain skin that has been sheltered from the sun.
Tomas stands still, eyes hooked on the approaching pair. Then, as if he was just awoken, takes a few steps back to where his clothes lie on a pile. He picks up his shirt and puts it on quickly.
“Hey, Tommy,” the man says in what sounds like a Brooklyn accent, extending his hand. “Fancy finding you here.”
“Mr. De Luca,” Tomas says, taking the other man’s hand for a brief greeting. His features remain indifferent and almost in shock.
“You know each other?” I say, more than a little surprised at the coincidence.
“We’ve been acquainted,” Tomas says without looking at me.
“C’mon, Tommy, why the modesty? We’re more than acquaintances.”
Tomas says nothing. His eyes are fixed on the girl now. I wonder if he knows her as well? She’s a rare beauty, there’s no question about that, but for all his faults Tomas is not one to go after young girls.
The girl acts totally indifferent to us, her heavily painted eyes staring at the ocean vacantly.
“Hey, Amelia,” De Luca says, turning to the girl. “Remember To
mmy? He was at the poker game at the villa. With the brunette lady. Remember?”
Amelia shakes her head before she turns her attention back to the ocean.
“How can she not remember? You caused quite a scene, Tommy boy,” De Luca says with an almost sinister chuckle.
“People find different things interesting,” Tomas says coldly.
De Luca turns his attention to me. There’s something vile about his expression, as if you’d need a shower if he just looked at you. “So you’re Tommy’s girl?”
I can barely open my mouth before Tomas jumps in. “You know I don’t have a girl, Mr. De Luca,” he says. “That would be like you killing only one pheasant on a hunting trip.”
De Luca looks astonished for a second but then he bursts out in laughter. “That’s a good one, Tommy,” he says. He keeps calling him Tommy in a way that is meant to be derogatory, there’s no question in my mind about that. “So who’s the lovely lady?”
“A friend of mine from back home. We had a little too much to drink.”
De Luca laughs again and I get seriously pissed. Why do we have to give him a report on what we do and why does Tomas acts like he has something to prove?
“Plenty of pussy to go around, right, Tommy?” De Luca says, patting Tomas’s cheek.
“You should know,” Tomas says before he turns to me. “We should go or we’ll get fried.”
I nod. “Let’s.”
“Don’t let me keep you,” De Luca says, pinching Amelia’s butt. Amelia squeals and then she yells something in a foreign language before she walks back to the blue sedan.
I watch Tomas’s face as his eyes dart momentarily toward the fleeing girl. I see something in there that’s more than curiosity.
“Well, I’ll see you around, Tommy,” De Luca says, turning to go.
“Is she your daughter?” I say.
“What?” De Luca takes two steps toward me, looking truly confused.
“The girl,” I say, pointing at Amelia.
His face goes dark now. He’s not amused. “What is your lady friend saying, Tommy? You should teach her some manners.”
“It’s a joke, Mr. De Luca. No harm done. Right, Taylor?”
His eyes are pleading and domineering at the same time. “Right,” I say, fuming on the inside. “Forgive me, Mr. De Luca.”
“Well, then, no harm done, as Tommy here said.”
Tomas stays put until the blue sedan has driven away. It’s impossible to tell what’s going on inside his head.
“Who was that?” I say, placing my hand on his shoulder.
“Nobody,” he says, brushing my hand off him. “An asshole. A very rich asshole. Get your things.”
My things would be my skinny jeans as I can’t find my shoes. I pick them up and put them on while Tomas does the same with his pants.
“Did you tell him I wasn’t your girl to protect me?” I ask. “What kind of trouble are you in? Tell me the truth.”
He checks his dead cell phone, acting like he didn’t hear me at all.
“Tomas,” I say, losing patience. “Why did you tell that jackass we’re nothing but friends?”
He bites the corner of his mouth before he turns his squinting eyes on me. “Isn’t that what we are?”
“I don’t know, is it?”
I’m not surprised that he chooses not to answer me. He takes a look around and then he points at the direction of the road. “It’d be faster if we walked on the pavement instead of the sand,” he says. “I doubt it’ll take more than 15 minutes to get back to the main beach and the car.”
“Fuck you,” I say. And fuck me if I let him treat me like that.
A bus pulls over only a few yards down the street to let out a group of swimmers in wide-brimmed hats carrying umbrellas and coolers.
Now he’s losing patience with me. “Honestly, Taylor, why are you acting like this? I thought we were clear on what this was about.”
“I want to hear you say it,” I insist, unable to let it go. “What was this about?”
“My god, what did you expect? A relationship? Haven’t I spelled it out loud enough for you a million times? I’m a fuck-up and a professional con. This is what I live for. That’s my life, Taylor.”
“You said things,” I say, my voice trembling.
“Of course I said things. That’s what I do. How do you think I got into so many rich women’s beds?”
“So you tell all women that you wanted them from the first time you saw them? That they’re all you ever wanted in a woman? My god, what an accomplished liar you must be. “
His voice softens a bit. “We can still be friends, Taylor,” he says with a sigh. “Nothing has to change. We are good together exactly how we are. Why complicate things?”
“Maybe you should have thought of that before you fucked me.”
“I asked you, remember? I asked you if that’s what you wanted and you said yes.”
He’s right. He did ask. I just didn’t think that’s what he meant.
“Forget it,” I say.
“C’mon, Taylor.”
“No, seriously, forget it. You don’t owe me anything. You were pretty clear and I’ll survive. I’ve had worse. Much worse actually.”
“In time you’ll see it’s for the best. You deserve someone who can love you unconditionally.”
“Right. No problem. Let’s go.”
We walk up to the road to get back to the parked car. The sun’s beating down on me and my feet hurt already. The idea of driving back with Tomas for an entire hour with barely anything to say to each other is not exactly cheering me up.
But then I remember something. “I assume that was the same rich guy we ran away from? The guy who you thought wanted you roughed up?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Of course you do. You said it’d be best if he didn’t know I was important to you. Is that what this is about? Are you trying to protect me?”
“No,” he says, speeding up his pace.
I hurry to catch up with him. I can’t control myself. “Did you hit on that Amelia girl or something?”
He looks at me extremely irritated. A bulged vein pulses on his left temple as he flares his nostrils. “Drop it, Taylor,” he says with a harsh tone. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about and you’re just making shit up because you’re pissed. Fuck, I should have known better than to let things get out of hand between us.”
“Won’t happen again,” I say. And that’s precisely how a lovely night can turn to shit. I’ve been there, done that. Only no night had ever been that lovely, that fucking Earth shattering.
“Asshole,” I hiss and walk faster to avoid being next to him.
Chapter 10
No matter what life throws at me, I’ve had worse. I wasn’t lying when I told him that. I’ve had worse and I survived. I actually survived against all odds. I’m strong and I will find a way to move on and get even stronger for it.
My pride might have taken a hit but nobody has died. I’m healthy and young, and my business is doing great thanks to Nathan and Grace. I’d be totally ungrateful if I focused on minor inconveniences.
Yes, I know that I’m one of the lucky ones but why does this hurt so bad? Why do I feel like the walls are closing in? Why have I lost my appetite and my enthusiasm?
Love is a landmine. No matter how carefully you tread, you can never be totally certain that your next step won’t be your last one. Lucky for me, I’m still standing on the perimeter, staring at the landmine fully aware of the perils ahead. I may be in love but the shock of rejection came soon enough to keep me on the outskirts of true emotional danger.
I’m also fully aware that I’m talking bullshit. Tomas dropped me at the house yesterday after an hour-long ride in total silence and then he took off. He returned late at night and disappeared again this morning leaving a message on the fridge that he’d be back for dinner.
I don’t know how to feel about him. What
I do know is that I have to get my shit together and find a way to spend the rest of my time on the island independently of Tomas and the drama that we managed to create. Like he has told me a million times, I need to have some fun.
We were never meant to be. We have different expectations and he’s spoiled for life. I don’t think he’s capable of ever being happy in one place.
My phone ringing interrupts my thoughts. Grace, my eternal savior. I just have to stay focused when I talk to her and not let my emotions take over.
“Hey, Gracie, what’s up?” I say.
“Not much. Been binge-watching season two of Orange Is the New Black and thought of you.”
“Why? Do you think that because I’m on an island called Lesbos I’ll be turned into a lesbian?”
“I’m pretty sure that’s not what I thought. Up until now that is. You’re not going to come on to me, are you?”
“Relax, you’re safe. That hunky watchdog of yours would cut me if I touched you.”
“His name is Nathan and he loves you.”
“He loves you and I’m so happy for that, Grace. So happy you’re loved.”
A short pause. “Taylor, is everything all right?”
Of course I had to go ahead and do it—I let my emotions take control. “Of course everything’s all right,” I say, keeping my voice as calm as possible. “You’re the one who called. Is everything all right with you?”
“I was just wondering… would it be okay if we came to visit?”
I should jump with joy at the prospect of Grace visiting but I feel worried instead. How would I ever be able to hide all that has happened? It was bad enough when she had to witness the mess I made with Cody.
“You want to visit me on the island?” I say.
“Yes, but we don’t want to put you out. We could stay at a hotel.”
Jesus, did she notice my hesitation? “Don’t be silly, of course you can stay here. I can’t wait.”
“Would Tomas be okay with that?”
“He doesn’t get a vote. But why on Earth would he mind? He’s barely here, to tell you the truth.”
“So you’re certain?”
“Yes, yes, I’m certain. I’m a bit jittery cause I’m hungry and excited.”
“You’re the one who’s always on my case about having breakfast.”
Magnificent Ruin (Everlasting Series Book 2) Page 7