From our naked embrace, we stare straight at a most unlikely vision.
Nathan and Grace, red-faced and just arrived.
Chapter 18
Grace turns away. “We’ll wait for you downstairs,” she says and exits. Nathan remains frozen in his spot. I pull the blanket up to my neck.
“You’re supposed to be here next week,” I say.
“We wanted to surprise you,” Nathan says. “From the looks on your faces, we’ve been successful. Big time.” He leans against the doorframe, amused to the point I want to kick him in the balls despite all his lean muscles, luxurious dark hair and piercing blue eyes.
“Dude, get out!” Tomas says as he sits up, bringing his feet to the ground.
“Bro, I just traveled twenty hours to see you guys,” Nathan says. “I got to say, it was worth the wait. The look on your faces.” He laughs out loud and finally leaves us alone.
As soon as he leaves, I pull Tomas down to the bed. “Did you know about this?” I say, mortified that our secret is now out in the open.
“Me?” he says. “I didn’t have a fucking clue they were planning to visit at all. You seemed to have some idea, though.”
Fuck, with all that happened, I forgot to tell him about my chat with Grace and the plans we made. “I was going to call and tell Grace not to come,” I mumble. “One more thing in a long line of mistakes.”
“Well, they’re here now,” he says. “And I think they might have figured out we are more than friends.” His expression isn’t a happy one. I don’t think he likes having Nathan around cause Nathan can see right through him.
“I should have told you,” I say, pensively.
“Well, at least your pigheaded stubbornness paid off,” he says, doing his best to sound cheerful. “If you had left for Athens like I asked you, they would have found an empty house.”
“Instead they found us naked,” I say. “And the sounds we were making. How embarrassing.”
“That part doesn’t embarrass me,” he says. “You and I are fucking spectacular together.”
“Really?” I say.
“Well, I am at least,” he says with a wink.
“You are a total prick,” I say which somehow prompts him to swing his actual prick around to show me he’s getting hard again.
“You’re really too much,” I say and slap his cock away from my mouth.
“Hey,” he says, “it would serve them right if we did.”
“Yeah,” I say getting up and looking for more clothes. “And your buddy Nathan, the peeping Tom, would probably just come in and watch.”
Tomas considers this and nods. “Well, that part’s true.”
“You guys are kind of nasty,” I say, considering my lace panties and garter belt. This is hardly the outfit I can walk back to my room wearing. “I’m taking your blanket. I can’t dress like a slut in front of them.”
“They’ve seen what you’re wearing,” he says.
“Don’t remind me,” I say. “What the hell are we going to do now?”
He takes my hand and kisses it. “We’ll figure it out. Right now, I need a second shower.”
“How can you be so casual all the time?”
“How can you be so worried all the time?”
I shove him, or at least I try to. Hard to shove a tall man in such perfect physical shape. I wrap his blanket tight around me. “You do realize, smart guy, that all your man stuff just moved from my body to your blanket?”
“You’re washing it,” he says.
“I’m not fucking washing it,” I say, glaring back at him from the door.
The blanket smells like soap and mint and cinnamon. It smells like him.
He walks naked to me and wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me closer. His lips are soft and yummy-licious as he kisses me, gently biting my lower lip. I can’t even remember why we were fighting earlier, why we got so pissed at each other. Even if he lied to me, even if he slept with Sophia, I don’t care. His feelings for me are not a con. They’re real and palpable. There’s a way to make this work. I just have to find it.
In my room, I’m overcome with an intense feeling of hope and elation. Having Grace here, now that I need someone in my corner more than ever, is an unexpected gift. It’s been like a little death having no one to confide in, especially now that Sophia has become a viperous bitch.
Nathan and Grace are sitting on the couch, leafing through an old book on Greek architecture that’s been sitting on the coffee table since Tomas and I arrived at the house.
“Finally,” Grace says, giving me a hug.
I hug her back, perhaps a little bit too tight. “You must be exhausted,” I say. “How long have you been on the road? Or should I say, air and ocean?”
“We actually spent two days in Athens,” Grace says. “So we’re not totally jetlagged.”
“Oh, that’s good,” I say. “I’m so glad to see you.” I put my arms around her again, squeezing her delicate body as if I’m afraid she’ll vanish if I let go.
Grace is the most exquisite creature I’ve ever met, delicate like a flower, but strong and supportive at the same time, and kind to a fault. Her brown hair is shorter than I remember, framing her warm face in a flattering way.
Nathan is a god, like Tomas described him to me once. He and Tomas are so stunningly good-looking, they stick out, like flies would if they swam in milk, wherever they go.
“Listen, Taylor,” Grace says, as soon as I let go of her. “I’m so sorry. We shouldn’t have barged in like that.”
“We knocked,” Nathan says. “There was no answer and the door was unlocked. We thought you’d be out back of the house.”
“No worries,” I say, trying to get any awkwardness out of the way as quickly as I can. These two are my best friends. What’s more, they care about Tomas and lord knows he could use some friends right now. Nobody knows him better than Nathan
“So, Tomas and you, huh?” Nathan says with mischievous eyes. “I told Grace to warn you about him.”
“She totally did. Multiple times. I just don’t listen.”
“You’ve done worse,” Grace says with a wink.
“With friends like you,” I say, winking back at her.
“Now I’m here, I’ll make sure he behaves,” Nathan says. He’s joking but he doesn’t know how much truth there is in his words. Maybe Nathan and Grace showing up like this will be the answer to all my prayers. Next week could have been too late.
“The hell you will,” Tomas says walking down the stairs in his sports shirt and shorts. “I’m the fucking mentor, remember?”
“My street guru. Let’s hug it out,” Nathan says.
“Hug it out?” Tomas says, looking almost insulted. “You look so healthy it’s almost offensive.”
Grace rolls her eyes as the two men pat each other on the back. “Men are weird when they talk,” she says.
“Hey, I found your painting going through my things at my parents’ place,” Nathan says, opening one of the suitcases on the floor. He takes out a small canvas, about ten by twenty inches, and hands it to Tomas.
“You kept that piece of insufferable crap?” Tomas says. “Man, you’re a true romantic, you poor sap.”
“You made this?” I say, taking a peek at the painting in his hands.
“It was a long time ago,” he says.
“When?” Grace asks.
“We were cruising up and down the Mojave desert,” Nathan says. “I was trying to numb my soul. Tomas made it his personal mission to keep it awake.”
“More cryptic shit,” I say, trying to take the painting from Tomas’s hands. He resists for a moment but finally lets me hold the canvas.
“What do you think?” he says.
I observe the painting with complete focus. The colors are all earthy and muddy. They depict a desert, sand suspended above cacti and skeletons of small animals. On the right end, a girl in a white dress watches the scene with vacant eyes. Not a happy sight.
“
To be honest, I’m not sure what I think,” I say.
“I’m not surprised,” Tomas says. “You’re not really sure of anything.”
There’s so much innuendo in his statement, it’s hard not to get mad all over again. “I’m sure you’re a world-class jerk. Does that count?”
Grace brings her hand to her temple. “Oh boy,” she says. “Bickering. Things are more serious than I thought.”
I hand the painting back to Tomas. “You’re a man of many talents,” I say. “It’ll be a pity if you waste them all.” I turn to Grace, “Let’s give the boys some time to talk,” I tell her. “Let me show you around.”
“Keller, you lucky son of a bitch,” Nathan says as soon as Grace and I head for the kitchen. “How did you get that one to fall for your bullshit?”
“I heard that,” I yell back at him, shaking my head trying not to grin.
When we enter the kitchen, I’m reminded that the fridge is basically empty. Maybe Grace and I could go grocery shopping at the village if she’s not too tired. She looks more beautiful and confident than ever. Nathan has been good for her.
“Why are you smiling?” Grace says, inspecting the rustic cupboards.
“You are so beautiful,” I say. “I missed you so much.”
She stops and stares at me. She tilts her head. “Are you okay, little one?”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t lie to me,” Grace says. “Your rhythms are all off.”
I open a cupboard for her to see the exquisite porcelain plates and bowls.
“My rhythm might be off because of, you know, someone just kind of rocked my world upstairs,” I say with a blush.
Grace chuckles. “You horrible braggart. How was it?”
“Let’s just say, oh my fucking god!”
“Ah,” Grace says. “You have one of those, too.”
I nod gleefully.
“I’m very happy for you, honey, but worried,” Grace says touching my hair. “These boys are dangerous.”
“You tamed yours,” I say.
“Yes, but it’s a daily struggle sometimes,” she explains. “The tedium of everyday life is a challenge for them. They’re adrenaline junkies.”
“Don’t I know it,” I say not sure how much I should tell.
“Nice house,” Grace says deep in thought. She’s not really noticing the house at all.
“Come, I’ll show you the back porch,” I say
“Never mind the house,” Grace says. “You need to tell me what that strange tone in your voice is all about. Spill it, Taylor Donahue.”
It’s not a surprise that she wants details, but I think she wants more than just romantic stuff. Not only can Nathan read Tomas like a book, but Grace reads me like a very large print book.
“Like I said, let me show you the back porch,” I say pointing to the door.
As soon as we’re settled on the lounge chairs, I let her have it all. I tell her about my growing attraction to Tomas and how I fought it for a while; how we eventually ended up flirting and having sex on the beach. I tell her about De Luca and his goons and how they went after Tomas over something that I couldn’t describe as neither Tomas nor De Luca seem to be willing to reveal it in front of me. I tell her about Tomas’s hot-and-cold attitude with me, his confessions and even Sophia’s photos of the two of them half-naked and groping each other.
Grace listens patiently to my long account of events without interrupting. When I’m done, she stays silent for a bit longer. “Okay, that doesn’t mean they had sex,” she says, after considering everything I’ve said. “I mean, even if the pictures are authentic.”
“He says they didn’t. But he was so drunk he might not fucking remember. It wouldn’t be the first time, according to him.”
“But that’s good, Taylor. If he was lying, he would deny it outright. The fact that he has doubts means he wants to be totally honest with you.”
“Gracie, you’re a good judge of character,” I say, taking a sip of water. “But we both know that Tomas turned your stomach when you first met him. You two were at each other’s throats for a while.”
Her eyes widen in shock. “That’s not true. We might have been suspicious of each other at first but there was also mutual respect.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Mutual respect? Okay, let’s see. You told me that he was a vampire, that he got old fast—should I go on?”
“I might have been exaggerating a bit.”
It’s nice joking with her about these things like we used to but there’s also a gravity in the current situation that cannot be easily overlooked.
“Wait, do you want anything to drink? I’m a terrible host,” I say.
She laughs. “If I want something I’ll let you know. Now what exactly does all this amount to? You better be coming back to LA with us.”
“You’re being very encouraging, Grace, but I know you have more to say. Just let me have it. I need to hear your take.”
Grace sighs as she exhales. “I’m not going to lie, Taylor. The part about De Luca and the mob worries me. In fact, I am even uncomfortable sitting outside now. Maybe Nathan can help with that. He might be the only one able to get through to Tomas and get answers. One thing I know for sure, from what Nathan has told me, Tomas is a really decent guy deep down. He’s a loyal friend and the only one he ever really hurts is himself.”
I don’t know why but her words almost bring tears to my eyes. “So what am I supposed to do?”
“Okay, here’s what’s going to happen,” Grace says, leaning over to take my hands in hers. “We’re going to have a talk with that Sophia chick. You and me. Tomorrow. Set it up.”
I hide my face in my palms before I give her a big smile. My best friend has always been the most levelheaded person in the world.
Part of me immediately fantasizes Grace is going to slap that little Greek tart silly for messing with me. What am I thinking? I’m becoming more suited to the violent world of the man I love. Maybe I’m becoming more like Tomas, maybe he’s right and this whole danger thing appeals to me.
“It’s so great that you’re here, Grace. You make sense of everything.”
Chapter 19
The coffee shop at the village is busier than usual. A tourist bus has made a stop on the way to the Petrified Forest, a twenty-million-year-old natural, fossilized monument, courtesy of a prehistoric volcano eruption.
Sophia waits for us at a table with a shot of ouzo in front of her. That would be the second time I’m aware of that she consumes alcohol before noon—the first one being the day she supposedly had sex with Tomas although they both gave me completely different dates.
She gets up when she sees Grace and me, putting on a sweet smile.
“Taylor,” she says, “I was so happy when you called to meet. I really want to meet your friend.”
“Sophia, this is my friend Grace,” I say. “I’ve told you about her.”
“Nice to meet you,” Grace says, extending her hand.
“Oh, the pleasure is mine,” Sophia says, bypassing the hand and going for a friendly hand and double-cheek kiss.
Grace is startled by the unexpected expression of warmth but plays the part patiently.
“It’s customary to kiss on both cheeks,” I explain as we sit.
“Good to know,” Grace says. “Do guys do it, too?”
“You mean with girls or between them?” Sophia says.
“Well, do they do both?”
“Yes,” Sophia says. “Totally.”
“That would be a bit awkward if it happened to Nathan,” Grace says. “I’d better warn him.”
“Nathan is your boyfriend?”
“Yes, he is. Has Taylor told you about him?”
Sophia looks at me, unsure. “She must have. But not with details.”
She’s lying. She was very interested in Nathan when I brought him up and asked all sorts of questions. At least now I know she’s capable of lying. To some extent, we all are, but some lies
go way deeper than others.
“He’s the closest friend Tomas has,” Grace says, ever so sweetly. “Maybe his only friend.”
Sophia shakes her head. “Tomas has many friends. More friends than any other person I know.”
“He also has enemies,” Grace says. “Have you come across any of them?”
Sophia takes on the most stunned expression. “Me? I don’t know much about his life.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Grace says, dead serious. I didn’t know she had it in her to play a cat and mouse game in such a coldblooded manner. “I thought you and Tomas were in a relationship.”
Sophia’s face blushes and then goes pale. “With Tomas? Oh, no. I wouldn’t call it a relationship.”
“My apologies,” Grace says. “I always jump to conclusions. Tomas doesn’t really talk about his personal life so we kind of have to piece the information together ourselves. It’s like a riddle.”
Oh, she’s good. Sophia relaxes after Grace makes her believe we’re in the dark about her alleged relationship to Tomas. “He doesn’t really talk much about himself ever,” she corroborates Grace’s statement. “Not even to Adrian and they’re good friends.”
“He’s a very private person,” Grace says, “but he’s also a friend you can rely on. Tomas would never let a friend down.”
Sophia’s eyes turn to me. “You once said Tomas saved both your lives,” she says. “But you didn’t say how.”
I have no idea if I should get into this conversation with Sophia. By now she must know we’re here to pressure her to come clean about what happened when those pictures were taken. Does she suspect I’m involved with him? Could it be jealousy that is driving her?
Grace jumps in. “Yes,” she says. “We might not be here today if it weren’t for Tomas and Nathan.”
“Oh, why is that?”
“You see, Taylor has an aromatherapy store in Los Angeles where we live that she inherited from her grandmother. One day, or rather one evening before Christmas, Taylor, myself and another girl that worked at the store were taken hostages by two thugs who were after Taylor’s father.”
Sophia turns to me. “Your father? Why?”
“That’s a long story and I don’t have all the details,” I say, unwilling to offer her information about my life but Grace has something else in mind.
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