A Place in the Sun

  “Looks like I might get my wish after all.”

  “What’s that?” Katerina asked.

  For a moment I’d forgotten we weren’t alone.

  Gianluca straightened up and took a step back from me. “I told Georgie I would have preferred a smaller party, just the four of us.”

  “No shock there,” she snorted and turned back for the villa. “Come on, Georgie, let’s go freshen up.”

  Gianluca’s villa was ancient, and though I could tell he’d worked hard to restore it, there were still features that spoke to its age, such as the worn wooden floors and white plaster walls. Most of the rooms on the first floor were lit naturally by the massive windows. Unlike the windows I had in my hotel and in the bed and breakfast, there was glass in these, allowing for a bit of the dreary light to enter without any of the strong winds.

  “Let’s flip a light on in here, shall we?”

  Katerina reached around for a light switch in the living room and then a soft yellow chandelier illuminated the space. It was beautiful—the entire place was really. The first floor had a massive kitchen that opened out to the living room. A staircase led up to a second story, where I assumed Gianluca had his bedroom, but Katerina and I stayed away from it. I didn’t want to invade his space. Gianluca and I were getting closer, but at times he still felt like an absolute stranger to me. In all the weeks we’d been together, he’d never once invited me up to his villa. I knew it was because we had the bed and breakfast. It was just easier to be together there, but still, there were sizeable chunks of Gianluca’s life that he kept hidden away. Whether or not it was on purpose, I couldn’t tell.

  “Georgie?” Katerina called from the doorway of the bathroom down the hall past the stairs. “You coming?”

  I’d been standing at the base of the staircase staring up into the darkness above.

  “Oh. Yeah, let me grab my stuff.”

  The ground-floor bathroom was big enough that Katerina and I could both get ready without feeling too cramped. She fixed my hair, untangling it so it fell down my back in loose waves. My dress didn’t allow for a bra and most of my back was exposed to the silky strands. I shivered at the sensation and met Katerina’s eyes in the mirror.

  She grinned. “You look beautiful.”

  “Thank you.”

  I stayed in there with her as she fixed her makeup, and then she turned to me. “You hardly ever wear any since you don’t need it, but for fun, want to add just a little bit on for the party?”

  I stood with my back to the mirror and let her have her way. She promised she wasn’t using a heavy hand, and when I spun around, I grinned. She was brilliant with makeup and she’d turned my tan complexion up another notch. My eyelids were covered with shimmery eye shadow. It was subtle, but it made my eyes pop, turning their dull brown color to an alluring caramel.

  By the time we’d finished, there were voices out in the courtyard. Paolo and Matteo had arrived with two women I’d never seen before. Their small group gathered around Massimo and Gianluca, the real stars of the party, and after we’d said our hellos, Katerina and I flitted around the courtyard ensuring everyone had a drink in hand. I’d just finished handing off a beer to Paolo when Gianluca caught my eye. His brow arched as he scanned down my dress, and I didn’t miss the heat in his eyes as he smirked and turned away.

  A few more guests arrived, including more beautiful women with dark hair and names I couldn’t remember once they’d said them. I laughed, unsurprised that they had all braved the steep ascent in volatile weather for a crack at the elusive Gianluca. Everyone seemed so comfortable with one another, going around and laying on double kisses and big hugs. I felt a little out of place as everyone fell into spoken Italian. Even Katerina knew a bit, loads more than I did at least, and I felt bad having to cut in and ask people to translate all the time. After pretending to get on with a bit of the conversation, I went back into the kitchen to prepare a charcuterie board for everyone to munch on while the meat cooked. I piled cheeses, grapes, almonds, slices of flaky bread, and some olives I’d picked up from the shop next door to Katerina’s. Everyone moaned in thanks as I set it on the small antique table in the courtyard.

  The group lingered around Gianluca and the cooking meat, and though I wanted to go over and sidle up beside him, I made a point to keep my distance. I didn’t want him to think I couldn’t fend for myself at a party. I kept myself busy refilling the bread and olives when they were in danger of running low. I was laying out a bit more bread when one of the Italian women came to stand beside me. She was the tallest of the bunch, long limbed and gorgeous. She stood nearly a foot taller than me, and I found myself straightening my shoulders before realizing how silly that was.

  “How did you come to know Gianluca?” she asked, sliding her gaze down my dress when she thought I wasn’t looking.

  “I met him through Katerina.”

  She nodded, seemingly pleased with the answer.

  “Are you a friend of his?” I asked.

  “You must not know him very well to think he keeps friends besides Massimo and Katerina.”

  I laughed. “Very true.”

  I glanced over and watched him take a long sip of his beer and then grin over at Massimo.

  “I’ve only ever been around him a few times and I’ve never seen him as happy as he is tonight.”

  It was true; he was getting on well with the group. I glanced back to the woman and smiled, becoming aware for the first time that her English was good, much better than a few of the other guests I’d spoken with that night.

  “Your English is fantastic, by the way. Have you taken courses on it?”

  She grinned. “My boyfriend is English. I knew two, maybe three words before we met, but I learned for him.”

  “So romantic.”

  She shrugged and reached down for a few olives, but I could see the wide smile she was trying to conceal. “It’s astonishing, the things we do for love, yes?”

  Like completely redoing a bed and breakfast just to spend time with someone?

  I sighed and nodded before turning away. I needed more wine and I’d left my glass in the kitchen. I excused myself and promised to find her later.

  A bolt of lightning split the horizon as I stepped into Gianluca’s house, and the following clap of thunder concealed the sound of him coming up behind me. His hand wrapped around my elbow and he tugged me around the corner into the abandoned hallway.

  “This is quite a dress,” he said, hauling me up against the wall and pushing his body flush against mine. His hand strung up into my hair and he bent down to press a slow kiss to my lips. “Shame I’ll have to ruin it later.”

  “Gianluca,” I murmured just before he bent down and pressed another kiss to my lips. One hand kept my face angled to him and the other dragged down my dress, caressing my breast through the thin material. I caught his primal groan as he cradled it, feeling the weight in his hand.

  I flushed, aware of everyone outside as he fingered a strap and dragged it down my shoulder. His mouth left mine and then he bent lower, tasting and teasing his way down my chest, dropping even lower until his half-parted lips brushed across my breast. I pressed into him as his tongue dragged across my nipple.

  Lust raced down my spine, settling like a warm kiss between my legs. My fingers were in his hair, keeping his mouth on me even as voices spilled into the kitchen. We were so close to being caught and yet I wasn’t going to be the one to pull away, to insist that we stop.

  I arched into him, quivering in his arms just as the voices grew louder. They were in the kitchen, looking for wine, and I was lost just on the other side of the wall. My eyes flew open and Gianluca stood up, repositioning my strap and pressing one last slow kiss to my lips before pushing off the wall and heading back outside to tend the grill.

  I stood there immobile, my rapid pulse pumping as though I’d just run a hundred miles. Then someone rounded the corner—the woman who’d asked me how I knew Gianluca. She smiled as she pa
ssed me in the hallway and I could tell by the gleam in her eye that she guessed something had just happened.

  “Oh, is that where the bathroom is?” I croaked, pointing down the hallway. “I was just looking for it.”

  She narrowed her eyes, not quite believing me. “Yeah. You can go on ahead. I’ll wait.”

  I didn’t bother arguing. I scurried down the hallway and locked myself inside. I turned to the mirror and caught sight of my reflection. Gianluca’s assault in the hallway was written across my features: wide eyes, flushed cheeks, and red marks marring my tan chest. I leaned down and turned on the faucet, wishing I could splash a bit of cold water on my face without ruining my makeup. Instead, I settled on washing my hands and taking a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself before I returned outside.

  Everyone was where I’d left them a few minutes earlier, though a few more party guests had arrived. There was still a crowd of people around Gianluca, mostly women, and I couldn’t really blame them. In his dark jeans and black button-down rolled to his elbows, he was a true fantasy. Tall and tan, perfect white smile, and hair thick enough to hold on to when he bent to kiss a path down to—

  “Georgie, you good?”

  I swallowed and turned my attention back to the group I’d come to stand with: Paolo, Massimo, and Katerina. They were going on about playing another game of footie on the beach, but I couldn’t bring myself to contribute. Gianluca was across the courtyard with so much attention pinned to him I doubted he even remembered I existed. He looked statuesque in the deep, contrasting light of the oncoming storm. On one hand, I appreciated my unfettered view of him afar. It was a rare occurrence that he and I were together and not close, but this was getting to be too much. The girls around him were beautiful and speaking Italian so fast I had no chance of picking up the occasional word to clue me in on the subject of the conversation, but their body language translated clearly into any language.

  Fortunately, a few minutes later, the meat was done and the heavy clouds had settled right over Gianluca’s villa. We helped carry platters of meat and fish into his kitchen just before the first fat raindrops started to fall.

  “Al chiuso! Inside everyone!” Massimo shouted.

  It was a frenzy of laughter and shouts as we carried in all the food and drinks from outside. I barely managed to get in before the rain hit, but a few of the other guests weren’t so lucky.

  “Let’s eat,” Gianluca said from the kitchen with a proud smile.

  I wasn’t used to seeing him like this, smiling and happy around so many people. The Gianluca I knew was so used to staying out of the limelight. Now, he was helping divide up the food, making sure everyone got enough to eat. I lingered by the living room window, watching the rain come down in sheets so thick I couldn’t see past the edge of the cliff.

  “Here.”

  A plate of food slid into my line of sight and I glanced up to see Gianluca beside me with an amused smile.

  “I’m not really hungry.”

  He eyed the glass of wine in my hand. “You should eat a little anyway. It’s good.”

  I accepted the plate, but didn’t take a bite. My stomach was in knots. The party was supposed to be fun, but I hadn’t properly thought it through. In the months since we’d started to redo the bed and breakfast, Gianluca and I had lived in our own private world. Selfishly, I realized the only reason our arrangement had been working was because I’d had him all to myself. Now, it felt like I was sharing Gianluca at this party, on top of having to pretend we were just friends—it was throwing me for a loop.

  “You’ve kept your distance tonight.”

  My gaze swept up to find Gianluca still standing near me. I thought he’d wandered back into the kitchen after handing me my plate. “Me?”

  “I kept hoping you’d come talk to me while I grilled.”

  I laughed bitterly. “I’m not one for queues.”

  He nodded. “I didn’t peg you as the jealous type.”

  “I’m not.”

  In in a matter of seconds, my mood took a nosedive. I was angry with him for teasing me and I was angry with myself for getting worked up about it.

  I shoved the plate of food back at him and turned to find Katerina. She was sitting in the kitchen, at the island with Massimo, Matteo, and Paolo. I forced my way into the group and found a seat beside Katerina. She asked if I was okay and I plastered on a fake smile. This was all new territory for me. I was usually the life of the party, the girl always down for a laugh. Now, I was moody and quiet. It was like Gianluca and I had completely switched roles for the night.

  Even though I’d put distance between us, I couldn’t help stealing quick glances at him. I was still helpless against the pull he had over me. He stayed in the living room for a while, and I couldn’t turn over my shoulder to get a look at him, but I heard his voice over everyone else’s. Each of his words in Italian spun a thin strand around my neck, all combining to slowly suffocate me. Eventually, he came to join the group at the island, diagonal from where I sat.

  One of the Italian girls had found his stereo and put on music. A deck of cards appeared and the alcohol continued to flow. Meanwhile, I sipped my wine, studying Gianluca over the rim of the glass. He didn’t seem as pensive as I was, instead appearing rather content with the idea of all these people in his house.

  I thought he wanted it to be just the four of us.

  Why was he enjoying himself so much?

  Then he caught me staring and before I could turn away, he unleashed a seductive smile and tilted his head to the living room where people had started to dance playfully.

  He edged around the group and I followed after him, not yet sure if I was ready to let go of my anger, but too curious to turn him down. He reached for my glass and set it down on a side table, taking my hand in his and pulling me close.

  There were enough people there that we didn’t stand out, but the dancing was different from what we did back in England. There, men sort of flopped around and tried desperately to look like they knew what they were doing. This was different. Gianluca radiated an effortless rhythm. He was so confident that when he pulled me into him, I melted.

  “Are you still upset with me?” he asked, ensuring that my hips were aligned with his.

  I was burning up, on the edge of giving in when he bent his head and whispered against my ear.

  “Don’t be, bella…tesoro…luce dei miei occhi…”

  He was coaxing me out of my sour mood, gently teasing me with Italian pet names. Lovely, darling… Before I could ask what the last phrase meant, he pulled back and met my gaze.

  “Light of my eyes.”

  I groaned and rolled my eyes, feigning annoyance. Still, every single ounce of anger I’d held was gone.

  “I was never really upset,” I started.

  He took my hand and spun me around, then pulled me back close, rocking his hips with mine. “No? You’ve been punishing me for the last hour.”

  “Maybe you deserved it a little bit.”

  He laughed and then his gaze dropped to my lips, his smile faded, and I could tell he wanted to kiss me. God, we were on the verge of making a real show of it in front of everyone, but then a clap of thunder sounded again, directly over the villa, and all at once we were plunged into darkness.

  “Merda.”

  GIANLUCA ROOTED AROUND the haphazardly organized drawers in his kitchen for candles and we helped spread them around the first floor, but it was hardly enough to illuminate the living room. The rain wasn’t supposed to let up until morning and Gianluca refused to send anyone home in the storm. The path down to the square would be muddy and dangerous even for sober people, and most were far from it. It was decided that no one would leave until the morning.

  There were a dozen of us sharing four candles that were quickly burning low. Gianluca promised the guest bedroom to Massimo and Katerina, and then Paolo claimed the couch in an office upstairs. Everyone else was relegated to the first floor. Gianluca took a flickering can
dle and ran around upstairs, collecting pillows and blankets for everyone. I helped him, holding my arms out for him so he could load me down with supplies.

  “Should I sleep—”

  “You’ll stay in my room,” he answered before I could even get the question out.

  Right. Okay.

  In the light of day, everyone in the party would have noticed if I went off with Gianluca, but in this hectic setting, it was all too confusing to keep track of anyone in particular. Most everyone was drunk and getting drunker by the minute. The lights were out and the music was dead, but they were happy to sit in a circle in the dark, chatting and drinking. There were pallets set up on the floor as if meant for a massive orgy, but really it was more of an adult slumber party. Katerina and Massimo quietly stole off to their room upstairs, and Paolo followed suit as the candles dwindled even more, millimeters from going out.

  I collected the few dishes I could find and cleaned up the kitchen so we wouldn’t wake up to a massive mess. Gianluca was helping me when he suddenly cursed.

  Apparently, he’d been showing everyone pictures of the B&B on his cell phone earlier and had left it somewhere outside during the retreat from the storm. The raindrops were still coming down in droves.

  “Oh god, it will have been drenched by now.”

  He told me to stay put, but I could see that he was having trouble finding it in the darkness, so I followed him out. I was completely soaked within seconds. The rain was relentless, pelting my skin like pellets. My shoes stuck in the mud and another clap of thunder forced the hair on the back of my neck to stand.

  “Georgie, go back inside!”

  I didn’t listen; I tilted my head to the sky and let the rain pour down on me. There was no sense in rushing now. My dress was fully saturated and sticking to me like a second skin. I could see the heart of the storm roiling over the ocean, riling the waves and sparking the air with a palpable charge. I shivered and moved toward the door just as Gianluca found the phone under the grill’s crumpled canvas cover.