Page 75 of Tryst
The last time we talked about ourselves, it didn’t go so well. I stopped in my tracks, causing him to pause and twist to me. I dropped my hands, fidgeting. “What about us?”
“Why are you nervous?”
“Boca.”
“This isn’t even close to Boca, princess.” He took my hands in his. “Am I the real reason you’re quitting law school?”
“No. Lucas and I talked on the way to the airport and honestly, it’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while, but I told myself I loved law and wanted to be a lawyer.” I snickered. “Law school isn’t for me. At all. I wanted to please my parents.”
“And you plan to work in New York?”
I nodded. “Which means I have to apartment hunt because—”
“You don’t have to.”
“What?”
“Move in with me.”
“What?!” I jerked my head back. “Move in with you? As in, to your house?”
“Yes, Lizzie.” He chuckled. “As in…come live with me inourhouse and decorate it, and make it yours, and ours, and whatever you want to do.” He closed the gap between our bodies, holding my jaw in his palms. “I want to tell you goodnight and close my eyes next to you. I will have to take business trips, but that’s all. If I travel for leisure, you’re coming with me.”
“Are you sure about this? I know how private you are.” I thought about prison and how he went away for five years. How his ex-fiancée left him because of it. “What if you go to prison again?”
He lowered his hands, gazing into my eyes. “Will you leave me if I do?”
I smiled. “No, but I might get bored and redecorate the house five hundred times.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, lacing my fingers together. “I know my dad is a damn good lawyer, but please promise me you’ll try to stay out this time. I’m not asking you to stop or retire,” I sighed, “but can you at least promise me you’ll always be there for me?”
“I can promise you even if I’m not, you’ll always have my heart and that’s all I can promise.”
I thought about his words for a moment and what it would mean if he ever went away again. I would be the supportive girlfriend, or whatever we were. “I’ll never leave you. You have my word.”
We started walking toward the building where our suite was. He pulled his phone from his pocket for a moment, texting on it before he put it away. Taking my hand in his, he brought it to his lips. “You’re still my slut.” I giggled as he pulled me into his side, pressing his lips to the top of my head.
“Does that mean you’ll take me back to the room and ruin me?”
“Mmm, I think that can be arranged, but maybe we should go to my suite. It’ll put distance between us and your parents.”
“Please, yes,” I mumbled, “I can’t be around anymore drama tonight. This vacation was supposed to be fun, and for once, Lucas is the only one who’s done nothing wrong.”
“I’ll take you on a peaceful vacation soon, just for us. If your dad wasn’t my best friend, I would’ve snapped and killed everyone but you by now.” As we entered the breezeway for our row of suites, he reached down, cupping my backside in his hand. “Go into your room and then come into mine.” He dropped his hand.
“There you are!”
Oh no. I froze, stiffening my posture at my mother’s cheerful, drunk voice.
“Shit,” Vincenzo mumbled as we turned to face her at the same time.
She and Juliana were both in bikinis, holding cocktails in their hands, posing like models. I wasn’t even jealous of Juliana. I just wanted to spend time alone with Vincenzo and silently groaned at the sight before us.
“I’m exhausted from traveling so much lately.” Vincenzo crossed his arms. “I’m going to get some sleep.”
“Nonsense,” my mother cackled. “Come on! We’re on vacation. We should try to make the most of it.”
Vincenzo rumbled something under his breath in Italian. “Alright.”
“We’ll be at the main pool,” Juliana chimed in. “There’s hardly anyone over there at the moment.”