DECEPTION vol.1: A promise made A promise broken (Turbulent Desire Series) (4 page)

“Thank you for being a gentleman,” I joked.

He chuckled, and before I slipped inside the door, he quickly added, “How else was I supposed to get a beautiful girl’s number?” I turned around and saw him holding his cell phone. I grabbed it and punched in my own number.

“There you go.” I handed it back to him.

He said my name out loud. “Sky.”

My hands started to sweat.

“I’ll be in contact with you soon,
bella
.”

I heard the front door of my villa open, and I looked back to see Madison standing there with a smirk.

I turned back at him and smiled. “I’ve got to go. I hope to hear from you soon.” I blew him a kiss and ran up to an already bubbling Madison. She rushed me inside, past my mother’s room and into our bedroom, ready to hear all the details.

“
Who
in the world was that handsome hunk of a man?” Madison squealed as soon as our door shut.

I smirked and lay on my bed. “You didn’t care last night, why should I tell you now?”

She grumbled, “That’s unfair, Skylar. I can’t be held accountable for what I say in the middle of my beauty sleep.”

I laughed and patted a spot on my bed next to me; she ran over and sat down.

“Tell me, tell me!” Madison pleaded.

I told Madison everything. She couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have met this Adonis of a man. We changed into our bathing suits and went off to join my mother and Alessandro for breakfast. We were ready to enjoy another day in the sun.

Madi and I were floating in the water, my mom was enjoying a drink and Alessandro was soaking up the sun when my phone started ringing. Drifting away as I was in fantasies about JC, I didn’t even hear it.

“Skylar!” my mom called from the shore, “your phone! It’s ringing!” I waved her off, barely absorbing her words. Madison floated over to me and tapped me on the shoulder, “Couldn’t that have been JC?” she asked.

My eyes grew wide open and I flipped off of my tube, fully alert now. I splashed out of the water and ran to my phone.

3 missed calls-JC.

My heart fluttered, and I felt butterflies in my stomach. “I’ll be back, guys. I got to make a call.” I ran off to find a private place to talk. I opened my phone, pressed callback and heard the line connecting. The next thing I heard was JC’s voice on the other line. I was tongue tied again.

“Sky?” I heard his alluring voice say twice before I regained my composure and replied. “I’m here. Sorry, I didn’t know what to say …”

He laughed. “I don’t have to work tomorrow. How you would like it if I showed you around?” he asked.

I bit my lip in excitement. “That sounds like fun, what time?” I asked, trying to figure out how I could sneak off without Madi or my mother.

“I can be there for you around ten a.m., how does that sound?” he asked.

The butterflies in my stomach were going crazy now.

“I, well—” I started to answer,

“Does that not work for you?” he asked, sounding a little worried.

“It sounds great, I just … I’m going to have to find a way around my mother.”

He chuckled again. “Well, how about you figure it out then let me know when I can come for you.”

I smiled with relief. “That sounds awesome,” I said. “I can’t wait.” I could imagine him smiling on the other end of the line.

“Neither can I,” he replied. He paused for a second then added, “Can I see you this evening? We could go for a walk on the beach.” I could hear his breathing growing more rapid.

“Yes, I would love to. Say, ten tonight? Is that okay for you?” I sounded like a complete stranger to myself, making plans to go out late in the evening with someone I barely knew. How was I going to get away from my overprotective mother?

“Yes, that’s okay with me. See you soon.
Ciao, bella.”
He hung up.

I went back to the water, trying to behave casually. I made my way straight to Madi, who was still lazily floating around. I playfully splashed water on her face. She placed her sunglasses on her head and gave me the raised-eyebrow look.

“Is there a reason you’re splashing water at me like you’re a two-year-old?” Madi asked.

I rolled my eyes and ignored her attitude. “Madison,” I said excitedly, “It was him, he asked me out! What do I do?”

She sat up and looked at me. “OH-EM-GEE, Skylar! When? Can I come? Does he have any friends?”

I laughed and then got serious again. “I wish you could come, but what about my mother?”

Madi twisted her face up at me and then rolled her eyes; she knew exactly what I was about to ask. “Look, Skylar, if I’m going to cover for you, I better get something in return.” I squealed with delight and hugged her. “So, when is the date?” she asked.

“Oh, Madi! You are the best! I will give you anything you want,
anything
. Tomorrow, he wants to go out tomorrow.” It wasn’t the entire truth, but I wasn’t sure if she’d commit to helping me get my mother off my back twice.

Madison and I spent the rest of the day figuring out the perfect plan for my date the next day. I felt slightly guilty the entire time. I hadn’t told her I was seeing him that night as well. By dinnertime, I had it all figured out. I called JC to confirm that I would be able to see him in the evening.

He answered on the first ring, his deep, accented voice making me tremble. “I was really hoping you could,” he responded to my assurance that I’d meet him that evening. I bit my lip as I heard his breathing through the line. “I’ll be on the veranda around ten, waiting for you. See you then,
bella
.”

I heard the line click, and I flushed in embarrassment. I felt a strange, warm sensation between my legs. Trying to behave naturally, I ran down to join everyone for dinner.

Afterwards, I excused myself, saying I was dead tired. Fortunately, Madi also said she was very tired and wanted to rest for our trip to Giglio Castello. We both turned in early. Madi, as she usually did, fell asleep immediately. I waited until I heard Alessandro snoring in the other bedroom, then got up.

I tiptoed quietly around the room, looking for my sandals and trying not to make any noise. I groped under the bed and—gotcha!—there they were. After slipping them on, I checked Madi to make sure she was asleep. She was sleeping like a baby. My heart was pounding so loudly, I was sure it would wake everyone up.

I took my phone, headed out of my room and walked past my mom and Alessandro’s room like a thief. As I reached the front door, the thought of my mother ever finding out caused me to hesitate a moment, but the excitement I felt when I saw him overcame all my fears.

There he was, waiting for me on the veranda as he’d promised. The excitement of spending some time with him made my heart beat like a drum. He heard the door shut quietly behind me, his expression of worry disappearing as our eyes met. A tender smile appeared, and he bit his bottom lip in that sexy, playful way of his. He looked devastatingly sexy in torn jeans paired with a tight black shirt. He looked like the quintessential bad boy—the kind no mother wants near her daughter.

Without a word, he grabbed my hand, and we began walking toward the beach. As we walked down the wooden steps towards the sand, I saw that he had already made a bonfire at the base of a small dune.

“You like?” he asked, as we reached the fire.

“Yes, I love bonfires,” I replied.

“Good,” he answered, looking genuinely pleased.

JC moved to the other side of the fire. He sat on a blanket that was lying on the sand; next to it was a picnic basket.
My God, this looks so romantic!
I was thrilled by his thoughtfulness.

“Come here,
bella
, sit next to me,” he urged me, patting the blanket close to him with one hand and reaching for me with his other.

I walked over and placed my hand in his. Once again, his touch sent a warm thrill through me. He didn’t let go of my hand even after I sat down, and he continued to smile at me, his intense emerald eyes making me slightly self-conscious. I felt as if he could read my mind.

“So, tell me about you, I want to know more about you. All I know is that your name is Sky and you are visiting my island.” His strong accent interrupted my thoughts.

“Well, there is not much to tell, just that I’m an American girl, I live with my mother, I’m an only child and … I love pizza,” I replied and immediately regretted it. I sounded so childish. I looked away.

“Hey,” he said softly. His fingers caught my chin, forcing me to look at him. “You okay? Did I do something to make you uncomfortable?” He asked.

“Umm … no it’s not you, it’s me; I don’t like to talk about myself,” I replied in a whisper; I did not even know if he heard me.

“Don’t be shy with me, Sky. I understand it’s hard to open up to someone you just met, but this is the only way to start a friendship. Would you like to get to know me?” he asked, his enigmatic smile made me melt, washing away many of my insecurities. I felt a bit bolder.

“Yes, of course I would like to get to know you, JC.”

“I’m glad you do, Sky,” he said. “Then first thing we should do is toast to our new and long friendship-to-be.” He leaned over towards the picnic basket and reached for a bottle of red wine. He popped it open, splashing some onto the sand. He winked and proceeded to delicately pour it into the glasses

“To us, to Sky and JC!” he exclaimed.

“To Sky and JC!” I replied.

I deliberately took a little sip from the glass, not knowing what to expect, I was surprised—the flavor was sweet and fruity. I didn’t know a thing about wine but immediately decided that if all the wine tasted like this, it would definitely be my favorite drink.

“You like?” asked JC, I laughed as I lowered the glass from my lips.

“I don’t like it,” I held my cup high in front of him. “I
love
it!” I added with a laugh. He shook his head and laughed with me.
God, his laugh and his smile are so beautiful,
I thought.

We talked about everything: food, wine, music, and sports. We discovered that we had a lot in common; we both liked rock music and sports cars. In fact, he was surprised at how much I knew about cars. Eventually, we finished the bottle of wine along with the cheese and bread he’d brought. JC made me laugh deep into the night with his appealing sense of humor. All the while, I was waiting for him to kiss me, but he never did.

“Look, Sky, here it comes.” JC sat closer to me, putting his arm over my shoulder. I took the opportunity to inhale his scent. I liked it. I liked it a lot.

I followed his gaze as he contemplated the water, and I was struck speechless. The sun was peeking over the horizon. Pale streaks of pink painted the sky and reflected on the water. It looked to me as if the sun were shy about making its appearance. When it rose completely, a deep red appeared, and we were bathed in blazing rays of golden light.

“Oh, JC, that was beautiful. Thank you. I’ve never seen the sunrise before,” I whispered.

I turned my gaze to meet his. He tilted his head slightly, giving me a sensual smile. Our mouths were close, so close I could feel his breath on my cheek. My heart began to race.

JC fixed his eyes on mine with such intensity, penetrating, compelling me. He could’ve asked anything of me at that moment and I’m sure I would’ve said yes without a second thought.

I could hear his breathing getting heavier. His full lips parted slightly. I wanted desperately to kiss them.

Suddenly his expression completely changed. His eyes narrowed as if he was trying to focus on something else. His whole demeanor changed from seductive to harsh in a blink of an eye. A look of anger seemed to cross his face. I felt his body tense up.

“You should go,” he said.

I was surprised by his cold tone, and even more surprised when he quickly removed his arm from around my shoulders. He hastily got up. “You need to rest,” he said, his voice thick as if he were struggling with something. When his eyes met mine again, he saw my confusion and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

“I had you all night, you must be exhausted. Your family, I’m guessing, has plans with you for today.” He seemed happier now; the gentle, flirting JC was back.

“Oh, yeah …” I nodded and looked down at my toes which were buried in the sand. “You’re right, I must rest before they wake up and—” I was interrupted by the feel of his warm fingers curling around my chin.

I looked up and once again, I was trapped by those emerald eyes. I stood in front of him on shaky legs.

“And …” I swallowed. I tried to concentrate, but it was almost impossible when his fingers were touching my skin. I waited until he lowered his hand. “… They drag me into whatever plans my mother has for today.” I laughed a little, not sure if I was even making sense. Then I smiled bashfully.

“Can I take you to lunch today?” he asked.

I smiled. “Yes, you can, JC.”

“Ok, I’ll let you rest for a couple of hours, then I’ll feed you the best Italian food in the island.”

I laughed, and my smile widened.

“Let’s make a day of it,” he added.

“Ok, let’s say eleven. I’ll see you soon,” I replied.

“That’s for sure, Sky.” JC’s words sounded more like a seduction than a promise. After a moment more of just staring at each other, I ran back towards the villa. As I reached the veranda, I heard him call my name once more.

“Sky!”

I held onto the wooden rail and turned around. He was still standing in the same spot, his hands inside his jean pockets, looking as relaxed and sexy as ever.

“Yes?” I answered.

“Sweet dreams!” he called. We both smiled, then I ran inside.

I was exhausted; the sleepiness hit me hard as I kicked off my shoes, replaced my sundress with a tank top, and got under the covers.

It felt like only a few minutes had gone by before I was woken up.

“How can you sleep at a time like this, Skylar? You need to get everything ready for your date.”

I turned over and opened my eyes to see a pensive Madison sitting on the edge of her bed.

“I’ll figure that out in a couple of hours, Madi, no biggie,” I mumbled, my eyes still closed.