Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 151410 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151410 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Aurora glanced my way, her face turning beet red. Despite her tan, her naturally pale skin blushed easily and very frequently. Pressing her lips together, she whirled around, her blond ponytail whipping through the air before she rushed over to the house with a mumbled, “I’ll get a mop.”
Carlotta, who’d watched everything with a concerned look, followed her, as could be expected.
Massimo watched her leave with intense interest. She wasn’t in a bikini. Of course not. Yet the modest bathing suit didn’t seem to diminish Massimo’s fascination in the slightest.
“They won’t return soon. Aurora will probably cry, and Carlotta will give her a pep talk. Give it an hour,” I said.
Aurora was amazing with a skateboard and athletic skills in general, but she had a horrible talent that made her a complete fool of herself around me. Greta thought it was because she had a crush on me. I knew it was the case. The problem was Aurora liked a version of me that was pretty much only the PG version. But the real Nevio wasn’t even R-rated. A movie about me would be banned because of excess violence and craziness.
Massimo frowned. “I don’t care when they return.”
Alessio scoffed. “He wasn’t talking about them.”
“I wish it had been blood that would have elevated a pitiful display to a slightly entertaining one,” I mused as I stretched out again with my arms crossed under my head.
Alessio released a sigh. “Don’t mess up.”
I cocked an eyebrow at him. “I have absolutely no interest in Rory. She reeks of innocence. Her clumsiness even triggers my protective side. It’s not sexy. I don’t do pity fucks.”
“You don’t do pity anything,” Alessio muttered. “As long as she doesn’t accidentally fall on your dick, everything’s good.”
“It’s more likely that I accidentally fuck you in the ass, asshole, all right?”
“Then my cyclone knife is going to impale you.”
I shrugged. “That’ll only get me off sooner. Pain and pleasure, nothing beats that.”
Massimo got up from his chair with a shake of his head. “I need to clear my head. Every second of your nonsense talking makes me feel dumber.”
“You should wait with your water show until Lotti returns. I’m sure she’ll appreciate how your muscles glisten when they’re wet,” I said.
He gave me the finger, then dove into the water in perfect form.
I stormed up to my room, utterly furious at myself. Soft steps followed me.
I didn’t stop until I was in my room. When Carlotta closed the door, I began to tug my bikini from my body. The red juice on the white fabric really made it look as if I had my period. My eyes burned with mortification, even if it wasn’t the case. I’d spent days working up the courage to wear a bikini. Not because I was shy about my body but because it simply wasn’t my usual style, so it was a given that everyone would notice.
I had wanted Nevio to notice, but not like this, though.
“We should return. Don’t make a big deal out of it. If you downplay the situation, the boys won’t care. They probably don’t either way. They don’t feel embarrassment like we do,” Carlotta said in her reasonable voice.
It was one she had to use often when Nevio was concerned.
I nodded, even if I really didn’t want to go back down there. It wasn’t the first time I’d acted like a clumsy cow around Nevio, but that didn’t make it easier. “Why am I like that?” I asked angrily.
Carlotta shrugged.
I grabbed a familiar sporty bathing suit from a drawer.
“Put on another bikini,” Carlotta said.
I raised an eyebrow. “Lotta, are you trying to turn me into a sinner?”
I sometimes teased her about her prudish bathing suits and gym clothes.
“It’s not sin. I just feel more comfortable if my most private areas are covered up. But it would draw even more attention if you switched back to your old style only because of a little accident.”
I grabbed the second bikini I owned, a turquoise piece that brought out the blue in my eyes, according to Carlotta.
Carlotta gave me a thumbs-up, then she checked her own reflection. Her bathing suit was modest with a high neckline, though I knew it was mostly to cover up her scar. She still managed to look effortlessly sexy.
She took my hand, and we headed back downstairs. Pretending nothing was up, we headed straight to the pool and jumped in. The cold water cleared my head.
When we emerged, both Carlotta and I were laughing.
Davide popped up right beside me, startling me and tried to dunk me. Despite him being three years younger than me, he was already stronger and taller, and managed to push my head underwater. Carlotta fell victim to Nevio’s little brother, Giulio, who was only seven but a force to be reckoned with.
I spluttered when I managed to resurface after almost a minute.