Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 69138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 346(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 346(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Nate barely stopped himself from flinching. He smiled faintly, his face becoming warm when an expression of understanding appeared on Luke’s face.
“Great, then,” Luke said, exchanging a quick look with Demidov before turning back to them. “Come on, let me show you your room. Your bodyguards can stay in the security house with our bodyguards.”
“They’ll stay outside our room,” Ferrara stated.
Luke shook his head with a sunny smile. “Sorry, but no men with guns are allowed into the house. My house, my rules.” He looked Ferrara in the eyes, his gaze becoming serious. “Look, I… understand why you might be cautious, but I give you my word. You don’t need bodyguards here.”
After a long moment, Ferrara looked from Luke to Demidov. The Russian gave a clipped nod, something rueful about his expression. “He took away even my gun,” he said in a slightly disgruntled voice.
Luke smiled and pecked him on the cheek quickly. “It’s for your own good, Roma.”
Taking their suitcases from the bodyguards, Nate and Ferrara followed Luke into the house.
Nate barely paid attention to Luke’s tour through the villa, still reeling from the surreality of it all. Fuck, what was he doing here, among these filthy rich people who owned villas on Lake Como and talked about stuff like bodyguards and guns as if it were completely normal?
“The room is a bit small,” Luke said apologetically, pushing a door open.
Nate nearly laughed when they entered the spacious bedroom with a stunning lakeview. A bit small, his ass.
“It’s fine,” he said with a faint smile, trying not to stare at the king-sized bed that dominated the room.
“You’re probably tired. I’ll let you rest. We’ve already had supper, but if you’re hungry, just push this button—the maids can bring you something to eat.”
“Thank you.”
When the door closed behind Luke, Ferrara walked around the room, his gaze sharp. Searching.
“What are you doing?” Nate said, following him with his eyes.
“I doesn’t look like there are cameras here.”
Nate let out a laugh. “Seriously? We aren’t in a Bond movie.”
Ferrara sighed, shrugging out of his suit jacket. “You’d be surprised how many businessmen use those methods in real life. Corporate espionage is a thing.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Nate said, reading between the lines. Normal businessmen might not use such methods, but Roman Demidov had a very sketchy reputation. It was probably smart to be careful even though they had nothing to hide—besides the fact that they weren’t really in a relationship.
He looked at the bed again and his stomach did a little flip-flop.
He was being ridiculous. The bed was big enough for four people. They could share it without touching each other. It wouldn’t be an issue.
“They seem like a great couple,” Nate said, just to say something.
Ferrara made a derisive sound, unbuttoning his shirt. “A strange one. They couldn’t be more different.”
“You wouldn’t recognize a good relationship if it smacked you in the face,” Nate said, opening Ferrara’s suitcase. Then he stopped. It wasn’t his fucking job to unpack his boss’s clothes. He wasn’t actually his manservant. Or wife.
Nate scowled, rubbing the back of his very warm neck.
He opened his own suitcase and grabbed a t-shirt and a pair of boxers. “I’m going to shower first,” he said, feeling—and probably sounding—incredibly awkward. He wasn’t even sure why. He just felt on edge, his skin tingling, too tight, too something.
He glanced back at Ferrara, who was unbuckling his belt, already shirtless.
Dark eyes met his.
Swallowing, Nate turned away and strode to the ensuite.
Chapter 15
Sharing a bed with his boss was somehow the single weirdest thing he’d ever done, and that said a lot.
Nate stared at the strips of moonlight on the ceiling and breathed evenly, trying to will himself to fall asleep.
It didn’t work.
He was acutely aware of the man beside him, of his steady breaths and the heat he exuded. It was a good thing the room wasn’t hot, a fresh cool breeze coming through the open window.
“You’re hot,” Nate complained.
Ferrara made a strangled sort of sound, something between a laugh and a sigh. “Thanks,” he said, his voice extremely dry.
Nate flushed, realizing how that had sounded. “Shut up. You’re literally very warm.”
“I run hot. I’m not used to sleeping in clothes.”
Now that was something Nate really hadn’t needed to know. “And you’re wearing clothes for my sake? I didn’t know you even understood the concept of doing something for someone else’s sake.”
“You’re right.” The other man sat up and pulled his t-shirt off. “I shouldn’t have bothered. It’s not like you haven’t seen me naked.”
Whoa.
“I haven’t seen you naked,” Nate said quickly, looking away, even though he couldn’t see much in the dark. “I’ve seen parts of you. Naked. But not all of you!”
“You had my cock in your mouth,” Ferrara said. “Seeing my ankles shouldn’t make you faint.”
Nate squeezed his eyes shut. He could still hear Ferrara lie back in the bed with a satisfied sigh.