Where was Casanova? Perhaps hauling hay.
In no time, he had taken the lead on the things he and Angelo had spoken to Ty about. Where the ranch could use some extra muscle. I had to admit, it was nice to see my cousins relax for a time. Atta did the heavy lifting when it came to money to keep the place afloat. Ty did the literal heavy lifting. The rest fell on Hannah andZiaBianca. Although they were connected through marriage, their connection went much deeper. It had become one of mother and daughter.
It was nice.
I refused to think about my own parents. Our relationship was more along the lines of, they were the bosses, and I was the employee. Mamma had designed but not created for the business before she gave birth to my sister and I, but my father did both. Design and create. Myself? I was valued for what I could do—designing and creating as well. My sister? A heavy sigh slipped from my lips and added to the heat of the day. My sister was treated as a daughter.
The creek was coming into view, and a different sigh escaped from my mouth at the sight of it. Much like the memory of eating something sour would make the jaws clench and the mouth water, the sight of the cold water made me shiver before the recalled memory of it against my flesh made me sigh again.
It was so friggin’ hot! Hotter than the devil’s balls in a pair of flannel sweatpants, as Atta would say.
The thought made me laugh as I opened the metal box used to keep food from bears and hid the picnic basket inside.
I thought about attaching the bear spray to my clothes, but those were slim. I wore a leopard-print swim coverup over a gold bikini that left little to the imagination. The last time I had visited was winter, and I could not seem to find the bikini I had left behind. Atta let me borrow this set, and I kept having to adjust the top.
Most people who came out to the creek went skinny dipping. I was too practical for that. My top came off, but my bottom stayed put. I did not want a parasite swimming up my you-hoo, as Atta called it. I unhooked the top and set it in the bear keep-away box.
I hesitated a moment before I turned toward the water, reaching for the Annie pendant around my neck. I rubbed it for comfort constantly, like my friend Anselma turned the ring on her pointer finger around for the same reason.
What if Mariano’s men check on me, and my flotation devices (breasts) are buoying me up in the water?
The ranch had a system when it came to the creek. If the sign was lifted to the entrance of the woods, the path to get to the creek, it meant someone requested privacy. I had lifted it, but…the men had followed me.
“They know not to come in this far.”
I gasped, and my arms instantly went over my naked breasts. The rocks around the creek were slippery from algae, but I hadno trouble turning and finding Casanova in the creek, wiping water from his face. He must have been under when I pulled up in my sandal thongs. Water ran down his face, and he eyed me with the same cold look again.
“I will just…” I turned to go, then stopped when he called me by my name.Sistine.Ugh. What happened to Annie? I had to admit…I loved when he called me that.
“The creek is big enough for both of us. Unless…”
I turned to face him.
He grinned.
I narrowed my eyes.
“…you think I might bite.” He lifted his hands, his palms hovering over the water, and flashed his perfect white teeth at me. The sun had darkened him, which made his light eyes pop even more. He ran a hand through his silky black hair, fixing it.
Was he naked?
He answered me by going under again, and I could see his ass underneath the clear water. A flash of two dark—perfect—buns. Even hisculowas spectacular. It rivaled any statue in Italy I had ever seen.
My mouth watered, and for a reason other than remembering something sour. This reason was sweet. However, there was a bite there as well. A reminder. Just because he was a fine specimen of a man did not mean he did not have sharp teeth.
I took a deep breath as Casanova broke the surface. I purposely waited for him to clear his eyes before I started to move toward the water.
What he did next was supposed to be a subtle move, but I caught it on him. His eyebrows lifted and his eyes widened, then narrowed.
Perhaps because I was grinning.
The grin slipped from my face as soon as the water touched my feet. I sucked in a breath, before I dipped my toes completely in.
“One of those people, ah?”
My eyes rose to meet his. “Scusi?”
He motioned to where I was standing. “You dip your toes in.”
