Luca clears his throat, his eyes widen, and he stands.“You can’t just go barging into the house.”
I don’t know what the big deal is.It’s not like we weren’t inside earlier.“I have to pee.I’m either going to do it out here or inside.”
Ashton and Luca exchange a glance.
“What?”I ask, looking between them.What aren’t they saying?
“Fine, I’ll walk you inside,” Luca says and takes my arm, guiding me toward the house.
“I can find the bathroom myself,” I say, unsure why the theatrics.Luca accompanies me to the back porch as we approach the door.
“Yeah, well, they asked us not to come inside until they were ready for us,” he reminds me.He knocks on the glass door and then goes to slowly open it when a man appears on the other side of the closed curtain.
I don’t recognize the gentleman, but he’s tall, a bit stocky, and bald.He’s got black slacks, and as he opens the door farther, I realize he’s wearing a suit.
Luca leans in, whispers something to the gentleman, and he glances at me.
The man isn’t quite dressed as a butler, but I can’t put my finger on why this man is standing at the back door, dressed in a black business suit, looking more like a bodyguard than anything else.
“I have to pee,” I say, interrupting whatever exchange is happening quietly between Luca and the mysterious man at the back door.“Can you let me in, or do you want me to go pee in the lawn like an animal?”
I’m joking, but the man doesn’t laugh, and Luca, I swear, forces a smile.
“She’s kidding.But she does need to use the bathroom.”
The bodyguard clears his throat, glances over his shoulder and grumbles.“Make it quick.Your father will have my head if he sees you inside.”
The mysterious man opens the back door farther, granting us entrance inside.
Luca grabs my arm and hurries me down the hallway.He’s practically running for the bathroom.
“Slow down,” I chide.“I’m not actually going to pee myself.”I do have to go, but the fact is I can walk to the bathroom like a normal person.I don’t need to run like a toddler who is potty-training.
Luca doesn’t say anything, just ushers me to the bathroom on the left, pushes open the door, flips on the light and fan and practically shoves me inside.“Be quick,” he recants.
“Fine.I’ll pee quickly, just for you.”
I shut the bathroom door and do my business, relieved when I finally get to sit on a toilet.And it’s a warm toilet.The unit actually has a heated feature.
“Swanky,” I mumble, finishing up and washing my hands.I glance at my reflection in the mirror.
My cheeks are rosy from the cold, and so is my nose.“I look like Rudolph,” I mutter, shutting off the sink and drying my hands.
I unlock the bathroom door and pull it open.“Do you want to go?It’s nice in there, heated toilet seat and all.”I point behind myself.
Luca abruptly shakes his head.“Let’s go back outside.”He saddles up next to me, his hand on my lower back as he begins ushering me down the hallway, back the way we came in hastily.
“Can we grab some hot chocolate, please?”I ask and pause near the entrance to the kitchen.The window overlooks the backyard, but the blinds are closed, and I can’t see the bonfire from inside.“It’s getting chilly outside.My fingers could really use a warm mug to help keep them toasty.”
“Of course,” he says and presses a kiss to my cheek.The warm gesture sends tingles throughout my body.I glance around, and there’s only the mysterious bodyguard standing near the door.His parents are nowhere in sight.
“What was that for?”I ask, staring up at him.
“Do I have to have a reason to kiss you?”Luca asks.He smiles at me, and my stomach flutters with a thousand butterflies all at once.“I’ll get the hot water started on the kettle, and you can go keep Nova company outside.I’m sure she’s dying of boredom with Ashton outside alone.”
He leads me to the back door, and the bodyguard opens the back door, letting me back outside.
“Weird,” I mumble to myself.I head for the bonfire, nearly tripping over my own feet, but thankfully I manage to catch myself before face-planting onto the grass.
