Not over breakfast, girl.
I took a drink of the coffee and removed the lid from my dish to reveal the mulberry granita and brioche I’d ordered. I also had a side of scrambled eggs. There was a pastry basket on the table, but I hadn’t ordered that.
I was a bit self-conscious of my appearance, especially in the brightness of the midday sun, because when I’d gone into his other bathroom, I’d seen my reflection in the mirror. I looked like I’d been hit by a car and dragged down the street. My eye makeup was a total disaster. I couldn’t believe he’d seen me like that and invited me to join him for breakfast. My hair was a complete mess too, and I tried to manage it with my fingertips.
“Fan of the granita?” he asked.
Granita was similar to sorbet, but it had an icy texture rather than a creamy one. It wasn’t very sweet, and spread over a warm piece of brioche, it just worked. I’d only had it once since I’d arrived here, whichwas a shame because I’d intended to eat it as much as I could on this trip. “Yeah, it’s good.”
“Tried Bam Bar?”
It was a famous spot in Taormina that was known for its granita. The restaurant was decorated in warm colors of yellow and orange with round tables made out of volcanic stone from Etna. I’d seen a lot of pictures online. “Not yet.”
He took a bite of his omelet and chewed it. Then he sat back in his chair and watched me for a moment.
He watched me so hard that I had to ignore my food and meet his gaze.
“Don’t do that.”
Both of my eyebrows shot up my face. “Sorry?”
“You aren’t being yourself.”
The man barely knew me, but he called me out during our first meal together. “Well, I’m wearing a cocktail dress to breakfast, and I look like hell.” I released a tense chuckle. “Just wasn’t expecting this.”
“Then take off the dress.” A smile moved onto his face. “Won’t bother me.”
I felt the slight smirk come over my lips before I rolled my eyes.
“And you don’t look like hell.”
“Well, I look less like hell because I cleaned up the explosion of makeup on my face.” I’d washed my face with the hand wash on the sink because that was better than letting myself look like a clown.
“You look thoroughly fucked.” The smile was still on his face, a smile that I would love to see through the lens of my camera. “I like it.”
My eyes flicked back to the granita, and I dug my spoon into the fruit and the dollop of cream on top before I smeared it on a piece of the brioche. I popped it into my mouth and chewed, aware of his stare on my face.
He turned his attention back to his omelet and took another bite.
For the first time, we fell into comfortable silence, the two of us just existing in each other’s space. I felt my body relax and allowed myselfto enjoy the sea view. There was a yacht anchored in front of us and a couple of fishing boats passing through.
“You don’t stay with family when you visit?” I asked.
“Need my own space.” He smirked slightly.
Because of all the women he picked up in town. I wasn’t even jealous, just grateful I got to be one of them. I felt like I was in a special club.
“I have a house here, but it’s being renovated. It’s a big project, will probably take a year.”
“This hotel is beautiful, so it could be worse.”
“Could definitely be worse.” He grabbed his coffee mug and took a drink. “You said you’re here for a week?”
“Yeah.” I continued to smear the granita on the brioche before popping it into my mouth. It didn’t sound like a great breakfast on paper, but it was filling and somehow not too sweet, so it paired perfectly with my coffee. I wasn’t sure if I even needed the eggs.
“Busy today but free tomorrow.”
“Free for what?” I asked as I ripped off another piece of the brioche. It was a round bun with a circular nob on top, like a nipple. I always went for the nipple first.
