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Dorian
WatchingBriana's reaction as she boarded the plane we'd chartered to take us to Hawaii was priceless. It made me want to introduce her to all of life’s more elite pleasures, take her to every exotic destination around the world, and shower her in luxury. I'd never seen someone so obviously amazed and grateful to be a part of an experience.
Even though I could see that she wasn't naive, she still had a childlike joy that appealed to me in a way I found disconcerting. It didn't matter how often I tried to harden myself to it. One look at her wide-eyed expression and all my intentions went straight to my cock.
I still couldn't believe that Enzo's stupid plan had worked. Well, part of it, anyway. We'd promised her we'd stay at the Rock Bay next time we were in Vegas, and she'd agreed to come with us, but he was far from getting her in his bed. After all, I reminded myself, she was here as my date.
The flash of possessiveness I felt surprised me, and I found myself mulling over it as we departed the plane and headed for the car waiting for us. I was glad we'd requested a driver. I was distracted enough that I didn't like the idea of driving in Hawaiian traffic.
“Are you ready to meet the rest of the family?” Enzo asked on the car ride to the Wailea. “They can be a bit much to handle sometimes.”
Briana raised an eyebrow. “You mean they're a lot like you, then?”
Her tone was teasing, but I could sense how careful she was being. I doubted she'd found out about the bet, but she wasn't walking into this blind either. I didn't know how deep her suspicions went, or if I was included in them, but she definitely knew that Enzo was trying to seduce her.
Case in point...
“Trust me, beautiful, I'm more than a bit much to handle.” He grinned at her, shifting in his seat until his leg was pressed more securely against hers.
She rolled her eyes, but her expression was still good-natured. “Awfully sure of yourself, aren't you?”
“If you were me, you would be too.”
Even I had to laugh at that one, and some of the tension I'd been feeling eased. We switched over to more innocuous small talk as Briana asked questions about the island and our family.
Since Enzo had apparently called ahead to give our family a heads up that I was bringing a date, our parents were waiting in the hotel lobby. He promised me that he'd told them it wasn't anything special, so they should just be as polite to Briana as they would be to any other date I brought to various functions.
When our mother started gushing over her like a mother hen from the moment we stepped inside, I shot a dirty look his way, and he just grinned. He was lucky I'd catch hell from Mom and Nonna if I gave him a black eye.
“Would you look at you...so beautiful!” Mom kissed both of Briana's cheeks, then engulfed her in an enthusiastic embrace. “My boys never bring me any girls to meet, and it's a crying shame. Bartolo, isn't the color of her hair gorgeous? Oh, Dorian, where did you find her?”
Dad gave me a look that said he suspected either Enzo or I was up to something...and that if we messed things up for our grandparents, there would be serious repercussions.
“Come on, Mom, you're embarrassing her,” I muttered as I put my arm around my mother's shoulders.
I had to lean down to hug her, and the familiar scents of her and home filled my lungs. No matter how much money our family had, Mom always insisted on making her own tomato sauces as well as most of her own pasta, so she was always in the kitchen. The smell of her cooking always sent me right back to my childhood.
I handed Mom off to Enzo and put my hand out for Briana. She took it with a grateful smile, and we headed for the elevators before Mom could come back for seconds. Neither one of us said anything as we rode up to the floor my family had reserved. I wasn't going to apologize for my mom, and I liked the fact that Briana didn't make a big deal out of what happened.
“Your room's across the hall from mine,” I said as we stepped off the elevator.
I'd expected the relief I saw on her face when she realized I wasn't expecting her to have sex with me, but there'd also been a flash of something else. Something that looked a lot like disappointment.
I didn't dwell on it though. She was off-limits, and not only because one night with her would cost me two hundred grand. I stuck with pros for a reason. I didn't want to be responsible for hurting her.
“Go ahead and get settled,” I said as I handed her the key to her room. “I'll come over in a half hour to get you for a late lunch. The rest of the day's going to be packed, so make sure you wear something comfortable.”
She nodded and turned away. As I watched her disappear into her room, I was struck with the desire to follow. Not to seduce her or anything like that, but just so I could keep being around her. From the moment I met her, I'd been intrigued, and it seemed like that only increased the more time I spent with her.
Which was why I quickly turned toward my own door and began running down the mental list of all the things on the schedule for today. Mom might not have been Nonna's daughter, but they did share a love of lists. And right now, that list was going to be my salvation.
* * *
Between catchingup with my relatives and the list of activities Nonna and Mom had planned for us all, I barely got a chance to talk to Briana beyond a few niceties. I couldn't figure out why it bothered me so much since it wasn't like I was used to having a date at these things. The events I brought dates to were business affairs, and they were basically well-paid, beautiful, and sometimes intelligent decoration.
Besides, I knew that spending more time with her would only lead to complications, and I needed to avoid those at all costs. Yet, I found myself watching her as the day turned into evening, coveting every smile, every laugh. She charmed her way through my family, talking to everyone who came her way. She was perfect, avoiding any subjects that could cause conflict without being rude or condescending. She shared very little about her personal life, skillfully turning conversations back on everyone else. If I hadn't been watching her so closely, I doubted I would have even noticed.
Back in Vegas, it'd been fairly easy to pretend that my focus on her was because of the role she played. Here, I could have used a similar excuse. She was my date, so why shouldn't my eyes follow her pretty much everywhere she went? But if I was being honest with myself, I knew that wasn't the case. I wasn't trying to sell my relationship with her to my family. That was actually the last thing I wanted, them to get the wrong idea and think that Briana might be a part of the family.
