Page 21 of Forever: The Companion

Life wouldn’t slow down.

He had to make it do it.

• • •

“Oh, wow.”

Renzo grinned, helping a still sleepy-eyed Lucia from the back of the car. He didn’t mind that she wasn’t really looking at him, but only because she was so entirely entranced with the vacation home waiting for them. Protected by a large, stone fence and a wrought iron gate that didn’t even creak when it opened to let their vehicle into the circular driveway, it was quite a place. Deep within the forested land of the island, the three-level home had been designed with just enough of a modern hand but with a touch of the island that housed it.

The place welcomed them with a wrap-around terrace for the bottom and second floors, a cobblestone pathway, and shrubbery native to the island as they headed for the house. Because of the photos he’d seen of the place, he knew they would find scenery worth dying over, a massive pool, the waterfall he told Lucia about, a hot tub, and far more behind the place.

It was going to be a damn good week.

“Where are our bags?”

“Already carried in,” he explained, “something else you slept through, babe.”

Her hand smacked his stomach, but he only laughed. Dragging her closer to his side, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head as they climbed the stairs to the front door that was already opened and waiting for them.

“The cook comes tomorrow,” he explained, “and a maid will be here later to note anything we might want ready for the next couple of days.”

She grinned up at him, not even paying attention to the foyer of the large vacation home because she was far more interested in him. “Oh?”

“Yep.”

“So that means—”

Renzo slammed the door behind them, saying at the same time, “It’s just us here, babe. And I know the first thing I want to do.”

Her smile turned more sinful.

Playful.

“And what’s that?”

“Well, I was told your parents rented this house for the pool and we both know all you have under that dress is a pair of white panties, so …”

She cocked a brow.

He winked right back.

“Race you,” she whispered.

That was all she said before darting away from him. It wasn’t like she needed direction on where to go. A good portion of the downstairs seemed to be an open-floor plan and they could see from the front almost to the back. There, a wall of glass waited, acting as a window to the terrace that wrapped around the back in natural, wood tones.

He chased after her, their laughter coloring up the quiet house.

Time to give it some fucking life.

Their kinda life, anyway.

Renzo watched Lucia make it to the back of the house, where she pushed open the sliding glass doors leading to the rear terrace. Bamboo poles with a thatched roof overhead led the guests of the house straight out to the pool under the cover of shade. The terrace covered the full length of the house, too, with spots to lie in the sun, or under hammocks with similar coverings as the one he stood under while he watched Lucia drop her dress at the edge of the pool.

Her panties followed the same path.

Fuck.

He was stuck between staring and appreciating this beautiful place around him, just as much as he was captured by the raw sexiness that was his wife in her naked glory standing here.