Page 46 of One Hot Summer

“I’ll be right back.” He kissed me once more, and then bounced back off the bed and through another door.

“Where does that door lead to? Cinema? Recording studio?”

“Just our own private bathroom, nothing that exciting.” He smiled and closed the door behind him. There was even an en suite. I may never be persuaded to leave this place.

I got up and walked to the double doors. Clicking the latch, I slid them open and let the sun hit my face for a moment. It didn’t feel as uncomfortable as Rome had. The heat was different here somehow. In Rome, I knew I would be walking around for hours and hours in the heat, but here, there was a pool at my disposal and an ocean not too far away.

Stepping forward, I walked out onto the balcony and viewed the surroundings. I could see a few villas dotted around. There was no one else about, so maybe everyone was having an afternoon snooze. I glanced down at the pool and smiled to myself. It didn’t matter that it was shared with Alistair and Miranda’s friends, it was still private. We wouldn’t need to compete with other families or children wanting to splash about. Also, it was huge, and there were a dozen sun loungers around it as well as couches and umbrellas for shade. I could see the outdoor kitchen area with a large dining table just visible under a canopy. I was in heaven. Maybe I could be brave and wear one of my bikinis later on, to top up my tan.

Then again.

Maybe I won’t.

My eyes nearly fell out of my head as I spotted the girl I assumed was Chloe the neighbours’ daughter. The twenty-something. A twenty-something with the body of a Victoria’s Secret model, and breasts perky enough to poke your eye out, clearly displayed in her barely-there bikini. I’m only thirty-one, and I’ve never had children, but I still felt like I should be wearing a burkini instead of a bikini, for decency. This was supposed to be a relaxing holiday, now I’d feel like I was competing with her. I couldn’t possibly do that.

Two arms came from behind and pulled me close.

“Enjoying the view?” Zack asked.

Not as much as he probably was. How many summers had he spent here with her looking like that? There was almost a ten-year age gap, but still, summer loving and all that.

“It’s amazing.” I looked back up to the actual scenery. “Although I’m disappointed I can’t see the sea from here. As well as the tiny bedroom to put up with, it’s not to my taste. I won’t be leaving a good review on Tripadvisor.”

“The sea is on the other side.” His hands were wandering now. “I’ll show you later. We can even have a wander down to the beach once we’ve eaten, and watch the sunset, if you’re not too tired. It should be cooler by then too.”

“Is that Chloe?” I had to ask. Probably not my smartest move, alerting his eyes to that whilst he fondled my body.

“It is.” He glanced down for a second to check, before returning his attention to me.

“Does she always dress like that?”

“Only when her parents aren’t looking, they’re quite conservative. Especially her mum. You’ll like Chloe though, she’s a lot of fun.” His hand found my bra, which he undid in record time. “Come on, let’s get you unpacked.”

“We are so glad you’re here!” Miranda said, clinking my glass of wine against hers. Alistair had just cooked a delicious meal. I was conscious of trying not to eat too much, worried I would gain too much weight, but the more wine Zack’s mum poured for me, the less I cared.

“It is such a beautiful house!” I exclaimed. “I swear, I almost got lost when I nipped up to the bathroom.”

Zack and his parents laughed. He held my hand. It was strange to see him in a different environment. It was usually just us, and I loved that it was just us. I was seeing a completely different side to him when he was with his family though, and it made me love him even more.

“I just wish I’d been awake to greet you.” She playfully slapped her husband’s arm. “You should have woken me up.”

“Oh, I know better than that, my love.” He leaned forward and kissed her cheek.

“Don’t worry, it’s fine, Zack had to give me a tour anyway.” And see that I was sufficiently satisfied atop every piece of furniture in our room.

“Well,” she gulped the last of her wine, her eyelids seeming heavy, “I think we’ll leave you kids to it for a few days. Let you enjoy yourselves without us old fuddy-duddies. We won’t get in your way. Do what you like, but we will be having a big meal here one night this week along with next door, so I hope you’ll join us for that.”

“Of course.” I grinned. I loved Miranda. If this were my mother, she would have a military-planned itinerary for us, with a different excursion every day and a very strict schedule to keep. There would be no chance of any alone time. “We can help out.”

“Not at all. Once that barbeque is lit, Beverley and I are banished from the cooking area. All we need to do is pick out the wine.”

“That seems like a serious job, I am willing to help,” I happily offered.

“I’m glad to hear it.” She squeezed my arm. I wanted her to adopt me.

“Well, my dear,” Alistair piped up, placing his empty glass on the table, “that’s today’s wine allowance used up. Shall we call it a night?”

“I think we should.”

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