Page 13 of (UN)Bounded

“I promise I won’t, but now I’m intrigued. Where are you going?” She leans down the table, closing the distance between us, and I can smell her heady scent from dancing mixed with a soft floral aroma—it’s deliciously intoxicating.

Clearing my throat, I answer, “I’m spending the weekend with my brother in Ibiza.” Her eyes grow big, and a cheeky smile appears on her face.

“That sounds like fun. And definitely not a place I would see Vicente going.”

I bark out a laugh—she’s not wrong.

“Yeah, I didn’t think he was going to agree to go with me, but I guess he needs a break, too.” Her face morphs at my words, and my eyebrows furrow.

“I didn’t realize it was your idea. I’m sorry you need a break from me already.” She gets up from the table and takes her plate inside.

“Bella, please wait.” Fuck, I’m such an idiot. She places the plate in the dishwasher and turns to face me, crossing her arms on her chest. I try really hard to not let my eyes wander to her chest—I really do—but it’s a lost battle.

“You have to believe me, I have no issue with you staying here. I didn’t lie when I said during the toast that the company is unbeatable. But it’s been a stressful time at work with this large project, and I just need to release some steam,” I tell her, trying to sound as sincere as possible.

She releases a sigh, and her shoulders sag as her arms go to her sides. “I’m sorry. I’m in defense mode with you, and it’s not fair. I guess I have some trauma I have to work through. So tell me, what’s the project about?” she asks, visibly more relaxed than she was a couple of seconds ago.

What trauma is she talking about? I need to find a way to go back to that point.

“My firm specializes in renovating old buildings. Like this,” I explain as I open my arms to show the building we’re in. “We try to retain as many of the original details as possible on the exterior, while bringing all the modern amenities to the inside,” I say, pride evident in my tone.

“This place is beautiful. I actually am curious to know if the rest of the apartments are as luxurious as this one.” She bites her lip while giving me a shy smile, and I smile back, loving her compliment. It is a very luxurious place.

“Why don’t we go back to the patio, and I’ll tell you more about this building.”

She nods and leads the way back outside. I sigh in relief, thankful I was able to diffuse the situation.

We sit opposite each other on the couch next to the dining table, as relaxed as can be.

“The original plan was to create a multipurpose space: housing on the top floors and commercial on the main floor. But the moment I came in and saw the city views from this patio, I knew I had to make this my main residence.”

She’s giving me her undivided attention, focused on my every word, and for some reason, that makes me feel important.

“I designed the penthouse for myself, of course.” She chuckles at my words, and I join her. “But I also wanted to have plenty of space for when my family visits. So I designed two apartments with a total of eight bedrooms. Plenty of space for anyone who wants to visit. The other two floors are my garage.”

Bella’s jaw hits the floor, and I give her a smirk. “Yeah, I like cars. I collect them, actually,” I say with a shrug as I take a sip of my wine.

Once she recovers from her shock, she gives me a smirk in return. “Of course you do. I mean, you wouldn’t be a millionaire if you didn’t have an extravagant car collection or something decadent like that.”

“A billionaire,” I correct her, and she laughs out loud.

“Oh, I apologize. Mr. Fancy-Billionaire-Pants,” she says, glee in her eyes, and I laugh at the moniker.

“So let me get this right. You have a five-floor building just for yourself in the heart of downtown Bologna, and your guilty billionaire pleasure is to collect cars. You also own an architecture firm that’s quite successful. Anything else I need to know?” she asks expectantly, and I grab my chin with my thumb and forefinger, pretending to be hard in thought.

“Well, I own a yacht, a house in the countryside, another one on the beach, and you already know about the jet. I have more money than I know what to do with, and my pride and joy is my architecture firm. We’ve worked hard for our reputation, and I’m trying to expand my business into the warehouses and data center building industry.” I don’t like flaunting my assets in front of others, but for some reason, I feel like Bella won’t judge me for sharing a few of the things I own.

“That’s impressive for someone your age, Mr. Billionaire,” she says, and I feel the heat rising in my cheeks at her compliment.

“I recently learned my brothers are also billionaires, and I couldn’t believe it. I still can’t believe it. I know they’ve worked really hard for what they have, especially Luca, but having billions of dollars is just crazy to me.” She shakes her head like she’s truly in disbelief that her family has amassed so much money.

“But anyways, I’d love to go to your country house one day. I enjoy the city, but the peace and quiet of the country is something I truly love,” she says with dreamy eyes, and I’m already making plans in my head to take her out to my house in Monterosso.

“Definitely. We’ll have all summer for me to show you around,” I say, making a silent promise to help her have the best time of her life.

Bella gets up from the couch and yawns as she stretches her arms above her head. The movement causes her shirt to rise, giving me a peek at her toned abdomen. She gives me a little wave as she makes her way to her room. I nod, and the moment she’s out of sight, I rub my hand across my face.

Why do I enjoy her company so much?

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