Page 2 of (UN)Bounded

“And miss your graduation? Not a chance.” Gabo chuckles as he lowers to give me a kiss on my cheek. The moment his cologne hits my nostrils—a mix of leather, cedarwood, and allspice—I feel my knees weaken.

“Woah, careful there. Are you okay?” He quickly grabs my arm, forcing me to lean into his body. I can feel every single hard muscle in his chest—strong and steady, keeping me upright.

“Yeah, of course I am. I just think my heel caught on something.”

Gabo looks at the ground, the smoothest concrete I’ve seen in my life, and instead of calling me out on my bullshit, he simply nods.

“Congratulations, by the way.” He effectively changes topics as we both make our way toward the tables where everyone is sitting and enjoying themselves.

“Thank you. I still have no clue what I’m going to do with the rest of my life, but my brothers are throwing this party in my honor as if I had won a Nobel Prize.”

I go for a shrimp instead of looking at Gabo. I don’t know why I’m letting all these thoughts out in front of him. We’ve never been close. He’s been living in Italy for over a decade, I think, so he only comes to Chile for the holidays.

“Your brothers are proud of you. Nothing wrong with that,” he says with a shrug as if he completely gets it.

And maybe he does. Karina and I are both the youngest—having two older brothers each—and even though we don’t speak much, I can tell he’s incredibly proud of her. And with good reason! At twenty-six, Luca and Karina took Villa Libélula Wines to be among the top-ranked wines in South America. They’ve also started the process of exporting to Europe and North America.

“Maybe you’re right, but I still feel I should have a better clue of what to do with my life, you know? I see both of my brothers achieving their dreams, and I don’t know where to start,” I say, feeling defeated. Though, maybe having this conversation with someone who’s not close to me is a good idea.

“You know I’m the middle brother, right?” I nod, so he continues. “Growing up I thought I was so lucky for not having the responsibility of continuing the legacy of the Godoy name like Vicente. At the same time, I was jealous of Karina being the baby of the family and doing whatever she pleased. I felt stuck in the middle. Not enough responsibilities to tie me down, but not enough freedom either. I was still someone my parents were counting on to keep the legacy alive, just not in the same capacity as Vicente.

“As I grew older and saw my siblings rising to the challenge of fulfilling their destinies, I started to wonder: What am I going to do with my life? Am I going to just be a playboy and spend all the money that took my family so long to make on parties and frivolous things? Or am I going to turn my passion into something wonderful and continue the entrepreneurial Godoy legacy with my own architectural firm? I decided to go for the second option because the first one wasn’t fulfilling, if I’m being honest.”

I’m in awe of his words. Despite his struggles to find his place in his family—in this world—Gabo was able to create something utterly his. That’s what I want to do, too.

“But wait, what you’re trying to tell me is that you’re a reformed playboy and ready for Mrs. Godoy?” I say in a mocking tone.

The deep laugh that escapes him is as much an aphrodisiac as having his scent near me. God, this man is just too much. Too bad I’m much younger than him.

Once his laugh dies down a bit, he looks me in the eyes. “Not really. I’m not looking for anyone in particular. To be honest, I don’t even know what I want in a partner.” He takes a sip of his pisco sour before continuing. “I guess I’m just tired of the bar scene, you know? After a while, looks are just that—looks. And what I find inside isn’t as appealing, kind of like the empty playboy spending his parents’ money.”

His gaze never leaves me, and I love having his undivided attention. I know he’s older, and I should feel out of place with him, but somehow, he sees me as an equal, and I like that.

“I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you spend a couple of months in Italy this summer? You can stay for as long or as little as you want. There’s plenty of art to see, to create, to enjoy. From what I’ve heard, you have an innate talent for painting. Maybe you could create your next masterpiece while in Italy,” Gabo says with an easy smile forms on his handsome face.

I nod slowly, picturing myself in Italy for the summer. Beautiful beaches, gelato, museums, small towns full of history—the possibilities are practically endless.

“You could even take a summer elective at the University of Bologna. That’s where I went to school.” He takes a bite of a beef slider, and I can’t help but feel entranced by how his throat works to swallow.

So damn hot.

I immediately shake the not-so-pure thoughts out of my mind. The man is incredibly sexy, and the last thing I need is to have a summer fling with one of my brother’s best friends, who also happens to be his brother-in-law.

“It’s not a bad idea,” I say after a few minutes and a few bites of my own slider. It’s delicious, and it's no wonder he was enjoying his food so much. “I think I need to sleep on it and come up with a plan.”

“That’s the spirit, Bella.” He smiles, and a dimple forms in his cheek.

How can this man grow hotter with every single minute that passes?

When I register what he just called me, I frown.

“Isabella, Bella for short,” he explains like it’s obvious.

I chuckle because it makes sense, but I reply, “No one ever calls me Bella. Only Isa.”

“Well, I’m not just anyone, Bella darling.” He gets up from the table and winks at me as he makes his way to the buffet, where he meets Luca, and they both embrace.

Yeah, I cannot have any spicy thoughts about Gabo. It’d be awkward as hell the moment the fling fizzles, not to mention that he’s eight years older than me. He must have a throng of women at his beck and call in Italy.

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