Page 9 of Bound to You

Initially, I’d planned to just simply help them move their car and be on my way, but then Isla refused to accept my help. Actually, she refused my help before I’d even offered it, popping her hip out like she meant business, and I couldn’t walk away. I love a challenge, and that’s exactly what she gave me.

She’s probably kicking herself right about now considering she’s now being dragged into a black-tie event that she was not prepared for, with a stranger, nonetheless.

Speaking of, I need to call Marina.

I haul my ass up out of my comfy spot to pour myself a cup of coffee before pulling my phone out to text my cousin.

Me

you feel like doing a little damage control?

Marina is the closest thing to a sibling I’ll ever have. When I moved to Italy, her parents, Vanessa and Luca, took me in as one of their own. Marina is an only child like me, so they like to refer to me as the son they never had, and they treat me exactly like it. I’ve got a lifelong invite to family dinners, and Vanessa bakes me a cake every year on my birthday with my age in candles on top, but at twenty-eight she’s running out of room for more candles.

Vanessa is my mother’s sister, and my parents always referred to her as the wild card of the family.

She moved to Ruby Cove after meeting Luca on a cruise and delayed going home so she could see his hometown. She took one look at the place and never left, just as I did when I arrived. She’s become a huge part of the community over her years here, owning one of the most popular bakeries on Main Street, andMarina followed suit by opening the only bar in town called Marina’s. A real original name, I know.

Being the only bar in town makes it pretty popular, especially on a Friday night. Most of the town rocks up and all the shops on Main shut up early to get a drink in before the weekend. Marina does karaoke and half-priced cocktails to keep everyone happy. My cousin loves to party, so the bar really is her happy place, and like me, it’s her pride and joy.

My phone buzzes on the counter not even a minute later.

“Hey Marina,” I say.

“What have you done, cousin?”

“Nothing bad.” I set down my mug and start sifting through the pantry for a snack. “Well, that might depend on who you ask.”

“You’ve been back for a whole five minutes, and you already need my help? Someone give me a break. Or a promotion.”

I can’t help but smirk at her comment, because she’s not wrong.

“I need your help with sourcing some dresses for some unexpected guests for tonight,” I say, closing the pantry and giving up on any kind of snack.

“Pleaaase tell me there’s a good story behind this.”

There’s no getting out of this one unless I want her buzzing around all night begging me for info. I sum up the situation as I head to the bathroom and turn on the shower to warm up.

“Okay, I’m in.”

“Really?” I double check. I don’t want to put her out, or piss her off.

“Of course, Caio, I’m on it,” Marina confirms. This time, her helping me doesn’t include lying to her mother, which she is terrible at mind you, so her initial weariness was unwarranted. You could also say our social circle is pretty male dominant, so I know she will be excited to meet Isla and May.

“Thank you so much. I’ll see you tonight.” I hang up before jumping into the shower.

I let the scalding hot water run off my body for a while, only moving to breathe in the humid air floating around my ensuite. With the excitement of this afternoon fading, the exhaustion suddenly hits full force. The drive today killed me. I’m not used to traveling so much anymore; I barely even drive.

Something about Ruby Cove just prompts the idea of walking to get around. It’s small enough that I can get from one side of town to the other in the span of a forty-five-minute walk. But that’s how I like it.

I like getting inevitably distracted by someone I know every time I leave the hotel, which mind you, hasn’t been very often lately, but that’s why tonight will be good. Why it’s needed.

I stare at my reflection in the foggy mirror half an hour later. I’m supposed to be getting ready for the event tonight, but my mind keeps drifting back to those girls. To Isla.

I mindlessly pull my suit out of my closet and lay it on the bed as my mind takes me back to this afternoon.

Her chocolate brown hair waving down her back looked so silky, I just wanted to weave my fingers through it right then and there.

She was bold, and I liked it. Even in a semi-crisis, she was radiant. She held herself tall like nothing was wrong at all, with that silly scarf wrapped around her neck like she was a Hollywood movie star. That scarf that smelled like vanilla and bonfires when it floated over to me. God, was it her perfume? Her shampoo? Whatever it was, I need more of it.

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