Page 27 of Duke for the Summer

Jacopo said something else and closed his eyes, leaning back against the upholstery.

“Also he is very sorry, but he can’t speak English anymore because he is too drunk.”

“Oh.” Nate patted Jacopo’s leg. “You should probably take a nap, buddy.”

Thea and Gracie had started talking about ex-boyfriends,which was Nate’s cue to leave, because it was only a matter of time before Tantric Yoga Guy came up, and Nate would happily have all his teeth pulled before he had to hear about his sister’s yonic energy ever again. He shuffled out into the stairwell and made his way oh-so-carefully up to the ramparts, where he lay on the still-warm stone and watched the stars dance, running an idle finger over his lips where Jacopo had touched him.

Heat bloomed in his groin as he thought about Jacopo’s hands on him, Jacopo’s rough, insistent kisses. God, he wanted him. Even though Jacopo obviously wasn’t out. Even though involving himself in that whole mess would be a lot of unnecessary angst, and Nate knew that it wouldn’t last.

At the moment, it didn’t really matter. Maybe it hadn’t mattered for a while.

He must have dozed off, because the next thing he knew, Thea was crouched at his side, shaking him, the sky turning a faint lavender behind her.

“I can’t believe you’re still awake,” Nate grumbled, rubbing his eyes.

“I had to pee,” Thea explained. “Which was a whole-ass production in this, let me tell you.” She plucked at the strap of her jumpsuit. A heavily-embroidered blanket was draped over her shoulders like a cape, and there were half-moons of smeared mascara under her eyes. “And then I was worried about you, so I had to find you.”

“I’m okay.”

“Are you?” She settled in next to him against the wall, nudging his foot with hers. “You didn’t tell me about your knee.”

“It’s not a big deal.”

“It could have been. Gracie said you were running alone at night? That’s super unsafe, Nate.” She hugged her knees to her chest, and for a second she was a little kid again, her eyes big and luminous in the pre-dawn light.

“I had to stay in shape somehow. There’s no gym here.” Nate shuffled his feet on the stone, nerves prickling, suddenly aware of the softness of his muscles.

“I don’t know, man. Sometimes I think it’s problematic.”

“You don’t get it, Thea. It’s all I have going for me.”

“All you have–you’re aduke, dumbass. You’ve got a castle and a big fat bank account.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t earn any of that.”

Thea sighed. “Look.” She took Nate’s arm, gazing at him with sudden intensity. “I know I’m hot. But I’ll still be hot in ten years when my metabolism tanks and I gain like 50 pounds and turn into our mother. You’ve got to like yourself the way you are, Nate. You’re a good-looking guy.”

“I can’t, Thea.” He tried to free himself, but she held on. “I can’t do the thing where you get drunk and gas me up. I really just want to go to sleep.”

“Jacopo thinks you’re hot,” she said slyly.

Nate blew out a long breath, covering his face with his hands.

“Am I wrong? He’s been sneaking looks at you all day. And he practically ran to help you up the stairs.”

“It’s complicated.” He thought of resting his head against Jacopo’s thigh, how good it had felt to be close to him. Last night it had seemed easy, but now his heart stuttered at the thought of seeing him again. Addressing what had happened. If Jacopo would even talk about it at all. Nate’s stomach grew cold as he realized that maybe he wouldn’t. Maybe he would want to pretend it had never happened, and Nate wasn’t sure he could stand that.

“Well, in case you want to uncomplicate it,” Thea said, with a sidelong glance, “or complicate it more, I don’t know… Gracie did invite me to go clubbing tomorrow night in Palermo. And I’m guessing you can’t go dancing on your knee yet. So you’llhave the castle to yourselves. And there’s like, a ton of condoms in my suitcase.”

10.

Jacopo watched Gracie hug Nate goodbye before climbing into the driver’s seat of Antonio’s truck, her movements easy and confident despite the six-inch heels she was wearing. He had never seen his sister dressed up to go to the club, but he shouldn’t be surprised at how easy she made it look, how comfortable she seemed in her own skin. Out of the three sisters, Gracie was the one he understood the least. Alessia and he weren’t close, but she was quiet and kept to herself, just like Jacopo. And Mirabella had once doted on him as a big brother. But Gracie had never needed him when they were younger, not like Mirabella had. And things had always been possible for Gracie, in a way that they weren’t for him. Really, what should be surprising was that they had managed to get along for a few hours the night before, that Gracie had actually deigned to havefunwith him, to treat him like a friend.

Until Jacopo had ruined it.

God, what an idiot he was. Jacopo couldn’t even remember how the night had ended, just remembered waking up in one of the easy chairs in the sitting room, his head pounding from the unholy combination of limoncello and prosecco and his mouth feeling like he’d eaten a dozen cotton balls. He’d woken up at half-past two, his brain a helpless mess and his heart full of dread and his phone nearly dead, a text from hours before letting him know that Nate, Thea, and Gracie had headed to the beach. A temporary relief, because Jacopo hadn’t been in any shape to face them. Even now, his hangover finally receding, he didn’t think he could face Nate–not tonight and probably neveragain.

It had been the height of insanity to kiss him. Jacopo still couldn’t believe it had happened; the man who had been tangled in the bed with Nate seemed like a stranger, someone outside of himself. Or maybe someone he could have been. But it didn’t matter. He couldn’t allow himself to think about it, because if he did, he’d think about nothing else. And he was hopelessly obsessed with Nate already, in a way that would ruin him if he didn’t manage to keep it under wraps.

---