Page 30 of Duke for the Summer

“Like it’s my fucking fault that somebody grabbed my ass. I ask you.”

“It’s not fair,” Gracie agreed. “But at least you have a date!”

“A date?” Nate looked up from doodling on the brown paper bag the sandwiches had come in. “Not with ass-grabbing guy?”

“No, no, with boat guy. He’s gonna take me out to see the sunset.”

“Oh, so he was a friendly,hotfisherman.”

“So hot, Nate. I didn’t know you could get muscles like that just from, like, pulling up nets all day.” Thea mimed fanning herself.

“Well, just be careful,” Nate said, sounding exactly like Dave.

“Don’t worry. I’ll kick him off the boat if he tries anything I don’t want him to.” She ran a hand through her hair andreadjusted one of the precarious triangles of her bikini top. “So, how was your night? Anything exciting happen?”

Nate cast a sidelong glance at Gracie, who was scrolling through her phone. He tried to ignore the blood rushing to his face as he said, “Nope. Just–watched TV. Washed my hair.”

“Have you seen Jacopo?” Gracie asked. “I think he was feeling very sick yesterday. And the vespa was there this morning, but no lights were on in the cottage.”

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Nate said.

“I tried texting him.” Gracie frowned down at her phone. “I hope he will join us. It was nice to see him get out and have fun. But, knowing him, he’s probably embarrassed now and he’s going to–oh! There he is!” She stood, waving her hands.

Heat bloomed in Nate’s body as he looked over his shoulder. Jacopo had parked the vespa in the little gravel lot at the edge of the sand, and was walking down to them, wearing a white button-up and a faded pair of swim trunks. There was something endlessly endearing about his long, skinny legs, much paler than his arms and face.

Nate swallowed and looked away, focusing aggressively on the shading on a pair of palm trees.

“You’re drawing,” Jacopo said, sitting down next to him.

“Isn’t he good?” Thea asked, sitting up. “He drew his tattoos, too.”

“I know,” Jacopo told her.

“Ohreally.” Thea looked at Nate, then back at Jacopo, a grin spreading across her face. “Have you seen all of them?”

“Thea–” Nate sputtered.

She tossed her hair and stood up. “Gracie, let’s go swimming. I bet the boys have a lot to talk about.”

“She’s right,” Jacopo said, once their sisters had wandered off to the edge of the waves. “You are very good at drawing. You should do it more.”

“Yeah, I–I brought my sketchbook. I guess I just felt stupid about it, or whatever.” Nate’s stomach churned, the spicy sandwich from before not sitting well. Somehow, it was scarier to talk to Jacopo about his artwork than it was to be in bed with him. “Anyway, it sounds like the girls had an adventure.” He caught Jacopo up on what had happened, watching Thea and Gracie bob around in the water like seals, their hair slicked to their heads and shining in the sun.

“So you’re free tonight.” Jacopo’s hand was on his back, his thumb rubbing proprietary circles on the scrap of bare skin between Nate’s t-shirt and the waistband of his shorts.

“Yeah, at least while she’s on her date.” Nate wanted to melt into him, but he stayed where he was. “Do you want to try out the bathtub? I think it’s big enough for two. Ooh, or the sitting room? I’ve always wanted to get railed in front of a roaring fire.”

Jacopo’s hand froze, his face turning red. “Cazzo, Nate, you are make me crazy.”

Nate smiled up at him. “Your English gets worse when you’re flustered,” he said.

“I’m–”

“It’s cute.” Nate nudged Jacopo’s foot with his own. “Don’t worry.”

Jacopo sighed, muttering something in Italian. “I want to take you to the Roman town,” he said. “I told you I would. And it’s a good place for art, you’ll see.”

*

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