Stop it, Lilly, my inner good girl yells at me. The way you’re looking at him is sexual harassment.
She’s right, so very right, but I’m finding it really, really hard to look away.
I’ve been suffering a long-extended man drought, and now this tall drink of water is standing before me, and I’m thirsty.
Stop it, my inner voice yells at me again. He’s a stranger, a sexy one but a stranger none the less.
I’m blaming the jetlag for my brain to be completely shut down in this moment.
“Scusa...” he clears his throat, “… my eyes are up here.”
“I know… I was just enjoying the view.” My hands rush to my mouth, but the words are out before I realize what I have said.
What the hell has gotten into me?
The hot stranger’s mouth twitches with a smile, but he recovers, keeping his face neutral.
Where the hell is Lauren?
Why would she have a naked guy in her home?
Did she break up with Alistair, and I didn’t know about it?
No, they’re so good together, they have been dating forever.
“Who are you, and where’s Lauren?” I’m looking around the room, hoping she’ll jump out and surprise me, and that this handsome guy hasn’t just murdered my family.
He frowns. “Lauren?” he questions.
Damn! That accent is killing me. Italian. I have a weakness for accents. I mean, who wouldn’t when there’s a Roman god standing in front of you.
“I don’t know a Lauren.”
Then who the hell is he?
“I’ll ask you again, who the hell are you? You better tell me, or I’m calling the police and having you arrested for trespassing.”
“Are you serious?”
“Damn right, I am. And heads up, I have a black belt. So, I’ll kick your ass if you come anywhere near me.”
“Have you escaped the mental institution? Should I be worried?”
“I’m not crazy, you’re the one who has broken into my home.”
“No, I haven’t. I’m renting this place.”
“This is my house, and I can assure you I haven’t rented it out to anyone.”
“It’s in my phone, the details. Let me get it.”
My eyes narrow on him, but he seems genuinely confused by the whole situation, and my sister does have some hair-brained schemes sometimes, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she has rented out my room to someone.
“Fine.”
He turns on his heel and heads down the hall. I take a look at his toned ass as he walks away. Nice, tanned buns. He must sunbathe naked to get an all-over tan like that.
Focus, Lilly.
I grab my phone out of my purse and call Lauren. “Come on… pick up.” But the phone rings out. I send her a text asking her to call me ASAP.
The beautiful cocked man comes out in a long-sleeve white T-shirt and gray sweatpants. Such a shame covering up a thing of beauty like that, but I can see he didn’t add any underwear because the dick print is pushing hard against the material.
He flicks through his phone then turns it to me. “The email is from Lolly.”
My eyes scan down the email that says he’s booked into my home for the next month.
I’m going to kill my sister! Where the hell is she?
“Lolly is my sister’s nickname, we’re Lilly and Lolly. Where the hell is my sister?” Handing his phone back to him I continue, “I can’t believe she did this to me. This is my home. I… this was meant to be a surprise.” I sit in one of the armchairs beside the fire feeling a little woozy with all this excitement.
“Lolly is your sister?” I nod. “The email says she was going away.”
I nod again, but I’m not really listening to him. All I want is my bed, but it looks like he’s staying in that room. Tears start to fall down my cheeks with the shock of everything going to custard kicks in.
“Signora, please.” He sounds like he’s unsure of what to do when a strange woman crashes his holiday, stares at him naked, then starts crying. I mean, surely this happens all the time, right?
“I’m sorry. I just… I’ve just flown in from Kenya.” His chocolate eyes widen in surprise. “I have nowhere to go… my sister was supposed to be here. It’s snowing heavily outside.” I sniffle. “I’m sorry to ruin your holiday. I had no idea she wouldn’t be here.”
The handsome man keeps his distance—probably smart.
“I’ll go in the morning. Please, let me stay tonight?” He frowns a little but nods. “I’ll just go into the other room.” Pointing to the room across the hall. “That’s my sister’s.”
He smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his dark, chocolatey eyes. Grabbing my bag, I walk into my sister’s room, the faint smell of her perfume lingers in the air. I fall onto the soft bed and scream into the pillow. Where the hell is she?
I must fall asleep at some point because I’m awakened by my phone ringing.
Jumping up, I quickly grab it and notice it’s Lauren.
“Where the hell are you?” I scream into the phone.
“Um… where the hell are you?”
“Excuse me… I’m here in your bed, and there’s a fucking stranger in mine.” I raise my voice.
“What the hell are you doing in Scotland?”
“I’ve come home. It’s a long story, one that I want to tell you in person, not over the phone. Where are you?”
Lauren bursts out laughing.
I don’t think any of this is funny. At all.
“Alistair and I decided to come and surprise you… in Kenya.”
The world stops.
Did she just say Kenya?
“You’re seriously not in Africa, are you?” My brain is computing the words she’s saying, but I’m not really understanding because, seriously, this can not be happening.
“Yeah, we’re standing right here with Rob. He seems very confused that you’ve disappeared all of a sudden. What’s going on, Lil?”
I shake my head, the tears falling instantly, thinking about that man.
“Lil. Come back,” I hear Rob call down the phone.
“Lauren. Please, don’t hang out with Rob.”
“Hold on…” The voices in the background become fainter. “What’s going on?”
“He’s the reason I’m
