Allure

Chapter Twenty-two

Heather

I'm lying on the deck of Matteo's sailboat reading, enjoying the salt air and the sounds of seagulls overhead when a shadow is casted over me and two Sperry boat shoes step into my line of sight. I tip my head back, smiling up at the man towering above me. My breath catches in my throat as I take in the glorious view of Matteo Graziano in his element. His dark curls are tousled by the sea breeze, and his gold watch glints in the sunlight as he pushes his cartier sunglasses on top of his head, revealing his brown eyes, golden flecks dancing in the light. His bronze skin has tanned to a stunning deep tone in our 11 days in Italy, and the tense frown he usually wears has been replaced by an easy smile. The sleeves of his light blue dress shirt are rolled up, revealing his muscular forearms. I swear he's so gorgeous I think I could die happy right here right now just looking at him.

"Enjoying your book, little mouse?" He purrs, smirking down at me knowingly. I blush, quickly closing my steamy romance novel and hiding the cover. His new nickname for me sends a thrill through me each time I hear it, reminding me of our night in the vineyard. He extends his hand and I take it, allowing him to pull me to my feet. His eyes drink me in, admiring my tanned skin and barely-there Dior white bikini. "Come, sit with me," he says, lifting my hand to press a gentle kiss to my knuckles. He leads me to the front of the boat, sitting down and pulling me into his lap, directing our gazes to face the glistening blue water. "I've always loved sailing," he says softly. "Something about being out here, in the middle of the water, where none of my problems can reach me, I guess." I shift my position to look up into his eyes. "It's really peaceful." I say. He smiles softly down at me and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.

"My brother and I used to beg our grandfather to take us out on the water. We would have diving competitions, and the winner would get to help grandfather with the sails." He muses, staring out at the horizon. "That sounds lovely," I murmur. I don't know what prompted him to share the memories with me, but I'm so enthralled with the glimpse into the mysterious man beside me that I find myself afraid of saying the wrong thing and making him close back up again. "Did you and your siblings like playing in the water growing up?" He asks, curiosity on his face. "Or... do you have siblings?"

I flush, embarrassed at the realization that I've told him virtually nothing about my childhood. "No siblings, I'm an only child," I say timidly. "You must be close with your parents then," He replies. "No one to fight for attention against." I smile at his joke, but it fades quickly as I prepare myself for my reply. "Actually, my parents... they're dead. They died 3 years ago, actually." I say, bracing myself for the pity to scrawl across his face, like everyone else does when I tell them. His gaze softens, but he doesn't start profusely apologizing like most people usually do, and I breathe out a sigh of relief. I know they mean well, but after years of being treated like you're a freaking dying puppy when people find out, it gets old. "I'm sorry to hear that. What was your relationship like?" He asks carefully. I cringe, and a look of understanding dawns on his face. "Not great," I admit, shrugging and glancing away so he can't see the tears welling up in my eyes. He sits silently, rubbing his thumb in circles on my knee soothingly while he waits for me to continue.

"In theory, I had a great childhood. Went to a nice school, had the nicest clothes, went to disney world every year, had all the best toys..." I trail off, unsure of how to continue. "But none of that means shit when your parents don't care about you or make time for you." He finishes for me. I turn to him in surprise. "Exactly," I breathe. "It's like... I did all the right things. Got good grades, graduated two years early, went to law school, but my parents just... didn't care. Sure, they paid my tuition and supported me financially, which was amazing, don't get me wrong, but..." I sigh, looking down at where his hand rests on my leg. "They didn't bother to show up for any of my graduation ceremonies. No matter what I achieved, it wasn't enough to grab their attention. They were always too busy to celebrate the holidays together. Hell, they didn't even celebrate the holidays with eachother. They were both so busy with their careers that they didn't even live in the same state for the last 10 years of their marriage." I huff out a bitter laugh. "I used to try to keep in touch with them, but I eventually gave up. And then... it was too late." Matteo sighs, pulling me closer to rest my head on his chest. "I understand," he murmurs into my hair, pressing a gentle kiss on the top of my head. I relax into his touch, feeling relief that for the first time, someone truly does understand. I realize that he's never told me about his childhood apart from his stories of his grandfather, and I turn to face him again.