Page 4 of Secret Admirer
Destiny smiled bright as she sipped her beer. “You’ll be fine as long as you keep it real and stay in touch with us, okay?”
Encouraging as always. “Some of the classes are online, which I've never done before. I told Dad I need to be part-time at the garage.”
Melissa finished her bottle of beer, and then folded her hands on the table. “But you like pulling stuff apart and putting it back again. What kind of degree are you going for?”
“I need to change and I’m willing to give tinkering with my engines up. I’m thinking of an engineering degree. The hybrid battery on these newer models is worse for the environment than just using gas for the life of your average car, not that anyone talks about that.” Sure, she enjoyed fixing things, but that didn’t satisfy her when she went to bed at night. Maybe if she could create an environmentally friendly battery she’d feel like she was making a difference.
“Then I’ll help you," Melissa said. "I just didn’t want you giving up what you loved to take pottery classes because some guy treated you bad.”
“I was looking at classes before Javier was ever in my life.”
This wasn’t about a guy. Her goals needed attention. She wanted a satisfying career. She wanted to find love. That didn’t make her strange. One day she'd like to get married, have children and not stress about money, or work so hard that she didn't enjoy her family. She’d do whatever she could to make her dreams come true.
Her time was now.
Chapter 2
Bart Morgan finished his shower and left the bathroom, completely naked as he walked around the two-floor hotel suite that overlooked a tropical paradise.
Last night’s sex had helped him relax after the long flight to Miami.
His suite was spacious enough to not feel crowded. Parrots sang outside his window, and palm trees swayed with a gentle breeze. This hot and humid locale that his father’s family all called home seemed beautiful but so different from his small villa in Rome where he spent most of his days.
He strode across the bright room as last night’s beauty fixed her diamond earrings in her ears, clearly ready to go in her blue skirt suit that captured attention, even his. He winked at her as he headed toward his closet.
She glanced at his backside that he hadn’t bothered to cover with a towel, but her arms were crossed instead of open or interested and her hair was flawlessly curled like she’d spent hours on it. Sharp red covered her lips. “This was fun, but I’m running late. Hurry.”
Right. He’d sworn he wouldn’t keep her and that he’d get her to wherever she wanted. He pulled his tailored House of Morgan pants on, courtesy of his brother's label. “We’ll get you there on time, Nadia. Hold on.”
She patted his arm, stared at him as if this was all business and no longer passionate, then pointed to the door. “Look, Bart, I told you this was important to my career.”
Bart was a man of his word. He grabbed a white button-down shirt from the closet. “We’re on our way.”
She shook her head and held up her phone, showing him a car service app. “No,I’mon my way. We’re done.”
His heart beat a little faster. He always kept his word--he prided himself on it. He buttoned his shirt and followed her to the door. “What?”
She didn’t even look behind her as she called over her shoulder, “Lose my number. No one makes me late.”
“Nadia!” He'd have driven her as he’d promised. She’d been sleeping when he'd gone into the shower and he hadn’t been more than ten minutes.
The hotel door slammed, and he stopped.
Bart Morgan certainly didn’t chase after women--they were easy to find even when he wasn't looking. He’d met Nadia in Italy and they'd hit it off, so when he found out that she was also going to Miami, he'd offered her a flight on his private plane so that she didn't have to fly commercial.
It seemed their one-week fling was over. With a shrug, Bart ordered himself a pot of coffee, and checked his work emails. He had a few hours before he had to be at an afternoon function for his family.
The sun was higher in the sky when he looked up from managing his accounts. He stretched, perused some of his newest investments and then headed to the lobby--he'd order breakfast and the family limo. It would be good to see Gio in action and get to know the American side of the family he’d never met as a boy. From what he recalled of Gio’s wedding, the American siblings had struck him as interesting and dramatic.
As he strode across the lobby of the Biltmore hotel, Giorgio, perfectly fashionable, and Lorenzo, with his strong jawline, walked toward him, like they were on a joint mission. They wore matching expressions of shock and Gio said, “You’re here early--and alone.”
Lorenzo winked like he was joking while he quickly added, “We thought we’d have to pull you away from some random woman you’d just met.”
“I’m alone, now,” Bart answered without really remembering Nadia, other than that her telling him to lose her number had been unusual.
His brothers knew him well. He motioned for them to join him at the brunch buffet. The guests at the Biltmore were all well-dressed and the breakfast mimicked a fancy British tea. They were shown to a table outside, as they preferred. “Miami women are strange.”
“How?” Lorenzo asked.
