Page 62 of Tour Wars
At breakfast, she made a beeline for TJ’s table. Beside his plate was a mug of cappuccino, and he’d loaded up with sweets—two pieces of apple cake, a cornetto, and a jam tart—as if he hoped the sugar would give him a boost of energy.
When she slid into the seat across from him, he flashed her sad puppy-dog eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
Had she missed something? “About what?”
He lowered his voice. “You were so thoughtful last night, and then I went and fell asleep on you. Notonyou, but before the movie ended. That was a dick move on my part.”
She could have strung him along with some gentle teasing, but he looked genuinely contrite. “Don’t worry about it. I fell asleep, too.” She spoke softly, not wanting anyone else to hear them. “I didn’t wake up until five.”
“Fuck. I’m sorry.”
“It’s all good. I got a text from Davis when I was sneaking out. He asked me to come by his room and say goodbye.” She fished some euro notes out of her pocket and handed them to him. “Here’s your half of the tip.”
“Thanks. I’m bummed I missed him.”
“He’ll be back in a month to visit Sicily and Sardinia. I told him to hit us up if he gets to Naples, then we could meet him and Cesca for a drink.”
“Good plan. Other than that, are we okay? Did you make it back to your room without getting busted?”
She was tempted to tell him about her encounter with Luca but decided against it. TJ would only feel worse if he learned how Luca had treated her. “No one suspected a thing.” She snitched a piece of apple cake from his plate and took a bite. “You still up for tonight?”
He gave her a wide grin. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
* * *
Emilia paced in her room.Had she and TJ gotten their signals crossed? After dinner, she’d told him to stop by at eight. But it was twenty past, and he hadn’t shown up. A quick peek at her phone—for the fifth time in less than two minutes—revealed no new texts.
Maybe he just needs more time to pack. The two of them had been busier today than she’d expected. She’d assumed all the guests would be gone by noon, but the Mangolds’ flight had been delayed two hours. With time to kill, the elderly couple had treated her and TJ to lunch. A delightful treat, even if it had put them behind schedule. They’d spent the next four hours finishing their report for Buon Viaggio but decided to send it the following morning. That way, Angelo would think they’d spent all evening working on it. TJ had returned to his room to pack but promised he’d be back by eight.
Was he having second thoughts? Or was he worried he wouldn’t live up to her expectations? This was different from that night in Paestum when she’d invited him to her room on a whim. They’d acted so impulsively that they hadn’t had time to overthink their actions. But now, after three days of anticipation, the pressure to create the perfect night might be too much for him to handle. If he wasn’t ready to take this step, so be it, but he needed to tell her face-to-face. No wimping out via a text or a phone call.
With a grunt of frustration, she went out into the hall, intending to track him down. As she rounded the corner, she almost careened into him. For whatever reason, he was still wearing the ugly red Buon Viaggio polo. She skidded to a halt. “Where have you been?”
“Sorry. I…ah…”
“You changed your mind?” She kept her tone light, not wanting to reveal the extent of her disappointment. No matter how badly she wanted him, she wouldn’t force him to do something he wasn’t ready for. “No problem. We could do another movie night.”
“No. It’s not that. It’s just…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I feel like a total cad.”
Despite her uncertainty, she couldn’t help but smile. “A cad? What are you—a character in a Regency novel?”
“Not quite. But this doesn’t seem right. I’ve never taken you on a date. I didn’t have time to buy you flowers or chocolate oranything. And here I am, planning to barge into your room in the hopes you’ll have sex with me.”
She bubbled over with laughter. “What makes you think I want any of those things? You came on this tour to support me. You covered for me when I was too tired or frazzled to socialize. You listened to me whine about my ex. Honestly, you’ve done more for me than any of the guys I’ve been with.”
“But I want to go the extra mile. I want you to feel cherished. That’s how I operate.”
She moved in closer and smoothed the collar of his polo shirt. “You know how you can go the extra mile? By being a thoughtful lover, attending to my needs, and giving me a couple of really good orgasms. I’ll take those over roses any day.”
He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I…I’ll do my best.”
“I know you will. Come on. We’ve both waited long enough.”
CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE
Emilia unlocked her door and led TJ inside her room. In anticipation of their night together, she’d turned off all the lights except the tiny lamp on her nightstand. While she’d never had any qualms about exposing her body in broad daylight, the faint glow of the lamp set a more romantic tone. She went over to the double bed and pushed aside the comforter and pillow shams. “There. Now we have a little more room. How’s that?”
He didn’t answer. Though he’d followed her to the side of the bed, he had yet to make a move.
