“See, Cos,” Neo said. “I told you she was a clever woman.”
Everyone laughed. Even Cosimo. Out here, the serious guy I first met was a million miles away.
When we got to Southpoint, we put on our tees and cover-ups, and tied up the boat, and then Thayle literally ran into the restaurant to hit the ladies’ room.
“Meet you inside,” Neo called, wandering off, having spotted someone he knew.
“You are so different when you’re away from the estate,” I said to Cosimo. “Last night. Today.”
“It’s the glasses,” he said, stepping over a life jacket on the dock.
“It’s what the glasses represent.” I stepped over it too.
The restaurant was right in front of us. Literally, right off the docks. The entirety of the lake-facing wall was a garage door, now wide open. Palm trees had been planted everywhere, and beach music played. It was as close as you could get to a Caribbean vibe, I supposed, in the middle of the Finger Lakes.
Cosimo stopped before we made our way inside. “I stick to my original apology, Brooke. I was a total asshole that day.”
“You won’t find me arguing that point.”
He slipped on a pair of sunglasses.
“I like this Cosimo better.”
“Unfortunately, you’ll be seeing the other one tomorrow. I rarely take a day off and will be overloaded for sure.”
“If you let people do their jobs, maybe—”
“Not you too.”
“One last thing and then I’m done being serious for the day. Promise.”
He stopped walking. “Shoot.”
“You need to forge your own path. Obviously, the way your father and mother did things worked incredibly well. And they trusted you enough to make you the proprietor of Grado Valley. Now it’s your time to shine. On your own terms. Like the VIP tour. I’m amazed at how quickly that’s coming together.”
“Have you been talking to my sister in Italy? Because you sound exactly like her right now.”
I smiled up at him. “Maybe it’s just because we’re both clever women.”
“Clever,” he said. “Fun. A terrific water-skier, though not so good of a dart player. And,” he lowered his voice, “smoking hot.”
Time to throw caution to the wind. “Hot enough to visit tonight?”
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. I really just said that.
“Brooke Ellis, are you asking me, your boss, to come to your cottage this evening? For what I can only assume will be highly inappropriate activities?”
His tone was teasing, and sexy, and serious, all wrapped in one, like a burrito that you knew was so wrong, with enough calories for the entire day, but that you also knew you’d eat anyway because it tasted so damn good.
“I am.”
In response, he turned to the restaurant and lifted his hand, as if summoning the waiter. “Check please? We’re done here.”
I laughed all the way into the restaurant.
CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO
cosimo