“So, where are you from?” Nico asked.
“Laguna Beach,” she replied. “It’s in Southern California.”
“I haven’t heard of Laguna Beach before. What’s it like?”
“It’s beautiful. My family has a house on the beach,” she said. “I always loved lying in bed at night listening to the sound of the waves and smelling the ocean.”
The mere mention of River lying in bed sent a host of sensual thoughts and images parading through Nico’s mind. Images like River laying there in nothing but a tight t-shirt and a pair of panties that showcased her soft, supple body. She was young but she had the body of a woman and Nico wanted to explore every inch of it with his hands, his fingers, and his mouth. He shifted in his seat again, his erection growing almost painfully. He was glad he was under the table where she couldn't see him struggling with his stiff cock.
“It sounds… nice,” he said.
“It is.”
“Where is your friend?” he asked. “The one I saw you at the club with.”
A small frown touched her lips. “She went home. I love it here and wasn’t ready to go home, so I decided to stay a little longer.”
“Oh? And how much longer will you be in Venice?”
She shrugged. “Probably a few more weeks.”
“Well, perhaps I’ll have to show you around. Let you see a side of Venice tourists don’t normally get to see.”
She raised an eyebrow at him as a smirk pulled a corner of her mouth upward. “I thought we said this was an expectation-free lunch."
Nico spread his hands out, palms up, a wide, unassuming smile on his face. “That’s what this is. I merely offered to let you see Venice in a way only the locals see it.”
She eyed him suspiciously for a moment then smiled. "Sorry. A single girl alone in a foreign land has to keep her guard up though. You know?”
“I understand. But I think a single girl alone has to keep her guard up even at home.”
“That’s true too.”
They fell silent as the waitress dropped off their plates and they tucked into their meals. Nico watched in delight as River’s face lit up with delight. She’d trusted him with their lunch, and he’d made sure to order a special dish that was common to Venetians but wasn’t served in most of the restaurants frequented by tourists. He was glad to see she seemed to be enjoying it. In his opinion though, it would have been better with a glass of wine. But he knew one had to make sacrifices to get what one wanted. And he very much wanted River.
“So, what is waiting for you at home?” he asked.
She sighed and a small frown crossed her lips. Whatever was going through her mind wasn’t a happy thought and that bothered Nico. He didn’t want to see her be anything but happy. He didn’t want to feel anything but enjoyment and satisfaction. He never wanted to see her upset. Never wanted to see her scared. Or sad. It was a strange thought for him to be having given the fact that he barely knew her. It was inexplicable to him. But the longer he sat with her, the more he talked to her, the stronger that feeling grew.
“Whatever it is, it doesn’t seem like you’re looking forward to it,” he said.
“I’m not. When I go home, I’ll be going to Georgetown Law,” she replied. “And after that, taking my place in my father’s firm. Eventually, he’ll groom me to take his spot at the top when he retires.”
“I take it you don’t want to be a lawyer.”
“I mean… I always wanted to be a lawyer when I was a kid. I admired my father and wanted to follow in his footsteps. And I don’t want to let him down, so, I don’t feel like any choice but to stick to the plan,” she said.
“I can see that’s not what you want,” he replied.
“Part of me still wants to. Part of me is still excited by the thought of being a lawyer.”
“And the other part of you?” he asked, pushing his plate away. “What does that other part of you want to do?”
A faint smile crossed her lips as she wiped her mouth and set her napkin down. She looked down and pushed her own plate away, done with her meal. River’s cheeks flushed and Nico thought the spots of color on her cool, alabaster-colored skin looked good on her. As she thought about the answer to that question, her eyes sparkled, and she seemed to glow with an inner light. Nico thought it made her even more beautiful. River bit her bottom lip and seemed to be choosing her words carefully. A couple of moments later, she raised her gaze to him but giggled nervously, as if what she wanted to say was outlandish.
“Tell me,” he said.
“In my dream world, I would be a writer.”