“Yes. Exactly that. We can brush off a lot of them, but if I don’t accept any guests at all, it will be seen as rude. Rumors that I’m trying to hide something will blanket the island like a firestorm in a matter of minutes.”
“Can’t that work to our advantage? It will ensure that everyone shows up out of morbid curiosity,” Kairo countered.
Isidore sighed. “We’ll get all of our invited guests, but we’ll also end up with a hundred guests who weren’t officially invited.”
Kairo tilted his head to the side, his long hair brushing against his shoulder. “You know, your world, it’s kind of fucking chaotic and crazy. People coming and going, sticking their nose in your business, constantly talking shit about other people.”
A little smirk lifted one corner of Isidore’s mouth. “Yes, but when they get mean and want to destroy an enemy, they do it with gossip and a checkbook. It’s rare that guns are involved, unlikeyourworld.”
“Oh, I’ve heard of plenty of rich people shooting other rich people,” Kairo teased.
Isidore leaned close and pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose. “I said rare, not impossible.”
“We’ll spread the word to the entire team to be on the watch for unexpected guests and to have their cover stories ready to go. My concern is whether your estranged family will actually show up,” Charlie interjected.
“They will. When I was arranging things with my assistant, I let it ‘slip’ that I’m excited to share someone important to me with my friends and business associates. That at least gets the boyfriend gossip flowing. If things don’t move like we expect at the party, we can initiate the engagement plan,” Isidore replied.
“They were going to show up even without spreading the rumor that you’re dating,” Athena’s voice drifted into the room. They all looked up to see her standing in the other doorway from the living room, Joey sitting on her shoulder and playing with her curly black hair. “They hate us in private and between each other, but they will never miss a chance to attend one of our parties. They’ll tell each other they aren’t going, yet show up in hopes of getting on our good side or out of fear that one of the other family members will get an advantage over them.”
“So your family not only stabs you and Isidore in the back, but each other as well?” Charlie inquired.
Athena nodded. “Pretty much.”
“For money,” Kairo scoffed.
The young woman snickered. “It’s a lot of fucking money.” She pointed at Isidore. “Didn’t you know that he’s worth more than fourteen billion euros?”
“Athena! Don’t be crude!” Isidore snapped while his cheeks flushed bright red.
Kairo grabbed Isidore’s chin and forced him to look at him. “That money doesn’t compare to the size of your kind heart or the beauty of your smile.”
“You’re too sweet,” Isidore murmured, leaning the rest of the way in for a sweet kiss.
When he pulled away, Kairo winked at him. “But I don’t mind if my new sugar daddy wants to buy me a new toy.”
He’d expected Isidore to laugh at his joke, not light up like a child on Christmas morning. “You’d let me buy you things?” Isidore asked with a voice filled with excitement and wonder.
“All right, I think you could use a break,” Charlie drawled. “I’m going to find Will and see if he can think of any supplies he might need for this adventure. You two go be cute somewhere I don’t have to see it.”
Snickering, Kairo grabbed Isidore’s hand and led him out the back of the house and across the yard to the edge of the olive grove. Kairo smiled to see the afternoon sun caressing the dancing silver-green leaves. The ground was soft underfoot from the surprise rain shower they’d experienced a few hours earlier, which helped to temper some of the heat and bring in a nice breeze from the gulf. Earth and a hint of saltiness hung in the air.
He tore his gaze away from the trees to stare at the man who was watching him with a smirk. His hair rose and fell in the breeze, the sun bringing out hints of paler brown amid the blackness.
“Why did you get so excited over the idea of buying me things?” Kairo asked as they wandered into the grove.
Isidore rolled his eyes and sighed. “You’re going to laugh.”
“What?”
“Athena read this book a few years ago about love languages. She said that I’m a natural caretaker and one of my love languages is to give gifts. It’s my way of making sure that people have both what they need and what they want. But I’ve had a lot of people come through my life who believed that I should just give them things and pay for everything because I’m rich. I don’t mind paying, but I don’t like being taken for granted. I’m not a walking checkbook.”
Kairo stopped and turned toward him, a deep sadness tugging his features into a frown. He could understand greed, but how could anyone just overlook Isidore’s natural sweetness and warmth? That was so much more precious than things.
“But I know that you would never treat me like that. You’re an incredibly independent person. I was afraid that you wouldn’t let me buy you any new toys. Or that if you did, we’d have to be dating for a really long time. I’m excited that you’d allow me to give you any gift.”
Kairo’s eyes narrowed on him, and he could feel a little wrinkle form between his eyebrows. “When you say gift, how big are you talking?”
With a shrug, Isidore closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around Kairo’s waist. “Oh, I don’t know. It could be anything. I like giving useful things or silly things that will make you smile. Maybe a cute pair of boxer briefs with smiley faces on them or maybe a cupcake if you’re having a bad day.” He paused with his eyes staring at the sky as if he were wracking his brain for ideas. “Hm…I guess I could buy you a gun or a car if that’s what you needed. I wouldn’t know what to get you when it comes to computers. I’d have to leave that in your hands. I—”