ELLIE
I couldn’t believe Ethan was jealous of Jason. Why did he think he had the right? For some reason, he always acted like a possessive maniac.
First, it was Todd, then Anthony, Valentin, and now Jason. God! He definitely had a problem.
Not only did he have no right to be jealous, but there was also no reason to be jealous of Jason. It had been years since anything had happened between us, and now he was a committed man.
It was ridiculous, and I wasn’t going to put up with his idiotic behavior. Grabbing my things, I decided to go to Anna’s room and asked to use her bathroom.
*
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” she asked as I came out of the bathroom, sitting on the bed.
“Where’s Will?” I glanced at my reflection in the wooden wardrobe mirror.
I chose a tight red dress that fell to my knees, with thin straps and a neckline that accentuated my breasts. I didn’t plan on making things easy for Ethan.
Nude heels with a strap over the toes and another around the ankle completed my look. I pinned my hair up in a messy bun, leaving my bangs loose.
“He’s waiting downstairs.”
“Hm.”
If Ethan had told Neil about us, I had the right to tell my best friend too.
“Don’t tell him anything,” I said, approaching the bed with my hands on my hips.
“Spill.”
“I made a deal with Morgan. Basically, it’s a deal that allows us to have casual sex during the trip. It sounded less stupid in my head. But that’s it.”
“You know that doesn’t make any sense, right?” She frowned, shaking her head, clearly confused.
“It does to me.”
“How? Isn’t this exactly what he offered you last week? What changed?”
“Well, since we’re on vacation, I figured I could enjoy it without the weight of feeling used. I thought I could pretend he’s just some random French guy I met on the trip.”
“A random guy who lives in the same city as you?”
“That’s what the deal is for. When we return to Manhattan, everything goes back to normal.”
“You really think that’s going to work?”
“Why not? It was working just fine until you guys showed up.”
“You guys were having sex when we arrived?”
“And last night,” I said, unable to suppress a goofy smile.
“God! So, that little show in the kitchen earlier was an act?”
I laughed, and she threw a pillow at me, which I caught.
“You sneaky girl!”
“Okay, it was fun.” I sat on the edge of the bed.
“Wait… If you two are having sex and not trying to kill each other, why are you here? Is this just another way to fool us?”
“No. The thing is, right now, I couldn’t share the bathroom with Morgan without wanting to strangle him.”
“This is starting to make no sense again.”
“He threw a jealous fit after he found out about Jason. Which is ridiculous because it was years ago.”
“Oh, that’s strange.”
“And it’s not the first time. First, he freaked out when he saw me with Todd at the restaurant that morning, and you know how that ended. Then it was with Anthony, and then the French guy I was dancing with last night.”
“Maybe he likes you.”
“Don’t say ridiculous things. It’s just typical alpha-male behavior, acting like he owns me.”
“Either way, it means he cares.”
“Did you hit your head somewhere? We’re talking about Ethan.”
“I know you think it’ll be easier if you keep feelings out of it, but it’s never that simple, so be careful.”
“Are you saying I should back out?”
“I can’t tell you what to do. If it ends badly, you’ll have a reason to blame me.”
“You know I’d never do that. I’m just asking what you think.”
“Well, you seem more relaxed than ever, and you’re smiling. I like seeing you like this, so I’d say have as much sex as possible.”
I leaned forward on the bed, stretching my arms out to hug her.
“Thanks.”
*
After a short car ride, we explored the city center. The weather was pleasant, and the evening lights made the city enchanting. We even caught some of the light projections Anna had mentioned, and it was truly a spectacle.
Morgan still seemed to be in the same mood as before. I continued to find his behavior ridiculous, so I tried to ignore him. Which wasn’t easy, considering he looked hotter than I remembered.
This time he was wearing a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, drawing my attention to his muscular forearms. The top buttons of the shirt were undone, and he wore dark jeans on the bottom.
The combination of his dark blond hair slicked back with the all-black outfit left me dizzy. Seeing his hair so neat made me restless in a way that I had to grip my purse tightly.
Our group eventually split up. Some decided to keep exploring the streets.
I joined Anna, Will, Neil, and Rosie, who, like me, were tired and wanted to sit down and grab a drink to cool off.
We found a charming bar in the center. While my friends settled at the outdoor tables, I went inside and approached the bar. I wasn’t really in the mood to deal with two couples in love.
There was only one man sitting at the bar. I sat a short distance from him. I felt his gaze on me, so I turned my head to meet his eyes.
He gave me a nod, and I returned a closed-lip smile. I couldn’t help but notice his striking features, particularly his jawline and forehead.
A minute later, the bartender approached—a young guy with a thick beard.
“Good evening, miss! Do you know what you’d like to drink?” He probably wasn’t French because I didn’t detect an accent.
“Well, I...”
“Excuse me, may I choose for you?” The stranger sitting to my right interrupted.
I raised an eyebrow, wondering if this was a common approach around here.
“I guess that’s fine,” I said, meeting his grayish-blue eyes, not wanting to be rude.
“Bring her a Pinot Noir Richebourg.”
“Great choice,” the bartender said before leaving us.
“If I tell you I work with wine, will I seem less weird and intrusive?” the sexy stranger asked.
“Maybe.” I forced a smile, the fact reminding me of Todd.
“Let’s start properly. I’m Edward, and you are?” He extended his hand to me.
“Ellie. You’re not American, are you?” I shook the offered hand.
“British.”
“I should’ve guessed. You have that British way of saying things.”
“And you’re definitely American. Tell me, what brings you here?”
“I’m on a vacation trip with some friends.”
“That’s certainly more interesting than being here for work.”
“You’re here for work? That would explain the suit.”
“Yes, as I mentioned, I work with wines. Right now, I’m selecting new vintages from the region for export.”
“And how do you choose?”
“Tasting.”
“You’re telling me your job is to taste wine?”
“In part, yes.”
“That sounds like a dream job.”
“Sometimes it’s fun, except for the paperwork.”
I was about to respond when I felt a hand on my waist. His breath hit my ear before I heard him.
“Hello, love.”