With Us (The Amato Series Book 1)

by Layla Frost

  It was a much better wake-up than coffee.

  ···

  Two days.

  I’d had two days of sun, sleep, and sex.

  And my body felt all three.

  I was languid, but not exhausted. Sore, but not in pain.

  It was an amazing feeling.

  Adjusting the ridiculously giant floppy hat, I stretched in the hammock chair and picked my book off the floor where it’d landed when I dozed off.

  Guess it’s good Theo got me this flying saucer of a hat. At least now I won’t be burned.

  Hopefully.

  After our morning sex a couple days before, we’d gone downstairs for breakfast only to find the entryway filled with boxes and bags. Theo had said if he was getting me to himself for a week, he wanted to make sure I had everything I needed.

  A quick scan had shown clothes, pajamas, books, and movies. Plus, five different bathing suits.

  Five.

  I had no clue why I’d need more than one bathing suit, let alone five. But since they were all cute or sexy, I’d found myself coming up with reasons.

  When I’d looked at the packages, the cage dream had still been fresh in my mind. Seeing some of the things, however, made it easy to tell that Theo wasn’t trying to change me. The clothes were my style, comfortable and casual. All the books were the smutty romance ones I loved. Even the movies were the stupid comedies I preferred.

  I could tell Theo had been expecting an argument. For me to fight him and demand he take everything back.

  I hadn’t. Instead, I’d been filled with all the excited anticipation of my birthday and Christmas rolled into one day.

  Well, my birthday and Christmas the years I’d been in a good house.

  Maybe I’d made a mistake by accepting the stuff so easily. Maybe I should’ve refused it.

  Maybe I was a bad person.

  But as I glanced down at the sexy bikini I wore while sitting in the comfortable hammock that was surrounded by a lush garden and gorgeous pool, I couldn’t bring myself to care. Especially when there was a ridiculously good-looking man inside who I knew would want to see me in, and then strip me out of, said bikini.

  Tossing the hat and book down, I got up and adjusted my suit back into place. Black, rounded triangles covered my breasts, interwoven straps keeping them in place. The bottoms had the same kind of straps at the sides.

  The white lace cover up I’d brought out was warmed by the sun, making goosebumps break out across my skin as I pulled it over my head. The dress had a deep V-neck that dipped to mid-abdomen. The hem ended well above my knees and had a slit up one side. For a cover up, it covered up very little. I wasn’t even sure what the point of it was. But since it was so soft, and very sexy, I wore it.

  Heading inside, I ignored Gus swatting at my feet. I grabbed a water bottle from the fridge before continuing through the house. Not finding Theo in the living room, I walked to the steps. There were five bedrooms upstairs, including his master, and two rooms downstairs that’d been converted into an office and home gym. As I put my foot on the bottom step, I heard muffled talking from down the hall. Following the noise, I realized he was in his office.

  I lifted my hand to knock, but stopped when I heard other voices and realized he wasn’t alone. I knew he had work to take care of, but I hadn’t known that meant other people would be coming over. Dropping my hand, I began to step away but didn’t get far before the door swung open.

  “Miss Kincaid,” Ben greeted. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “It’s okay,” I said, feeling like I’d been caught eavesdropping.

  “Dahlia,” Theo called from inside the office. “Everything okay?”

  Stepping inside, I saw Theo sitting behind his desk, dressed in loose track pants and a white tee. A bunch of folders and paperwork were spread out in front of him.

  I wish I was spread in front of him.

  There were three other men in the room, along with Theo, Ben, Luc, and Tina’s husband, Gabe. Even though none of them could read my thoughts, I still blushed.

  “Yeah, it’s great,” I said to Theo. “I was just coming to say hi, but then I heard you were busy, so…” I started to back out of the room.

  “Not busy.” He jerked his head. “Come here.” When I got within reach of him, he grabbed my waist and pulled me onto his lap so I was perched on his thighs.

  I sat stiffly at first, surprised Theo would be so intimate when he was clearly working. A quick scan of the room showed the same surprise on the three strangers’ faces, although two of them tried to hide it. Luc sat on a couch against the wall, smiling as he looked at his phone. Ben leaned by the door, his attention on his phone, too. Gabe grinned openly, and I could almost hear him telling Tina later.

  “This is Jay, Dale, and Chris,” Theo said, introducing me to the suited men in the chairs in front of his desk. “This is my girlfriend, Dahlia.”

  We exchanged pleasantries, everyone politely ignoring the fact I was in a revealing bathing suit and sitting on Theo’s lap.

  “What’re you up to?” Theo asked me. “You smell like sun.”

  I held up my water bottle. “Just grabbing a drink.”

  An alarm chimed from the couch. “Reminder,” Luc said. “Don’t forget about the Children’s Hospital gala.”

  Theo’s head fell back as he groaned in annoyance. “I did forget. When is that?”

  “Next Friday.”

  “What did I promise?”

  “A check. A big one.” He tapped the screen. “Which Rosa already sent.”

  Relaxing, Theo gave my hip a squeeze. “How does a night of champagne and talking with boring people sound?”

  “Am I with you?”

  His lips tipped up. “The whole time.”

  “Then perfect.”

  I don’t think any amount of accessorizing will make my green dress gala acceptable. And the last Pinterest experiment was a massive fail.

  Theo kissed my shoulder. “You hungry?”

  “Yeah, I was going to fix a sandwich. Do you want one?”

  He shook his head. “We’re wrapping up now, if you wanted to go grab dinner instead?”

  “That sounds good. I’ll get changed.”

  Theo’s grip tightened on my hips. He pulled me back so I could feel his hard cock against my ass before lifting me to stand, all in one smooth motion. “I’ll be up in a few.”

  With a quick goodbye, I left the room and headed upstairs. I stripped off my bathing suit, hanging it to dry. I eyed the jet tub in Theo’s en suite bathroom before deciding to go the quicker route with the shower. Since the shower also had one of those waterfall walls and jets that shot out to hit my back, it wasn’t exactly a sacrifice.

  Once I was clean, I had to force myself to turn off the water and leave. If it weren’t for my growling stomach, I probably wouldn’t have had the willpower. Wrapping a towel around my chest, I did a light sweep of makeup, kicking myself as I realized I’d forgotten to pack a few things.

  Walking into a closet that was bigger than my kitchen, Theo’s clothes were on one side. Sexy and tailored dress shirts, suits, and slacks were pressed and hung according to color. Tall stacked bins held his casual wear, pajamas, and boxer briefs.

  The clothes I’d brought took up four hangers and a quarter of a bin on the other side. Adding the clothes Theo had gotten me, though, meant I had a fifth of the rack and almost a full bin.

  Other than the pajamas I’d worn for about thirty seconds before he’d stripped them off, the bathing suits were the only thing I’d had a reason to wear. I hadn’t even looked at most of the other things that closely since his housekeeper, Ms. Jones, had put them all away.

  He had a housekeeper.

  Part-time only, but still.

  I’d yet to meet her, but considering how quickly things got done, she was efficient.

  Excitedly, I flicked through the hanging clothes. Halfway through was a sleeveless, white crop top and skirt set that made me gasp.
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  Literally gasp.

  Made with an insanely soft white material, there were watercolor-esque splotches of pale pink, blue, and green splattered on it. They kind of looked like flowers, but not. Actually, it almost looked like a piece of artwork that should be hanging on display.

  Maybe I can wear this to the gala thing.

  Dropping my towel, I put on a bra and panties. I pulled the skirt on, zippered it, and immediately began trying to tug it down. The length was fine, if a smidge short. But I wasn’t used to the high waist, and I didn’t know how I felt about it. When I added the top, however, I knew.

  I loved it.

  Only a small patch of skin was exposed between the two pieces. Putting on my flip flops, I turned to the mirror and my fashion high crashed.

  Shoes were shoes. I lived in comfortable work shoes, ballerina flats, and flip flops. I hadn’t owned a pair of heels in my life.

  But this outfit deserved heels. The flip flops looked like I was having a fashion crisis. Again.

  Sighing, I took off the outfit and grabbed a pair of white cuffed shorts. I tried them on and was surprised at how perfectly they fit, cupping my ass in a flattering way. Looking at the last few things that were hanging, I grabbed a pale green, off the shoulder tee. I knew it was the right choice when I tried it on. The shimmery material was thin and clingy, hugging my breasts and still showing a peek of skin above my waistband. I dug through my bin but couldn’t find a thick strapped tank.

  After the meeting tease, maybe Theo deserves some dinner torment.

  I unhooked my bra and slid it off under my shirt. There was a lightweight, khaki army style jacket hanging at the far end with my sweaters and hoodies.

  The bedroom door opened as I was hanging up the pretty skirt and shirt.

  “Sorry,” Theo said, pulling off his shirt as he walked. “A couple things came up at the end of the meeting and then I got stuck on the phone.” Pushing down his pants, he tossed both into the hamper and gestured to the outfit in my hands. “You don’t like it?”

  “No, I do. I love it. The flip flops just don’t work with it, and I forgot my flats at home. Who picked out the clothes?”

  “Rosa. I gave her a general idea and she ran with it. Do you not like them?”

  I rolled my eyes, stroking my hand across the gorgeous watercolor skirt. “Yes, it’s all just dreadful.”

  Wrapping his arms around me from behind, he tugged me against him. “I was hoping to catch you while you were in the shower.”

  “I was, too,” I admitted. I’d paid more attention to the door than I had to my shower, which was why I’d almost gotten out with some conditioner still in.

  His lips skimmed my neck as he pulled away. “In the mood for anything specific for dinner?” he asked, pulling on a pair of jeans.

  I tore my eyes away from him carefully tucking his hard cock away because, as much as I wanted to see more, I was starving. “Something heavy, but not too heavy. Like a refreshing heavy.”

  He shook his head. “That makes no sense.”

  Lifting a shoulder in a shrug, I said, “Sorry, that’s all I got.”

  Theo made a thoughtful expression before pulling his shirt on. Grabbing some socks and a pair of casual gray sneakers, he walked to the bed to put them on. He looked up at me as he tied one, the veins in his hands getting my full focus. “Seafood?”

  My mouth watered, both for the food and the view. “Perfect.”

  Heading downstairs, we were almost to the door when I realized I forgot my bag. “Crud, I’ve got to grab something.”

  “I’ll pull the car around,” Theo said, kissing me quickly.

  Jogging up the steps, I picked my bag up off the end table and reached for my phone.

  Only it wasn’t there.

  In its place was a phone that rivaled Theo’s. When I touched the home button to turn it on, the screen saver was mine.

  Swiping the screen, I saw my messages, my contacts, my… everything.

  Well, everything except my phone.

  “What the heck?” I said out loud.

  There is only one person who can answer that, and he’s waiting outside.

  I took off downstairs, not sure if I was mad, irritated, or confused. Maybe all three. Maybe none.

  What I was sure of, though, was that I was a bad person.

  Because I was happy. Excited and giddy, and just plain happy.

  Mostly, it was the thoughtfulness of the gesture. But the phone itself was seriously amazing.

  Reaching the porch, I stopped in my tracks.

  Black on black, the sleek convertible idling in the driveway was one of the prettiest cars I’d seen in my life. It wasn’t overly sleek or flashy, nor was it too boxy.

  Instead, it was just cool.

  I got in and looked at Theo as he used his phone to turn on the house security system. “What kind of car is this?”

  “Mercedes.”

  “Exactly how many cars do you have?”

  “Me personally, or business included?”

  Shaking my head, I put my hands up. “You know what? I don’t want to know.” I dropped the hand not holding the phone. “Funny thing happened.”

  “What?” Putting the car into drive, he started down the driveway.

  “I haven’t checked my phone lately. I went to grab it today, and it magically transformed.”

  Theo’s lips were pressed in a thin line, but his dimples were more noticeable. “Hmm. How odd.”

  “Right? It’s almost as if someone took my phone and replaced it with one that could control satellites and drones.”

  “I think there may be an app for that.”

  “Theo,” I said, the wind starting to pick up as his speed increased.

  “Sorry, can’t hear you. Look out your window coming up, the view is gorgeous.” He turned up the radio, smiling as he rested his hand on my thigh. His thumb stroked back and forth.

  The phone forgotten, I grabbed my aviator shades from my bag so I could see without the sun hurting my eyes. My hair whipped around my head, the wind warm and refreshing.

  If I was sure he couldn’t hear me, I’d be badly singing my heart out right now.

  In the early evening sun, the ocean looked a brighter blue. Boats of all different sizes dotted the water.

  Much too quickly, Theo pulled into a parking lot.

  The restaurant was small, right on the water. Before we even reached the building, the smell of garlic, spices, and sweet seafood reached us.

  Theo opened the door, stepping aside for me to enter.

  The hostess looked up and smiled politely, her expression going more alert when Theo came in. “Mr. Amato, your table is ready.”

  He lifted his chin and put his hand on my lower back. We followed the hostess through the packed restaurant, out a set of sliding doors, and onto a deck.

  “Your server will be right with you,” she said, setting the menus on a small table. “Can I get you anything to drink?”

  I scanned the drink menu. “Can I have a strawberry mule, please?”

  Theo ordered a beer, but I didn’t hear what kind. I was already leaning in my seat to see the fish swimming around.

  The hostess left, the server appearing a couple minutes later with our drinks. “I’m Jen, I’ll be your server today. We have quite a few fresh catch specials.”

  I dragged my attention away from the water to focus on what she was saying. I’d already been unsure of how long it would take me to order without having had enough time to scrutinize the menu. When she mentioned a spicy lime salmon, though, my mind was made up.

  Theo went with a fra diavolo, which I was seriously hoping he’d share.

  “I’m guessing you’ve been here before,” I said, taking a sip of a strong, but delicious, drink.

  Nodding, he set down his own cup. “Next to Faust’s, which he can’t have, this is Luc’s favorite restaurant. Save room for dessert, and you’ll see why.”

  At that vague but intriguing comment, I made a
mental note to ask for a takeout box as soon as the food was delivered.

  “So how was your day?” I asked, taking off my jacket as I watched a bird dunking his head into the water. At Theo’s silence, I continued. “I mean, I know I spent most of the day with you, but how was the rest of it?”

  Looking up at him, I met his heated gaze.

  Wrapped up in new phones, shiny cars, and being so hungry I was sure my stomach growling was scaring the fish, I’d forgotten all about my braless plan.

  The shirt hung off my shoulder, my skin lightly tanned from my time by the pool. My breasts pushed up against the thin fabric. Because the shirt draped in a flattering way, it wasn’t immediately clear I was braless unless someone was staring.

  Or if they’d seen me naked enough to know how my breasts looked.

  Based on the borderline obscene way Theo was watching me, he’d obviously noticed it quickly.

  Playing it off, I picked up my drink and forced myself to swallow through the lump in my throat. My skin felt overheated, and the butterflies in my stomach were going wild.

  The tension that settled lower had me contemplating diving over the table.

  Theo’s voice was a low growl of a warning. “Don’t look at me like that.”

  I hadn’t realized I was. Snapping my gaze to the side, I bit back as smile as I rubbed my foot up his calf.

  “Gattina, you are playing a dangerous game right now.”

  I knew it. God, did I know it. I wasn’t even sure who I was anymore.

  All I knew was I liked the new me.

  There was a giddiness that filled me, mixing with the anticipation in a potent way. I felt safe teasing and flirting because I knew I’d get exactly what I wanted in the end.

  Theo.

  I leaned forward to set my drink down, letting the front of my shirt gape, which gave Theo a glimpse of the top of my breasts.

  My nipples were painfully hard, the super soft fabric suddenly feeling like sandpaper. I was so turned on, I almost suggested we just leave.

  Almost.

  Theo shifted like he was about to stand, but the food was set in front of us before he could. Reluctantly, he sat back.