Take It All Off

by Weston Parker

  My eyebrows climbed up on my forehead as I tucked my chin in. “Yeah, I think that came out wrong, too. Because how else would one or both of us get hurt if we’re not in a relationship? You’re going to need to spell it out for me.”

  An exasperated growl tore from his chest. It resonated with some primal part of me, and for a split second, I wondered if he’d be amenable to angry sex. I pushed away the thought, though. Sex was what had gotten us to this point to begin with.

  Until I knew the score, there was no way I should even be thinking about it.

  “I can’t settle down with you, Adaline,” he gritted out. “I want you, but I can’t settle down with you. I thought it was best to put some distance between us, not because I thought you would assume we were in a relationship but because I wanted several repeat performances of last weekend. Who knows where we would end if that happens?”

  I slumped back in my chair, shocked by his admission. As much as I wanted to be annoyed by his behavior, I couldn’t be. “I want it to happen again, too. I just don’t want it to be like this between us again. I’m capable of keeping things separate, Marco. I guess the question is, are you?”

  He took a long minute before he replied. “Yes, I am.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  A slow grin spread across his full lips. “I guess there is no problem.”

  “Good.” I smiled as my tense muscles unwound. “Can you stop being weird now?”

  He released a heavy sigh, like he was really put out by my request. The humor sparking in his golden eyes gave him away, though. “Fine. I can do that.”

  “Okay.” I nodded. “Where do we go from here then?”

  He rocked his head from side to side. “My brother is running a marathon this weekend. Would you like to come with me to support him?”

  “You have a brother?” I asked, surprised. “I didn’t know that, but I’m up for supporting Team Ricci.”

  “Good.” He shot me a look with that wicked smirk tugging one corner of his lips up again. “Now get back to work. Panama isn’t going to explain its own regulations to you.”

  I laughed but balled up a piece of scrap paper on my desk and tossed it at his head. “Sure thing, boss man.”

  The sound of deep, masculine laughter rang in my ears long after he’d closed the door. Satisfied that I hadn’t fucked up my brand-new career my first week on the job, I let out a relieved breath and went back to my book.

  Panama, you’re about to become my bitch.

  Chapter 17

  Marco

  When she’d put it like that, I hadn’t been able to argue. The truth was that I had gone about the whole thing all wrong. I’d gotten so caught up in the fact that my mother wouldn’t approve of her that I’d forgotten who I was dealing with.

  Addy wasn’t some crazed clinger with stars in her eyes and dreams of billions of Euros in her bank account. She was a woman who was perfectly clear not only on where we stood, but also on what she wanted out of her own life.

  As far as I’d been able to tell, all she really wanted to do was travel. Sure, billions of Euros could help with that, but somehow, I didn’t think she wanted those by becoming some kind of trophy wife.

  I hadn’t known her all that long, but it was obvious to me that independence was important to her. She wanted to stand on her own two feet and she was doing a damn good job of making that happen.

  She wasn’t a husband-seeking lady of leisure in the making. Not that only women were that way. I knew plenty of guys who were after the same thing.

  Neither Addy nor I were like that. We were two adults who got along well and happened to be attracted to one another. There was no need to overthink or over complicate it, like I had done.

  I respected the way she’d confronted the issue head on, and if anything, it had made me even more attracted to her than I already had been. I’d known she was a firecracker, but she had proved it to me once again. I wouldn’t make the mistake of forgetting it again.

  Introducing her to Aldo was going to be interesting. I was looking forward to it, though. I had a feeling Addy was going to become an important part of my life, both at work and as a friend with occasional benefits.

  As much as he could annoy me at times, Aldo was one of the two most important people in my life, and I was eager to see how they got along. I was also curious about what he’d think our mother might say about her once he’d met her.

  It wasn’t an issue I was going to worry about any longer, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t curious. As I pulled up to her apartment, I shelved those thoughts.

  All I wanted to focus on today was getting our relationship, for lack of a better word, back on track. I parked in a spot about a block away from her place, then doubled back and rang the bell on their main door.

  She buzzed me in and was waiting for me at her door after I’d climbed the three flights of stairs to her apartment. Smiling wide when I emerged from the stairwell, she stepped aside. “Hey, you. Thanks for coming to pick me up. I just need to grab my shoes. Then I’ll be ready to go.”

  “You look gorgeous,” I said, pulling her close to brush a kiss to each of her cheeks. “Absolutely breathtaking.”

  Her hair was loose and tumbled to her waist in shiny waves, the front swept to the side and fastened with some kind of clip to keep it from falling into her face. Pitch-black kohl lined her eyes, making them seem deeper and bluer than ever.

  A simple turquoise dress hugged her curves, but it was made out of a soft, cotton material that appeared to be extremely comfortable. She had cinched a wide, brown leather belt around her waist and paired it with matching sandals.

  She looked young, carefree, and fresh. Once again, she stunned me with another facet of her personality. I hadn’t experienced her as just another girl out to have a good time yet, but it seemed like that was what I was about to get today.

  Addy laughed and waved me off. “Tone down the charm, dude. You’re not here on a date.”

  Something deep inside me stirred at her calling me “dude.” It was too casual, too colloquial for my liking, yet I knew that in her culture, young men and women called one another that all the time.

  Taking in a deep breath as she turned and walked back into her apartment, I tried to use oxygen to soothe that beast inside. Whatever the fuck it was, it had to back off. I had no right to want her to call or see me as anything but just another dude.

  Another blonde woman was waiting in the apartment. She wore heavy eye makeup and leaned with her side against the wall, her arms crossed.

  Addy disappeared into the bedroom, and once she had, the other one detached herself from her perch. Her lips curled into a smile that was vaguely menacing as she approached, circling me like she was some kind of fucking predator.

  “Hi,” I said. “I’m Marco. You must be Elena.”

  “I am, and I know who you are,” she replied. “I’ve heard a lot about you. From Addy and from the news.”

  Fuck. “You keep up with the local tabloids?”

  She scoffed and tossed a piece of hair over her shoulder, rolling her eyes in an exaggerated movement. “Please. Of course I do. You’re the hometown hero. The guy who made it big and stayed right here where he came from. You’re in high demand in some circles, you know that?”

  “Yes.” I lifted my chin and looked right into her light blue eyes. “What’s this about?”

  “Nothing.” She lifted her shoulders in a small shrug. As she turned, she pointed her finger at me. Her nails were long and slathered in bright pink polish. “But Marco? You better not hurt my friend. All of you boys are the same. Once Mommy gets involved, it becomes a shit show. That better not be where this is headed or I’ll cut off your balls. Sicilian style.”

  Addy came out of her room then, took one look at Elena’s posture, and came over to take my arm. “Stop lecturing him, Mother Goose.” She swung her gaze to me next. “If she threatened your balls in any way, ignore her. She’s a big softie.”

&nb
sp; Elena’s expression hardened. “I have family in Sicily and a knife.”

  Addy rolled her eyes, a small smile curling her lips. “The knife your aunt gave you is a silver butter knife.”

  I choked back a laugh, earning myself a glower from Elena.

  “It’s a Sicilian butter knife,” she said. “You don’t know what those things can do.” Completing her turn, she stomped out of the room.

  Addy shot me an apologetic smile as she led me to the door. “She’s proud of her heritage, but don’t worry. She’s harmless.”

  “I hope so,” I muttered, winking when she looked up to meet my gaze. “You ready to go?”

  “Yep.” She picked up her purse from a table near the front door. “Let’s do it. Anything I should know about your brother before I meet him?”

  “Like what?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. Pet peeves I shouldn’t mention or favorite sports teams I shouldn’t insult?”

  I laughed, shaking my head no. “Just be yourself. I’m sure you could take it if you accidentally stumbled on one of his buttons.”

  “True, but I’d rather not,” she said as we hit the street. We walked side by side, and eventually, I gave in to the urge to link her pinkie finger around mine. She didn’t resist, even squeezing a little. “I didn’t realize quite how famous you are. Elena told me she knew about you, but I didn’t know you’ve been in the tabloids.”

  “I don’t like to talk or think about it,” I replied, suppressing a shudder. “Getting recognition for simply staying in town after making something of myself is stupid. There are plenty of successful people in Tuscany, many who were born around here. I don’t understand why I get singled out.”

  Addy pursed her lips as we reached my car, peering up at me with a coy expression on her face. “Could it be because you’re hot?”

  “It’s good to know you think that, but no. I don’t think so. Besides, it’s really not such a big deal. A few magazines have done articles on me. That’s the extent of my fame. It’s hardly anything to write home about. I don’t like being in the public eye.”

  “I can see how it might be annoying. Having a total stranger know your business must suck.” I opened the door for her after the lights flashed when I unlocked the car. “Thanks. Good to know chivalry isn’t dead.”

  “No, it’s not dead. It’s just not practiced by cretins.” I shut her door and climbed into the driver’s seat.

  Addy turned in hers after fastening her seatbelt. “Are you really not going to tell me about your brother? For example, is he a cretin?”

  “Absolutely,” I said, shooting her a grin in the rearview mirror. “But he’s a good guy, too. We’re a lot alike, but there are several fundamental differences.”

  “Like what?”

  “I’m younger and definitely better looking.” I glanced at her in time to catch the end of an eye roll. “What? I am. You’ll see soon enough. Aldo’s a lot friendlier than I am. He’s funny, but his filter is broken.”

  “Kind of like Elena’s?” she asked, amusement dancing on her expression.

  I nodded. “Sure, but Aldo seems more dangerous. He says everything with a smile on his face. With him, you wouldn’t be sure if your balls were being threatened with a butter knife or if you might just enjoy having him cut them off.”

  “So, he’s the charmer in the family?” she asked jokingly.

  Aldo and I never really got jealous of one another. Every once in a while, the other did or had something the other envied, like my envy of his ability not to take himself too seriously, but it had never caused trouble between us.

  Hearing Adaline refer to him as the charmer, even though I knew she hadn’t even met him yet, made the green monster deep inside roar to life. I suddenly had the urge to mark her as mine. I wonder if she’ll let me pee on her.

  Dismissing the errant thought, which had been way more errant than I was proud of, I breathed through the weird urges passing through me. Why am I jealous of Aldo? Jesus.

  I felt Addy’s gaze on me as my knuckles turned white on the steering wheel and my jaw clenched. Forcing myself to relax, I sent her a smirk that would make my brother proud. “No, I’m better looking and more charming. We’re here.”

  I found parking not too far away from the starting line, and Addy and I stepped out into the midday sunshine to find a spot near the front. Throngs of runners and supporters congregated all around us. Addy craned her neck like she was looking for someone, then glanced up at me.

  “Where is he? Am I going to get to meet him before the race?”

  “Probably not. I texted him to let him know we’d be here, but he’ll be getting his head in the game. He’s going to need it, too. He decided to run this damn thing on a whim. He didn’t have enough time to train.”

  “Spontaneity,” she commented. “I like that. Do you see him yet?”

  Her compliment made the monster rise and bang his chest again. In an attempt to keep her from seeing my very irrational reaction, I turned in a slow circle until I found Aldo amidst the crowd of runners. “Yeah, I see him. He’s over there.”

  Addy pushed onto her tiptoes to look at where I was pointing, then did a double take. She dropped back to her feet and stared up at me, her pretty red lips parted. “You’re an identical twin? Why the hell didn’t you tell me? I could’ve helped you look for him. Holy fuck, you’re a twin.”

  The expression on her face was impossible to read, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to read it either. Her eyes had narrowed in thought and she’d lifted a hand to tap the side of her mouth.

  Meanwhile, the green monster stomped his feet and demanded we take out our nemesis. Never mind the fact that our nemesis, in this instance, was my twin brother and best friend.

  Fuck. This was going to be a long-ass day if I couldn’t get that thing under control.

  Chapter 18

  Addy

  Marco was a twin? How had I not known that?

  Also, why didn’t I feel an ounce of attraction toward his brother?

  I watched as his twin bounced on the balls of his feet, the muscles in his arms and shoulders pulling and rippling as he stretched. The lighter streaks in his hair caught the afternoon sun and shone like spun gold.

  It didn’t escape my notice that several females in his vicinity had stopped to stare at him, especially as he bent over to touch his toes. From my vantage point, I could see the cocky smirk that tugged at the corners of his lips.

  It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out he knew he was drawing attention, and he liked it that way. Marco confirmed my suspicions by chuckling and giving his head a shake when he noticed the same thing I had.

  “He’s such an attention whore,” he muttered, his tone teasing. “What do you want to bet he’s going to lift his shirt up next? He’ll pretend he needs to wipe his brow.”

  “I don’t know him and you’re his twin. It hardly seems smart to bet on what he might do against you.”

  Marco shrugged, his eyes glinting with humor as he glanced down at me. “Fair enough. If he does that, you have to come out to dinner with us after. If he doesn’t do it, you get to decide what you win.”

  “So basically if I take the bet, I’m coming out to dinner with you.” I watched as his brother reached for the hem of his sleeveless shirt. “You’ve got yourself a bet.”

  He took my hand to seal the deal just as the twin lifted his shirt to his face. Marco groaned, but just about every woman in the vicinity practically swooned.

  I caught a glimpse of very much the same physique as Marco’s when I felt his eyes boring into me from the side. Frowning as my gaze darted to his, I was about to question why he was looking at me like that when I realized there was something blatantly possessive in the sudden hard set of his expression.

  “What do you think of my brother?” he asked with an edge in his tone.

  I wasn’t sure what was going on with him, but I wanted to lighten the mood. “Oh, you know. He’s really ugly. You must have gott
en the looks in your family.”

  He blinked a few times, then clutched his stomach as he started laughing. Personally, I didn’t think my joke had been that funny, but obviously, my intuition had led me in the right direction.

  I smiled up at him, winking before I pointed at a woman walking into the crowd with a flag and a starter pistol. “Looks like they’re about to get going. Do you think he’s going to win?”

  “No.” He scoffed, but the lingering hardness melted away from his face as he turned to the runners. “He might have, but he would have needed to train harder. Don’t worry, though. He won’t be crushed by losing. He’s just doing this for the fun of it.”

  “Running a marathon is supposed to be fun?” I eyed the spandexed-out masses checking the electronic gimmicks on their arms, faces set in competitive scowls. “I think a few of these people might have missed the memo.”

  “True, but Aldo’s not taking it too seriously.” Sure enough, when I sought out his brother in the crowd again, he was flirting with a girl standing beside him. She was giggling and had her hand on his toned bicep, using the other to twirl the ends of her ponytail around her fingers.

  “I see what you mean,” I said. “Well, I guess a marathon is a more interesting place to meet people than a bar. At least you’ll be able to remember them in the morning.”

  Marco laughed again and tucked me under his arm when the spectators surged forward as the pistol fired. The runners started moving in a slow wave as the ones at the front hit the trail.

  Aldo and the girl talked for about another minute before they finally set off at a slow jog, still chatting and laughing as they set off. Marco grinned down at me, his face only inches away from mine.

  “You might think he’s ugly, but clearly she doesn’t. Wanna bet he’s going to have her number before the first mile ends?”

  “If she doesn’t think he’s ugly, it’s only because she hasn’t met his brother.” The words were out before I could stop them, but from the fresh burst of intensity in his gaze, I guessed I’d said the right thing. “Again, I’m not betting against you on your twin’s habits. It’s just asking to lose.”