“I imagine so, but if there’s nothing more you can do…”
“Not treatment choices. Just attitude. I could live in fear and unhappiness during what might have been the last year of my life, or choose acceptance.”
“You gave up?”
“Oh, no. I fought that thing with what could have been my last breath. I wasn’t accepting death, just that cancer treatment was my life now, and that my ending was unsure. Everyone’s ending is unsure. And I had to accept that the only thing I could control was the time I had. Day-to-day joyful, peaceful living was all that was left.”
He was astounded at her wisdom. “I need that lesson.” His voice sounded small to him, pleading.
“Are you alright?”
“I don’t know. I need to arrive at that place of peace and joy in my life. I worry…” He shook his head. “I worry about a great many things. My father expects things from me. I expect things. But what I want…” He turned his eyes to her and drank in her face, her features, her lips. “What I want, is this.”
Her eyes widened. He searched them, holding her in his gaze, and then he looked out the window. “All of this. Research trips to Italy, to Greece, the opportunity to grow in my profession. To prove my theories.”
The spell had been broken, but he was still shaken. “I’m sorry for all that you’ve been through.”
“It was a gift, in some ways. I’d never do it again.” She laughed. “But now I appreciate the ordinary. I cling to that joy, that peace. I treasure every day. And I look for important moments.”
He leaned back in his seat. “This.” His eyes found the bus ceiling. “I need this in my life too. Without the cancer, if possible.”
“Don’t we all?”
“I’m glad I know you, Shawna Worthington.”
“I’m glad I know you too, Dr. Adams.”
“Call me Dex.” His voice was quiet. He felt daring. He leaned toward her again. “Call me Dex when we’re alone.”
“Dex.” She whispered.
The sound of his name on her lips did unexpected things to him. He wanted her to say it again. Maybe she would at lunch. They felt closer now, like friends instead of just colleagues. The more he knew about Shawna, the more amazed he was and the more he suspected she was just right for him in every way.
He could only hope he was just right for her.
Chapter 14
The Palio races were perhaps the most incredible experience she was likely to have in her life. A thousand people or more packed into the very crowded plaza. She wore her mask, and Dex stuck close. Which was just fine with her. She had no idea what had sparked his new freedom, but she drank in every second of his attention, every glance of approval, every effort of his to get to know her.
Most of the students stuck close to them. Shawna could tell that as much as they appreciated the historic awesomeness of being where they were, they were a bit intimidated by the crowd. People were packed so closely together they couldn’t move. Which was just fine with Shawna. Dex used his arms to shield her somewhat from jostling. And the whole time, she felt very much like he had her in a warm protective embrace.
Ten horses and their riders raced past, circling a square that seemed too small for horse races. The riders carried the colors of their neighborhoods. The crowds cheered, the noise echoing in her brain for many moments afterward, only to be followed by another cheer. She joined in. At one point, Dex shouted, “Who are we rooting for?”
She laughed. “The students are equally divided between red and green.”
“Who are we routing for?” His questing sent thrills to her toes. Was she so lucky? Did he want to establish a we? She had turned to him, eyes close, lips close. “How about blue?”
He tilted his head, smiling, moving just a hair closer. Then he murmured. “Blue it is.”
His cheers every time the blue rider did anything made her smile. The whole event lasted hours and hours, and even though her legs and feet had throbbed from standing so long, she had not wanted it to end.
Back in Naples, they were heavy into their coursework. They would put in a solid three weeks before taking another excursion, this time to Venice. But in the meantime, she was enjoying their charming location. She took so many pictures of the brightly colored houses, the ocean, the beautiful shorelines, and the yachts in the harbor that she could fill whole books with them. The whole place was full of hills, cobblestone streets, and unforgettable views.
Tonight, she was out later than she wanted to be, walking the streets. Brandon had come with her. He’d wanted to check out an obscure little church because of a particular angle in its roofing. On their way back, they’d decided to walk the shoreline. It was tricky, often houses piled up right to the water, but they stuck to the docking on the edge, and sometimes the rocky shore. He pulled up his phone. “Hey, did you know our man Dr. Adams is one of the world’s wealthiest billionaires?”
She almost tripped. “What?”
“Yeah, look.” He showed her the article headline. And sure enough, a picture of Dex with a laughing woman filled his phone.
“Who’s that?”
Brandon eyed her, amused. “Some girl he dated three years ago. They broke up.”
She didn’t say anything and tried to keep a straight face, but relief flowed through her. “I had no idea.”
“I wonder why he’s a professor.”
“Well, because he loves it, obviously.”
“Yeah, but why else? He could study whatever he wanted on his own time. Why escort a bunch of students? Why teach?”
“I really do think he loves it. It’s okay to have a passion, even if you also have money.”
“Well, just thought you should know we’re hanging out with the elite.” He stood taller, strutting.
“You’d never guess by the way he acts,” she said.
She was floored. Why would he have any interest in her at all if he could literally have any woman in the world? Well, she assumed he could, or at least most of them—movie stars, famous people, anyone.
They made their way toward the marina. It was getting darker, but the boats were lit, and one yacht, the largest one there, played music while people walked around on deck. “Hey, isn’t that him?” Brandon pointed to a man shaking the hands of people boarding the yacht.
She squinted. “Let’s move closer.” His face came into focus. He was smiling. And looked different. A gorgeous woman joined him at his side and kissed his cheek.
“Oh, a girlfriend maybe?” Brandon chuckled.
“No, they all kiss cheeks in that crowd.”
“Oh, okay.”
She felt his curious gaze on her, but she ignored him. She suddenly felt very normal, plain, and unattractive. A group of women called down to him from the upper deck, laughing. Each one of them could have been cover models. The yacht rocked with fun music, and Dex looked very happy. “Come on, let’s go before he sees us.”
“I was kind of hoping to get a tour.”
“No way, are you crazy? Let’s go.”
“Alright, okay already.”
She hurried them down the dock and continued their walk along the shore. She hardly heard what Brandon said as he talked about the different dock houses and the homes that were built. She had no chance with Dex. If she had somehow caught his interest, it would fade quickly. What could she offer to him? A broken-down, weak body and a shared interest in Italian history. The longer she walked, the more depressed she felt.
“You listening to me?”
“Oh sorry, what?”
“Let’s get back. It’s getting late.”
“True, and don’t forget the homework is more intense for tomorrow.”
“You were a lot more fun when you weren’t the TA.”
“What are you even talking about? You hardly knew me.”
He grunted and smiled.
They made their way back to their hotel rooms. She knew she shouldn’t, but, before starting on any of her assignments, she pulled up an int
ernet search and looked up Dex. The longer she looked, the more deflated she felt. She found picture after picture of Dex in an expensive car, Dex cutting ribbons on humungous buildings, Dex giving important speeches, and, worst of all, Dex dating every kind of beautiful woman there was on this earth. When she couldn’t stand looking at him anymore, she closed down the websites and opened up her word doc. After five deep breaths, she was more focused and ready to start on the studies she really cared about. The fact that she sat out on the balcony and wondered when Dex would get home every five minutes, was just a part of her life now, and something she would have to get over once summer semester ended. At least she’d gotten a reality check now instead of another month in.
Three days later, she was more engrossed in her studies than ever. Dex seemed distracted. He left after class every day and headed somewhere on his own. She guessed he went down to his yacht. She’d started seeing articles about who he was hanging out with and what he was doing. Apparently, they were a high-powered group, and some that just passed the time in exotic places. She couldn’t imagine living that way. It sounded wonderful, but also a bit pointless. She wanted to ask Dex about it, to get his impression, but she hadn’t yet dared broach the topic. What would she say? “So, I hear you’re a billionaire” or “Who are all those women you hang out with?” So, she followed his lead, and only talked business. He just seemed too hurried and distracted to do anything else.
She had gone to her room early, even though a group of them were heading back to the local dance club. She just wanted some space. But her hotel room felt confining. She paced a few times and then grabbed a cardigan and left for a walk.
Not sure where the cool late-afternoon air would take her, she rather quickly ended up traversing the streets above the water. She longed for the view, and she had to know if Dex was out on his boat again. She walked up a steep incline of stairs to get a better view out over the water at sunset. The narrow-staired alleyway ran down between the brightly colored walls and homes. Out to her front was only sky and ocean.
She tilted her head back and smiled at the balconies jutting out into the alleyway, almost touching one another across the space. Laundry hung between. Flowers hung from windows. She was enchanted. Here was the Italy she imagined.
A woman leaned out her window, eyes narrowed in suspicion until Shawna smiled and waved. The woman’s face softened, and she grinned in return.
Then Shawna turned down another side alley, enjoying the streets. People hurried past, but for the most part, things were calmer up here, if a bit shabbier. She kept walking, grateful for her phone’s GPS to show her the way back when the time came. Happening on a large thoroughfare, she turned back down toward the water. The slope was steep. Vespas and motorized scooters raced past. There were no sidewalks, just road up against the buildings, and the more she walked down this steep thoroughfare, the more narrow it seemed. A small, three-wheeled car raced past her, and she felt the wind woosh through her hair. As soon as she could, she would get off of this street.
Then a row of traffic started heading up the street as well as down, and things got super crowded. She hugged the wall of the building, but cars only veered around her a little bit, just enough to not risk hitting oncoming traffic. She felt perspiration trickle down her back. Her hands ached from gripping her purse. How could she get back on the quieter side streets?
She had blocks to go before she reached the street that ran along the water. She picked up her pace, but tripped on a bit of uneven pavement, barely catching herself. Her heart pounded, and she backed up, hands out, pressing against the side of the building behind her. Maybe she would just wait out the traffic. That could take hours. But she didn’t care.
A couple cars honked as they passed. She tried to ignore them.
Then a long, black limo stopped in front of her. Cars behind blared their horns. The door opened, and Dex’s smiling face called out, “Hop in. Hurry!”
She had never scrambled so quickly. “Oh, thank you.” Her voice caught in her throat. Dex was not alone. Cassie, another woman, and another man all eyed her in surprise.
“Hey, Shawna. You remember Cassie.”
She nodded. “Good to see you again.”
“And this is Teresia and Brett.”
“Nice to meet you all.” Then she turned to Dex, who was sitting across from her. “Thank you. I’m sorry if I’m interrupting something. But I didn’t know what I’d do.”
“You should have called. That’s a crazy dangerous street. You’re lucky it was not during busy traffic.”
“I didn’t know, or think.” She looked down. “I figured you’d be busy, actually.”
“Well, lucky we were busy on the same street.” He leaned back. “We don’t have time to take you back, yet. Come with us, and I can have the driver drop you off after us.”
“Great, thank you.”
The others had been silent, and their wide eyes made the atmosphere awkward. Cassie studied her nails for a minute. “What were you doing out there alone, anyway?”
“Yes, really, this is Naples.” Teresia turned to Dex. “Don’t you teach your students safety rules? I mean, really.”
Shawna felt even more out of place. “I was walking along the upper side streets. They’re charming. I wanted to get down to the water. But I sort of stopped paying attention, I guess.”
Dex smiled, and his camaraderie warmed her for a moment. “I would have done the same. Did you try any of the staircases?”
“That’s what got me started! With the narrow alleyways, the balconies stretching out. I took hundreds of images.”
“I’d love to see them. I’ll have a use for them in an upcoming assignment, one for everyone, I believe.”
Shawna nodded. Brett turned his chiseled and tanned face on her. “Are you a graduate student?”
“Not yet. I hope to be starting in the fall.”
Brett stretched his arm across the back of the seat behind her. “So, if I stretch out a little, get comfortable, you’re okay with that?”
That was an interesting question. What did he mean? But his arm on the back of the car bench seemed fine.
Dex shook his head, and Brett moved his arm.
Shawna smiled.
The others started discussing stock prices and clients and Dex’s father. Shawna tried to follow along because she was curious about this part of Dex’s life, but then he started making funny faces, and she became completely distracted. Whenever he thought the others weren’t looking, he rolled his eyes in boredom or frowned. Then he wiggled his eyebrows at her.
When the limo pulled to a stop, Dex hopped out and helped the women out of the car. Brett lingered a moment. “I’ll be around in Naples for a month. Tell your professor you want to join us sometime.”
She nodded. “Thanks.”
Then he got out, and her heightened energy deflated.
But then Dex climbed back in.
“What?” She sucked in a breath.
“Come with us.”
“Dex, look at what I’m wearing.”
“Is that all? I’ve got clothes. Come. I need someone to lighten the constant nonsense these people spout. Please, Shawna. If you want to just hide away in my room, that’s fine too, but stay.”
His pleading face and his interest in spending time with her, even with others around, was too difficult to resist.
“Okay, I’d love to.”
“I wouldn’t go straight to love, though, wait till you meet the others. These three were mild.”
She laughed.
“Oh, and Brett is off limits. As my student and my friend, and my…something…Brett is off limits.”
“I don’t know. He has a nice jawline.”
“What? Shawna, you can’t be serious. I know him—”
She held up a hand. “I have a thing for jawlines.”
He stepped out of the car and reached for her hand, just like he’d done for the other women. “Jawlines, huh.” He lifted his chin to show her. �
�How’s mine?”
“It’s the first thing I noticed.” After your eyes.
“And?”
“And what?” For some reason, she was enjoying teasing him. Maybe scary experiences on narrow Naples streets brought out her daring side.
“Noticing isn’t positive or negative. As a woman who has a thing for jawlines, did you like mine?” He lifted his chin again for her to see. She stepped closer and looked at one side then the other. “May I?” She raised a hand to touch his face.
He nodded slowly.
She ran a hand along the slight scruff at the side of his face. “Mmm.”
He encircled her wrist with his hand. His eyes darkened. “I suddenly have a thing for hands.” He lowered hers and kept it in his own. “Is this okay?”
It was so okay. She nodded. But she was confused. “Dex, I don’t know about these people. It’s not my crowd.”
“It’s not mine either, that’s why I’d love you to come. But, hey.” He stopped. “You can do whatever you want. But if you come aboard, I have my own personal library…” He winked.
“Oh, you know me so well. Okay, I’m in.”
He led her down the dock. People were already starting to gather at the yacht. It seemed like a much smaller crowd than the other night. He led her on board and then down through a hatch to his cabin, which filled the whole front of the ship. “Here you go. There are clothes in the closet, even shoes if I recall. Use whatever you like, dress up or not. I’d love to see you in the main cabin with us, but I’ll totally and enviously understand if you decide to stay right here with my books.” He opened a cabinet, and, to Shawna’s delight, it was filled floor to ceiling with books of all kinds.
“Oh, rescue a man in distress or curl up with his books…” She ran a finger down the titles.
Her Billionaire Professor Page 9
