03

Lucy ; Ouch ! That was harsh !

I check my other messages and see that I received one from Chris.

Chris ; Hey beautiful. What are you doing tonight ?

Athena ; I’m going to meet an old friend of my dad with my parents

Chris ; Great, I think ? If you’re bored you can always text me ;)

When I look up from my phone I see we’re arriving at a mansion. « Is this… ?’ I ask but can’t even finish my sentence from amazement. « Yes, it is. It’s big, isn’t it ? » my mom asks and turns around in her seat. With open mouth, I nod and look back down to my phone.

Athena ; I know. But we have arrived. I’ll text you soon. Love you !

Stepping out of the car the three of us head for the big doors. My heels are clicking against the ground and I’m struggling not to fall.

This is why I hate heels so much.

« I didn’t remember he was this wealthy, » dad mutters and looks around.

« You better make a deal with him then, » mom says and looks up to the mansion. It’s too big to live in it alone. « Is he married ? » I ask my dad.

He shakes his head. « I don’t know but I think he’s not. »

I nod. It must be really boring to live here by yourself, with no one you can share it with. We walk up to the front door, and dad rings the bell. Patiently we wait for him to walk to the door and open it.

I quickly check my body, to see if there aren’t any flaws. I sigh relieved when I see that everything’s just in place.

When I look back up it’s when someone opens the door.

And when I see who’s standing behind it, I have to swallow back a gasp.

A guy is standing behind the door. Wait no, a man is standing behind the door.

And he’s the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen. My eyes travel up and down his attire. He has a strong, chiseled jaw with a light stubble on it and he has plump lips. His cheekbones are high and sharp and his dark brown hair is combed back with gel. Thick eyebrows are placed above his eyes, and he’s tall. Very tall. I think six feet, maybe even taller. He’s wearing a suit that shows his muscular body and that sits perfectly around his broad shoulders.

« Vincenzo, » my dad greets him. His eyes land on my dad with an amused look.

« Long time no see, good friend, » he says and gives my dad a hug.

Oh God, his voice. His voice is deep and velvety, like liquid gold. He has an Italian accent that I want to listen forever to. My dad says something to him and he laughs, it sounds so husky and… sexy.

I don’t know why but I have the urge to clench my thighs together. My mom steps up and presses a kiss against his cheek. « It’s good to see you again, Vincenzo, » she smiles.

Vincenzo.

Now that I got a look of him, I realize that that name suits him. It’s dark and sexy.

« Lilian ! It’s good to see you too, » he says and looks down to her. My mom says something else to him before I realize I also have to introduce myself.

Clearing my throat, I take a step forward. He turns to me, and my breath hitches in my throat.

His dark brown eyes pierce right into mine, and I feel something spark in the pit of my stomach. His eyes are surrounded by thick eyelashes that are running up and down my body. « Athena ? » he questions and looks back into my eyes.

The way my name rolls of his tongue is causing that I almost faint.

« Yes ? » I ask, hating how hesitating my voice sounds. I don’t want him to think that I’m some shy girl. I want to appear confident in front of him.

« You’ve grown, » he says and stretches his hand. His hand is big and rough. He has long and slender fingers and those knuckles.

I wonder how those fingers would feel when they… Athena !

Shaking my head to get rid of my thoughts, I wrap my hand around his. When my skin touches him, I feel a tingling sensation go through my spine.

I smell a hint of musky cologne, and when I look up to him I see a hint of a smirk dancing around his lips, but it goes away as soon as it came. I see his eyes scan my body again before he clears his throat and let’s go of my hand. I can’t help but feel cold as his skin leaves mine.

« Come in ! It’s good to see you guys again, » Mr. Amoretto says and motions to his house. We all come in and with my jaw on the floor I look around. In the middle of the hall there’s a big staircase that leads upstairs.

It’s in the middle of everything and at the bottom of the staircase are two doors. My dad and Mr. Amoretto start talking about stuff, but I don’t know what they’re talking about because I’m hypnotized about his voice. It’s so smooth and rich. And that accent… it makes me want to listen to his voice forever. Mr. Amoretto leads us to a big dining room with a large table in it. Everything is placed on the table, plates, glasses napkins, etc.

« Take a seat, the food is going to be served real soon, » Mr. Amoretto says and gestures to the table. Not wanting to ruin anything, I pull out the chair carefully and take a seat. My mom takes a seat next to me, my dad sits in front of her and Mr. Amoretto sits in front of me.

« I hope you guys don’t mind pasta, » he says with a charming smile. I melt right away, in front of him while my mom laughs it off, saying that every kind of food is fine. An old lady comes into the room, with a bottle of wine and water in both of her hands.

« Hello, ladies and gentlemen. I’ll be the one serving for you tonight, » she smiles politely.

Does he have waitresses ? How rich is he ?

« What do you prefer ? Water or wine ? » the lady kindly asks. Everyone asks for a glass of wine, and when the lady approaches me, I kindly refuse it and ask for water.

« Are you sure, my dear ? » she asks. « Yes, ma’am. I’m sure, » I smile reassuringly. She nods and pours water in my glass. Thanking her, I take a sip of my water and listen to the conversation.

« So, Vincenzo, how are you doing ? It’s been a long time since we saw each other, » my dad says as he puts down his glass.

« I’m doing fine. My company in Italy is going well, and some companies here in America are interested, that’s why I came here, actually. It’s handy that I have this house here in the U.S, » Vincenzo responds smoothly. Dad nods.

« That’s great ! I’m happy your company is doing well, » my dad says genuinely. « Yeah, how are you doing ? » Mr. Amoretto asks. Dad’s face falls, but he covers it up.

« Could’ve been better. I’m still working hard and trying to make money, » dad says and takes a sip of his wine. « I’d like to come back later to that, in my study, » Mr. Amoretto says and smiles at dad. My eyes stay glued on his mouth and his pearly whites.

Is it legal to be this handsome ?

Dad turns to me. « I don’t know if you remember Athena ? » dad asks him.

Mr. Amoretto’s piercing eyes turn to me, and I’m trying to catch my breath because his gaze only takes my breath away.

« Yeah, I do. The last time I was here she was a little child, » he says and licks his lips. I smile with my mouth closed and take a sip of my water.

« Yes, she was. But now she’s almost a grown-up woman. I’m sad to say that my little girl isn’t little anymore, » mom smiles and presses a kiss to my cheek. I smile at her. « What are your plans after high-school ? » Mr. Amoretto asks me.

I blush and swallow, trying to find my voice. Why am I so nervous around him ?

« I uh… I’m planning to study English Literature in the university and when I’m done with college I want to work at a publisher, » I say shyly, hating how quiet my voice sounds. « Interesting, I’m owner of a publishing office, » he says. My eyes widen.

« Really ? » I ask amazed. He nods with a tiny smile. « You can always visit my office here in America if you ever want to see what it looks like and if you want to know what’s going on there, » he offers and raises an eyebrow. I nod excited. « I’m considering it, » I smile politely.