Skylar felt lonely in the enormous villa without Christian. Only one thought kept on disturbing her as she roamed around the property aimlessly. If she would have willingly kissed him and not called it a mistake, would he have stayed here with her? Suddenly, a wave of guilt washed over her as she sat down under the pergola. His words echoed in her head. I will if you give me company. She was ready to give him company here under the pergola, but he had left her here all alone like her parents did, as her brother did. Upset with herself, she called Hayley, but she didn’t respond. Next, she called Sienna, but she too seemed occupied. One by one, Skylar called all her friends, but each one of them was too occupied to entertain her call. Granny’s advice kept ringing in her head. She was right. They were all busy with their own lives to give her a thought. Closing her eyes, she let the tears wash away her guilt. If Christian wasn’t returning soon, she had no wish to stay here all by hers
When Christian returned, they had a delightful gourmet dinner he had specially arranged for her. Christian animatedly discussed the movie since it made him indirectly know her feelings regarding love. He couldn’t confess, but at least he could know how she felt about it. “You’re quite romantic at heart!” she pointed out with a laugh. “Obviously, I’ve been through it.” Skylar’s face fell at his admission. So, she was right. He loved someone from a very young age. “Oh! Then why didn’t you marry her?” Christian looked away, thinking of a proper answer to her question. He couldn’t tell her the real reason yet. “She doesn’t return my feelings. She doesn’t want to marry me.” Skylar thought about his predicament in silence, not knowing how to comfort him. She didn’t have any experience in this department. Strangely, her heart constricted with pain for him. At the same time, she felt jealous of the woman he was in love with!“Oh, that’s sad. Do you want me to talk to her? You shouldn’t ma
Skylar didn’t argue with him and it took him by surprise. She was too engrossed in the beauty all around her to give it much thought. She saw the name of the estate embossed on a huge board with awe.Saint James Frascati Winery. “Is there a wedding happening here?” she gasped as her gaze fell upon an arch constructed in the front yard of the resort building. There were guests gearing up to welcome the bride. She gazed at the officiant, the altar, the aisle, and the groom with wide eyes. Seeing them she could easily envisage her wedding with Christian here. “Yes, we’re fully booked right now although the inauguration was supposed to happen two days later.”“Oh, where will we stay?” she gasped, turning to glance at him.“There’s a cottage specially reserved for us wherever we visit. It’s for our personal use. Otherwise, there are only thirty guest rooms on the property right now. The response has been massive so far. We’ll surely expand in the near future.” “The wedding decor is imp
Skylar breathed in Christian’s addictive scent, lost in her dreams of the sinfully gorgeous man. Her dreams had never been so vivid as it was now! She wrapped her arm around his torso and sank into his chest, feeling his warmth envelope her. He was the only one who hadn’t let her down.He had come back for her when no one had, not her parents, nor her brother. Even her grandparents left home to live with Caleb, forcing her to spend her life in an unknown city. She didn’t like Cleveland, where she knew no one! She couldn’t live there separated from her close friends! Now, even if she was traveling to stranger cities, Christian was permanently near her. She wasn’t alone! He planted a soft kiss on her forehead, and she smiled in her sleep. The jet lag made her semi-conscious but she couldn’t open her eyes at all! “Thank you for not leaving me, Christian!” she murmured into his neck before falling into a deep slumber. Christian stilled, realizing that she knew of his presence beside he
Skylar changed for bed while Christian walked out of the room to attend an important phone call. She smiled thinking of the day they spent working together. She loved working with Christian! His words echoed in her head like a broken record. The confidence with which he claimed her as his hinted at a long-term relationship with him, like a happily ever after.It confused Skylar! Why would he want a happily ever after with her? Didn’t he love someone else? Yet he never mentioned another woman’s name. Surely if he would have loved someone so much, she would have heard of her! You couldn’t suppress true love! She changed for bed and lay down, thinking about her relationship with Christian. Could she go ahead with an actual marriage with him? What was stopping her, actually? Christian wasn’t so bad, after all! A smile lit up her lips, and she felt she could go ahead with it. Christian didn’t return to the bedroom even after an hour. Concerned, she went out in search of him. He was nowhe
After a sleepless night cramped up on a tiny bed the next morning, Skylar was in an irritable mood. She hated her life now as she had to go back to his room to use the washroom. If only she had gone to New York instead.Skylar stomped into his room, but found it vacant. Christian was nowhere around. Did he go to work early in the morning? Maybe yes, since the formal inauguration was supposed to be held today. Relieved, she freshened up and fixed herself a cup of coffee. The doorbell rang, and she rushed to open it. Who could it be? Had Christian returned from his morning jog? She remembered he had asked her to join him today. Opening the door, she gaped at the hotel staff carrying a large tray laden with a delightful breakfast. “Good morning, ma’am. Mr. St. James sent breakfast for you.” “Thank you so much.” The staff set the tray down on the table and walked away with a smile.Skylar looked at the tray and rolled her eyes. Who can eat so much? She grabbed her mobile phone and cal
Christian turned to see her stomping angrily towards him, yet didn’t budge from his position. It angered Skylar to see the amusement in his eyes. So, he found it funny, right? She would disrupt his cozy relationship with the clingy woman right away. She would show Rossi her exact position! “Oh, here you are, Christian! I had been looking for you,” she gushed, putting on a fake smile to hide her jealousy. Christian raised an eyebrow at her, his eyes twinkling with amusement. He knew what she was up to. Why would she look for him when he had clearly informed her where he would be? “Have you sent me the email, Skylar?” “Yes,” she said without glancing at the woman beside him. Skylar was acutely aware of the hateful glare she was giving her. “I’m going to the cottage to freshen up.”“Come back in five minutes. The press meet will start.” Skylar nodded and turned to rush to the cottage. “Does she live with you? How can you allow her to call you by your first name, Christian?” asked Ms.
“I loved Frascati, but I’m now excited to explore Rome. Won’t we see the Leaning Tower of Pisa?” she chirped while enjoying her Cornetto Crema e Cannella. She licked the delightful cream off her lips as she helped herself to another one. “Yes, we will. That’s why we’re stopping in Florence.” He watched the cream still sticking at the corner of her lower lip with longing. Why couldn’t she allow him to lick it off her lip in return for everything he did for her? Was it asking for too much? “Thanks for the date! I liked it,” she said, giving him a brief glance before concentrating back on her dessert. “I’m glad you did, but the date isn’t over yet.” Skylar glanced up at him with a confused look on her face. “Where else can we go now? Isn’t it getting late?” Christian didn’t answer her, but the smirk on his face was enough to alert her. So what was the guy planning to do now? He paid for the food and led her out of the restaurant. “Where do you wish to go now, sir?” asked his chauff