Yesterday morning, she had woken up in her hotel room in Sorrento, a beautiful man staring at her with a bright smile on his face. This morning, she woke up somewhere strange and the man was gone. It took Liz a few seconds before everything that had happened last night came rushing back, and she nearly jumped out of the bed, fearing that she might find Hunter watching her from the corner.
“Hey, whoa there,” Michael’s voice floated in and he seemed materialize out of nowhere. The sight of him had her heart settling. “What’s got you so jumpy this morning?”
“I just forgot where I was for second, that’s all.”
“And woke up ready to jump out the window?” He raised his brow at her. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” After a moment, she added, “Did you carry me over here?”
“After you fell asleep at the table? Yes, I did. It was my pleasure too. Who would have thought that such a tough girl could resemble a damsel in distress when she’s sleeping?”
“It’s too early for this, Michael,” she said, easing out of the bed. Michael laughed. He was already dressed, standing on the other side with his hands in his pockets.
“Alright, I’ll wait until after you’ve eaten. Breakfast is up front.”
She nodded, smoothing down her mussed hair. Only then did she notice that she wasn’t in the same clothes she was last night. She looked down at the sleepwear she had packed then up at Michael who gave her a devilish wink.
“I couldn’t let you sleep in your jeans, could I? I know how much you like to be appropriately dressed for the occasion.”
“Hey. That’s an invasion of my privacy.”
Michael only shrugged. “It isn’t anything I haven’t seen before.” He sauntered past her, tucking his hands deep into his pockets. “Hurry up and get dressed. Marcus is all too eager to see your beautiful face.”
Liz didn’t give him a response. She only stared as he walked away. Then, as if she could no longer bear her own weight, she sagged against the bed.
Hunter’s face flashed through her mind and clammy fear crawled up her neck. She had told Michael he was nothing to worry about, that he was harmless. Oh, how wrong she had been. She still couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that he was here, in Italy, hellbent on an insane crusade to save her from God knows what. He could be a few cars down, following the bus this very minute. Liz resisted the urge to rush to the window.
Instead, she straightened. She smoothed down her slip in an effort to calm her nerves, taking quiet, slow breaths. She could deal with this. Just as she had dealt with every obstacle thrown her way. Hunter was just another roadblock. A hindrance. One she could easily get over if she remained levelheaded and thought it through. Elizabeth Harley could handle anything.
A loud laugh on the other side of the bus broke into her thoughts. She glanced in the direction of the happy sound, knowing it was Michael. She couldn’t let herself forget. I can handle anything. Including the enigmatic blonde man who was making her more confused than she had ever been in her life.
Liz didn’t like confusion.
Slowly, she straightened, listening to his laugh. As she got dressed, she could still hear him, low indiscernible murmurs broken by his raucous laughter here and there. She let the sound energize her. She didn’t ask herself why.
Finally dressed, Liz was about to leave when she paused. What would she say to him? She wanted to ask about the mysterious Melody, but she knew it wasn’t her place. And why was she even curious? That was his business, which had nothing to do with her. Even if she were to ask him to simply satisfy that part of herself, it would only inspire his own breed of questions, which he also had no business asking.
Goddammit, why was she so hung up on this?
Angry with herself, Liz exited Michael’s bunk. She followed his laugh all the way to the living portion of the bus to see him sitting with his manager and other members of his crew. They were all laughing, except for Marcus who was shaking his head. She supposed that was his version of amusement.
“Ah, Liz!” All eyes fell on her at Michael’s call. “I was just about to get your breakfast. One second.”
“I can get it myself,” she started but he was already rising to his feet, paving a path towards her.
Michael shook his head. “No, no, no. You’re a guest on my bus. That means, you should be served, and I should be serving. Is there anything in particular you would like?” At her silence, he pressed, “That you won’t like?” When she made no response, Michael grinned broadly. “Ah, a woman after my own heart. You sit right here.”
Without giving her a chance to protest, he grasped her shoulders and dumped her into the nearest spot. Liz opened her mouth to say something—ideally to berate him for pushing her around like that—but nothing came out. She could only watch as he gleefully hurried over to the kitchen. Liz wrenched her eyes away from Michael. It was harder than it should have been. She could hear him moving around, dimly aware that a few of the crew members had wandered away, leaving her alone with Marcus, who was busy being busy.
“How did you sleep, Elizabeth?” Marcus asked her casually, eyes on his phone.
“Good.”
“Good, good. I’m happy you’re comfortable here.” He peered up at her. “And I’m assuming you’ll be coming with us to our next location?”
To her surprise, Liz hadn’t thought that far ahead. Last night, she had nearly forgotten all about Alessandro altogether. “No,” she said with a shake of her head, schooling the surprise from her face. “I have business to take care of. I was only here because Michael asked me to come.”
“He’ll probably ask you to stay as well.” Marcus looked back at his phone, but she didn’t miss what he was doing. Weeding her out, trying to grasp what they were to each other.
“Doesn’t matter,” she said. “I have work to do. I’ve already wasted enough time.”
Marcus smirked, eyes still on his phone. He remained silent. Seconds later, Michael reappeared with Liz’s breakfast.
“This is the second time we’re having breakfast together,” he pointed out with a grin. “I can hear the wedding bells already.”
The laugh he let out sounded dead on her ears. Liz stared at the food he put in front of her, not seeing any of it, his words echoing through her head. She had never, ever had breakfast with someone she was sleeping with before. Yet, here she was. Twice in a row. On his tour bus. Heading God knows where.
Who was she turning into?
“Liz?”
“What?” she snapped.
Michael didn’t blink at her sharp tone, though Marcus glanced up. “You’re coming with me to my next location, right?”
“Did you forget that I came to Italy for a reason?”
Michael sighed. That made Liz glance up at him. “You actually forgot?”
“No, no. I remembered. I was just hoping you would change your mind.”
“Why would I ever change my mind about my work?” Other than the fact that her ex… something was stalking her. Any sane person would have gotten the hell out of Italy without hesitation. Or at least gone to the police.
“No reason,” he said, sagging. “You have no reason to.” He had the gall to sound disappointed. Liz didn’t let herself look at him. She calmly ate her food, glancing out the window when she wanted something to stare at other than the beautiful man sitting next to her.
“Just let me out at the next stop and I’ll take a train to Venice,” she said between chews.
Suddenly, Michael clapped his hands together. Neither Marcus nor Liz jumped at the sound. “Oh, right! Marcus don’t I have a performance in Venice?”
“No,” Marcus stated.
“No, I don’t?”
“No, you aren’t going to make me switch your performance times so we can go to Venice first.” He looked up from his phone, piercing Michael with a stern glare that bounced off the other guy harmlessly. “Don’t even think about it.”
“I’m sure you can make some changes, Marcus. Come on, don’t be like that. We have to get the young lady to her destination.”
“Don’t change your schedule for me,” Liz piped up.
“I’m not changing it for you. I’m changing it for Alessandro. I want to see him too, remember?”
“You can always see him when you’re actually supposed to be in Venice.”
Michael shook his head vehemently. “I’ve already made up my mind. Marcus, can you make it happen?”
Liz looked curiously at Marcus. For such an outrageous request, he was taking it quite calmly. She supposed he was used to such antics from Michael by now. She wondered how anyone could handle such a spur-of-the-moment kind of guy. Liz knew she wouldn’t be able to deal.
She ignored the voice in the back of her head that reminded her where she was and why she was here. I’ve made some spur of the moment decisions, too.
Marcus took a moment to respond. “I’ll see what I can do.” He gathered up his things, easing out of the seat. “You’re going to give me grey hair. If I had any hair,” he added quickly before Michael could jump on it.
All Michael did in response was grin broadly. “This is why you’re the best manager a guy could have.”
“Whatever.” Marcus made his leave.
Alone now, Liz focused on her food. She didn’t want to look at the man next to her, nor was she particularly inclined to face the rising need that had been building since she spotted him across the room this morning. If she did, she feared she might ask the question that had been burning in her mind since last night.
“So,” his voice whispered at her ear, nearly making her shiver. “Will you come with me now?”
She almost said no. She almost told him that everything he just did was unnecessary because she was going to do this on her own, like she did everything else. But that wasn’t what came out. “You kind of gave me no choice.”
“Of course, I did,” he said, his smile as bright as ever. “You still could have refused and left me all alone for the rest of my life.”
“Sounds dramatic.” And like a good idea. Something she definitely should be doing.
“I’m nothing if not dramatic,” he said, waving his hand in a flourish. That hand came to rest behind her seat, his arm an inch away from the back of her neck.
Liz ignored the hair rising to the surface at his sudden close proximity and said, “I’m only staying for the free ride to Venice. Nothing more than that.”
“I’m sure,” he murmured. He drew closer, his face now inches away from hers.
“I’m serious,” she insisted, but that only made him press closer.
“I know you are, Liz. You’re never not serious.” His lips nuzzled her neck. Liz gripped her fork a bit tighter. “But we have thirteen hours on the road. Thirteen hours with just you and me.”
“This bus is full of people.”
“Hey, let them watch if they want.”
To her complete annoyance, Liz blurted out a surprised laugh. Michael chuckled in her ear at the sound of it.
“You’re incorrigible,” she whispered.
“I’ve been told I’m a lot of things but hearing you say that tops them all.” He came closer, nipping at her skin. Liz bit her lip to hold back her moan. “So,” Michael asked, as his finger trailed down the front of her shirt, “where do we start?”
It took all her willpower to stop that hand before his finger dipped into her cleavage. She pulled away from him, pulled herself back into reality. Yesterday, she would have given in, she would have let him whisper whatever he wanted to her. But yesterday, she hadn’t known that she was being stalked, or the man she was sleeping with had his own past following him around.
Yesterday, she’d been blinded by the happy-go-lucky guy who knew just how to make her toes curl.
“I can’t,” she said coldly, watching as his smile fell. “I have work to do, if you remember correctly. So, if you’ll excuse me.”
It might have just been her imagination, but she could have sworn his hand thudded heavily on the table in beat with the pound of her own heart. She looked at him, drinking in the confusion and disappointment that clouded his features. She let it fuel her.
“What happened?” he asked, searching her eyes. Liz blinked at that.
“Nothing happened. I’m simply busy. Let me out please.”
He didn’t break her gaze, not for a second. Even as he eased his way out of the seat, giving her space to leave, he kept his eyes on her, brows knitted together as he tried desperately to figure out what was wrong. Liz wasn’t going to let him see past the stoic mask she let slip into place.
Thankfully, he didn’t say anything else. He let her leave, watching her intently as she got her laptop and retreated into the bunk. Liz didn’t let herself look back at him, but as she left, she couldn’t hold back the shiver that rushed down her spine. Who else was watching?