The Christmas Con: A Novella by Rachel Robinson

Author:Rachel Robinson [Robinson, Rachel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rachel Robinson
Published: 2020-11-28T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

The beach

“THEY’LL STAY AWAY, they’re back at their house for the night. They drink so much during the day on vacation that they’re all nearly asleep by seven. The night is ours,” Luca whispers, wrapping his arms around me, his chest pressed against my back. “Relax now.”

“They must hate me. I’m so plain and boring,” I sigh. “Not that I expected anyone would love me, but impressing people like you guys is probably the most difficult thing in the world.”

A cool wave washes over our feet and we sink a little further into the white sand. “Not that I care even a little bit about what they think, but they do like you. They told me that much before they left.” The other Bianchi mansion is next door, but you still need a vehicle to get there. We’re isolated on Luca’s beach right now. After I ate my feelings and donned a new green bikini, I joined him out here. I’m being vulnerable, but I only have a couple days left here in this bliss-filled oasis with Luca, and I’m feeling morose.

“I never expected this to be more than sex. I think when you asked me to be your Christmas con it opened my mind to more. Then I saw you. Then I kissed you.”

“Are you saying my lie is what drew you to me more than you’re typically drawn to women?” I ask, spinning to face him. Luca’s hands trail my sides, leaving chill bumps in their wake. “That’s pretty bad.”

He kisses me again, and I languish in the way he lets everything sink into the gesture. I think about what Gabby said. “Did you really want your family to meet me? That’s why they came?”

I can taste him inside my mouth and I know it won’t be long until we’re naked. “I did. It will keep me accountable when I go back to the real world.”

The pull to him gets stronger every second I’m near him. This is what it’s like to have lust at first sight morph into something different. “Accountable?”

“I want to keep you.” Exactly what Gabby said. Oh, my God.

I let defiance drip into my tone. “I’m a person, not something to be kept.”

“You misunderstand me,” Luca says. “I want you to be mine for longer than one week.”

Replying in a rush, I say, “You hired me. I’ll be around for as long as you’ll pay me.”

His smile reaches his eyes. “You’re still misunderstanding.”

Sighing, I glance away. “I’m not. I know what you mean. It’s hard to believe, that is all. With what you do, I don’t see how it’s possible to have anything resembling a real relationship for more than this… vacation.” I pull away from him and walk toward the setting sun, shin-deep in the blue waters. “Your life and mine aren’t compatible.”

The lump in my throat rages.

“You can work anywhere, right? I’d say our lives are more than compatible, I’d call them aligned.”

“Leaving my family isn’t an option.”

He sighs. “You went

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