Page 12 of Duty and Desire

Chapter Ten

Nick

I laid out my snorkeling gear on the coffee table, doing a last-minute check. I’d already messaged Gio to tell him there was enough equipment for both of us.

Another day with Gio.

An unexpected surge of warmth accompanied that thought.

I knew I shouldn’t let my guard down, but my senses told me Gio was exactly what he claimed to be.

And if he wasn’t, Franz would have told me by now.

Franz was on the ball twenty-four/seven. And speaking of Franz…

We need to talk. Preferably before the afternoon’s snorkeling trip.

Claudia came out of the bedroom. “You’re in a good mood this morning.”

“What gives you that idea?”

She let out a wry chuckle. “Let me see.” She counted off on her fingers.

“You were singing in the shower. I may not be a fan of Pink but even I recognize “Get The Party Started”. Then it was “Under The Sea” from The Little Mermaid. Which was so cute, by the way. You dropped an egg on the kitchen floor while you were making breakfast and you didn’t even let out one expletive.

And when I asked you for more coffee, you simply got up and made a fresh pot.

” Her eyes glittered. “That all adds up to a very good mood.” She folded her arms. “You really like this guy.”

If there was one person I could be honest with, it was Claudia. “I passed like sometime yesterday.”

“Well, now I’ve seen him, I can understand that. He’s a good-looking man.” Her brow furrowed. “I don’t have to ask you to be careful, do I?”

I gave her a warm smile. “I think I’m safe.”

“And what is Franz’s opinion? Assuming you’ve asked him, or that he’s at least volunteered that information.”

“I don’t know, and I haven’t asked. It’s none of his business.”

Except it was, of course, and denying it was a waste of breath.

Claudia perched on the arm of the couch. “So this guy…Gio… He isn’t part of your rebellion?”

I arched my eyebrows. “That’s what you think?” I could comprehend how she might arrive at that hypothesis, however.

Claudia had witnessed a few of my rebellious acts in the last six years.

She shrugged. “It was a consideration. Because you know word will get back.”

I snorted. “If Franz likes his balls where they are, it had better not.”

“He would have told you if anyone was sniffing around, right?”

I gestured to my face. “They wouldn’t recognize me with the beard. Hey, even you had to look twice the first time you visited here.”

“That was more the hair. I’d never seen it so long and… untamed.” She smirked. “And I’m sorry, but by no stretch of the im agination can that be referred to as a beard. Give it another fifty years and it might pass.”

“Hey!” I stroked my chin. “I think it looks great.” It made me unrecognizable from the clean-shaven, neat-haired young man who’d left home three years ago.

And that was the goal.

“If Gio makes you happy, then I can be happy for you,” she admitted. “For as long as it lasts.”

That last comment left its barb in my chest, close to my heart.

Too close.

I stepped through the patio doors into the lush green heaven that was my back yard. My breathing space. My sanctuary. I brushed my fingers over the leaves of the ferns, the hibiscus petals, the rough bark of the tree…The textures and scents grounded me, connected me?—

Made me think of a certain garden back home.

“Claudia…”

She came outside to join me. “Are you okay? Was it something I said?”

I turned. “I know I told you I didn’t want to hear your news, but… They are okay, aren’t they?”

“If they weren’t, I would have mentioned it before now, wouldn’t I?

” She put her arm around me. “And the fact that you even asked the question tells me a lot. Despite everything that’s happened, they’re still your flesh and blood.

They’re a part of you, and you can’t turn that off like shutting off a faucet. ”

I chuckled. “There you go again, talking like an American.” I leaned into her. “I’m glad you’re here. I know disappearing on you to take Gio snorkeling is selfish of me, but?—”

“You hush. How many times have I come here during the last three years? Hmm? And not once have you said ‘Sorry, Claudia, but I’m going to pass on spending the day with you. I have a date.’ So to my way of thinking this is long overdue.”

My phone buzzed. I peered at the screen. “His timing is uncanny. ”

“Is it Gio?”

I shook my head. “It’s Franz. He’s here and he wants to talk. Which is fine by me because I want a word with him too.”

“I’ll let him in.” Claudia went back inside.

It was a conversation that could become awkward. Franz had his instructions, of course, and that didn’t make him a bad person if he followed them to the letter. But right then I needed some latitude.

I also needed to know he was on my side.

Franz walked out into the yard, smiling. “I love what you’ve done with this.”

I blinked. “You’re interested in gardening?”

He snickered. “You sound surprised. Then again, you probably know nothing about me. If you had your way, I wouldn’t even be here, would I?”

A huff was all the answer he was going to get on that score.

“You said you wanted to talk.”

He removed his phone from his pocket, and it almost disappeared from view in his large hands. “I ran a preliminary check on this guy, Giovanni Colonna. So?—”

My face grew hot. “Did I ask you to do that?”

“No, sir, you did not.”

I could count on one hand the number of times Franz had addressed me as sir in all the years since he’d become part of my life. It was never a good thing.

“And before you ask, no one else asked me either. I’m just doing my job.” His eyes blazed, as if he expected a comeback.

I couldn’t do that, because damn it, the man was right. I’d expected him to do this very thing, hadn’t I?

Then why was I angry?

I drew in a deep, hopefully cleansing breath. “You didn’t find anything, did you? He doesn’t present a threat, does he?” I arched my eyebrows. “Well?”

“So far, he looks clean. He’s a writer, he’s?—”

“‘He’s here to clear his writer’s block’ would sum up the situation.

And there’s nothing about him that needs to be relayed to anyone who might be interested.

” I straightened. “As it turns out, I’m glad you wanted to discuss Gio.

Because so do I.” I narrowed my gaze. “You need to back off, okay? Stay away from me while I’m out with him. ”

Franz stared at me. “Excuse me?”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t mean to pry into your personal life, but I assume even you are familiar with the concept of dating. Being attracted to someone.”

Did I imagine his eyes flickering in Claudia’s direction? I wasn’t certain. If it were so, Franz had good taste in women.

“I’ve had my share of dates,” he admitted.

I smiled. “Then indulge me for a minute. Let’s say you’re having an intimate dinner with someone, and then your date asks who is the gorilla in a suit who seems to be attached to you, because everywhere you go, he goes.

Imagine trying to come up with a reason for this guy’s presence—a reason that is plausible, that doesn’t arouse suspicion.

” I looked him in the eye. “What would you say in such circumstances?” Franz opened his mouth but I wasn’t done.

“While I’ve lived here, there have been a few guys who’ve…

caught my eye, shall we say. But they never got the chance to pass more than a few words with me, or maybe even have a drink, before someone scared them off. ” I hit him with a full-on glare.

I regretted it a second later when he winced.

“Franz.” I lowered my voice. “There are only a handful of people who know I’m gay.

You are one of them. And if you’re on that very short list, then I have to be able to trust you, to take you into my confidence.

” I squared my shoulders. “So I’m going to trust you now.

Gio… he could be important, okay? But I’m not going to get the chance to discover how important if I have to fend off questions about you all the time.

He thought you were a stalker. I put him right on that score.

But if he sees you continually, then he’s going to ask more questions that I don’t want to answer. ”

Franz pocketed his phone. “Are you asking me not to do my job? ”

“Of course not. But answer me this. In the three years since I came to live here, has there ever been a threat to me? A situation where you felt I was in danger?” He muttered something, and I cocked my head. “Sorry. Can you say that again, please?”

“No, there haven’t been any threats.” His tone was sheer grudge.

I nodded. “And you like living on the island, don’t you? It’s an easy job.”

He chuckled. “I’ve had a lot worse, I can tell you.”

I smiled. “I don’t doubt it. All I’m asking for is some leeway. I’ll tell you if I’m going on a date. You’ll have advance notice, okay? But then you need to keep your distance. Gio can’t see you.” I narrowed my gaze once more. “And you don’t report back about him.”

Franz’s hurt expression shocked me into stillness.

“I would never do that. You must believe me. I know what their attitude is, but it’s not mine.” He swallowed. “I know I wasn’t detailed to you when you were at university, but I would never have betrayed you the way Gustaf did.”

“I believe you.” The earnestness lacing his words convinced me.

He cleared his throat. “Can I have your permission to use GPS tracking to locate your phone? That way, I’ll always know where you are.” His lips twitched. “Especially on those occasions when you’re someplace I can’t access.”

I gave another nod. “Thank you for asking first. Another reason for me to trust you.”

“If I may say something?” Franz coughed. “You’re far too trusting.”

I sighed. “You’re right. As a rule I trust everyone, until they give me cause not to.”

“And you trust this guy?”

I smiled. “Yes.” I wasn’t sure what it was about Gio that invited such trust, but I felt safe with him.

I hoped nothing would change that.