Page 21 of Overtime Goal (Buffalo Warriors Hockey #4)

logan

“Can we plan our vacation now?” Riley asked.

We were eating a late breakfast by the pool, both of us still half-asleep.

He’d put his T-shirt on inside out, and his hair was so messy I could barely see his eyes through the tangles.

He was gorgeous no matter how he looked.

I tried not to grin too hard. “I think we ought to. Does Italy still sound good to you?”

“For sure. I’ve always wanted to see it.”

We’d talked about vacationing together months ago, but I’d half-expected him to back out after what had happened in LA.

Even now, I was sure he liked me, and it was obvious he enjoyed it when we had sex, but sometimes he got too quiet afterward.

Learning he wasn’t only willing to go, but excited about the trip, made me incredibly happy.

“Did your family travel much when you were growing up?” It was always risky to ask about his childhood, but what I already knew made me so curious I couldn’t resist.

He froze, then sipped his coffee before answering. “No. We went to the beach a few times, and they took me to Six Flags once, but we were never gone more than a couple of days. How about you?”

I couldn’t decide whether he was actually interested or changing the subject, but he’d answered my question. That was more than he sometimes did when I asked about his childhood.

“We went on vacation every summer for about two weeks,” I said. “My brother and I liked the beach, so we usually went there, but there were always some historical sites or museums worked in along the way.”

Riley squinted at me. “Damn. You grew up with all that culture stuff you like.”

“Don’t know how much of it was culture, but?—”

“It definitely was. That’s why you’re so smart now.”

I laughed. “Smart? If I were smart, I’d retire and stop getting beaten up for a living.”

He waved me off. “Bullshit. You’ve got years left in you.”

“If you say so.”

He sipped his coffee again, then put on a smirk. “Did your mom read you poetry?”

“Nope.” I mirrored his smile. “That was my grandma. And don’t try to pretend you don’t like it. I see how you listen when I read out loud.”

His dramatic sigh was all eye roll and attitude. “Okay, okay. I’m learning to like some of it, thanks to you. But I’ll swear you’re lying if you tell the boys.”

“Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.”

He grinned again, making my heart soar. I loved him so much it hurt to keep it to myself, but I’d lose him if he ever figured out the truth.

He’d pull back, shut down, and vanish behind whatever wall he thought would keep him safe.

Riley clung to the idea of being straight like it was a shield, so honest, messy feelings from a man would probably be too much to deal with.

Italy would be good for both of us though.

With no games or road trips, we’d have time to relax.

Riles probably wouldn’t be able to resist the beautiful women in skimpy bikinis, and I needed to prepare myself for that.

There would be lots of guys too, many of them gay.

Maybe I’d find someone, have a little fun, and clear my head.

Riley and I could still have our adventures, maybe sleep together on the nights he came home, and enjoy an unforgettable trip.

“Let’s look up hotels,” he said. “We should book flights too.”

I shook my head, already reaching for my phone. “No need. My travel agent’s a wizard. She knows all the best spots and can pull strings I didn’t know existed. Let’s see what she can do.”

Riley’s eyes lit up like a cute puppy had walked by.

“Is she fast? Because I was thinking maybe we could leave tomorrow. Do you want to do a tour around Italy or stay in one place? We can go to the beach, right? Since we’re both beach guys.

And we’ve got to eat authentic Italian food because I grew up with spaghetti out of a can. ”

I laughed. “Let’s see what she can find, and we’ll head out soon.” After I pulled up her contact info, I asked Riles, “Is there anywhere you wouldn’t want to go?”

“Nope. Send me anywhere.”

“You’ve got it. I’ll make the call, and then let’s swim for a while.”

A few hours later, we were set with a month-long villa rental in Positano and two first-class plane tickets. Riley whooped like he’d just hit a game-winning goal. “Woo hoo! Italian beach, here we fucking come. I finally get to see the world, and the best thing is I get to do it with you.”

Five days later, we touched down in Naples at about eight in the morning.

We’d glimpsed Mount Vesuvius from the plane, rising in the hazy distance like something out of a dream.

On the ground, the air was cool, filled with the sounds of heavy rush-hour traffic.

We picked up the rental car and headed south for the twisting, hour-long drive to Positano.

The road had been cut into the walls of steep cliffs. They hemmed us in on one side, with a long, sheer drop into the sea on the other. The guardrails, when they existed, were strips of metal that wouldn’t stop a bike.

“You’d better watch the road.” I tried to keep my voice light as Riley leaned forward to get a better view of the drop. “As gorgeous as that water is, I’d prefer we not die in it.”

He shot me a grin. “Relax. I’m a skilled driver, and I can multitask.”

“Uh-huh. Famous last words.”

He turned his eyes back to the road. “I’d love to see you try this. You’d be white-knuckling the wheel and pretending not to look at the view.” He glanced at me again, longer this time, and my gut seized.

“Eyes on the road, Riles.”

He blinked, then turned his head forward. “Wait. Are you actually scared?”

I exhaled, trying to get my stomach to relax. “I’m not wild about mountain roads with cliffs on one side and no shoulder on the other. Especially when I’m with a distracted driver.”

His posture shifted instantly. “Shit. I’m sorry, Logan.” He tightened both hands on the wheel. “I’ll soak in the view from the house.”

The sweet, sheepish way he said it hit me in the chest. As quickly as that, the fear faded, replaced by a different ache entirely.

His big hands gripped the wheel, and I couldn’t help admiring the curve of his mouth and how the sunlight caught in his hair, transforming the brown into auburn. God, how I wanted to kiss him.

Positano looked like Roman gods had carved it into the side of a mountain. Colorful villas clung to the steep cliffs, stacked in tiers above the glittering Mediterranean. The sky stretched bright blue over the coast, and we gawked like the tourists we were.

The rental agent was waiting at the gate when we reached the villa. She greeted us as if we were actual celebrities, even though we were both wrinkled as hell from the plane and must have looked like we needed long, hot showers.

“This is Villa Accardi,” she said, pushing the iron gate open. “You’re going to love it.”

We followed her around the house and up the steep, narrow stairs to the terrace.

Riley whistled as he spun in a circle. “Holy shit. Are you seeing this? Did the plane crash, and we’re in Heaven?”

The terrace was bigger than some apartments I’d lived in.

There were loungers, lemon trees in pots, and a dining table.

Everything was quiet, and we’d undoubtedly have the privacy my travel agent had promised.

The view dropped off into infinity. The tiled rooftops of the buildings below stepped down the hillside as if they were chasing the light, ending in pale sand and the vast cerulean sea beyond.

“We’ve seen it in photos,” I told the agent. “But they didn’t do it justice.”

She smiled. “You have full concierge access, and the housekeeper will come every day. As for food, Positano has some world-class restaurants. You can have groceries delivered, and there are wonderful little markets you might enjoy visiting. There’s so much to see here, but fair warning, you’ll find stairs everywhere. ”

Riley elbowed me, snickering. “You’d better start stretching, old man.”

I didn’t answer because I was too busy trying to memorize the moment. Not only the place, but him. He was grinning into the sun with his arms flung wide, looking like he was trying to hug all the beauty.

The agent pointed toward the steps at the far end of the terrace. “Down those stairs, you’ll find a swimming pool and hot tub. The view is the same as up here.”

“I’ll never want to leave.” Riley’s grin was bigger than ever. “We really are in heaven.”

Inside, the house was cooler. The agent’s heels clicked across the patterned tile as she led us through the rooms, pointing out the whitewashed walls and arched ceilings.

Wide windows let in plenty of light, and pale wood and soft linen upholstery added to the magic.

It was a fantasy held together by sunlight and air.

After the agent left, Riles and I flopped across the white couches in the living room. As we soaked in the ambiance, he let out another long whistle. “This is the kind of place where rich people count their money.”

“Hmm. It does seem like it drinks sparkling water and speaks four languages.”

He pointed toward a long window. “I love how you can still see the water from inside. Feels like you could reach out and touch it.”

“It does,” I said. “This place is unreal.”

We sat there for a while, letting everything sink in, before he asked, “Should we bring in the luggage?”

I groaned as I pushed to my feet and stretched. “Probably. After that, would you like to swim or head down to Positano and explore?”

He pressed his lips together while he thought about it. “Let’s swim and hang around here this afternoon. Then we can go down for dinner.”

I put a hand on his back. “It’s a plan. Let’s go lug those suitcases inside.”