Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Our day of being tourists in Italy was fun, until we hit Trevi Fountation. Everything had been perfect up to that point. Jack and I tossed coins into the fountain and made wishes. Sienna asked Tyler to take a picture of me and her in front of the fountain, while Jack grabbed me an iced coffee at the nearby café. The fountain was a popular tourist spot and it seemed to be crowded with a young, rowdy crowd. Some of the tables were filled with guys drinking and making a bit of a spectacle of themselves.

As Sienna and I stood in front of the fountain smiling for our photo, a tall muscular guy approached, seemingly oblivious to Tyler, who was about to take the picture.

“Hey, aren’t you two the babes from the billboard on the coliseum?” At first he seemed harmless, and our response was pleasant, if not friendly.

Sienna replied. “Yep, are you coming to see the show?” She winked and did herinfamous fan flirtation.

“Hey guys, look at this.” The large guy motioned to his friends to come over and I watched as the table of guyswho had been drinking began making their way over to us.

I saw Tyler move in closer, his face changed from smiling to apprehensive.

“These are the two chicks from the billboard on the coliseum. You got great tits, baby.” The man took a step closer as he pointed in my direction.

I didn’t respond, thinking it best not to add flame to the alcoholwhich was already burning inside the drunk asshole.

One of the guys that had walked over yelled, “Show us your tits. I got a hard on just looking at you bent over in that picture.” A few of the guys now huddling around us snickered at the comment.

The big muscular guy took a step closer to me and reached out his hand. “Come on, babe, take a picture with me.” Tyler caught the guy’s hand in mid air as he reached for me.

“You got a problem, asshole?” The muscular guy squared his shoulders and puffed out his chest in Tyler’s direction.

Jack suddenly appeared and stood in front of me, ignoring the heated exchange taking place behind his back. “You okay?”he asked in a low, controlled voice.

“Yes, I’m fine. I just want to get out of here.”

Jack looked to Sienna. “I’m fine. Let’s just get out of here, Jack.” The look on Jack’s face was murderous and made me even more nervous than I had been a minute ago.

Jack turned to the ringleader and took a step in his direction. I watched as the man steadied himself in response to Jack’s aggressive posture.

“You got a problem, pretty boy?” The man stood toe to toe with Jack, neither backing down.

Jack spoke calmly, too calmly.“You owe the ladies an apology.”

“I don’t owe them shit.” The man’s face moved closer to Jack’s.

Thankfully, a police officer walked over and interrupted at just the right moment. “Do we have problem, gentlemen?” The officer’s words may have been spoken in broken English, but he pulled out his baton as he spoke making his point crystal clear.

The ringleader took a step back and held up his hands. “No sir, no problem here.”

The officer looked to Jack and I watched his jaw clench. “We were just leaving, officer.” Jack turned to me and took my hand without another word and the four of us walked away unscathed.

***

Four hours later we were still having the same argument.

“I’m getting you security.”

“I don’t need security.”

“You need damn security, Syd.” Jack’s tone grew more heated as he unloaded his pockets onto the desk in the living room of our suite.

“The rest of the tour we are going to be so busy we will barely even have time to go off on our own.”

“What about when you go to dinner before a show?”

“We are always with other people.”

“I don’t trustother people. I trust a trained security professional.”

“But—”

Jack turned to face me, his expression stopped me in my tracks. I had never seen him so angry before.

“I try hard to not get in your business, Syd. But I need to know you are safe running around half of Europe obliviously with your friend.”

“I’m not oblivious.”

Okay, so maybe I was oblivious at times, but it definitely wasn’t the time or the place to admit it.

A knock at the door broke ourstaring contest and I went to open the door, grateful for the interruption. My hand was already on the door handle when Jack barked.

“Ask who it is first, Syd.”

Damn it. I would normally ask who it was before I openedthe door, wouldn’t I? My argument with Jack was just making me lose my wits.

“Who is it?” I asked with an attitude through the door.

“Housekeeping, Mrs. Cole. I have a garment bag that Ms. McAllister asked me to deliver to your room. She said you would know what it was.”

Damn it. I had forgotten all about the dress that I had planned to show Jack. I opened the door and apologized for my attitude, attempting to tip the kind-faced older woman, but she refused to accept a gratuity. I took the dress and walked toward the bedroom without saying a word to Jack.

Jack stood in the bedroom doorway, his body taking up most of the passage. He watched as I hung the garment bag.

Jack motioned to the dress bag. “Going somewhere?”

I looked at him and narrowed my eyes. “Yes.”

Jack raised an eyebrow, surprised at my answer. “Where?”

“To an awards show. At least I was planning on going. But I haven’t been asked yet.”

I watched as what I was talking about registered on his face. The corner of Jack’s mouth twitched and turned slightly up. I saw a hint of his cocky smile before he tried to cover it with indifference. “Put on the dress.”

“Why?” I asked, with a mouth full of sass.

“Because I want to see what the most beautiful girl will be wearing when I show her off on my arm.”

Right. Damn. Answer. I turned my back to him so that he couldn’t see me smile, taking the dress bag with me as I went into the bathroom to change.

I quickly fixed my makeup and ran my fingers through my hair after slipping on the dress and shoes. Even without proper preparation, I knew I looked good when I saw my reflection in the mirror. It was the dress. Sexy as hell and fit like a glove.

I opened the bathroom door and stood in the doorway, posing as Jack’s eyes took in the dress. He didn’t say anything, so I waited, then slowly turned, giving him the full effect of the dress.

I looked up at Jackas I completed my slow circle and our eyes met. His eyes were filled with desire. He made no attempt to hide his slow gaze up and down my body one more time before he spoke. “You’re definitely getting fucking security.”

For some reason, when he looked at me that way and told me what I was doing, I didn’t mind it so much.I let out an exaggerated sigh. “Okay.”

Jack smiled and I rolled my eyes.

He took two long steps and was quickly in my personal space. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Then he helped me take off the dress.