Serena POV

The warm sun was shining down brightly as I walked beside Joyce towards the drink bar. The warm sand running between my toes calmed my stressed-out mind.

Joyce interlaces her arm in mine and I look at her with a smile.

"I told you that swimsuit was worth the purchase!" She says bumping her hip into mine. I look down at the black two-piece I had on with a thin black coverup that went to my knees.

It was more seductive than her lavender high-waisted bikini.

"I feel like all my bits are out in the open and about to fall out," I say close to her ear as I pull the cover-up over my body more.

"That's the whole point, just wait until Clayton sees you. He will be drooling before he drags you into the water and slowly pulls down your..."

"Okay! I get it," I cut her off loudly with a laugh.

"Speaking of the boys, where are they?"

"I think Clayton said they had to run and settle a business deal or something."

"That was over two hours ago!" She wines and I shake my head as I sit at the bar top. I watch the bartender move around to a few different groups, sweat coating his handsome face. He was shirtless, showing off his tanned skin and muscular body.

"Oh my god," Joyce says then leans into my ear with her mouth hanging open. "Is that Luca?"

I glance over at her with an arched brow. "Who?"

"Remember, the guy from the hotel desk the first day we were here." I try to recall but my mind was so fuzzy from tiredness. "He had the hots for you?"

"Just because someone is nice, doesn't mean they have the hots for me," I say with an eye roll at her.

"I think the universe is about to prove my point," She says and I stare at her with confusion before a deep voice jumps in.

"Hello, ladies,"

I turn my head towards the Italian voice behind the bar to see his eyes trained on me with a wide smile that showed his white teeth.

"I see you are enjoying the wonderful weather we are having," He looks between us before focusing his eyes back on me. It was like he was staring into my soul. "What can I get for you?"

"I will have a Bellini," Joyce says quickly. He glances at her with a nod before turning back to me.

"For you, Bellissima?" (**translation- beautiful***)

"I'll have the same, thank you," I say bluntly.

"Told you," She says and I shake my head with a laugh as I turn my back to the bar top and look over the beach.

It was pretty packed for a weekday, but that was expected on such a beautiful day. There wasn't a cloud in the sky to block the sun's rays.

Many people were out in the water, splashing around with their significant others.

My eyes watched a couple laugh and smile in the water as the man threw her over his shoulder and brought them both down into the water. They came up with wide smiles as she jumped on his back.

Sadness filled my heart with longing for what they had.

A normal, happy life.

"Here you are," Luca says returning with our drinks. I turn back to face him to see the clear glasses full of peach puree and sparkling wine. It looked delicious.

"How much do I owe you?" I ask while reaching for my wallet. He puts a hand on top of mine and lightly pushes it back.

"Nothing, this is on the house," He says with a seductive smile. "We don't see many beautiful girls around here."

I laugh and roll my eyes at him.

"I'm sure you do, but thank you anyway," I say as Joyce watches our interaction with a wide smile.

I quickly slide off the seat and pull her with me back towards the spot we set up.

"You should have gotten his number!"

"Joyce," I say while shaking my head with a smile. "You have too high of expectations from me. I already slept with one person on this vacation, that is more than enough."

"Your right, especially with the piece of ass you picked up."

"You sound like a frat boy right now," I tell her with a side glance. She lets out a belly-deep laugh before turning her gaze forward again.

She stops a little next to me and I look at her with concern from her frozen face as her mouth gaps open slightly.

"What?" I ask before turning to see what she was looking at.

Where we set our things on the lounge chairs stood two handsome men with their backs turned to us. They were both heavily tattooed and I immediately knew which one was Clayton from the red scratch marks on his back.

"Damn," She says as we both stare until they turn and instantly meet our gazes.

"How did your meeting go?" Joyce asks when we are close enough to them.

"Good," Spencer says walking up to her and kissing her cheek. A smile forms on my lips as I watch them for a few seconds before a warm chest is pressed against my back.

"Get something good, Tesoro?" Clayton asks as he kisses my shoulder while pulling the cover-up down to expose my skin. I look up at him with a nod. (*** translation- darling**)

"You should have seen her. She just about ran away from the bar the second we got our drinks," Joyce playfully says.

"Whys that?" Clayton asks, his lips moving against my skin.

"The bartender was ready to jump over the table and make out with her," Joyce says and my mouth snaps open.

"He was not, it was just a selling point for tips."

"Sure it was. With how you look any man would jump over a burning fire to get to you."

I shake my head at her but feel Clayton's body stiffen behind me.

I turn to him and look into his darkened eyes.

"Come on, let's go into the water," I say pulling the cover-up off and throwing it onto my chair. When I turn back to him, his eyes were trained on the bar across the beach as if he could see who was behind it.

I roll my eyes and grab his hand causing his eyes to meet mine again. I give him a light pull but he doesn't move.

"Suit yourself," I say before turning and walking towards the water. If he didn't want to feel the cool water, he can be alone with the couple on the beach.

I get halfway down the beach before his hands grab my hips.

"Don't tease me, Bellissima. I'm not someone you can face off against," Clayton says thickly with lust.

"Well, you better count your blessings then. You have 6 more days with me before I fly home and you will never see me again," I say with my head against his chest. His hands tighten more and a smile formed on my lips.

"Who says I'll be ready to let you go by then?"

I turn in his grip and face him with a blank expression. It was hard to not show sadness because the same thing had occurred to me. It would be hard to leave.

"Remember the deal? No feelings."

His eyes darken and in one quick move, he throws me over his shoulder and starts towards the water.

"Clayton!"

"Maybe I change my mind on the deal and I will never be ready to let you go," He says and my eyes go wide.

"You have known me for one day! You don't even know me!" I yell at him. He was ridiculous. "Even if we knew each other for our whole lives, I still have to fly back!"

He hesitates before he moves me back down to my feet until they are knee-deep in the water.

"Move to Italy."

My eyes go wide before I laugh. It was a joke, it had to be.

What kind of crazy person would ask someone they just met to move to Italy for them?

Someone that needs to be in a psychiatric center.

When I get a hold of myself, my eyes move back to him to see the straight look on his face.

All humor leaves me as I look up at him.

"You can't be serious," I say in nearly a whisper.

"Deadly," He says moving his hands back to my hips as if I would run away from him.

"Clayton, we talked about this. This is just a fling," I say and shake my head lightly as I look over at where Joyce and Spencer were laughing on the beach. I let out a deep huff of air before meeting his eyes again. "I have to go back, no matter how much I want to stay and avoid my problems. I have a job, friends, and people who rely on me.

"I can't just drop everything and move to a foreign country for a man I just met," I say and force myself to look into his eyes as they harden. A shiver crept through me at the bruising grip on my hips and the killer look in his eyes.

He looked like I just slapped him.

"Clayton, let go of me," I say sternly with a blank expression. I would not let him get to me.

It was as if my voice went in one ear and out the other.

His face suddenly went blank as he lightly shook his head. His eyes returned to normal as he looked behind me before meeting my eyes again. His grip loosened.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," He says in a gentle voice. "We should head back to the others."

I slowly nod my head as his hands drop from my hips. My body seemed frozen for a second as we just stared at each other.

I watch as he leans forward and places a kiss on my forehead before leaving the water. I watch as he left in shock.

What the fuck just happened?