Three's A Crowd. (Now Published On Amazon)

Prologue

Finale Ligure,

ITALY.

Skye

Feeling the gentle lapping of pool water against my skin brought on a strange sense of peace. It was quiet up here. The morning sun was the only thing keeping me company. If you did not count my loneliness.

One of my good friends from college, Olivia, had invited me over to spend the weekend at her mountaintop villa in Finale Ligure, just a couple of hours drive from Milan, complete with a rooftop pool and all.

It was only seven in the morning but I had gotten up early because inspiration had knocked and I had been only too happy to answer. The result of that inspiration now stood at one corner of the patio. A dewy, yellowish Italian dawn painted using bold, confident strokes. My lips curved up in a smile before I rose from the pool and picked up a towel to wipe my hair.

The paintings kept me company too. I had been doing it for as long as I could remember but I never imagined I would be so good at it that people would actually pay me for my pieces or pay for me to teach them the basics of painting. I had a few, very wealthy private clients in Milan and it helped support my lifestyle in a European country after having moved here from London two years ago.

A prickle of awareness made me look up from my task and musings. Frowning slightly, I searched the rooftop area before my gaze shifted upwards and I froze, feeling more than a little creeped out.

Adjacent to the villa, was a small hotel and I could see a man on one of the balconies, leaning against the railing.

Watching me.

A tall, blonde guy with bulging muscles. I glared at him but he did not seem fazed as his eyes ran over my bikini-clad body. His hands were actually cradling a camera. Shit. Did he just...?

I couldn't be sure if he had been standing there taking pictures of me or if his gaze simply happened to land on me as I looked up but I sure as hell was not interested in finding out. Perv.

Shooting him another fierce look since he still would not stop ogling, I wrapped the towel around myself and strode inside the house. A subconscious part of me argued though that ogling was not the most fitting term to describe the way he had been looking at me.

He had also seemed curious. Interested even. I rolled my eyes. Yeah. I had been swimming out there for all of five minutes. The only thing he probably found interesting was my size 8 body which I had proudly put on display.

"Skye, you up?" Olivia's voice rang out from downstairs. "I'm going for a run, you want to join?"

I grimaced. Olivia was most definitely a morning person.

"Er...you go ahead, Liv," I called out. "I have to make a phone call!"

The front door closed while I instinctively turned towards the patio entrance and peeped from behind a curtain. The man was still there but he was busy clicking away on his camera as he faced the ocean beyond. His movements were sure and his body strong and lithe.

Pausing for a moment, he ran his fingers through his hair and stood still, observing the magnificent coastal scenery. Or maybe he was just lost in thought. Okay, why was I even noticing him, much less trying to figure out how his brain worked? Just because he looked attractive....

Shaking my head, I made my way to the bathroom thinking I was no better than him when I had just labelled him a pervert for checking me out.

And also wondering why I felt so reluctant to let him out of my sight when I had no idea who he was.

***

X

In the quiet solitude of my darkroom that afternoon, I studied the photographs for longer than was appropriate. As a matter of fact, taking those photos in the first place had been inappropriate along with watching her and thinking the dozen other thoughts which had flooded my mind as I had observed the play of emotions on her face even from a distance. The serenity. The wistful smile. The loneliness. But her body when she had risen from the pool was what had jammed my heartbeats. Fuck.

Hanging the photos up to dry, I took a deep breath and gave myself a mental scolding. This was wrong. I was not supposed to notice anyone that way. I already had someone whom I loved more than life itself and who loved me back. There was no room for a third.

There never will be...

***

Skye Madison (except with blue eyes.)