Enticing (22) (Patreon)

Author’s note: Hello everyone! I just want to let you all know that I have the workflow already planned out for the rest of the chapters. I’ve decided to do TWO SEASONS of Enticing and I already have the end of this first season planned. I’ve decided to do two seasons because it would give me the chance to post a new series that I’ve been working on, and it would also give me time to get ahead with the second season and get ahead.

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It was a gorgeous day in Lake Como. The night before after arriving, they had gone straight to bed. All five had been exhausted after the trip. Besides the exhaustion, Y/N's mind had been a mess. She had felt how distant Harry had been.  He had barely spoken to her and whenever she reached out to hold his hand or kiss him, he would pull away. So, when the morning came, she didn’t lay and wait until Harry woke up, but instead went straight to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

She put on a hot red bikini and threw on a beige linen set. Y/N looked over her shoulder to make sure that Harry was still sleeping before sneaking out of the room with her sandals in her hand, so his sleep wouldn’t be disturbed.

“Good morning!” Chiara was in the kitchen, preparing some coffee and making some fresh juice. “How’d you sleep?”.

“Good! Would you like some help?” She offered, even though she could see that she had it handled. Chiara like all the high society women that Y/N had met, had a chef and a team of helpers. It hadn’t been easy for Chiara. She was a traditional Italian woman who liked to have control of her kitchen, but the house was too big, and she was terribly busy with the store's management.

“No. It’s all right. Alessandro and William are already outside having breakfast. You should join them! I’ll be there in a second”.

“Holy shit! This was a journey” Y/N called out as she approached the table under the trees. “I wasn’t hungry, but I am now.” The table had been set up under a gazebo. It was adorned with fresh flowers and placemats that matched the color of the flowers.

“Good morning!” Alessandro put down his phone and leaned up to kiss her cheeks. “You look gorgeous.”

“This place is a dream” Y/N hugged William and then sat down beside Alessandro. “What time did you get up?” She asked as she started serving herself some food.

“At five” William sipped on his coffee, “We went out for a jog. I haven’t been able to button my pants since Rome” Alessandro and Y/N laughed. “I am not joking, but do a regret it? Absolutely not”.

“Where are Harry and Michael?”

“Harry is sleeping”

“I haven’t seen Michael.” Alessandro pointed out, “Perhaps he went out?”

“I’ll text him” William quickly texted him, “What are we doing today anyway?”

“I was thinking of just having a chill day by the lake. Does that sound good?”

“That sounds perfect” Y/N just wanted to lay out, read a book and get a tan. She was tired and wasn’t up for dressing up or going out to meet anyone. She was nervous. She thought about confronting Harry and asking why he had been in a mood. However, she was sick of confronting him and exhausted from trying for him to share his thoughts. Plus, every time she confronted him things got out of hand, and they ended up saying hurtful things to one another.

After breakfast, they all went down by the lake and settled by the dock. Alessandro made sure that food and refreshments were set out in case they craved something. He even made sure to set out sun tanning beds.

“I am seriously now concerned for Michael” Y/N put down her book and pulled her sunglasses down. "It's almost mid-day and we haven't heard from him". 

“Why?” Harry asked, coming down the dock only wearing his bathing suit. He was drinking a glass of orange juice and holding a pastry.

“Good morning!” Alessandro called out as he turned to look at him.

“I think you mean good afternoon.” William rolled his eyes as he sipped on his beer. “You sick? It’s weird for you to get up this late”.

“Fine. Where is Michael?” He said sharply, as he walked down to Y/N’s tanning bed and sat by her legs.

“That’s what we are trying to figure out” Y/N muttered and pulled her legs away from Harry just as she felt him trying to caress them. Harry turned to look at her momentarily, shocked by her sudden rejection. 

William attempted to call Michael, but it went straight to voicemail.

“He is not answering.”  Just before William suggested calling the police, he received a text.

I am fine. See you at dinnertime.

“He is alive” William rolled his eyes and threw his phone at Harry, who caught it swiftly.

“What is he hiding?” Y/N asked as she sat up and took her sunglasses off to be able to read the text.

“I don’t know. but it better be good” Harry mumbled, “What time did you get up?” he ran a hand down her back. 

“Early” she shrugged and pulled away from him. She knew she didn’t have to act in the same matter as him, and it wasn’t going to solve anything.  However, Y/N wanted to make him feel like he had made her feel lately. She wanted him to feel the distance that was growing between them.

“What’s wrong?” Harry whispered to her, but she shook her head and opened her book. “Tell me what’s wrong.” He insisted, but her mouth remained shut with her eyes glued to her book.  Harry sighed heavily and sat by the edge of the dock with his feet in the lake. Away from her, but occasionally looking up to check on her. 

The day passed by them. Alessandro blasted music even though Michael and Y/N were reading. The sun was high in the sky and the wind wasn’t too cold or too hot. There were no clouds in the sky and the lake water was tempting. 

“Beer?” He offered Y/N.

“No thanks” Y/N wasn't a fan of drinking. That is not to say that she hadn't enjoyed her college era. She would go bar hopping with her friends and the hangovers were inevitable and miserable. That all stopped after her graduation, she cut it to the root and rarely drank as she did before. 

“Why?”

“Because she gets drunk very easily with beer” Harry responded for her, which only made Alessandro laugh. “I am not kidding” he insisted. 

“One is not going to hurt her.”

“She is a lightweight” He argued. 

“Okay, can you stop speaking on my behalf?” Y/N interrupted him, “I’ll have one. One is not going to hurt” She shrugged and reached out. "

“Last time by your third beer, I had to basically carry you out of the boat” Harry laughed remembering that night. He had chartered a boat to watch the sunset and had made sure that there was enough alcohol on the boat for them.

“Let have one” William rolled his eyes, “Shit, you are her boyfriend, not her father”. As soon as the words left his mouth the tension got tense. Harry’s jaw tensed, but he swallowed back his comments and tried his best not to say anything to him.

“Here. Have fun princess” Alessandro popped one open for her and kissed her head before going back to his seat. And so, Y/N drank her beer followed by another one. Alessandro was about to hand her another one before Y/N stopped him.

“I need to pee” she squeaked, “I’ll be right back” William chuckled as he watched her run down the dock towards the house.

“Y/N” Harry called out as he followed her.

“What?”

“What’s going on with you?” He grabbed her arm and stopped her. “You were fine yesterday, and today you are treating me like a strange— “

“Feels nice, doesn’t it?” Y/N interrupted him, “That’s exactly how you make me feel” She pulled her arm out of his grip. “Sick and tired of your on-and-off switch, Harry. It drives me crazy”.

“I’ve done nothin’ wrong!”

“Yes! Yes, you have! Take accountability for your actions” she yelled, poking her chest harshly. “If we keep going like this. This is not going to work” Y/N turned around and walked into the house in search of a bathroom.

“I am sorry,” he said to her as she walked out of the house.

“Sorry is not going to do it anymore, Harry. You can’t keep pushing me away whenever you feel like it. I deserve some stability.”  Harry exhaled loudly and reached out for her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and try to meet eyes with her, but she kept looking at everything except at him.

“I know. I was a prick and I pushed you away instead of talking to you. I promise to open more” He pushed some hair out of her face and cupped her face in between his big hands.

“This is it, Harry. I am not going to continue entertaining this if you keep acting like this” She whispered as he pressed his forehead against hers.

“Alright. I understand. Can I hug you and get a kiss?” He had been acting distant and stand-offish, but it had all been because the texts he had read had left his head spinning. Harry had felt like he had been on the verge of losing her to another. He had been so caught up in figuring out his part relationships that he hadn’t noticed another man in the picture.  Harry wasn’t self-conscious, he was extremely comfortable in his own skin, but for the first time, his world had been rocked.

Y/N nodded softly and kissed him as he pulled her into a tight embrace.

“I am taking the job” Y/N confessed while Harry gripped her chin.

“Really?” He pulled away with a soft smile. He was surprised. He didn’t think she would ever agree to change her job as a nanny for a corporate job. Harry could see her potential, and he knew that she would thrive especially with the guidance of one of his close friends.

She nodded enthusiastically but was nervous at the same time. When she had gone to college, she had dreamed of a job like the one that Harry was offering her. Harry kissed her lips, hard enough to steal her breath away.

“I am nervous” She whispered against his lips. Harry smiled widely and kissed her forehead.

“You are going to do great. I am sure of it” Y/N smiled feeling all fuzzy inside and excited.

The atmosphere improved significantly when they got back. They finished enjoying their day in the sun and stayed outside to admire the gorgeous sunset. As soon as the sky turned dark, Alessandro encouraged them to get up and head back to the house to get ready. He was starving and wanted to continue enjoying drinking and without food he couldn’t continue.

“This is delicious,” Y/N said as wiped the corners of her mouth. Chiara and Ricardo had joined them which had only made dinner much more entertaining. They had told them embarrassing stories about Alessandro and had also shared how they had met and fallen in love.

“It’s also not hard to prepare. I must give you the recipe” Lamb chops had been served over a bed of pesto pasta. The wine had been as consistent as the amount of bread that they had devoured.

“Where the hell have you been?”  William called out at Michael who stood at the archway of the door.