Enticing (23) (Patreon)

Author’s note: I am overly excited to post this chapter! We are getting introduced to new characters. I hope you all enjoy it and let me know in the comments. Who or what is your favorite part of this chapter?

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The chandelier that hung on the ceiling shined slightly and with the candlelight, it was just enough to see the face of the person across the table.  This explained the reason Harry and Y/N squinted and leaned forward when William called out to Michael.

“Where have you been?” William asked again. Everything was silent for a second except for the crackling of the candles.

“I- I” he stuttered, suddenly too nervous to share the reason for his absence.

“What the hell is going on?” Harry asked, just as confused as everyone at the table. Suddenly Michael pulled a woman forward by the hand. All three men were speechless as they stared at the young woman, who was around their age.

Y/N looked around the table and noticed their shocked expressions. It seemed like everyone had figured out what Michael had been doing all day, except her.

“Hi, I am Y/N!” She waved, noticing that no one else was going to talk.

“I’m Violet” She shyly said, and that’s when everything clicked for Y/N. She was Michael’s long-time lover. She was the one who got away. Violet was the reason behind every heavy sigh and every longing of Michael.

“Come sit!” Y/N encouraged her and pointed to the vacant seats at the table. “Close your mouth” She whispered to Harry, who was being unbelievably rude by just staring at her. “I am serious, Harry” She pinched his leg under the table which did the trick and snapped him out of surprise.

“Where were you?” Harry asked him as he reached out for his cup after the couple had settled down.

“I went to the airport and picked her up” Michael shrugged like it was no big deal.

“You went to the airport, and it took you all day?” William frowned, “That makes no sense.”

“We had a lot of catching up to do” Michael looked over at Violet, and they instantly blushed which made Y/N’s heart flutter. It was nice seeing him infatuated with someone.

“I think we need more context” Alessandro handed them two cups and served them wine.

So, Michael went on to explain how things had developed in the course of less than a week. He had reached out to Violet on the night that they had gone out to dinner in Rome. After much insisting from Y/N, he decided to look her up on social media, and he came across a private profile, and after he sent a follow request, and she never accepted it, he went another way.

“I looked up where she studied and tracked down her information. Turns out that Violet graduated from Michigan State, and I remember that I had recently met someone from admissions. So, I contacted them and asked them if I could get further information about alumni of them. Turns out they could give me her email.”

“That is kind of stalkerish.”

“What the fuck Michael?” William laughed and held his abdomen. “So creepy” he added as they all laughed at the extent that Michael had gotten to just find her.

Michael began speaking to her regularly before she knew it Michael was getting the jet ready to fetch her. In the morning, he had left early from the house to have enough time to pick up flowers for her and a coffee. He waited for her, and then he took her to his favorite places in Lake Como.

“I find it romantic. You didn’t give up on finding her” Y/N shrugged, “not all men go beyond for someone. That means he is worth keeping.”

“Finally, the support that I wanted. Thank you” Michael had been nervous to reveal to them that he had taken the plunge. He knew that either way they would bother him until his death, but he was tired of feeling alone which was why he had decided to reach out to her. He was tired of waiting for something magnificent to happen when he already had everything he wanted under his nose. “Pricks”.

“We are happy for you” Alessandro reassured him, “We are just surprised”.

“You are not one to take spontaneous decisions” William pointed out, “But I am happy to you took a chance.”

“I am just happy that there is another girl around” Y/N smiled at Violet.

“In this case, welcome to the trip Violet. We hope you have fun” Harry raised his glass for everyone to toast with him.

Turns out that Violet was a painter. After getting her bachelor's in college in Michigan and starting to work she realized that an office job wasn’t for her. Violet had wasted four years of her life studying something that never made her happy. So, she looked for a scholarship after her parents disowned her and moved to London.  In London, she learned how to paint and became successful after opening a tiny art exhibition. All the work was bought in two days.

Therefore, Violet became remarkably successful, and shortly after her parents were reaching out to her. They had heard of her success and wanted to congratulate her and invest in her talent. The only condition was to marry, and so she got engaged to her father’s business partner. A man that was as cold as the ice in the northern sea. That's when she met Michael.

“So, did you dump this man?” Y/N asked her after Harry had gone to the bathroom, Alessandro for more wine, and Michael and William for a smoke.

“Not yet. He thinks I’m on a business trip. He honestly doesn’t care. I am sure he has someone else too” Violet shrugged, “I just hope things are different this time around with Michael” she sheepishly said, “I really like him”.

“Why don’t you just leave the other man?” Y/N could tell that they were going to be close friends. Violet seemed down to earth, and she liked that.

“Because if I am serious about continuing to be an artist, I need funding and my parents want me to marry someone capable to run the business. Just so they can retire, and Michael fears commitment.” She frowned, “I want to open my own art gallery in London and New York. It’s my dream, but I require their money”.

“I understand” Y/N nodded, “Perhaps this time around things will be different with Michael?”

“I’m hopeful” she smiled weakly, “but I doubt so.”

“What are you girls talking about?” Harry interrupted them as he walked into the room. “Chiara and Ricardo retired for the evening”.

“About what we are doing tomorrow” Y/N interjected and winked at Violet, wanting to reassure her that their conversation was private and that she wasn’t going to share the details with Harry.

“Yeah? What?”

“Visit some museums and art galleries” Violet smiled, “Right?”

The idea didn’t seem bad. Suddenly Y/N was looking forward to the next day. Going to art galleries and museums with someone like Violet could be very enriching because she knew about the subject more than most people.

“Yes” Y/N smiled just as the other men were coming back.

Alessandro started playing music after realizing that his parents had felt, and more wine had been served as the night continued. It wasn’t long until all six were drunk and needed help getting upstairs to sleep.

“Goodnight!” William yelled as they all basically crawled up the stairs.

“SHUSH!” Michael yelled back as he opened the door of his bedroom. “You are going to wake up the whole house!”

Everyone laughed and giggled as they retired to their respective bedrooms.

“I am so drunk” Y/N commented and laughed as she tried taking off her sandals, sitting at the end of the bed. Harry turned to look at her with a cheeky smile and pulled her to his lips.

“You have no idea how much I want you right now” he muttered against the soft skin.

Between giggles and laughs, they devoured one another, and it was sloppy, funny, but passionate.