Dear Mister Summers

twenty one

London, corrected Andin.

Although he was insolent and self-assured, his youth made him far less alarming than Sebastian, and Andin felt faintly touched by the swagger with which he carried off his blatant flattery. Despite his undoubted experience of life, he was still much younger than she was both in age and looks. He was slightly built, a thin boy, brash, vain but charming.

"Will you be coming to dinner tonight?" he asked after several moments.

"Yes," she replied while wondering how on earth she would disentangle her hair from his wandering fingers without being rude.

"We'll have to get to know each other better," he said, smiling at her. "After all, we soon will be partners should all go well."

"I suppose so." Andin leaned back slightly, hoping he would get the message and let go of her hair.

Yet he did not seem to notice as he leaned in towards her and whispered, "I would really like to get to know you. Up close and personal, Andin," he said directly, admiring her figure in a way that made her acutely self-conscious.

Then before she could answer or move a muscle, she heard a cool voice from behind her saying, "Hello, Roberto."

* * * * * * *

Sebastian watched her as she was swimming away to the shore, leaving him to deal with his frustration alone. He was not sure what was so wrong with them having something more than work. He could not make it more obvious how attracted he was to her and clearly, the feeling was reciprocated, judging by the way she had melted in her arms and responded to his kiss. Which left one frustrating question: why the hell had she kept on rejecting him?

If it was because he was her boss, that matter should be settled in two months' time. Plus, they were both adults — as long as they were both responsible and could separate business from pleasure, everything else should be fine.

His phone, which he had kept in the raft, rang and he checked the caller ID. It was Maxon, one of his younger siblings. He heavily sighed, then answered his call. "Yes?"

"Sebby!" His brother greeted him cheerfully. "I heard you're in Italy."

His lips set into a grim line as he regretted informing Clarabelle, their youngest sister, about this trip. She must have been the one to inform Maxon, despite their seven years difference in age, they were very tight and shared each other's secrets. While Sebastian, similar to their eldest brother Thornton, was not the sharing type. He was cold and distant yet there was absolutely nothing he would not do when it came to his family.

"Yes, I'm in Sicily now," he replied. "What is it? Do you need anything? I don't recall we own any restaurants here in Italy except those that are combined with the hotels."

Maxon Summers owned the F&B line of their family business. From packaged food in the supermarket to fancy restaurants and bars were handled by him. Max himself was an incredible chef and albeit having to handle all of these and their branches all over the globe, most of the time he could be found working on a new recipe in one of his three stars Michelin restaurants in Washington D.C.

"We don't," drawled Maxon. "But we do have a vineyard there."

"Right." Sebastian laid his back on the raft and closed his eyes. "So do you need me to go there and sign something on your behalf?"

"Nah, my call isn't about business, brother."

"Then what is it about?" A frown was forming on his forehead. "Don't tell me it's about pleasure," he teased.

Maxon sighed. "It's about Piers."

His eyes immediately flew open and he cursed at the burst of sunlight. "What happened? Is he alright?" Pushing himself with his elbow, he moved to a sitting position.