In a heartbeat (Heartbeat #1) Read online

  That meant they’d never be able to go out together and Lisa would be separated from her friends because of her. Guilt washed over Stella and she was ready to do anything it took to keep Max in Lisa’s life.

  And her own.

  “OK, how about this? – I promise I won’t dance or flirt or anything with other guys when you’re there.”

  He seemed to think it over before he nodded. He wasn’t too happy about it, but at least it was something. It was the resolution they needed to be able to spend time together.

  “I have a condition, though,” she said and smiled wickedly.

  “Of course you do,” he said, and grinned in return.

  “The deal goes both ways.”

  “You, jealous?” Max raised an eyebrow.

  “Maybe a little. Do you accept or not?”

  “You’ve got yourself a deal, tesoro.”

  Did he have to call her that? The combination of his voice and him speaking Italian was knee-buckling.

  “How about dinner tonight? Just you and me. We can talk.”

  “I can’t. I’m working.”

  “In the evening? Aren’t lifeguards on shift until six?”

  “I work in a bar a couple of nights a week. Why don’t you come over? Beppe will show up at some point and maybe Gia after work.”

  “Sure. Lisa’s working, too. Text me the address and I’ll be there.”

  *

  When they parted ways, Max couldn’t believe he had voiced his feelings so freely in front of Stella. He had met her five days ago, but it felt as if it was weeks – months, even. She brought out a very open and honest side of him; Max couldn’t see himself blabbing like an idiot about being jealous to any other girl he’d met five days ago. Any other girl, period. He was twenty-two years old and had had two relationships – one for almost a year, right after his dad had died, and one for about eight months when he was nineteen. There were many girls in between, but he wouldn’t call them relationships.

  And yet, with Stella he felt as if he’d never even dated anyone before. Everything he felt was new to him – the extreme jealousy; the intense desire; the hopeless dread that he might never be with her; the absolute honesty. Looking her in the eye and telling her exactly how he felt seemed like the only choice.

  Max couldn’t wait to get to know her better and to peel away every single layer of her until he got to the very core. He wanted to have all of her, not just her body or her friendship. He wanted her fears, her dreams, her secrets, her desires, her little annoying habits – all of it.

  That realisation made him stop in his tracks. What did that mean? Why did he feel that way for someone he’d known only for days? Did it really matter how long you’d known someone before you developed feelings for them? Was there a rule book or something? All he knew was that he couldn’t help how he felt and he’d be damned if he judged himself for it.

  It was what it was.

  He needed to stop overanalysing this, or he’d go insane.

  *

  When Stella got home, she had the house to herself all day. Niki was working and Lisa was compensating for her absence the previous day by going to the gallery and the art class all in one day.

  Taking a shower seemed like the first thing to do. When she dried her hair and put on a pair of shorts and a tank top, she took her phone and her Kindle and went outside into the garden. Sitting in a lounger by the pool, Stella called her mum and talked just for a few minutes, because she was at work. Hearing her voice was really what she needed. She missed her mother so much. She wanted to tell her everything that was going on in her life right now, because she knew Helen would be able to help her to sort out the mess in her head.

  Hearing Max’s admission that he had feelings for her threw Stella completely off guard. It wasn’t just lust he was feeling. You didn’t get insanely jealous to a point of wanting to hurt someone, when all you wanted was a girl’s body. Instead of being happy about it, Stella felt confused. She liked Max a lot. Her attraction to him went beyond her desire for him. That was why she didn’t want to give in to her feelings – she knew with absolute certainty that what she and Max had was way too intense for a fling.

  She was leaving in two months and she also might still have cancer. After two surgeries, the cancer had come back. However good the doctors, they could never be sure that they had got every single cancer cell out. Stella prayed every day that it didn’t spread to other organs this time – because if it did, she had almost no chance of survival.

  How could she let herself have a relationship with this incredible guy and condemn him to be with a sick girl?

  Stella shook her head, because her thoughts had got much darker than she had anticipated. No cancer thoughts – that was her resolution when she came here. Feel normal and be normal. Even if it was for just a couple of months.

  She grabbed her Kindle and started reading. Soon, her tossing and turning all night took its toll and her eyelids grew heavy before she dozed off.

  The text message tone woke her up. Glancing at her phone, Stella realised she’d slept for four hours. Feeling refreshed and ready to go out tonight, she picked up her phone and read the text. It was from Max – he was letting her know the name and address of the bar he worked in. For a second Stella wondered why he had two jobs, none of which seemed like a career choice. She didn’t know much about him, did she? Maybe if she added a few extra layers to his personality, she’d be able to look past his chiselled abs and enthralling hazel eyes and actually get to know him.

  She needed to get ready. Gathering all her things she went upstairs, texting Lisa to let her know where she’d be, and headed for the bathroom. Her hair was all over the place because she had fallen asleep right after she’d washed it. Sighing, Stella put it up in a ponytail and brushed her teeth. Then she put a bit of make-up on while thinking what to wear. Having Max look at her the way he had looked at her when they went out last night was a huge turn-on, but she didn’t want to push it today. So she chose a pair of jeans – neutral enough – and a silver sleeveless top which looked like nothing special at the front, although its back was low-cut almost to her waist. It was all held together by three satin ribbons at the back and hugged all her curves perfectly. With her hair up in a messy ponytail, the attention was immediately drawn to her bare back.

  High heels would be too much, so Stella decided to tone it down by wearing simple black sandals. There. As casual as it got.

  Her tummy rumbled and reminded her that she hadn’t eaten since this morning. Getting down to the kitchen, she made herself a sandwich and drank almost an entire bottle of water. In about ten minutes she felt full, hydrated and excited to be going out.

  Chapter Seven

  The Ironia bar was very busy. Almost all the tables were taken and the bar was crowded. The music was a mix of all the current pop and rock hits, making most of the clients happy, but not too engaged in it. The interior was quite modern and sleek – black glass tables, red and white chairs and footstools, lots of mirrors and lights. It served the younger generation and it showed.

  Stella made her way to the bar and as she approached she saw a single white stool at the far left corner that was unoccupied. Heading for it, she looked around searching for Max behind the counter. She saw him and slowed down so that she could enjoy watching him without him knowing. It was obvious he knew what he was doing – he moved fast and efficiently, making and serving drinks, while talking and joking with the customers.

  She could stay there and watch him all night.

  Unfortunately, he noticed her while she was staring at him. Embarrassed, she smiled and waved, heading to the empty stool.

  “Hey,” he said as he approached her. Leaning over the bar he gave her a kiss on each cheek. “A bit longer and I wouldn’t have been able to hold the stool for you. It’s madness here today.” Someone called his name and shouting ‘hang on’ in Italian, he leaned on his elbows towards her. “What can I get you, tesoro?” That word rolled out of his
perfect mouth as if it was made for him. Stella couldn’t imagine anyone else saying it the same way.

  “A virgin bellini, please.” He nodded and came back with the drink moments later. “Are you alone tonight?” It seemed odd that it was a busy night and Max was the only one behind the bar.

  “Yeah, the girl that was supposed to be on shift quit last night. The other two guys that work here already had plans for tonight, so couldn’t take the shift. I’ve been here most of the afternoon trying to find someone to replace her, but no such luck.”

  Someone called him again and, excusing himself, he went to make some more drinks. Stella realised that unless Beppe or Gia showed up soon, she’d be stuck there all night drinking her virgin bellinis alone, watching Max work. Not that it was a particularly bad sight, but she had hoped to spend some time with him, not just admiring him from afar.

  “Why do you have to find someone to replace that girl? Isn’t there a manager or someone?” Stella asked as he came back to refill her glass.

  “Yeah, there is, but he’s on holiday until tomorrow. The owners live in Tuscany and since they’ve known me since I was a child, I’m the only one they trust to run this place when Stephan’s not here.” He had barely finished his sentence before he had to go and serve another customer again.

  “I have an idea,” she said, when Max came to her again.

  *

  Her eyes sparkled mischievously and the moment she said those four words, Max knew there was going to be trouble tonight.

  “Why don’t you let me help you tonight?”

  “What? No.”

  “Why not? You’re obviously swamped and I’m bored out of my mind just sitting here. You can make the cocktails since I don’t know how you make them here, and I can do the easy ones – give out beers and wine and stuff.”

  “You don’t work here, Stella ...”

  “And who’s to know? Nobody’s here but you. If one of the waitresses asks, just tell her you’re auditioning me for the job.”

  Someone called him again and as much as Max wanted to turn around and snap at them, he couldn’t. Whether it was the busy night or her grey eyes rounding with excitement, Max found himself thinking her proposition over. She was right – nobody was here. He needed help. He could indeed always say he was interviewing her for the job.

  “OK.” He spoke the words before he had a chance to change his mind. The smile she rewarded him with was worth every single piece of trouble coming his way tonight. “Go back there to the staff room – there’s a cupboard full of black aprons; put one on and come behind the bar through there.” He pointed towards the small opening at the far end or the bar.

  Stella jumped off her stool and literally ran towards the staff room.

  He was left staring at her back.

  If he had seen the back of that top two seconds ago, he would have never agreed to this. She was practically naked! Her ponytail brushed the middle of her bare back as she walked and he pictured sliding his hands over the smooth skin and tracing the tattoo below her shoulder blade with his fingertips, before kissing his way up to her neck.

  Max could only imagine how the men surrounding his bar would react to her. A few seconds ago, she was safely tucked away in the corner, not causing any trouble and definitely not turning her back on a line full of horny twenty-year-olds.

  This was going to be a long night.

  A few minutes later, Stella strolled towards him wearing a small black apron and a huge smile. He quickly showed her where they kept everything she would need like bottled beer, wine, bottles of alcohol, nuts and crisps.

  “Listen up, guys,” he spoke over the loud music and attracted everyone’s attention. “This is Stella; she’ll be helping me tonight. Go easy on her.”

  The atmosphere around the bar changed immediately.

  The men started joking and whistling, their interest rising. They hadn’t had a new bar girl in Ironia in ages and Max was sure Stella would have a lot on her hands tonight.

  “Send bottled drinks and wines her way; call me if you need a cocktail.”

  The bar hadn’t had so many people ordering beer for quite a while.

  Max was stuck making cocktails for the tables, because Stella held her own when it came to the bar. She served everyone with a smile, joked and laughed with them, but at the same time didn’t take any crap from any of them. A few sarcastic remarks and the flirts were backing off, looking for easier targets. She moved quickly and efficiently, genuinely enjoying herself. A few guys offered to buy her drinks, but she always politely declined. What was it with her and not drinking? She was nineteen and abroad on holiday, and yet Max had never seen her drink any alcohol. Not that he would have supported drinking on the job, but she hadn’t drunk anything before that or last night in the club, or at the BBQ at Lisa’s.

  Realising he was staring at her with half a lime in mid squeeze in his hand, Max shook his head and tried to concentrate on his job. It was difficult, because Stella was very distracting. Her laughter echoed even over the loud music and brought chills of lust down his spine. He imagined her laughing softly in his arms, just for him, not in a bar full of guys drooling over her. Every now and again she went past him and the gentle whiff of her perfume hit his senses, clouding them. And the bare skin on her back ... it drove him insane not to touch her.

  “Well, well – what do we have here? Already exploiting the poor English girl, are we?”

  Beppe’s voice shook Max out of his daydream. His friend had bent over the bar on his forearms, obviously enjoying the turn of events and thinking of ways to embarrass him in front of Stella.

  “Nobody is exploiting anyone. She’s helping me.” The warning in Max’s voice was obvious. Or rather, it would have been obvious if Beppe had any regard for his friend’s warnings.

  “Is that right?” He raised an eyebrow suggestively, looking around and waving at Stella. “Why’s everyone drinking beer? No cocktails tonight?” Beppe asked, as he took a closer look around the bar.

  “Stella’s serving the beer.”

  A knowing ‘Ahhhh’ came out of his mouth, along with a mischievous stare directed at Max. “I bet you’re enjoying that.” The irony in his voice wasn’t lost on Max.

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “Don’t get all defensive at me, man. You know very well what it means. I could see you’ve got your pants wedged in your ass the second I walked in.”

  “That might be true if I was wearing any pants,” Max grinned at his friend, who made a disgusted face.

  “I so didn’t need to know that.”

  “Hey, Beppe,” said Stella as she leaned in to give him the customary kisses and exposed her whole bare back right next to Max. It took all the willpower he possessed not to grab her and drag her back to the staff room. “You didn’t need to know what?” she asked, with a lopsided grin.

  “Max is going commando tonight,” Beppe declared, proud of himself and the way the situation was evolving around him.

  Stella’s smile widened but she didn’t say anything. Was it his imagination or did she blush? If that was the case then maybe he could push her a little further.

  “Not just tonight, man,” Max said, stealing a glance at her direction.

  Oh yeah, she definitely had blushed. Max could clearly see the lovely rose colour of her cheeks as she turned to look at him to check if he was being serious. He winked at her and she shook her head in disbelief. Smiling, she walked away to attend to her fan club.

  “Just find a room already,” Beppe mumbled, as he made his way towards the dance floor.

  Max had always thought of himself a good dancer, but his friend was something else. Beppe was born to move to a beat. He was an inch or so shorter than Max, but he was still bigger than most guys. Seeing that lean, muscled body of his move so fluently was something else. The girls adored Beppe – he hadn’t been on the dance floor for two seconds before they started circling him, ready to pounce. And he enjoyed every second of it. />
  “Wow, he’s got moves, doesn’t he?” Stella said right next to him, startling him out of his thoughts so that he dropped the lemon he was holding into the cocktail he was making. It splashed all over the bar and his shirt.

  “I’m so sorry; didn’t mean to startle you,” she apologised, as she grabbed a dry dishcloth. “Here, let me help you ...” She started drying off the wet patch on his T-shirt. The last thing Max needed right now was her hands anywhere near him. He grabbed her hand and growled,

  “I’ve got this.” She recoiled a bit from his hard voice, but when realisation hit her eyes she bit her lower lip, trying to hide her smile.

  “Yeah, sure.” She left the dishcloth in his hand and headed for the opposite side of the bar.

  Man, is this night ever going to be over?

  Max couldn’t wait to have Stella all to himself.

  *

  Stella watched as Max headed to the back of the bar towards the staff room, taking his T-shirt off on the way. The tattoo spilling down his right shoulder moved in sync with the muscles of his back. Stella imagined running her fingers along the whole tattoo and finding out exactly what it represented, because right now it seemed like a bunch of random, although beautiful, curves.

  He came back minutes later wearing a black T-shirt with ‘SNATCH’ written in big, white letters at the front. It could mean anything, but Stella immediately thought of Guy Richie’s film and smiled.

  “What?” Max asked, as he caught her smiling.

  “Nothing. I just love that film.”

  “Yeah? Me too.” He came closer to her and Stella had to tilt her head back to look at him. She loved how big he was – it made her feel vulnerable and safe at the same time. “Maybe we could watch it together some time.” His voice dropped to a seductive purr that resonated through her body.

  A loud throat-clearing ruined their moment as they both turned towards the sound to face Gia. She looked exhausted.