(2 Book Box Set) Loving The White Billionaire: 2 & 3 (4 page)

W
e decided to spend the rest of the trip in Italy.
We’d woken up super early in the morning, and reached Italy within a few hours.
Axel said that this time would be different. He said that we wouldn’t be
staying in a hotel like last time. I wondered if maybe he had a vacation home,
but didn’t press it; I would rather find out on my own.

He also mentioned some friends who happened to be
vacationing in Florence, Italy, and that we would be meeting up with them
tomorrow. I felt a little wary; Axel had girlfriends in the past, but none of
them were black. He reassured me that his friends were nothing to be worried
about and that they would love me.

He knew his friends better than I so I didn’t press the
issue. We were in the back of his car, and I realized that he was more
established in this country than any of the others. I noticed this immediately
after the chauffeur greeted him by name.

As we drove down the streets, I admired how different Tuscany
looked from Paris, Barcelona, and Old San Juan. I didn’t know where we were
going, but I was really excited about getting there. I noticed how different
the vehicles here looked as well. There wasn’t a huge change, but most of the
cars were of course manufactured here in Italy.

Thinking about it, seeing a Ferrari or a Lamborghini
wouldn’t be so rare, but seeing a Ford Mustang or a would be. Chuckling at my
observation piqued Axel’s interest. He turned to me with an inquisitive smile.

“What are you over there giggling about?” he asked as his
arm draped around my shoulders.

“I was just thinking about the cars and how rare it would be
to see American made cars here.”

“That’s true, I don’t even have one here.”

“Oh, so you live here sometimes?” I asked.

“Yeah, about three months out of the year, I’ll come here to
do business and vacation.”

“Oh, that must be nice,” I said with a smile as I thought
about it.

“You should come with me sometime. Though we’re only going
to be here for a few days, I would like for you to be able to stay with me for
a few weeks,” he said with sincerity.

“That would be nice, but I do still have responsibilities
back in San Francisco.”

“You’re an accountant right?”

“Yes.”

“Why not come work for me? I could use a traveling
accountant,” he offered. I looked at him, not sure if he was cracking a joke or
he was being serious.

“Funny Axel, I can’t just leave my home and come travel with
you. Besides, you’re based in New York, right?”

“I have several offices across the states.”

“Are you serious?” I asked facing him as I turned in my
seat.

“I don’t think you’ve noticed, Jaida, but I’ve grown really attached
to you,” he said softly but seriously.

“Seriously enough for you want me to live with you?” I
couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“Just think about it, don’t make any rash decisions.
Whatever you come up with will be fine with me,” he said as the car began to
slow down.

I was about to say something when the car came to a complete
stop. I became distracted by the shade of the trees as they enveloped the car,
and also the gorgeous real-estate. My mouth was wide open as we drove up the
long cobblestone lane until we were parked under the shade of more trees.

The place was decorated by Mother Nature as flowers of
various colors sat peacefully in their beds. The stone villa was the epitome of
Italian culture. I was absolutely astounded by it grace and elegant simplicity.
I didn’t even realize that Axel got out of the car until he was opening my
door.

Taking my hand, he led me up the driveway and into the
house.

“Oh my…” my voice trailed off as I took in this gorgeous
place. Ethan’s house was beautiful. Cherry wood flooring lay perfectly glossed
underneath an intricate Persian rug. The furniture was slate gray and fit well
with the color schemes of gold and red.

The dining room was open concept and sat beautiful decorated
with a large cherry wood table and light gray dining chairs. The chandelier
that hung above it was beautifully decorated and shone bright without having to
be turned on.

The kitchen lay on the opposite side of the cobblestone staircase
that led to the rest of the villa. The flooring matched that of the staircase
as I ventured towards it. Sunlight poured in through the windows of the tall
sliding glass doors. The island that sat, jet black, in the middle of the
kitchen, made a great contrast against the light gray cabinets that hung high
on the walls.

I turned around when I felt Axel’s hand grip the back of my
arm and pull me towards the staircase which led to the rooms. There were three
bedrooms, each of which mimicked the downstairs theme with golds and reds.
Except for the master bedroom. The room had the same flooring as the living
room, but the furniture was black leather. The walls were a rich crimson, and
the tall windows were shielded by thick crème colored curtains. The bed was
huge, California king bed actually, and it was draped by a rich black and brown
silk comforter and matching pillows.

The bathroom was so regal. I was most impressed with the
marble bathtub. There was a globe at the top of the tub, and I guessed the
water flowed from beyond there. I would definitely have to find out later.
Turning around to finally face Axel after my tour, I nodded my head in
approval.

“Okay so, how soon did you need an accountant?”

We decided to dine in tonight. Axel headed out about half an
hour ago to get some seafood while I stayed back. I decided to venture outside
into the backyard. As I walked into the backyard, I noticed how this whole
place seemed to be shrouded by large hanging trees. I was so enthralled by the
beauty that I ventured further. The green grass, pretty flower, and warm sunlight
reminded me of the picture I saw in the magazine.

As I walked further, I noticed that there seemed to be a
break in the trees, more like light at the end of a tunnel. I came closer to
the gap to notice that I was standing at the edge of a cliff. I was shocked to
see that we were on a secluded beach that was also shrouded by trees.

When Axel mentioned working for him as a traveling
accountant, I thought he was joking. There was no way he could trust me enough
to hire me so soon after we’d just met. And not only that but to live with him.
I put off living with Ethan until we were married, but could that have been the
reason he cheated on me? Would I have found out sooner before the second time?

Raising my small hand to my brow, I wiped off the
condensation from the waves of the ocean. Though we were pretty high up, there
was no way we could escape the humidity. Could Axel be serious about me living
with him? And if he was, was I ready? I couldn’t imagine living with a person
I’d just met not two weeks ago. But here I was in another country with him.

Oh, I could hear emu mother now. She would be incredulous if
I told her that I was in Europe with Axel. He was the first man after Ethan,
and not only that; he was white. I’d never experienced it myself, but I knew
that my mom would freak out if I brought a white man home as my lover. Crossing
my arms at the thought, I shook my head slightly to clear it.

It’d been almost a week since I’d talked to her. I probably
should. Ethan said that I could use the office phone that was in one of the
bedrooms to make a call. He told me that it works long distance so there was
nothing to worry about.

But I wanted to be outside right now. I felt the need for
some fresh air, and this was the perfect solution. This was the perfect place
to sit and think. There were no sounds of screeching tires and blowing horns.
And I couldn’t hear the sound of voices in the distance.

So I thought. I thought about what I was going to do when I
got back. I thought about picking up where I left off. But then I caught
myself. After this whole vacation, how could I go back to my normal life?

And on top of that, where would Axel fit in? I wanted him
more than I’d ever wanted a man before him, but how was he going to get along
with my family? None of my brothers ever brought home a woman of any other race
besides black. None of my uncles had married out of their race, not even my
friends. I didn’t know how I would be looked at if I were the first one.

Who cares? If I’m happy, my mom and my family will be happy
for me…right? I shook my head again before running my fingers through my curls.
My thoughts were frustrating me. Why couldn’t I just know how my family would
react so that I could go to sleep easy knowing the outcome?

I began to pace. I started to think about how they reacted
with Ethan. At first my brothers were super protective; they took him for what
they called “The Ride” where they basically interrogated, threatened, and
roughed Ethan up. If Ethan survived it, which he did, he was free to date me.

If only they knew the pain and heartache he caused. There
was no way that I could tell them. I knew that they wouldn’t be able to sit by
and do nothing. They were big on respect, and Ethan did was the total opposite.
But Axel was respectful to me, he treated me like an absolute queen. He treated
me the way I deserved to be treated.

“Jaida!” I heard as I whirled around. The booming sound
snapped me out of my thoughts and shocked me back into reality.

“Hey,” I said trying to collect myself as Axel walked up to
me.

“Hey, what are you doing all the way out here? Are you
alright?” He asked as he came closer and measured my expression.

“I’m just over thinking.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Yeah, over dinner, what seafood did you bring home?” I
asked as we began to walk back towards the house. The sunset was beginning to
set below the horizon.

“I brought home prawns, clams, and lobster.”

“Oh God, you are speaking my language!” I rejoiced as we
stood in the kitchen.

“And I brought home some Arneis for us. It’s been aged
twenty years.”

“Ooh, nice,” I said as Axel began unpacking the seafood.

“I’m going to cook these in a garlic butter sauce if you
don’t mind.”

“That sounds delicious!”

“That’s what I like to hear,” he said as he reached in the
cabinets above him to grab a large pot. 

“We could talk now if you wanted.”

“This is true. Though I have to say,” he said as he filled
the pot halfway with water before returning it to the stove, “I’m a little
nervous about what you’re going to say. When I saw you outside earlier, you
looked flustered.”

“I was a little. It’s just about my family,” I started.

“And? Did you get a chance to talk to them?”

“I didn’t really want to,” I admitted.

“Well, why not?” He asked; he was concerned.

“Because I didn’t want to tell them about you.”

He looked taken aback. “Why not?” he asked, his voice dipped
lower than before.

“You’re a great guy, and you’ve made me very happy so far,
but the truth is…I’m scared,” I said.

“You don’t think your family will accept the fact that I’m
white,” he stated with understanding in his expression.

“I know that they won’t. I keep trying to stay optimistic
but the truth is, they won’t accept you.”

“That’s not even the biggest issue. What you need to worry about
is how you feel about it.”

Axel was right. I knew he was right, and that was the
biggest issue. My family was a big part of my life. I couldn’t imagine them
shunning me for bringing Axel home. I knew they wouldn’t like that he was not
their Ethan, but what I needed to do, was realize that it wasn’t about them.

“Honey, don’t stress yourself over it right now. Let’s just
enjoy our time here, have a little wine, eat a little seafood, and relax,” he
said bringing over a couple of mallets, plates, and some more silverware to the
dining room table. I grabbed the wine and found some wine glasses on the table.

“Have a seat, I’ll prepare everything,” he said before he
walked away towards the kitchen.

Sitting in the chair he’d pulled out for me, I scooted
closer to the table. As Axel sat down with the food, I took the cloth he
offered to me, poured us some of the wine, and began eating my meal.

“Wow, Axel this is so good!”

“What are you talking about? This is delicious!” he
corrected with humor.

“Axel you’re ridiculous!” I said through laughter.

“You know you like it,” he said after taking a bite of his
prawn. The crisp sound shocked me; it was as though he bite into an apple.

“Wow, I’ve never eaten a prawn before, but I have to tell
you I didn’t expect it to sound like that!”

“It’s like an apple right?” he asked, naming exactly what
I’d thought.

“Exactly so,” I said biting into mine and swallowing it
before I spoke, “Oh these are so delicious,” I said closing my eyes.

“That they are.”

“Where did you get this?”

“My friend owns a shop in town. I helped fund his business
for him, so in exchange, I get all the seafood I want; no charge.”

“Well, that’s nice! He has quite the selection. So you own a
house here, you have friends who live here, and you have your own car here.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“So what made you decide to settle in Italy?”

“I love the culture, and this place was a major steal,” he
said while cracking open a lobster claw.

“It’s a wonder you don’t live here full-time,” I said prying
open a clam.

“This place is beautiful, and yes I have connections and
friends here, but I get lonely out here,” he said sincerely.

“I can understand that.”

“If you think about it, this place wasn’t meant for just one
bachelor; this house was built for a family.”

“If I had someone to live with, I would never leave this
place,” his eyes were locked with mine as he said it.