Page 16 of Sandro

“Why would you do that?” Leo asked.

I paused but didn’t turn. “Because you should have the nicer room,” I told him. I hurried up the stairs, expecting to find a hallway with doors that would lead to the bedrooms, only that wasn’t the case. It was a lovely loft room. The bed was massive, and there was a door off to the left that led to the bathroom. But there was only one bedroom, and that meant only one bed. I sighed. Rio didn’t know. He didn’t realize that there would be no sharing for the two of us anytime soon.

I did locate my luggage. I opened it, hoping that Rio had at least thought to add a few extra things since I was no longer in Rome. I was thankful when I opened it and found not only those jeans and cargo pants that Leo had mentioned but also some hiking boots. It had been a long time since I’d worn them, and although I wasn’t averse to them, they weren’t my choice for footwear.

I quickly toed off my loafers, placing them against the wall, and then removed my slacks. There was nothing wrong with the button-down I was wearing, as far as I was concerned, but I did question the jeans. I shouldn’t have though. Rio had done me a solid, and they fit perfectly, even if they were a little snug in the front still. That would eventually go down, and it wouldn’t matter.

I had the boots on and the suitcase against the wall next to my loafers in minutes. I opened the second suitcase, giving the items a quick peek. Rio had provided Leo with plenty of things. It irritated me a bit, but I was a reasonable man to an extent, and even I understood that there was no getting around it. I’d not had the time to go shopping for my beloved. That could change though.

I zipped the suitcase, leaving it there on the bed for Leo later, and went back downstairs. I found my beloved exactly where I’d left him. He was eating now—well, he had been. He stood there frozen with the sandwich at his mouth, but he wasn’t actually eating.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

He set the sandwich back down. “You have jeans? You said you didn’t.”

I looked down at myself, making certain that I rubbed my hands down the front and hopefully drawing attention to a certain part of my body that was still very interested in getting naked with my beloved.

“If I recall, I said they were not part of my standard wardrobe.”

“To everyone, that means you don’t have any.”

I shrugged. “Obviously, I do, thanks to Rio. How is your sandwich?” I asked. I continued to the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of water from the refrigerator. I leaned against the counter and opened the water before continuing the conversation. “Would you like to venture into town? Since hiking isn’t my thing, perhaps you would accept shopping? I’m sure there are many cute little shops we could visit. Maybe we could scout out a restaurant or two?”

“Sandro, I don’t know if you haven’t picked up on the fact that I’m a broke twenty-three-year-old or not, but I am. Not only that, but I’m now in a country that I’m sure doesn’t accept what little cash I have.”

I grinned at my beloved, took a drink of water, then crossed the few steps over to him and kissed his forehead again. “You might not have the ability to pay for things, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t as well. Trust me, we could do an insane amount of shopping, and it wouldn’t put a dent in my funds,” I told him. “And even now, my funds are yours. You might as well spend them. As soon as we return to Italy, you will be added to all of the accounts, and you will get your own cards. Until then, you can simply use mine.”

Leo blinked at me for several moments, and I took another drink of water. It wasn’t what my body desired, but for now, it would have to do. I would hopefully get a chance to taste my beloved soon enough, but if not, I would utilize the bagged blood that Master Vincent had for certain situations.

“You can’t be serious,” Leo said.

“About?”

“All of that. Do you really want to go shopping?”

“No. I wish to take you upstairs and fuck you until you’re screaming my name. Since that isn’t on the table, I’ll settle for shopping. Or hiking. Whichever you prefer.”

Leo stared at me a moment. “You can’t be serious. Hiking or shopping? Those are my only two choices?”

“Did you have something else you would care to do? If so, I’m completely open to whatever it is that you suggest.”

Leo continued to look at me intently before he shook his head. “How do you know there is even a town nearby? How will we get there?”

“I don’t. But this cabin is here for visitors. That would lead me to believe that there is a tourist town somewhere nearby. As for how we get there, I’m not sure. We could walk, or perhaps Rio has thought ahead and has provided us with a vehicle. If not, then I could always reach out and ask him for one.”

Leo stood there and blinked. “Is that truly how you do things in your coven?”

“Not necessarily. We have vehicles that anyone is able to use at any time. Well, except Abel, it seems, but that is only because Marcello is incredibly protective of his beloved.” I shrugged. “Also because he doesn’t yet speak the language and would not be able to read the street signs to know where he is going.”

Leo shook his head before he picked up his sandwich and took another bite. “You might be forgetting something, Sandro.”

“What is that?”

“It’s just after sunrise here. I doubt any shops are open, and I would think that perhaps hiking isn’t quite safe this early in the morning. What if there is a bear? They have bears here don’t they? I’m certain of it.”

I’d not thought of the early time. It was afternoon in Italy, but he was correct. It was just after sunrise, and the chances of shops being open were slim. “Very well,” I said. “What do you suggest we do to occupy our time until it is of a reasonable hour and we can go visit the shops? Although, I do believe that between the two of us, a single bear wouldn’t be an issue.”

“I’m going to finish my sandwich, and then I don’t know. Maybe we can explore the cabin. How nice are the rooms upstairs?” Leo asked.