Chapter 167
Portofino, Italy
Belmond Hotel Splendido
Kita put the car in park then went around to the passenger side, waiving the valet away.
Rain had fallen asleep on the three hour drive they had to Northwestern Italy. After she had words with her uncle, which Kita heard all of since she had the call on speaker, she fell asleep.
They made good time, but after an hour she was drooling on the side panel and using the window and his folded tuxedo jacket as a pillow.
Carefully he opened the door and readied to catch her head so she didn’t startle.
“Seon Rain,” he whispered, reaching over her and unhooked her safety belt, “we are here.”
Rain groaned. “Just a little longer,” she complained, nuzzling against his hand that was cupping her face. “I’m comfortable.”
Kita smiled. “There is no way you are comfortable in that dress. Come on, we have the Presidential Suite waiting for us. Two days we will spend in this region before heading to the next destination. I will help you get unlaced and you can take a bath. Your back and ribs have to be sore from the corset.”
Rain made a face and wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her out of the car then took the bag from the backseat before closing the door behind them.
A thrill ran through Rain and she was very much awake now.
Through the beautiful lobby they went and up the winding staircase, not bothering to check in at the front desk.
“Did you get us a bed that I won’t fall out of this time?” Rain teased. “Ooh, I know! Bunkbeds?!” she beamed.
“No, but there are ways to keep you in bed without inadvertently assaulting my crotch.”
She made a mocking face. “Eventually you’ll cave to my repeated demands and let me make that up to you.”
Kita shook his head. “You should be simply ashamed of your Dae-ho style flirting,” he scolded.
“But I’m not,” Rain said.
“I would be greatly suspicious if you were,” he agreed, causing her to smile wide.
When they reached one of the two Presidential Suites, Kita stopped at the door.
“In the side pocket in the overnight bag is a key,” he instructed. “If you will do the honors.”
“Isn’t security supposed to go in first?” she teased, getting the key then unlocked the door and pushed it open. “Ooh, so many places for ninja assassins and arsonist stalkers to hide in this huge space.”
Kita learned quickly that Rain’s sense of humor was criminal when she gets too much sleep or too many carbohydrates.
“Want me to put you down and sweep it for threats first?” Kita asked, walking into the large suite, kicking the door shut behind them. “Just in case you have somehow, in your very limited extracurricular activities, engaged in espionage with feudal Japan and they sent shinobi after you?”
Rain hugged him tight, smiling wide. “You can if you like, and I’ll never tell you what you really don’t want to know, but either way I’m not letting go of you. Not yet.”
“When?” Kita asked.
“When I want to,” she smugly informed him. “As I told Uncle, I am an adult and I will do as I like from now on.”
Kita smirked, accepting the challenge. “Very well. Since you are being a brat,” he said and pushed through the veranda doors to the private infinity edge pool outside. “An adult that can make her own choices, I will do much the same and make one of my own.”
She didn’t know what that meant, but she picked up on his intentions rather quickly.
“Don’t you dare!” Rain warned before Kita tossed her in the pool fully clothed.
Yes, it was immature and counterproductive, especially for getting ready for bed. But Rain liked to play and Kita was starting get in the playful mood when she did.
It wasn’t polite to throw her in a pool when wearing a couture gown that was worth thousands, American. But if given the chance Rain would have pushed him into the pool first.
The smile on Kita’s face fell when Rain didn’t resurface.
Instead, she was on the bottom of the pool in the deep end, her hair and gown floating around her in the currents from the water returns. Rain was looking up at him through the water, the look on her face confused him.
She looked completely at peace…
Eerily at peace.
“Rain?” Kita shouted in a panic, slipping out of his shoes then dove into the deep end of the pool.
Quickly Kita swam to the bottom of the pool and grabbed onto her arm, but Rain pulled away from him and smiled.
His brows pulled together and he tried to grab her again but she pulled away from him.
What game is she playing now? He wondered.
Confused, Kita pointed to the surface.
Rain shrugged with a smile, small air bubbles rolling from her parted lips.
She had been under the water for over two minutes already and yet she wasn’t struggling or in distress in the least.
It was rather obvious Rain had some experience in the water, or at the very least, experience holding her breath. Never had she hinted that she wanted to go to one of the pools at the hotel they were staying at in Seoul. Did she like to swim? If she did, why didn’t she tell him?
Strangely, Kita’s feelings were hurt over that.
Kita pointed up again and Rain chuckled, large bubbles escaping from her mouth when she did, then she patted his cheek.
He rolled his eyes then grabbed her arm and pulled Rain into him then pushed off the bottom of the pool and kicked hard to the surface.
When their heads broke the surface, Kita took a deep breath then glared at the giggling woman in his arms.
“You will be the death of me,” Kita grumbled, swimming them to the shallow end of the pool.
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