Chapter 1

Loving You Easy

.~~~~~~~.

"You make all my screws come loose
Got me perfectly confused
Always find a way to mess me up and drive me wild
I love the way you make me lose my mind"

-Brett Eldredge, "Lose My Mind"

.~~~~~~~.

"Signore e signori, ladies and gentlemen, we are entering Italian airspace now," the flight attendant said over the intercom, "Please fasten your seat belts and put your trays and seats in the upright position. We will be landing in Venice shortly."

A surge of excitement coursed through Erin Summers and she turned in her seat to face Eliot.

That smug grin on his face almost made her want to slap him, but thoughts of at least two weeks, with him - in Italy - ran through her mind and she couldn't help but grin uncontrollably. Not only had she been pleasantly surprised at what their destination was, she'd also never had a seat in first class. When they'd been going through security and customs in Cincinnati, Eliot had finally handed her the plane ticket and she had nearly died of excitement. She'd never been to Italy before. And he knew it.

"What are we going to do first, after we land?" She asked him, leaning toward him expectantly.

His smile faltered a little as the plane jolted, "Whatever you want to, darlin'," he winked at her, "I was plannin' on testing out the king size bed in our hotel room."

Blushing, she looked away as he laughed.

"What'd you think I'd say, honestly?"

She stuck her tongue out at him, "It's always sex with you, isn't it?"

"I haven't heard any complaints in that department," he smiled at her, but she could see his attention was diverted as the plane began to make it's descent. He was looking around at the other passengers, and the flight attendants, no doubt making sure no one looked suspicious.

"Relax, El, we're on vacation," she spoke quietly, reaching for his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze, "I doubt anyone on here is out to get you."

Glancing at her, he offered a slight smile, "I'm keepin' an eye on everything at all times. How else do you think I've made it this long?"

Her heart dropped at his words. "Well, now you've gone all serious," she frowned at him, "I know you're always watchful, but you need to be able to enjoy yourself sometimes, too, you know."

He nodded. "I know. And I do, whenever I'm with you." He lifted her hand to kiss the top of it and she blushed again.

"You're such a charmer."

"You know it," he drawled.

.~~~~~~~.

As they got off the plane, Eliot immediately tensed. He hated being surrounded so closely by so many people. He followed directly behind Erin, his hand on her lower back, gently keeping her moving.

Grateful as he was that he'd talked her into packing only one carry-on, he regretted telling her just how long they'd be staying.

"What'd you pack?" he growled as he swung both bags over his good shoulder, "Bricks?"

She stuck her tongue out at him, "Not enough clothes for more than two weeks, in case you were wondering."

"Well, we can buy you some nice new clothes if it gets to that point," he smiled and winked at her, "But I don't expect we'll be wearin' much while we're here."

He laughed as she turned a deep shade of red, her dark hair falling in front of her face. They exited the airport and Eliot cast a glance around, before hailing a cab to take them to their destination. As the cab pulled up to a boat dock, Erin's eyes snapped to look at him.

"Where are we going exactly?" She demanded.

Eliot only smiled while he paid the driver and grabbed his and Erin's bags. "Nowhere special."

"We have to take a boat to get there," Erin's eyes narrowed at him, "And you're telling me that it's 'nowhere special'."

He laughed. "Have some patience, sweetheart."

Guiding her to a waiting boat, he helped her on board, only smiling at her continued questioning looks. It was a short ride before they reached what appeared to be a private boat dock on a rather large island. Almost half of the island was taken up by a fancy-looking, older style hotel building which was surrounded by lush gardens and antique statues.

"We're staying here?" Erin stared up at the hotel.

"Yeah, darlin'."

"But it looks so expensive," she looked at him, "El?"

He smiled, "Don't worry about it. I've got it taken care of."

Her brow furrowed in confusion for a moment before she turned to take in the scenery. Eliot followed her off the boat, smiling at her wide-eyed awe.

"Good afternoon, signore, signora," a young clean cut man dressed in a tailored suit met them at the dock, "Benvenuti a San Clemente Palace. Please, let me take your bags."

"I'll hold onto them, thanks," Eliot replied quickly.

The man nodded and turned on his heel. "Per favore, follow me. I will show you into the hotel."

Erin's hand slid into Eliot's and he smiled at her, "Let the vacation begin."

"I can't believe this place, El," she grinned at him, "It's all so beautiful, so, so… I can't even..."

He laughed, "We can explore the island later," he told her, "I want to get settled into our room first."

She just nodded and he watched as she took in the sights of the island. Walking up the marble steps and through the large ornate doors, they stepped into what seemed like another world entirely. The lobby was as beautifully decorated as the grounds had been, everything in pristine condition.

A professionally dressed young woman met them near the front desk, smiling warmly.

"Buon pomeriggio, good afternoon, do you have a reservation, Signore…?"

Eliot smiled, "Williams, ma'am, but you can call me Trent."

The woman serenely covered a giggle, turning to grab a book from the desk. "Trent Williams and… Erin Summers?"

"Yes, that's us," Erin took Eliot's hand, giving it a squeeze so hard he nearly flinched.

He cleared his throat, forcing his smile to remain on his face as he cast a quick glance in Erin's direction. What was her problem?

The woman looked up at them, keys in hand. "Follow me."

"Are you okay?" he murmured to Erin as they followed the woman to their room.

"Just peachy," she replied shortly.

"Erin, what's wrong?"

She glared up at him, "Nothing."

He stopped short, grabbing her arm. "Are you jealous or somethin'?"

"What, I'm not allowed to be?" she countered, pulling her arm out of his grasp, "Are we together or not Trent? Because if you keep on making eyes at anything and everything with boobs, we're gonna have a problem."

He frowned, shocked. "Seriously?"

"You think I don't notice?" she whispered, stepping closer to him, her green eyes flashing, "I know how you are. The flight attendants, this girl..."

"Erin, I-" he looked at her, confused, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… I'm sorry."

Shit. He wasn't good at this crap. How was he supposed to know every little thing that would tip her off?

Sighing, she looked away from him. "No, I'm sorry, El. I shouldn't have exploded like that. I know you don't mean anything, I mean, you're a guy, it's like asking you to change your genetic code." She glanced up and he saw tears brimming in her eyes.

"That's no excuse, Erin," he whispered, pulling her close, "Obviously it upsets you. I'll do my damnedest to change it, okay?"

She shook her head, smiling as she swiped at her eyes. "No. Don't change, El. I love you."

He smiled back and kissed her forehead, "I love you too."

Keeping his arm around her, he turned to catch up to the hotel woman.

"Oh my God, Eliot," Erin flitted around their hotel suite, staring out the windows and admiring every little thing, "This place is amazing!"

He smiled at her, dropping their bags on the small couch in the bedroom. "No one will bother us here, since it's on its own island."

Letting out a contented sigh, she stepped into his arms, her face radiating pure joy as she looked up at him.

"I can't believe this," she breathed, "I've never been anywhere so beautiful."

He kissed her softly, one finger under her chin, "First things first, darlin'," his lips brushed her ear as whispered to her, "I was plannin' on testing out this whole room with you."

As her face turned bright red, she opened her mouth to respond, but his lips claimed hers in a hot kiss. After they "tested" the king-sized bed, they "tested" the luxurious walk-in shower and then Eliot left her to take a bath while he attempted to relax on the balcony.

The sun was beginning to set over the water when he heard the soft foot falls approaching from the balcony doors. Smiling at her, he opened his eyes.

"I'll never be able to sneak up on you will I?" she asked, taking a seat across from him.

"Not if I can help it," he responded instantly. With a sigh, he stretched, holding back a wince as his arm twisted slightly. "If you ever do that, it means others can too and that means the end for me."

Standing, she crossed to him and sat at the foot of his lounge chair.

"Has anyone ever been able to?" She asked quietly, her face serious, "Sneak up on you?"

"Once," he looked her in the eye, "That's how I got this." He motioned to the scar on his left eyebrow.

She frowned, gently reaching her hand to touch his face. "What about all the other ones, the other scars? Don't tell me those just come with the job."

Grunting, he sat up straight, pulling her into his arms, "But they do, darlin'. Every single one I got from doing my job, one way or another."

Her lips brushed his cheek, "Well, try not to get more of them. You've got just enough to be sexy, any more and I might not like you."

"Really?" His eyebrow rose, and in an instant he had her on her back on the chair. "You think I'm "sexy", huh?"

"Always," she giggled, weakly attempting to push him away.

.~~~~~~~.

Erin woke up to darkness. She was in an unfamiliar bed and a strange silence met her ears. After a heartbeat of panic, her brain registered where she was and she relaxed back on the pillows with a smile. Rolling over, her smile faded when she felt the empty space next to her on the bed, it wasn't even warm. She looked at the clock on the nightstand next to her.

3:47.

In the morning?

With quickened breath, she clambered from between the soft sheets and pulled on her bathrobe Eliot had tossed aside the night before. She looked around the dim room and opened her mouth to call his name, when she noticed the curtains at the balcony doors moving ever so slightly. Approaching the doors slowly, she brushed aside a curtain to peer out into the dark.

A lone, pale silhouette stood out against the darker sky, so still anyone else might not have noticed.

She smiled to herself and pushed the door open just enough to squeeze through. The nighttime wind hit her and she pulled the robe tighter around herself. She stood for a moment, watching him. He was against the railing of the balcony, eyes closed as the wind whipped his hair around his face. He looked so peaceful and calm, but she knew he was on full alert. He always was.

"You should still be sleeping." He spoke just loudly enough for her to hear him, not even turning his head or opening his eyes.

She stepped closer to him, leaning next to him to look out over the ocean. Stars glistened in the sky, their reflections sparkling on the water as waves crashed over the rocks along the coast of the island. The very distinctive scent of salt water filled her nose. Smiling at her previous thought, she realized that she definitely had been around him too long.

"Time difference has my brain all screwy," she replied, shivering slightly as the sea breeze picked up.

Warm arms encircled her, drawing her against his body, his bare torso creating a strong buffer from the wind.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping, too, El?" She asked, stifling a yawn against his chest.

She felt his lips brush her forehead as he held her. "You know I don't sleep much," he offered quietly after a moment of silence, "Besides, a little fresh Italian air is a great way to relax after a long flight."

Smiling, she looked up at him, catching a flash of white as he smiled down at her. She opened her mouth to say something, but a yawn came out instead.

He chuckled and kissed her, "Come on, let's get you back to bed."

Gently, he guided her back into the hotel room before turning to close and lock the balcony doors. She watched him as he stood in front of the glass, staring out at the night.

Tossing her robe aside once more, she slid under the sheets, pulling them tightly around her as the chill hit her again. "Are you coming?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah." He turned from the door, letting the curtains fall back into place as he approached the bed.

"Everything okay, El?"

Smiling, he slid next to her into the bed. "Everything's fine, darlin'."

With his arm securely around her waist, she drifted back off to sleep.

.~~~~~~~.

Eliot lay in bed, staring at the ceiling and holding Erin as she slept. He couldn't shake the feeling that something had to go wrong. Everything was just too perfect. Here he was, in bed with a beautiful woman he loved, in Italy of all places, the epitome of romance. But it all seemed too easy, this kind of luck never happened to men like him. Not for long, at least.

Erin's earlier outburst both surprised and concerned him. He did look at every girl, she was right about that, but it wasn't as if he had any experience with relationship shit like this. How was he supposed to know what was considered out of bounds or not? She was obviously insecure, and with good reason. Hell, it wasn't as if he knew what he was doing with this kind of stuff and with all the crap he was hiding from her…. Silently cursing, he swore to himself that he'd try harder, for her if for no other reason. God knew she deserved to be happy.

As Erin shifted in her sleep, moving closer to him and muttering nonsense under her breath, he smiled.

Screw his paranoia. Screw the stereotypical bullshit that men like him could never catch a break. Erin had been right on the plane, he needed to relax and enjoy himself. And now was as good a time as any to do just that. Maybe he'd actually get some real sleep.

.~~~~~~~.

Erin heard his voice, low and steady, speaking quietly to someone. But she only heard his side of the conversation.

"Yeah, I know it's been a while," he was saying, "No, she's got no idea, I'd like to keep it that way for as long as we can."

Her heart stopped. No. This so was not happening to her. He couldn't have someone else, some other woman waiting for him here? Was that the real reason he'd wanted to come here? And she was just the excuse he needed to come to Italy…

"Uh-huh, yeah," he was still talking, "Thanks, I appreciate it. I'll see you later then."

Blinking back the tears that burned her eyes, she rolled over, facing away from him as he climbed back into bed next to her.

"Sorry, sweetheart, I didn't mean to wake you."

She didn't answer.

He moved closer to her and she ignored him.

"Erin?" she heard the concern in his voice, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she muttered.

There was a moment of silence.

"Erin, talk to me please."

She refused to look at him. The bed shifted and then he was in front of her, kneeling on the floor.

"What's the matter, darlin'?"

She shook her head, flinching away when he reached for her hand. The confusion, the hurt on his face, didn't escape her and she felt a little twinge in her heart as she watched him.

He let out a long sigh and stood, looking away.

"Fine," he whispered.

"You're leaving me," she murmured, sniffing back tears.

"What?!" His head snapped to her, eyes wide, honest shock written all over his face. "Why the hell would you think that?"

"I heard you just now, on the phone."

He stared at her for a moment and then he smiled slightly, shaking his head. "That's not what that was at all."

"So, you weren't talking to another woman?" She asked, cursing herself for the tremble in her voice.

"Hell, no. I was talking to a guy."

She relaxed and then his words sank in and she stared at him, her mouth open slightly.

"Shit! No!" Eliot sputtered, running a hand over his face which was now beet red, "God, Erin, that's not what I meant!"

Sitting up, she pulled the sheets up over her chest and looked him directly in the eye.

"Then what was it, El?"

He broke her gaze and sat down next to her with a sigh. "I didn't wanna tell you," he said quietly, glancing at her, "Don't want you to worry about me."

It was her turn to be confused, but she let him continue.

"That was my friend Marco on the phone," he told her, "He lives near Rome. I haven't seen him in a long time."

She nodded, "So, what's this big secret you don't want to tell me?"

"There's two reasons I wanted to go on this trip, Erin."

"I knew it!" she exclaimed, her earlier anger returning, "I knew there was something going on."

Scowling, he shook his head, "Just listen to me, alright?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and nodded once, her eyes narrowed at him.

"Marco is an old friend from when I, well, uh, from before," he cleared his throat, "He's into natural medicine, homeopathy and all that. He practices Ayurvedic medicine as well, herbal remedies and meditation. I, uh," he looked down for a brief moment and when his eyes turned back to her, she could have sworn there was a very real fear there.

"I need help, Erin," he continued, "I can barely move my arm some days. I've tried everything I can think of. Marco's my only option left."

He smiled then and took her hand, "But, of course, my main reason behind this trip is to spend as much time as I possibly can with you, sweetheart," he kissed her fingers, "Visiting Marco is a side note, if we can manage the trip. I really wanna focus on you," he leaned in closer, his voice lowering to a husky whisper as that old southern drawl kicked in, "Every single inch of you."

Giggling, she pulled the sheets tighter as he moved closer. She knew there was more going on inside that head of his, but right now she didn't want to push it. He'd tell her eventually.