Skylar has already seen plenty on his vacation tour down the Italian coast, but nothing as breathtaking as the man he meets on an overnight ferry to Sicily -- Francesco, nicknamed Apollo by his friends for his beauty and musical aspirations. While the rest of Skylar’s group are all out partying, Skylar does his best to charm Francesco’s friends and find an opportunity to invite him back to his room.
But is it too much to ask for one night with a would-be god? Or will the sun rise on a happy ending for this sudden romance?
The night air out on the smoking deck was cool and salty. There were more stars out here in the middle of the sea than Skylar almost ever saw on land, even with the drifting whisps of clouds and the last glow of sunset obscuring most of them. Skylar gazed up at them as he took the first hit from his pen and held his breath to a count of five. He would rather be gazing into the eyes of a cute guy or six, but he did his best to relax and enjoy his surroundings. It wasn’t ever day your friends pooled their money for a post-graduation historical site tour of Italy. Hot guys or no, this was still an experience Skylar knew he ought to savor.
However, he became so entranced by the stars that Skylar barely registered the voices and footsteps approaching him. Then someone directly behind him spoke in a way he could tell was directed at him, though it was all in Italian and he couldn’t understand a word of it. Skylar turned around. He nearly dropped his pen in surprise. The whole pack of younger guys from the lounge was there. The one in the leather jacket was at the front, expecting an answer.
Skylar’s heart plunged into his stomach. He had forgotten all about the language barrier. There was no way he could hang out with them the way he had hoped. “I’m sorry,” he said sorrowfully. “I only speak a tiny bit of Italian.”
The guy in the jacket grinned. “Ey! American!” he exclaimed, throwing out his hands. “I should have known. You smoke?”
Stunned and struggling to emotionally recover, Skylar vaguely gestured with his pen. “I vape.”
“Ha! Well, if you want a real cigarette, let me know.” The guy took a pack from his pocket and tapped a cigarette out. As he sparked his lighter he said, “Your tattoos are very cool. We saw you watching the match with the vecchi and I wondered what a guy like you was doing there.”
Skylar took another hit of his pen. He definitely needed to calm his nerves now. His eyes darted to the other guys in the group, all of whom were similarly sharing cigarettes and lighting up. The tall one looked back at him and held his gaze for a few seconds. He had on a simple white T-shirt and braided leather wristbands that slid down his forearm when he lifted the lighter. His eyes darted to the flame and didn’t look back at Skylar directly, though they drifted in his direction. That one was definitely Skylar’s favorite. “Um, my friends are all at this party ...” He waved in the direction of the faint thump of bass coming from one of the other decks. “I was kinda tired and not in the mood to drink or dance so ... I just ... sat in the first place that wasn’t my room.”
The shorter guy in the band shirt asked something in Italian. Jonny shrugged. The really cute tall one said, “Paulo wants to know what flavor your vape is. It smells like candy.” Even his voice was attractive. Since he had spoken directly to him, Skylar felt more comfortable staring at him for a moment. His hair was curly, not the tight curls Paulo or one of the other guys in the group had, but loose curls that looked perfect for running your fingers through. Freckles dotted his golden tanned skin like the dark cousins of the bright stars above them. His slender face emphasized how full his lips were. Then those lips parted so he could take a pull of his cigarette and Skylar felt something like a hook in his chest trying to yank him forward to kiss him.
