Nico is certain that he and Jon are meant to be, but Jon has other ideas. Can you fight fate if it’s in the cards?
After meeting and falling for Jon when he’s in Queenstown for work, Leo offers to housesit for him. Jon has to remain there a few weeks longer while starting work in Wellington. What Leo doesn’t reveal is that he’s not the waiter Jon believes him to be but the owner of the new family business.
A misunderstanding with Jon’s neighbors leads to them believing Leo is Jon’s fiancé. Since Leo is still trying to persuade Jon that they’re meant to be, he doesn’t set the record straight. He finds an unexpected ally in Jon’s mother, who believes the man that Jon has a crush on is a liar and a thief, stealing Jon’s ideas at work. She has a scheme to make Jon see the truth, and Leo agrees to help her.
Leo knows he’s falling ever more deeply for Jon, and at his lowest, Liz, one of Jon’s neighbors, assures him that their love is meant to be. But when the scheme is realized, Jon is angry and humiliated and storms away.
Is everything Leo has worked toward gone forever, or can you really fight fate when it’s in the cards?
General Release Date: 13th August 2024
Not for the first time, Jon grumbled to himself about being away from his home in Wellington. He hated the situation, but it was something he would have to get used to for the next several weeks.
He’d been selected unexpectedly for a special project, and Richard, his boss as well as a friend, had sent him to Queenstown. He could go home at weekends, of course—if he really wanted to waste both his precious relaxation time and his money flying back and forth. It wasn’t that Jon was generally a home bunny, but he did like his own bed, the occasional company of a few friends and knowing the best places to eat.
Even by contrast to Wellington, Queenstown was expensive. He prowled around different restaurants, peering at their menus and comparing their prices with those back home. Deciding a restaurant off the main road might offer better prices, Jon headed down a side street.
The ploy seemed to work. The prices of meals weren’t that much lower, but they were a bit cheaper. Now it became a case of what he wanted to eat.
Lasagna or meat cannelloni with a nice glass of Chianti…or maybe two. Grappa rather than dessert if indulging in garlic bread. Right, sorted. Let’s find an Italian restaurant.
Spotting a telltale red, white and green flag put a spring in Jon’s step, and he headed toward it, already anticipating an Aperol spritz for an aperitif.
The restaurant was busy, which he took as a good sign. Staff dressed in black bustled back and forth, smiles in place, and Jon could hear Italian being spoken between some of them and the older lady at the till. She beckoned him over.
“Good evening, signor. Do you have a booking tonight?”
“Ah, no. I just came on the off chance. Are you full?”
“Si, but if you wait a moment, we keep a small table or two at the back. I’ll just check if they’re set.” She indicated for a server to come over, spoke rapidly in Italian to him, and he hurried away. “Perhaps you would care to order a drink, signor? I’ll have it taken to your table.”
“Yes, thanks. An Aperol spritz, please.”
“Of course.” Leaving the till, the woman moved smoothly to the bar to prepare his drink.
With nothing else to do, Jon leaned against the bar, looking toward the back of the restaurant in case he could see his table.
Then all thoughts of dinner evaporated as one of the servers came into view. His dark hair was pulled back into a tight, high manbun. He looked athletic and graceful as he moved from table to table. Jon caught a glimpse of full lips, and, totally out of character for him, imagined those lips moving along his…
“Sir?” A woman’s voice stopped his imagination dead in its tracks.
“Sorry, yes? I was miles away.” Jon was glad of the dim light to hide both his flaming hot cheeks, and the bulge at his groin. He was grateful that the shock was causing his erection to deflate rapidly as she indicated the first server he’d seen.
“Your table is ready.” The woman stared at him for a moment but was distracted by a couple approaching the till.
Jon took advantage of the distraction to move away quickly, suddenly pleased his table was tucked out of the way. He sat down, and the server set his drink in front of him, poured him a glass of water from the carafe, then handed him the menu. The server indicated breadsticks in a glass container.
“Freshly made today, and complimentary while you study our menu. The specials today are pasta e fagioli, bistecca with green peppercorn sauce, and babà napoletano.”
At the sound of the desert, a rum baba, Jon’s mouth watered. The server left him to peruse the menu, and Jon decided that if he were to have a dessert, it would have to be special.
It’s been years since I had a real rum baba. I’ll be doing a lot of walking while working here. I’m sure I’ll burn it off.
From food, Jon’s attention moved to drinks, and sure enough, there were a couple of decent Chiantis on the menu. Jon could almost taste his meal already. A moment later, his server returned. Jon stuck with his original options of bread and cannelloni but added the rum baba dessert, then selected one of the Chiantis.
Waiting for his appetizer, Jon began to doodle some ideas for the interior design of a house. It was only when a shadow fell over him that he looked up. His throat dried, and for a few seconds he forgot to breathe as the attractive waiter he’d seen before smiled down at him.
“How is everything, signor?” he asked, and Jon’s cock immediately reacted to the man’s sultry tones.
“Good, thanks. Although, I think I’d like another Aperol spritz. I’ll only be going home to a cold, lonely flat later. Sorry… That was too much information.”
“Not at all,” The server shrugged. “The same goes for me.” He bent down a little closer. Perhaps I could take you for a drink in a nice bar I know. We could avoid cold, lonely flats for a little while longer.”
“I…I, all right. When does your shift finish?” It wasn’t usual for Jon to let himself be chatted up, but he would like company, and a post-meal drink sounded appealing—albeit, nowhere near as appealing as the man who grinned at him. The smile made him appear impossibly more attractive, and Jon shuffled slightly, trying to unobtrusively adjust his wayward cock.
“Not long now. I’ll be ready to go when you are. I’ll get you that drink. My name’s Leo.” He stuck out his hand, and Jon clasped it.
“I’m Jon. Good to meet you.” Jon wasn’t surprised when Leo held his hand a little longer than necessary. Then he wove his way through the restaurant, a sexy sway to his hips.
The original server returned with his drink. Sipping it slowly, Jon caught a glimpse or two of Leo as the man wandered around the restaurant, but once his food arrived, Jon was too taken with its flavor and quality. It was probably the best Italian food he’d ever eaten.
Finally, he had the rum baba before him, and his glass of grappa. He looked up as Leo sashayed over.
“Good choice. It’s divine, even if I do say so myself.”
Jon took a spoonful and mumbled his appreciation as the taste burst on his tongue. “Delicious. It’s the best I’ve had.”
I’m glad to hear it.” Leo puffed out his chest like a peacock, smiling widely. “We take pride in ensuring our food is of the highest quality, both in ingredients and in the finished product.”
“You succeeded,” Jon nodded. “How much longer to the end of your shift?”
“How much longer will you be?” Leo countered.
“Fifteen minutes,” Jon guessed. “This is too good to rush.”
“Then I’ll be outside in fifteen minutes.” Leo leaned in close. “Don’t keep me waiting.”
Jon bit back a groan as Leo sauntered away. One-night stands weren’t his thing, and he still daydreamed that he and Ed might become more than friends, but there was no ignoring the connection, and attraction, he felt for Leo.
A long-distance relationship isn’t going to work. I’ll be here for a few weeks, then back in Wellington—same country, different islands. Not like I can jump in the car and be there in a couple of hours. Still, so long as he’s happy to keep it casual, we could enjoy fun while I’m down here.
For a moment, Jon wasn’t certain if it was himself he was trying to convince, then turned his attention to his dessert, not wanting to keep Leo waiting.
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