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Sneaking into the gym at the basement of the Plaza Hotel was much easier than I imagined. The hotel staff was already used to seeing me after only a few days of working there, and I was able to slip right in no questions asked.
What I hadn’t counted on? No lights. They must have been on a timer or something.
I use the flashlight on my cell phone to navigate the dark hallways until I finally reach the employee lounge.It isn’t at all creepy. I release a sigh of relief when I slide my keycard over the scanner and the door clicks open.I’m fine, totally fine. Now safely tucked away in my hideout, I check out the large space.I can do this. I have my phone for entertainment and a roof over my head. No one would ever think to look for me here. I’m perfectly safe.
My stomach growls, reminding me I’d completely forgotten about food in my mad dash. What a sad Christmas Eve this would be. Unless…. I dart toward the fridge and pray no one cleaned it out for the holiday weekend.
Whipping the door open, my eyes land on a sad Lunchable, an apple and a mini bag of baby carrots. Beggars can’t be choosers, but seriously, a Lunchable? Who over the age of five eats those?
I do. That’s who.
Reaching for the paltry contents, I load them up in my arms and trudge toward the couch. Besides the refrigerator and coffee machine, a few tables and the couch, there’s not much in the lounge. There is the shower though.
At least that would kill some time after my sad dinner. And maybe, just maybe I’d be able to sleep tonight without the nightmares. I slowly eat all my snacks, then watch a few funny cat videos before I’m fidgety again. Time for that shower.
Rifling through my tote bag, I grab a fresh pair of yoga pants and an old Christmas t-shirt and head toward the shower.
Merry Christmas Eve to me.
I stand under the steamy spray, contemplating the life decisions that brought me here. Unwanted emotion thickens my throat as I think about my shitty past, and I barely hold back the tears. Or maybe I don’t, but no one will ever know beneath the steady stream of hot water.
Finally, I draw in a breath and twist the handles until the steady drizzle tapers off. If it weren’t for my damned uncle, I would be on my way to Long Island right now instead of spending Christmas Eve in an empty gym. And if it weren’t for being an idiot and dating patients, the same would be true. Or would it? I still don’t know for sure if Mark really was my attacker. I wonder if Dante had gotten anywhere in his investigation.
I very briefly contemplate texting him but toss the desperate thoughts aside. It’s Christmas Eve, no one’s working right now.You got this, Rose. It’s just two days stuck in this dark, empty gym. After the holiday, maybe the police or Dante will have found my attacker, and everything could go back to normal.
I wrap the towel around myself, dabbing at my wet skin and then reach for my clothes. Dammit. Of course, I forgot my underwear in my bag. Cinching the towel under my armpits, I tiptoe back out into the lounge, my wet flipflops squeaking with each step.
A dark shadow catches my eye by the doorway, and a scream rips from my throat.
CHAPTER15
YOU DISOBEYED ME
Dante
The towel drops to the floor as a scream rents the air. A naked, wet Rose lunges for the door and I just stand there like acoglione, my jaw unhinged at the sight. Her long, blonde hair cascades across her shoulders, tiny droplets of water sliding down perfect breasts. Her nipples are peaked, the pink a tantalizing hue that has me instantly hard as I imagine my mouth devouring them.
I barely get it together in time to throw my arm out as she races by. “It’s me, Rosa,” I whisper, my arm winding around her waist. She’s trembling and tremors shake her entire body.
“Dante?” She glances up at me, squinting in the dark room.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I snarl, unable to keep the barely contained anger at bay. When Aldo told me he’d trailed her to The Plaza,I’d assumed she’d come for an after-hours workout. Strange but not completely bizarre. But when I had one of my guys hack into the Palestra security system, and I saw her getting comfy on Christmas Eve in the sorry employee lounge, I nearly lost my shit.
My fingers dig into her soft, bare curves as she stares up at me innocently. Long lashes bat across big, blue, enchanting eyes. Those tantalizing drops of water skate down her flesh, and I want to trail them down her torso with my tongue. My cock is so hard it hurts as it strains against my zipper and digs into her stomach.Cazzo, what is it about this girl?
“Rose, why are you here?” I repeat, masking the blossoming desire with that swirl of anger.
“Can’t a girl shower?” She leans into me, those damned perky breasts rubbing up against my jacket.
“At a closed gym?”
Rose throws her shoulders back, grim determination set on those fuckable lips. “I work here, so technically, I’m not doing anything wrong.”
It blows my mind that this girl is still standing naked in front of me without batting an eye, even with the murderous scowl carved into my face. This look would have half of the guys on my payroll shitting themselves. She’s gotpalle, that’s for sure.
“But why? Why are you at Palestra instead of at your friend’s place where you promised you’d stay?”Merda, she disobeyed me again.
“It’s none of your business.” The corners of her eyes taper as she regards me. “Howdidyou find me anyway?”
