AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“So I was.” He grinned. “Guess I have a good eye too.” He cocked his head to the side. “As long as you really do like it. I know of a little boutique dress shop that could fit you in and—“
“No, this dress is perfect.”
I slipped off my bathrobe, shivering a little at the growl he made low in his throat even as I chose a lacy red thong and drew it on.
“Let me help,” he said hoarsely.
He clearly wanted to fuck me and I unashamedly wanted him to fuck me. But his willpower was stronger than mine, his blunt-ended fingers brushing my arms as he helped draw the dress over my head and down my body.
The fabric swished and he stepped back, his dark eyes alight. “Magnificent.”
My pulse fluttered, my stare automatically lifting to see my reflection in the closet’s full length mirror. He was right. I looked…dazzling.
He pulled a case out from a lower shelf before placing it on a jutting corner ledge. “I also thought you might appreciate this.”
I unclipped the lid and smiled at the hairbrushes and combs, cosmetic brushes, palettes of eyeshadows and blushes, double rows of lipsticks and mascaras, and liquid and powder foundations in different shades. “Thank you.”
He smiled back. “You’re welcome. I’ll go make us something to drink while you get ready.”
I nodded distractedly, eyeing the cosmetics in front of me. For a woman who was a self-confessed sweats and T-shirts kind of girl, I couldn’t help but be excited to look beautiful for Valentino.
I began applying the foundation with careful strokes before I chose a crimson lipstick and darker toned eyeshadow that brought out the gold in my dark-brown eyes. Only once I was satisfied did I drop the brushes back into the case before I stepped back to admire my handiwork.
I was a work of art. I doubted I’d ever looked so good.
Retrieving the only pair of heels in my side of the closet, I adjusted the thin silver straps around my ankles before I brushed out my hair. I was pulling it back into a twist ponytail when Valentino walked in carrying two drinks.
He whistled at seeing me, his eyes gleaming. “I brought you one last gift I thought you might like.” He put the drinks down and pulled a square velvet box from out of his jacket, then handed it to me. “Open it.”
My hands shook a little as I did as he asked, gasping at the diamond choker with its ruby pendent, along with the matching drop earrings that glinted under the downlights. I looked up at him, warmth radiating through my body. “Thank you.”
He withdrew the choker. “Allow me.” His fingers brushed the skin on the back of my neck, creating goose-bumps as he secured the choker into place. His hand lingered on my nape. “Is there meaning behind your black rose?” he asked.
I nodded. “I had the tattoo done to represent the loss of my family and my freedom. It also symbolizes new beginnings, and courage and power against adversity.”
“I had a feeling it would be something deep and meaningful,” he murmured.
I imagined he’d be one of the few who’d understand. My hands trembled just a little as I inserted the earrings into my lobes and asked, “What about your ink? What do the lock, seashell, candle and gun represent?”
His eyes glinted at me in the mirror. “I guess you’ve taken note of my tatts.” He dropped his hand from my nape. “The symbols represent my first kill. The gun is obvious. The seashell is the place of my stepdad’s burial, the candle was the light, which was all my mother and I had to see by as I dug the grave. The lock is the secret I thought I’d take to my own grave…except now you know.”
I blinked at him, weighed down with his secret even as I felt somewhat privileged for knowing it. “So no one else knows about your stepdad’s death?”
He shook his head. “Only my mother, but she’s long gone now.”
“Then thank you for sharing it with me.”
“Thank you for keeping it to yourself.”
I nodded. He didn’t need to worry about me telling the authorities or anyone else for that matter. His secret was safe with me. I understood his twelve year old self and what he’d sacrificed to regain freedom for his mother and himself.
I cleared my suddenly thick throat and glanced at my jewelry. The ruby choker and earrings highlighted my gown, the diamonds sparkling along with my eyes. “These are perfect.”
If the Agostino family decided to end my life tonight, at least I’d go out looking spectacular. I lifted my gaze to the dark reflection of Valentino behind me. Even in my heels he still towered over me, his menace just beneath the surface. He’d holstered one of his guns, his beard and hair with its sprinkling of silver seeming to catch the lights like my diamonds.
His eyes caught and held mine in the mirror. “Let’s go, beautiful.”
I tilted my head to the side. “Am I no longer your little Tilly?”
