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Sansone swings around to face me again. He points toward my face and outfit. “Why do you hide when…”
Unable to look him in the face, I stare at my feet. “Monsters shouldn’t be pretty. At least not in public.”
He raises my chin to search my eyes. After a while, he nods as if coming to a decision. Sansone links our hands together and leads me toward the living room. We sit, and he hugs me to his side, offering comfort without demanding I give him more of an explanation for my comment or what made me run.
“When I was in high school, I had a girlfriend.” Sansone’s baritone serves as a soothing salve over my exposed nerves. “At the time, I was young, but no one could convince me we weren’t meant to be together. And then my father found out about her.”
I tense under his arm but don’t question him. All the research I did into his life, there wasn’t a lot of insight into his father’s parenting.
“Now Giulio DeLuca didn’t approve. Mostly because doing so would give me ideas that I could make my own decisions about my life.”
“He told you to break up with her?”
“Not quite.” Sansone fiddles with my fingers. “He gave me a choice. I could either stop fighting him or he’d murder my girlfriend’s parents in front of her while letting her know it’s because I’d forsaken my family.”
“So it was no choice at all.”
“No, it wasn’t. He essentially promised to doom my relationship while traumatizing my girlfriend for his amusement.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
Sansone kisses my forehead. “Because sometimes only a monster can fight other monsters. And as a kid, I would have been lucky if I had one as beautiful as you in my corner.”
I let his words sink in, allowing them to act as a balm for my soul. Sansone’s still unaware of my biggest secret, but I’m certain now he won’t change his mind about me. With that knowledge comes a sense of warmth and acceptance.
“My mother used to play dress up with me when I was little. I still find comfort in doing so when I get overwhelmed.”
“Can I see?” he asks.
I twist around to discover his solemn expression. “You’re serious?”
“Yes, but only if you want to show me.”
I rest with his request because I shouldn’t be so excited to model for Sansone, but the truth is I’m eager to twirl in one of my favorite dresses that I never wear beyond these walls.
As we go upstairs, his gaze touches everything. In a sense, I feel the weight of his stare as I take him to the room I converted into a showroom closet. I give him a chair and select my favorite gown. The tuxedo dress would be home on the red carpet of a Hollywood event, and I’m not ashamed to say I rock wearing it.
In the mirror I catch Sansone’s stare burning into me. He advances upon me, and I have no will to move or elude him. When he’s so close behind me his heat caresses my back, and he becomes all I can see. He trails his fingers down my exposed shoulder.
I shiver at the simple touch, but my body’s other reaction isn’t so simple. My heart races in anticipation of his next stroke.
Sansone twirls me in his arms and cups my face. In a soft whisper, he asks, “Was Jinx happy here?”
“I like to think so.” My voice matches his for softness.
“Let’s ask her if she wants to come back.”
I search his gaze but can’t read him for anything. “Wha—Why?”
He looks toward outside. “I met your neighbor. A grumpy old man.”
“Sounds like Mr. Murphy.”
“Well, Mr. Murphy saw a stranger and his first instinct was to protect you and Jinx. I’m guessing Jinx likes him.”
“She does. He gave her the stuffed toy she carries everywhere and is the reason she likes to paint.”
“And I’m sure there are more neighbors like him here.”
