Page 32 of Valentino

Thump

Thump

Thump beats my scared heart.

I pull out of his grip and step back, rattled by my body’s traitorous reaction to him. “I’m not yours, Valentino.”

His dark eyes hold mine and he rolls his lips as if stopping himself from saying something that I won’t like.

But what if I did like it?

I step back to create distance between us; this wine is frying my brain. We stare at each other as the air swirls between us and it’s suddenly crystal clear that Valentino has more on his agenda than my protection.

“Good night.” I turn and march up the hall.

“Good night, Anna,” he purrs, his voice is husky and taunts me with thoughts of whispered words and naked skin. A thousand and one things I shouldn’t be thinking of…. Let alone dare to want.

What the hell is wrong with me?

I storm to my bedroom, close the door, lock it, before leaning up against the back of it. My heart is thumping hard in my chest and damn it this day is one big clusterfuck of confusion.

I slump onto my bed and check my phone.

No missed calls.

2 a.m.

The ceiling is shrouded in darkness, but that doesn’t stop me from staring up at it.

Deeply lost in the events of yesterday, and desperately trying to make sense of it all.

So…. Let me get this straight, I hear from Carlo for the first time in two months, and then on the very same day Valentino turns up here with plans to protect me.

He didn’t ask, he demanded it, but I don’t know why he even needed to protect me, because I’ve had guards with me around the clock since Armageddon went down two months ago.

What’s changed? Why has he turned up now? It can’t simply be a coincidence.

Tick, tick, tick goes my mind. Around and around go my thoughts.

What happened yesterday?

It’s so weird that those two things should happen on exactly the same day.

Carlo and Valentino, they were best friends, working for the same family, until one defected and betrayed the other.

Hmm….

Valentino has always been my friend and it’s no secret that we’ve always had a thing for each other, but somehow it was Carlo that I ended up being in a relationship with.

Now with Carlo defected, I’m here all alone, and suddenly Valentino wants to move in with me for my protection…. Something is very off about this situation.

I know they’ve been searching for him high and low, have left no stone unturned and yet so far they’ve come up empty handed.

I toss and turn for hours as my mind runs through every possible scenario.

Why, why now?

Why is Valentino here with me, what’s changed? Why are the circumstances suddenly different… It doesn’t make sense at all…unless.