Page 5

My fingers curl around the edge of the doorframe. “Do you think…” I hesitate before turning toward Audrey.

“Do you think Father will let me marry Luca?”

Audrey closes the wardrobe and looks at me. “I think there’s a chance. Luca’s already on the path to becoming a made man.”

That much is true.

“It gives him a foot in the door,” Audrey continues.

I chew on my lower lip. “And once Father knows how we feel about each other…”

“We’ll convince him.” She walks over and squeezes my hand. “Besides,” she says, “he’s already getting an alliance through me. Surely that’ll be enough.”

The words sting, though neither of us comments on them.

“And with Dante helping…” she adds. “I think we stand a chance.”

I want to believe her. God, I want to. Maybe it is wishful thinking. Maybe we’re building castles in the air. But hope is all I’ve ever had.

Audrey glances at the antique clock sitting on the mantel.

“I should probably go downstairs and grab something to eat.” She rubs her stomach sheepishly. “I was too nervous to eat breakfast this morning. Come with me?”

I shake my head. “I think I’ll head back to my room. I want to get some rest before the guests start arriving.”

“Okay.” Audrey presses a quick kiss to my forehead before leaving the room.

❦ ❦ ❦

The moment I step into my bedroom and close the door behind me, all I can think about is Luca. I have to make him come around.

The distance between us has been growing for weeks, and I refuse to let it swallow what we have.

I know I’ve been holding back with him. Several times he’s tried to take things further, to have sex, but I’ve never let him go beyond kissing and touching.

It’s not that I don’t desire him. I do. But crossing that line feels permanent, something I can never undo. And there’s still the fear of my father finding out, of the consequences that would crash down on both of us.

Lately, my social media feeds have been flooded with women joking about surprising their boyfriends with flirty video calls. Maybe that’s what we need.

He’s asked for video calls before, for us to sext on camera, and I’ve always refused. I'm about to grant one of his wishes.

My pulse quickens as I lock my bedroom door first, testing the handle twice to make sure it won’t open. The last thing I need is a maid, or Audrey, walking in.

I head into the bathroom and strip out of my clothes until I’m completely naked. I grab a bottle of body oil from my vanity, warming it between my palms before smoothing it over my skin.

It makes my skin shiny and glowy in the soft light of the room. I hesitate before brushing a little across the tops of my breasts.

Heat rushes into my cheeks. This feels ridiculous. If Audrey could see me now, she’d probably laugh herself to tears.

I spend extra time on my breasts. Luca has always been obsessed with them. He’s told me countless times how much he loves that they’re fuller, how he dreams of seeing them, touching them. This is me giving him a taste of that wish.

I catch my reflection in the mirror. “You’re really doing this,” I mutter to myself.

I return to the bedroom and climb onto the bed. Heart pounding, I prop my phone against a pillow.

After adjusting it twice, I finally find an angle that shows my face and my oiled breasts. I press them together lightly with one arm, practicing the pose.

My stomach flips with nerves. Is this too much? Before I can talk myself out of it, I hit the call button.