“How could this possibly work?” I prompt him, he’s a womanizer, a heartbreaker. I wouldn’t survive him betraying me.
“If….” He pauses. “If you felt the same, I would ask you to move to Milan and….” His voice trails off.
“And what?”
“And start a relationship with me.”
“In secret?”
“Yes.” His eyes hold mine.
“How would we do that?”
He bites his bottom lip and I get the feeling that he already knows the answer to my question. He’s thought about this.
“I own the apartment underneath yours in Milan. If you moved in there, and I moved into mine. We could move between the two apartments unseen. The guards don’t come up to the top floors. We could be together without anyone knowing.”
I stare at him as an unfamiliar emotion runs through me.
Hope.
“And where would we stand?”
“What do you mean?” He frowns.
“Well, if nobody knows about us.”
“There would be no one else if that’s what you mean. I stopped seeing Amber, I can’t lie anymore and pretend to want someone I don’t.” He cups my face in his hand as he looks down at me. “This isn’t something I am throwing about on a whim, I’ve thought long and hard about it. I want this, you are it for me, Chesk.” He kisses me softly. “I would take you as my wife. Perhaps it wouldn’t be legal…. But, in my eyes….” He shrugs as if lost for words.
My eyes well with tears as I stare up at my beautiful man. What about children?
“Do you want me to beg…because I will, I’ll get down on my hands and knees right here,” he stammers. “I’ll do anything, whatever it takes.”
And this is it, the moment where I choose between my morals and my heart. Both can’t survive this. It’s one or the other.
“What took you so long?” I whisper as I kiss him.
He frowns against me and his hands snake around my waist. “What are you saying?”
“I love you.”
He smiles as his lips take mine, his tongue slowly slides over my lips and someone goes to open the door and he reaches over and slams it shut. “Come back later,” he calls.
My eyes widen, he did not just do that.
“Let’s go,” he says.
“No.”
He pulls back to look at my face. “What?”
“Our guards are outside. If you want this to legitimately work and for us to go undetected, you are going to go home to Milan today. We can’t be seen together, there can be no sign that we are a couple. Move into the apartment and get things ready and in place.”
His eyes search mine.
“I’ll come on Friday.”
“You’ll move on Friday? This Friday,” he confirms.
“Yes.” It’s perfect timing actually, I already have permission to work from home.
He kisses me again, this time with more urgency, he glances over to the door.
“There’s no lock.” I smirk, reading his mind.
“Who cares?”
“I do.” I pull out of his arms before I completely lose my head. “Go home to Milan and get ready for me. Set the wheels in motion, get everything in order and ready.”
He grabs my hands and we stand and stare at each other.
“I love you,” I whisper.
“I love you.” He gives me a breathtaking smile. “You won’t regret this, Chesk. We’re going to be happy. I promise.”
My eyes cloud over again. “I know.”
We kiss tenderly, so much love is between us. Like a tangible force I can feel it.
“Friday.” He smiles against my lips as he holds my face in his hands.
“Friday.”
He turns and without looking back leaves my office and I smile goofily at the back of the door. Filled with hope and love and so much relief.
I don’t care anymore. As long as we’re together, that’s all that matters.
To hell with the world.
*
I struggle through the front door of my apartment; these bags are heavy.
Anna’s eyes widen. “Holy hell? Did you buy the whole damn shops?”
“Maybe.” I wince.
I’ve been shopping up a storm, I need sexy supplies for my secret date weekend with Giuliano.
I put the bags down and run to the bathroom. “How was your day?” I call as I go.
“Good,” she calls. “Holy shit! Who is this lingerie for?”
My eyes widen, oh shit. She’s gone through my purchases.
“Um.” I zip up my pants and wash my hands, what the hell do I say? “I have a date this weekend,” I lie, well not technically a lie, there is a little truth to it. I walk around the corner to see the black leather and lace lingerie spread all over the dining table.
“Who with?” Anna scoffs. “And good God, there’s enough lingerie here for ten dates.”
I pick up a lace teddy and hold it up over my body. “You think he’ll like it?”
Her eyes widen. “I think he’ll love it, but who is he?”
“Well….” I try to think on my feet. “A guy I met through work in Milan has asked me out.”
“Who?”
“Umm…he’s a diplomat.”
She frowns.
“We’ve had this chemistry thing for years and now he knows that I’m single he asked me out.”
“He’s in Milan?”
“Yes.”
“I’m going home this weekend too.” She smiles. “Maybe we could go on a double date with Carlo and him.”
Oh hell.
“No,” I snap way too fast. “I mean…he broke up with someone for me, so…we have to keep it super-secret for a while.”
Her eyes widen. “He ended a relationship for you?”
“Well….” Oh fuck, why did I say that? Now I sound like a home wrecker. “They were on the way out already, this just sped things up a little.”
“Oh.” She listens intently. “Carlo asked me to move home to Milan.”
I frown. “In with him?”
“No, but…he wants to start a relationship and I live in another country.”
Shit.
I go to the fridge and pour us both a glass of wine while I contemplate my next sentence. I need to tell her.
“What does that mean?” she says.
“What?”
“The no answer.”
I pass her glass of wine over, this has been on my mind for a long time but I didn’t know how to approach the subject. “How much do you know about Carlo, Anna?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you trust him?”
“Of course.”
“Do you know what he does at Ferrara?”
“Not specifics.” She shrugs. “But I’m sure….”
“I’m pretty sure he’s a hit man,” I just blurt out. “He’s one of Giuliano’s personal security team, I know for a fact that Giuliano would only have him there if he was capable and willing.”
She stares at me, shocked to her core.
“Look, I’m not saying he’s a bad person.”
“What are you saying then, Francesca?” she snaps, annoyed.
“I’m saying that he’s like my family, he’s like Giuliano. He is one of them. And if dating one of them is okay with you, then go for it. But you can’t let yourself get two years down the track and then realize that it’s too late.”
She drops to the chair at the dining table and sits down, shocked to silence.
I sit down beside her. “Look, I’m not saying don’t move to Milan to be with him, or don’t pursue this. I just want you to be aware of the entire picture. He’s a powerful man and I want you to know exactly who you’re getting involved with. It’s not going to be all honey and roses. There’s a dark side to his life too.”