Page 70 of After Hours

My initial surprise was soon replaced by a strange sense of comfort, and I appreciated his touch. I leaned into it, enjoying the intimacy.

“Sorry,” Dillon said, moving his hand away as if concerned he had overstepped.

I halted him. “No, don’t move it. I was just taken off guard for a moment.”

“Alright,” he said with a half-smile and moved his hand back to my thigh.

Then, an endearing old lady entered the room. “Good evening, Mr. Xander and company,” she greeted us warmly.

Dillon jumped to his feet with surprising energy. “Mrs. Emerson, thank you for bringing it,” he said, and she kissed him on the cheek.

“And you are?” she asked me.

“I’m Azzaria, it’s lovely to meet you,” I replied with a smile.

She smiled at me and took my hand. “È carina, vero?” she said, and while I didn’t understand the words, her tone indicated it was a compliment.

Dillon responded, “lo è. Ti piace??”

She nodded in agreement. “È davvero carina e sembra genuina. Prenditi cura di te e mangia bene.”

Dillon thanked her in the same language. “Lo è. Grazie, signora Emerson.”

She released my hand, waved goodbye, and exited. As she left, I couldn’t help but be intrigued by the foreign language exchange between them.

I couldn’t contain my curiosity. “That was interesting. Who is that lady?”

Dillon took a sip of his drink. I hadn’t even noticed that he had poured scotch for himself. “She’s my housekeeper and someone who basically raised me. We were just discussing household matters, but she’s not the best at speaking English.”

“Oh, I see. What language was that?”

“Italian,” he replied, and his voice carried an air of confidence that made it sound incredibly attractive.

Then, I decided to test the waters a bit. “I heard you used to have random whores?”

Dillon sighed, admitting, “I used to, but I’m not that person anymore.”

“Anymore?” I prodded, wanting to learn more.

He took a deep breath. “After my last breakup from an abusive relationship, I went through a wild phase, not more than two weeks. I wasn’t proud of it, but it’s the truth.”

“I’m really sorry to hear that. No one deserves to go through something like that,” I offered, feeling a mix of intrigue and sympathy.

“It’s fine.”Dillon shifted the conversation to a lighter note. “What about your hobbies? What do you enjoy doing?”

I smiled, genuinely enjoying our conversation. “I like to read books. I’m a bookworm.”

“Any favorite genres?” he asked.

“Romance.”

Dillon admitted, “I read too, but it’s mainly business books, not the kinds you enjoy.”

I couldn’t help but comment, “That sounds a bit boring.”

“It depends on how you view it,” he replied. “But I’ve never given myself the chance to explore other genres. I haven’t had the time.”

I recommended, “If you ever decide to read for pleasure, try ‘The Kiss Quotient.’ It’s a great book, and I think you’d love it.”

---