Page 55 of His UnBearable Touch

“Happy to help,” Natale pointed out. “You’re one of us now.”

Allegra didn’t want to tell Natale that wasn’t how she felt. Not at all like one of them. Things were changing too soon, too fast. She felt confused, worried. The notes. They weren’t helping either. If anything, it was likely a horrible prank. The early morning visit from the police? Just to see if she was willingly living with Valerio?

An odd thought filtered through her brain. Maybe the notes were from Mrs. Singleton? She’d been the coldest of the two, speaking in the press until the court had ordered her to stop. She’d accused Allegra of playing games with Lance. It would make sense that it was his mother. She certainly knew enough to send the notes. Making her afraid would be just what Lana Singleton would enjoy. Unbidden, a memory surfaced and replayed in her head like an mp3 file. “Young women play so many games in this day and age. They seduce and control, they tease, and then when they’re done with a young man they throw them away like trash. Maybe it’s time that she knows what it feels like.”

It could be as easy as that, Lana was just trying to upset her, get under her skin, hold her hostage with fear.

That seemed more likely than Lance coming back. He’d begun a new life after he left prison. Why would he come back to New York? Why would he come back after her?

She knew she didn’t have all the answers, but she’d also been kept in the dark by Valerio. Visiting the Singletons, going to the court, what else didn’t she know?

Allegra felt like she was losing control over her life again… or maybe she’d never really had any control in the first place.

A nagging ache in her stomach had her closing her eyes and trying to fall asleep on the way back to the Orsino penthouse.

* * *

Valerio entered the penthouse and looked over at his bedroom door. It was closed and he hoped Allegra was asleep on the other side of it. He’d received a call from Natale while he’d been on his way back in the Corvi Industries jet. Natale had expressed some concern about Allegra.

After they’d picked her up from rehearsal, she’d retreated into herself a bit. It wasn’t anything specific that Natale could pinpoint, but she thought he’d appreciate the information and he did.

His earlier decision to hide the truth about her apartment from her was weighing heavily on him. His instinct had been to protect her. She had already been hurt physically and emotionally. Did she need to know that all of her belongings were gone?

He’d covered well with her clothing by having Natale create and buy an entire new wardrobe. If he could just keep the horrible details to himself until after her debut concert, he would handle the trouble then. She deserved to have a life that wasn’t steeped in misery.

And he was going to give it to her, even if it meant keeping things from her for a few days.

Pushing open the door to their bedroom, Valerio let his eyes adjust to the darkness.

He worked his shirt buttons loose after setting his coat aside and reached for the button on his trousers. Being this close to Allegra, and having been apart from her for more than a day, his need for her bore down on him like a rockslide, the weight crushing at his chest.

Drawing down the zipper of his pants, he hissed when he was finally able to gather his thoughts. He wanted to touch her, be inside of her, but he wanted to care for her first. He crossed through the bedroom and into the bathroom, quietly closing the door behind him so that Allegra could continue to sleep.

Stepping into the spray he lifted his face into it and let it rush over his body for a few minutes before he reached for the soap.

The bathroom door clicked open and he turned, the water rushing over his scalp and down over his eyes, but he could still see Allegra.

Standing in the doorway, her hand on the frame, he could feel the tension rolling off of her in waves.

“Allegra?”

“I,” she hesitated, and her tongue swept over her bottom lip, “I wish I could see you.” She laughed a little. “It’s really strange, you know? The way that I am… I would never have thought… someone like you… someone like me.” She turned her head away and started to move back toward the bed.

“Allegra?” He tried to keep his tone even, to make her feel comfortable, but both sides of him wanted more than just to comfort her. “Don’t go.”

He watched her hesitate and he moved through the spray slowly, watching her. He saw other signs in the way she held her body. The pinch between her shoulder blades. The tightness in her cheeks, her jaw. The way she swallowed over and over.

Valerio shut off the water and reached for a towel. “I’m coming out to you.”

She took a step back, a hand waving him off. “Don’t. I’m okay. Take your shower. I’m… I’m just going to go back to sleep.”

He saw the signs. She was too upset to sleep.

“Let me talk to you.”

He saw her hesitation again, the shift of her jaw as she ground her teeth together. And then the subtle shake of her head. “I don’t want to interrupt your shower.”

“You’re not.” Valerio stepped outside and swept the towel over his hair. “I was about to come to bed. I’ve missed you.”

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