Page 23 of Diavolo

He called out, "May I come out now?"

"Yes."

Alessandro re-emerged from the closet and assessed the suitcases that Elyse was now clutching in her hands. He observed, "Your bags are packed."

She nodded curtly. "Can you please ask Malina to prepare another room for me?"

Anxiously, Elyse wondered if Alessandro would deny her. His eyes narrowed. "Do you intend to sleep with your door locked each night? With a chastity belt clamped around your waist?"

"Those aren't bad suggestions."

He sighed. "They are terrible suggestions."

Even though Alessandro had promised to be on good behavior, her new employer seemed dead set on destroying any possibility for them to maintain a healthy working relationship. Too many boundaries kept getting crossed.

"I thought you were going to behave?"

"Sì, but..."

"What?"

"My bed will be cold without you."

She didn't know whether to laugh or rail at him some more. The bastard was a lost cause, but Elyse wasn't one to give up easily. She hadn't forgotten about her mission to unearthhis true intentions. Elyse switched to a new tactic and began setting her trap. "You're an attractive man. Surely, you can find someone else to warm your bed."

"So," Alessandro drawled, "you find me to be attractive."

He'd missed the point.On purpose. Undeterred, Elyse carried on, "Whether or not I find you fuckable is beside the point. You recruited me to be your doctor. Not your fuck buddy."

The corners of his mouth quipped. "Is that what you think I am trying to do?"

"Aren't you?"

"No."

This was the opening she'd been hoping for.I did not bring you here solely to fuck you.His words kept replaying themselves in her mind.I have other reasons.Time to uncover these reasons. Elyse probed a little more, "Then why go through so much trouble to bring me here?"

An unreadable look passed over his handsome features. His eyes hardened over. Like ice. "I chose to bring you here because you intrigue me, Dr. Romero. More so than anyone else at the moment. There is no denying my attraction to you. I would love to fuck you, but, rest assured, I value you more than a fuck buddy."

"You're deflecting again. Please answer my question."

He cast her a look of amusement. "I cannot decide if your unwillingness tolet things gois pissing me off. Or turning me on."

Was it even possible to draw a straight answer from this man? Even more stubbornly, Elyse repeated,"Why did you go through so much trouble to bring me here?"

He smiled coolly. "I already told you.I never fail to repay my debts."

"So I'm a debt that you need to repay?"

"One could argue that you were summoned here more as afavorthan a debt."

"A favor?"

"To an old friend."

Silently, Elyse rejoiced at his confession. At last, it seemed that Alessandro revealed something worthwhile. She furrowed her brow in an exaggerated show of confusion. "I don't understand."

Elyse hoped that her little performance would prompt Alessandro to elaborate further. From years of experience as a female in a male-dominated field, her fellow male surgeons, colleagues, supervisors, and patients—anyone with a set of dick and balls, really—had always jumped at the opportunity to explain things to a confused-looking woman. Stefano's ego had operated in very much the same way. Alessandro probably wouldn't be any different.

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