Page 20 of Diavolo

"Your new tattoo. Did you get it for… me?"

Elyse waited with a clench of suspense. Alessandro claimed to care for her. He wanted her to trust him. But were his feelings permanent or fleeting in nature? Words were fleeting. A tattoo was more permanent. Elyse had directed this awkward, tactless question at him on purpose. To put him on the defensive and force a reaction. She hoped his response might provide some insight into whether or not he was sincere about her.

His eyes flickered as he gave pause. "I…"

"Yes?" prompted Elyse.

Suddenly, Alessandro smirked. "Do not get me wrong,angelo. I am fond of you, but this bit of ink was nothing more than a drunken whim."

Elyse didn't understand why his answer felt slightly devastating. Whether or not he'd gotten those damned wings for her was beside the point. She'd offered such low-hanging fruit. A Casanova like Alessandro should've jumped on the opportunity to proclaim his undying devotion through this tattoo. Even if it was a blatant lie. But he'd declined it for some reason. Elyse refused to let her disappointment show. It was time to up the ante.

"May I ask one more question?"

Alessandro bowed his head with a nod. "Of course."

He regarded Elyse with caution as she lowered her lashes prettily.

"Did you lure me across the Atlantic," she murmured, "just to fuck me?"

Surprisingly, a faint blush warmed his cheeks. He shifted his weight from his right foot to his left. Elyse smiled. It was goodto know that she wielded this power over him. He chuckled, soft and low. "I believe any red-blooded man would want you in his bed. I am certainly no exception, but, sadly, the answer to your question is—no. I did not bring you here solely to fuck. I have other reasons."

Other reasons?

"I don't believe you," she taunted.

Elyse intended to uncover these other reasons. Like a playful feline, she sauntered toward Alessandro with light, fluid steps. Elyse didn't stop until her breasts came teasingly close, brushing against the muscled wall of his chest. She tilted her face toward him. Like a flower to the sun. He gazed down at her with unmasked desire. Mere inches separated their lips. His jaw clenched. Unclenched. Want and need whispered in the air. Elyse knew she was playing with fire, but she was ready to employ every weapon in her arsenal until, at least, she uncovered a glimpse of Alessandro's real agenda. At present, he held too much power over her. The playing field needed to be leveled, and it was quite clear that his dick could be used in her favor.

Elyse rested a hand on his shoulder, rose on her tiptoes, and whispered in his ear, "Ever since you left New York, I've thought of you. Play your cards right, Mr. Vitale, and maybe I'll show youjusthow much I missed you."

His eyes darkened. "Do you mean it?"

There had been far more truth in her words than she wanted to admit. "I do."

Alessandro dipped his head to nuzzle the crook of her neck, groaning happily, "Dio, I am a blessed man."

Elyse gasped as she felt the warmth of his lips brush against her jaw, then her neck, and finally her collarbone. His hands claimed the small of her waist. Desire unfurled within Elyse as he pulled her closer. He lifted his head, and his hungry gaze fellupon her lips as though he intended to kiss her. Worst of all, she wanted him to kiss her, too.

She scrambled away from him. "Don't get ahead of yourself."

His expression darkened with displeasure, but he let her go. "A word to the wise,angelo. Do not offer yourself to a devil. Unless you are prepared to be swallowed whole."

Elyse took his warning to heart. She decided to abandon her plans to sway him with sex. Her attraction to him was too strong to become an effectivefemme fatale. The bastard wielded as much power over her as she did over him. Feeling dejected, Elyse fell back to square one. A different strategy was going to be necessary.

She grumbled, "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."

"I do not need apologies. My only wish is for you tofinishwhat you start next time. If you pull this shit again, I will be ready to fuck your brains out."

Her jaw dropped. Heat pooled low in her stomach. Alessandro's words made her feel somewhat self-conscious and dickish. They also made her very hot and bothered. The man never hid his desire for her, and Elyse couldn't help wondering what it might feel like to finally give in to temptation. Awkwardness mingled with anticipation.

Right as Elyse tried to form a semi-coherent response, Alessandro's phone began to ring. Her mouth snapped shut. He answered the call and started talking very rapidly in Italian. After he hung up, his entire demeanor changed. Gone was the teasing, charming womanizer who'd kept her company for the past twenty minutes. His posture tensed like a soldier readying for battle. His beautiful eyes became bleak and soulless. The shift was frightening. Swiftly, Alessandro excused himself from her room. Elyse said nothing, but the moment stuck with her. At the end of the day, Alessandro Vitale was a dangerous, cold-blooded criminal, and she'd be an idiot to forget it.

Once Alessandro disappeared, Elyse fell under Malina's care for the next few hours. Her new employer didn't show his face again for the rest of the night. Malina told her that he was occupied with important phone calls in his study. Elyse didn't pry. She was too exhausted and overwhelmed to care. At this point, Elyse only wanted to eat, bathe, and sleep. She'd worry about everything else tomorrow.

Later that night, the chalet's private chef served her a very hearty Swiss dinner. Elyse sampledLuzerner Chügelipastete, a vol-au-vent filled with sausage meatballs in a white sauce, andHäfelichabis, a pork and cabbage stew, for the first time. Even though the flavors were foreign and new to her, the meal felt warm and comforting in her belly. Full and sated, Elyse could hardly keep her eyes open. Around seven o'clock, she retired to her room and locked the door just to err on the side of caution. Then, Elyse jumped into the shower for a quick rinse and succumbed to jet lag, passing out on her king-sized mattress in nothing except an oversized T-shirt and a pair of underwear.

Elyse awoke the next morning—refreshed. Faint rays of sunlight kissed her skin. Green eyes fluttered open on their own. For the first time in years, Elyse had slept through the night without Stefano blowing up her phone or banging down her door. There had been no beeping alarm to disturb her. No need to rush out of bed for a shift at the hospital. She smiled and stretched like a cat. In her lounging state, Elyse suddenly heard a rattle andclickfrom across the room. Someone was unlocking the door. It swung open. Her muscles froze as heavy footsteps padding through the doorway. Was it Malina? No, the housekeeper would have the courtesy to knock before—

"Good morning,angelo."

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