Page 16 of Rome with Dad's Best Friend

But for her, I can resist. It’s no longer about my pleasure but about hers, and how much better it will be if she is prepared in the right way. Tomorrow, we begin a journey that will last for the rest of our lives. I will make her mine, bind her to me, and we will be one. That is not something to be undertaken on a whim, at the suggestion of mere lust.

For her, I can wait.

Just not for too long.Chapter FourteenHannahWhen I wake up, there is no moment where I forget where I am or who is with me. No, from the moment I lift myself out of dreams, I remember. I know that Marco is here, in my bed with me. I remember seeing him last night, his suit jacket and shirt shucked off and placed neatly over the back of the chair, his bare chest and back, the muscles I have been imagining all of this time almost making my eyes pop out of my head. I could barely believe then that he would make me wait to get my hands on all of that.

But in the end, I didn’t wait – at least, not exactly. Because while I lay there in bed next to him, with the lights off, he scooped me into his arms, my back resting against his chest, and held me there like that all night.

I think it was the most restful sleep I’ve ever had.

Although, what strikes me as I open my eyes this morning is that his arms are no longer around me. A sudden fear hits me that he’s gone, and I turn over quickly, only to see him standing by the chair, fastening the buttons on his shirt.

A fresh-looking shirt, which only has me blinking in confusion. How did he manage to get new clothes while I was asleep?

“Morning, bella,” Marco says, smiling at me. “Are you ready for a day out?”

I blink sleepily. “How did you…?”

Marco laughs. “My assistant came by this morning. She’s very reliable.”

The word ‘she’ goes through me like a bolt of lightning. I don’t know why Marco shouldn’t have a female assistant, but it stirs terrible jealousy within me. I bite my lip a second, before slowly rolling out of the bed from under the covers and getting up.

“I was thinking about wearing this dress today,” I say, pointing to a blue denim shirt dress with embroidered flowers scattered across it.

“It will be fitting,” Marco nods, pursing his lips to hide what I think is an amused smile. Giving him a sideways look, still wondering about this assistant he mentioned, I take my things into the bathroom to get ready.

When I come out, Marco is fully dressed too in another sharp black suit. I notice that he never wears a tie, only leaving the first few buttons of his shirt undone for a more casual look, even though it still makes him look even fancier than anyone else I’ve ever met.

“I’m ready,” I tell him, still feeling a little awkward. I still don’t know what we’re going to do today, even if I know what we’re building up to. I picked out my nicest underwear to wear today, but I still don’t feel remotely like the kind of women you see in lingerie advertisements. I’m just me, a little awkward, big, inexperienced, and all the rest.

“Then let’s go.” Marco swipes my purse off the side table and hands it to me as he ushers me towards the door. Out in the hall, he takes my arm and leads me down to the lobby and out to the street, where a car is waiting for us, much to my surprise.

I’m even more surprised when Marco slides behind the wheel, putting the key into the ignition – a key I didn’t even notice he was carrying.

“Something else your assistant brought?” I ask, buckling my seatbelt as I look around the interior of the car with wide eyes. I don’t know much about cars, but I can see that this one is very nice – and, by extension, very expensive.

“Easier for us to get around today,” Marco grins, pulling out into the road.

We drive to a broad street with glass-fronted stores, many of them for big names that I recognize – legendary Italian designers and brands. Marco parks up along the road, in front of a yellow and black sports car that crouches almost like a panther with its over exaggerated lines, and hurries around to my side to offer his help as I get out of the car.

I feel stupid – after all, I can get out by myself – but it’s also so flattering to have his attention, and I realize I am starting to feel like this is a special day. The car, the flashy street we’ve stopped on, Marco’s gentlemanly manner – we’ve only just begun, but I’m sure there is more to come.

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