Page 56 of King Of Order

A little further down, a janitor strolled by, his access card dangling from his belt. He didn’t even detect it when I bumped into him, murmured, ‘scusa’, and slipped off his ID from its clip.

Back at the car, I stashed both items into the trunk and strode to the driver’s seat.

Chiara’s face was closed off, tight.

Olivio’s shit was getting to her, and for a moment, empathy inundated me.

It can’t have been easy growing a woman in the Tirone realm.

A world of egotistical, misogynistic pricks.

I slid behind the wheel and, on a whim, reached a hand to cover hers.

She glanced at me, surprised.

We locked eyes for a long time, and a second impulse came over me.

I lifted her hand to my lips and kissed the soft skin.

The scent of her lotion, vanilla, and brûlée, I guessed, wafted into my nostrils.

Her eyes softened.

‘Grazie,’ she murmured.

Releasing her, I canted my eyes back to the front of the car, turning on the engine with the press of a button.

We took off, my hands steady on the wheel.

Chiara leaned her head back, sighing, lost in her thoughts.

I tagged the forlorn expression in her eyes, and my soul lurched.

We drove the rest of the way in silence, and when we got back to her home, she went straight into the house.

I welcomed the space, stalking my suite to finalize my plans.

CHIARA

I crossed the lawn that evening and knocked at Rio’s door.

When he opened it, I made a simple, quiet request. ‘Please join me for dinner.’

He hesitated.

I braced for disappointment.

He’d been about to refuse when he bit his lip, eyes studying me.

‘OK. After all, you’re paying me by the hour.’

I gave him a slow smile, then headed back.

He soon followed, accepting a glass of white wine when he entered my warm, cozy kitchen.

The meal was uncomplicated: pasta with fresh herbs and a crisp salad with lemons from my garden.

I didn’t need to impress Rio, but something about having him in my space compelled me to make a little extra effort.

---