Page 58 of His Two Hidden Masks

“I’m assuming he was busy,” Leo said. “He just didn’t call.”

“Damn,” I said.

“Yes, damn.” Leo sighed. “I’m sure it’s nothing, I don’t want to talk anymore about it. Tonight was wonderful. I want to focus on the positive.”

“Okay,” I said, softly.

Reaching Leo’s street, he kissed me on both cheeks. “Goodnight, Bella,” he said. “Goodnight, Dylan.”

Dylan and I stood side by side for a moment, watching my best friend leave. “Shall I walk you home now, clever Bella?” Dylan said.

“Yes. I need sleep.”

“In your own bed, and I in mine,” he said. “I would ask you to come back to the Mia Sorella with me, but I know you will say ‘no.’”

“Today, I will say ‘no.’ Ask me again tomorrow, and who knows?”

He gave me a wicked smile, and my resolve to go home wavered. That man had the ability to seduce me with a glance. I was going to have to start wearing blinders like carriage horses wear to avoid distraction in the parks.

I needed a night of sleep, and if two days of near-constant orgasms didn’t stop my insomnia, I had no idea what would. The thought made me giggle.

“What’s so funny?” Dylan said.

“Nothing.” I shrugged. “I just think that sex with you may be better than melatonin.”

“That is the weirdest compliment I have ever received.”

“Trust me, it’s a huge compliment,” I said.

“You know what else is huge?”

“Are you twelve?” I asked, laughing again.

We walked past the Mia Sorella to my parent’s palazzo. We stood outside the courtyard gate, our breath freezing in puffs, the sky dark, the stars bright.

In a few hours, the sky would melt into morning. Part of me didn’t want the night to be over.

“I’m sorry.” Dylan put down the packages and stepped toward me.

“About what?”

“Since I’ve met you, my family has come in to disrupt your business, and here we go, almost getting arrested.”

“Almost is the key,” I said. He stood so close. My body craved the sanctity of my bed, but it also craved him. “Besides, you now have some beautiful souvenirs of Venice.”

“So beautiful,” he said, looking at me. “A beautiful memory of Venice.”

“Yes,” I stood on tiptoes and gave him a gentle kiss. I knew if my lips lingered for one second longer, I would lose control. I turned on my toes, opened the gate, and walked across the courtyard and inside the front door of the palazzo.

“Goodnight,” I called over my shoulder.

“Goodnight, clever Bella.”

I closed the door behind me, leaning against the heavy wood for a moment. My eyes fluttered, but my body hummed alive with energy. I closed my eyes, thinking about Dylan just outside my door.

This gorgeous man had touched me in ways I had never imagined. My body lit up in places that had never known flame. The grief and loss of Roberto, the disapproval of my family, all of that pain faded when I thought of Dylan’s arms around me.

When I got to my room, I opened my curtains and saw Dylan pass in front of the fountain and turn toward the Mia Sorella. The white packages from the Lido Glass Factory stood out in the darkness.

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