Page 74 of Angelo

His gaze finally returned to her. His expression looked visibly strained. Instead of sayingI will miss you, too, however, Alessandro mumbled, "I will love you forever, Elyse. No matter what you choose to do."

Choose to do—what?Her brow furrowed as she shot him a confused smile. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing,cuore mio," he assured her, planting a doting kiss upon her bare shoulder, "get some rest while you can. You will need to start packing tonight."

Her husband was right. There was so much stress and sorrow awaiting her in the days to come. It made Elyse want to curl up and hide from reality. She simply didn't possess the capacity to deal with any of it at the moment.

She yawned wearily. "A nap sounds wonderful right about now."

Elyse chose to push aside her troubles for a short while. She fell asleep in Alessandro's arms. Little did she know, this was the calm before the storm. Thesweet before the bitter. Had Elyse known what was waiting for her in New York, she wouldn't have slept so soundly.

15

That very evening, Mr.Schmid booked Elyse a first-class round-trip plane ticket from Palermo to New York City. Her trip would take a little over a week. She needed all ten days to put together yet another funeral and wrap up her father's final affairs.

She’d be flying out in six hours.

In the countdown leading up to her flight, Alessandro became quieter and far more restrained than usual. He didn't leave Elyse's side. If anything, he couldn't seem to get close enough to her. His behavior appeared to stem from his agitated mood. He kept reaching for her, again and again, more so than usual. At every opportunity, Alessandro would brush his fingers through her hair or nuzzle her neck or place his palm lightly on the small of her back. She couldn’t tell whether he was offering comfort or seeking reassurance.

Why did it feel as though he couldn’t bear to let her go?

He stayed with her as she packed. He stayed while she made calls to the morgue and the funeral director in New York. He stayed as she relayed instructions to Malina and their household staff about what needed to be done during her absence.

Then, they ate dinner together. They showered together. They went to bed together. Not once did his eyes drift from her. Not once did he break physical contact for more than a minute or two.

It was all very bizarre. Her husband had always been a very affectionate man, but this new level of possessiveness and, well, clinginess was extreme. Even for Alessandro. There were elements of desperation in his touch and fear in his eyes.

Fear of what?

Plans going awry?

Valentina and Gaspare betraying them?

Or something else altogether?

Uncertainty left Elyse feeling uneasy. In the darkness before dawn, she was awakened by her husband. Alessandro had drawn her, tightly, so tightly, into his embrace.

"Alessio?" she mumbled groggily, her voice still hoarse from slumber.

Alessandro hushed Elyse as he rained soft, sweet kisses along her jawline, her cheek. They were in their bedroom, the music box was listening, but, in light of their impending separation, Elyse didn't stop Alessandro when his cock entered her from behind. She wanted him too much.

During these shadowy hours preceding sunrise, Elyse kept as silent and still as possible as Alessandro fucked her one last time before the flight. His left hand caressed her breasts. The other dipped to her cunt. His fingers danced and swirled over her slick, sensitive clit as he thrust into her with the same desperation and fear that had consumed him earlier. They each came with a soft, whispering gasp, barely audible, full of restraint, as pleasure threatened to overwhelm their senses.

After this silent, strained lovemaking, Alessandro didn't sayI love you. Nor did he sayI will miss you. She didn't say anything, either, even though the words ached inside her chest, begging to come out.

Something suspicious was going on. Elyse felt as though Alessandro had suddenly built a wall around his thoughts and emotions, and she didn't know how to penetrate his defenses in the short time they had left together. Her emotions were already a mess from her father's death. She needed to conserve her energy and address her husband's strange behavior after her return.

With a heavy heart, Elyse rose from the bed to wash up in the bathroom. She got ready for the airport. When Elyse stepped back into the bedroom, she noticed Alessandro hovering over her bags. He was zipping up one of her main carry-on suitcases.

Her husband's head snapped up, almost guiltily, when he saw her. He hurried to explain, "I wanted to make sure you have your passport."

A slight frown creased her mouth as she tried and failed to decipher his intentions once more. "Oh, thank you."

Alessandro accompanied her on the drive to the airport. Every time she tried to strike up some conversation with him, he would simply grunt or nod in her direction. Although, his hand never strayed far from her person, holding her hand, brushing his knuckles along her thighs.

He escorted her as far as airport security would allow him to go.

Elyse joked softly, "Try not to miss me too much."

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