Page 179 of Carnal

Two days ago, I had a call with a couple of the girls in the office. I gave them directions about things they weren't sure how to do. Dante suggested after the call that I return to work. I said I wasn't ready.

A small part of me enjoys watching him realize everything I do for him. I'm unsure why. It's not like Dante doesn't treat me well or appreciate me, but it's been interesting to sit back and watch him. Plus, I've always wondered how he would do if I wasn't there to support him. Now is my only chance to ever know if I'm really worth what I think I am.

So far, I've concluded I'm worth every penny.

There's a knock on my door. I glance over, and tingles race down my spine. Tristano's covered in sweat from his workout. It's only the second time I've seen him like this, but it makes my entire body react. He cautiously asks, "Is everything okay?"

"Pina's doing great. You have nothing to worry about," Silvio assures him.

Relief fills his expression. "Just what I wanted to hear."

"Pina, let me know if you need anything," Silvio states.

"Thank you," I reply.

He pats me on the shoulder, picks up his medical bag, and leaves.

Tristano steps inside and shuts the door. A bit of nervousness washes over him, but it quickly disappears. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Okay." I step closer to him.

He locks eyes with me, inquiring, "What do you think about moving into my wing?"

My butterflies go crazy. I bite my lip and shift on my feet.

He quickly adds, "Don't worry. You don't have to. It was just an idea."

"No, it's okay. I can move."

He hesitates, asking, "Are you sure? You don't have to."

"No, that's fine. Can you show me the room?" I respond.

He grins, grabs my hand, and pulls me out of the bedroom.

I follow him. My flutters go crazy. I know Tristano means well. I want to get back to where we were. I feel like we're getting closer, but there's still so much confusion in my head about things.

Yet, there shouldn't be. He's a great guy. From the depths of my soul, I know that he loves me. And the attraction I have for him is getting stronger and stronger.

I curse myself. I'm almost forty years old. I don't even know why I keep contemplating making a move on him or letting him make one on me.

We venture down the hallway of Dante and Bridget's wing. We turn the corner, and Tristano shows me the different bedrooms.

Strangely, I haven't seen all this before, but everything we've done has been in common areas of the house, my bedroom suite, or near the pool. The one time he tried to show me his wing, I resisted. Now, I'm kicking myself for being so difficult.

Each room is a masterpiece of design. I laugh. "Wow, you really have a lot of rooms."

He shrugs. "Not really. I have to share this wing with Arianna when she comes home. It's not as exciting as Bridget and Dante's."

"I beg to differ," I state, peeking into another bedroom suite. I tease, "This is nice. I like all the pink and purple flowers."

He groans. "That's Arianna's guest bedroom."

"Ohhh! She has her own guest room," I continue to taunt.

He shuts the door and leads me farther down the hall, skipping one bedroom.

I tug on his arm, indicating for him to stop. I ask, "What's behind this door?"

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