His face was so close I could feel his breath against my lips. My heart was racing now, my hands curling into the fabric of my dress. Another inch. Just one more inch and –
I broke eye contact first, blushing furiously, looking down like I was suddenly scared.
Matteo slowly pulled back. When I glanced up, he was still smiling softly. Respectful. Like he understood me exactly.
“Good night,princesa,” He murmured.
“Good night,” I whispered back.
I slipped into my room before I could make a bigger fool of myself and closed the door, leaning against it as my knees turned traitors beneath me.
My heart was still racing. My skin was warm where his eyes had lingered.
What the hell happened tonight?
Chapter 15
Present
Hawaii
THE LONELINESS WAS DEAFENING.
The suite was silent, the kind of silence that only came in the middle of the night – when even the ocean seemed to whisper instead of roar. Everyone was asleep by now. Bags were packed, flights scheduled, plans already set for our return to New York in the afternoon.
But I couldn’t sleep.
I laid on my back in the king-sized bed, the sheets soft and cool against my skin, staring at the pale glow of the moonlight stretched across the ceiling. The curtains were drawn back, the balcony doors left cracked open, letting in the scent of the ocean – salt and hibiscus, warm night air curling around me like a ghost.
The waves rolled in softly, over and over again, their rhythm almost hypnotic.
Kali had gone earlier to Zane’s room, laughing about something I didn’t catch. Maria and Natalia were, obviously, with their men. Carmen and Kim were next door, probably dead asleep after our long day. For the first time this entire trip, I was completely alone.
And I hated it.
A hollow ache pressed behind my ribs, sudden and inexplicable. There was no reason for it – nothing bad had happened. In fact, tonight had been… perfect. Better than perfect. Warm breezes, laughter, dancing,him.
But as the hours crept on and the stillness settled, a melancholy heaviness began to bloom inside me. My throat tightened for no reason at all, and I blinked rapidly, confused by the sudden burn behind my eyes.
Why did I feel like crying?
I rolled onto my side, facing the balcony. The moonlight spilled through the open doors, bathing the bed in soft silver light. My white sheets shimmered faintly under it, my skin glowing in that way it only does when kissed by the moon. I inhaled deeply. The air was warm, fragrant, alive with the sea.
And yet, inside me, everything felt still.
The thought of leaving tomorrow sat uneasily in my stomach. Normally, I’d be itching to get back to New York – back to the chaos, the meetings, the sharp edges of my life. That was my territory. My rhythm.
But tonight… it felt different.
The idea of going back didn’t thrill me. It made my chest tighten.
I couldn’t explain it. Maybe it was the way Hawaii had wrapped its arms around me this past week – the easy days by the pool, the nights filled with music and stars. Maybe it was being surrounded by people I cared about, without the constant hum of business in the background.
Or maybe… maybe it was Matteo.
The way his hand felt in mine as we walked through town. The way he looked at me at my door earlier, like I was the only thing in the world that mattered.
I pushed the thought away, frustrated at myself. This wasn’t me. I didn’t get sentimental. I didn’t lie awake feeling like some lovesick idiot because of a man – especially nothim.
