I step into a scene that feels arranged—roses scenting the air, Champagne gleaming in its ice bucket, expensive chocolates artfully scattered around the bottle.
For a brief second, I imagine sharing this with Slayer. Him opening that bottle with the same confidence he does everything. Maybe holding one of those tiny chocolate delicacies to my lips.
I can just imagine his lips on mine…
The twisting in my gut isn’t just desire. It’s anger. Frustration. How did everything go so wrong?
If he had just taken me that night—if we’d actually made love instead of him being so noble about my virginity—maybe none of this would have happened.
I fling open my bedroom door. Should I leave it open? Half-closed? Locked? After all, Slayer will come back to the suite sometime tonight.
Or maybe he won’t.
My stomach clenches again, imagining him at Valentina’s villa. Is he drinking Champagne with her right now? Already in her bed?
The image of his hands on her body, those same hands that once touched me with such care, burns through my mind.
I close the door. And then lock it.
Sleep, when it comes, is anything but peaceful.
CHAPTER 31
BIX
The gray dawn light creeps through gauzy curtains at the start of a new day.
Last night floods back. The club. The music. The standing ovation.
And Slayer, leaving with Valentina.
I slip from bed and pull back the curtains, revealing the hotel’s charming garden below and the village in the distance. The sky is overcast, but nothing to stop me from my morning run.
I slip into running shorts and a top, then pause at my bedroom door, steeling myself for a potential encounter with Slayer.
I open the door and look around. Did he come home last night? Doesn’t seem like it. His door is still firmly closed. The living room untouched, just as it was before I went to sleep.
It’s a bit of a cruel reminder, but probably one I need. I’m doing a job here. None of this is real. What Slayer does with his time is not particularly my concern unless there’s press around.
I head down to the lobby.
The overnight concierge, an older man with kind eyes, looks up from his crossword puzzle as I approach. “Bonjour, Mademoiselle. You are up early. How may I help you?”
“I was hoping to find somewhere to run. Is there a nature trail? I don’t want to run near the village.”
He sets his puzzle aside, considering. “The hills are beautiful at dawn. The afternoons are too hot.”
A sharp yip captures my attention. Behind the desk, a small white and brown terrier tilts his head, studying me.
“This is Toto,” the concierge says, noticing my interest. “Our hotel’s resident dog. Say bonjour, Toto.”
Toto yips again, this time holding up his right paw.
Charmed, I kneel to shake it before addressing the concierge.
“Are the hills safe to run?”
His eyes sharpen as he sizes me up. “You look like a strong young woman. Yes, they are safe. But I’d feel more secure about you running alone if you had Toto to protect you.”
