“I live here.”
“So do I,” she shot back instantly, not raising her voice, not backing down an inch. “Thanks to your boundless generosity. The good news is, I’m perfectly willing to change that. Should I start packing?”
“And that robe is practically begging for an indecency lawsuit,” I growled.
She smiled.
Ironic. Unbothered.
And then she stepped closer. Close enough that I felt the heat of her still-damp skin brush against my space like a provocation.
“Then sue me,” she whispered.
She walked past me with a slow, deliberate stride. Sensual enough to be unmistakable.
I turned.
I couldn’t stop myself.
I watched every step as she walked away down the hall, the loose ribbon at her waist swaying gently—almost begging to be pulled. A silent, dangerous invitation.
My hand actually tingled with the urge.
But I held myself back.
Barely.
Much later, she showed up for dinner like the world was a stage and I was just a spectator to my own downfall.
A black dress. Tight. Merciless. Hugging every curve with infuriating precision. Bare shoulders. And the lipstick—
Red.
Vivid. Shameless.
She had chosen that color on purpose. And she knew that I knew.
We sat across from each other, the perfectly set table serving as an invisible border in an undeclared war. I did a poor job hiding my irritation. Valentina, on the other hand, concealed her satisfaction flawlessly in every calculated movement.
“Are you really going to keep playing this little provocation game?” I asked after a long swallow of wine.
She smiled, almost amused, lifting an eyebrow.
“I’m just existing, Enrico. If my existence alone provokes you this much, maybe you should reevaluate a few things.”
My eyes narrowed.
“That red lipstick is a conscious choice. So is that dress.”
She leaned forward slightly, her voice low, saturated with an irritating sensuality.
“My body. My aesthetic. If it bothers you so much, close your eyes.”
She said it calmly, lifting her glass. Her eyes locked onto mine. A faint, mocking smile at the corner of her mouth.
And then she did something worse.
She bit the rim of the glass.
