Cristian freezes below me, his eyes locking with mine in mutual panic.
"Valentina? Are you awake?" Alessandro's voice comes through the door.
"Shit," Cristian mouths, lifting me off him.
"Just a minute!" I call out, my voice pitching up.
Cristian snatches his clothes from the floor.
I throw on my robe and frantically straighten the sheets.
Another knock, more insistent this time. "Valentina. I need to speak with you."
"Coming!" I run my fingers through my tangled hair. "Just getting decent!"
Cristian grabs his shoes, giving me a quick, hard kiss before slipping through the balcony doors. I close them behind him, checking that the curtains fully cover the glass.
I scan the room frantically.
Cristian's tie is tossed on my nightstand. I snatch it up, shoving it under my pillow just as Alessandro knocks again.
"For God's sake, Val?—"
I yank the door open, trying to appear sleepily annoyed rather than terrified. "What's so important that it couldn't wait until morning?"
Alessandro studies my face, and I force myself to meet his gaze hoping he doesn’t see evidence of what I was doing with Cristian.
"Maksim called. He wants to move up the wedding." He steps past me into the room, and my stomach drops.
I fold my arms, positioning myself between him and the balcony doors. "At this hour? It's nearly midnight."
Alessandro pauses, nostrils flaring slightly. "Why does your room smell like cologne?"
My mind races. "It’s perfume. I’m testing ones Maksim might like." I gesture vaguely toward my vanity.
He frowns, and for a moment, I think he's going to call my bluff.
His gaze drifts toward my bed, and I see his eyes narrow at the disheveled state of the sheets.
"I was having trouble sleeping," I say, moving to block his view. "It’s hard to sleep when you’re about to be forced to live with a man who'd just as soon as kill me?—”
“Valentina—”
"What couldn't wait until morning?" I ask, now really annoyed.
“He wants an answer.”
I want to tell my brother and Maksim to go to hell, but I’m so worried that Alessandro will learn my secret that I want him out of the room more than I want to fight.
I decide to give in. "Fine, but give me a minute, would you? Then we can discuss whatever urgent matter Maksim has created in your office."
He nods and for a moment watches me, almost as if he wants to say something.
But he doesn’t.
Instead, he leaves my room, shutting the door behind him.
I wait to see if Cristian is returning, but I know he wouldn’t have hung around to risk being discovered.
