Alessandro would kill me for this.
Not just for failing to call, but for the way my thoughts keep circling back to his sister.
For how desperately I want to protect her from the life that's been arranged for her.
How I want to be the one who protects her for life. Who brings her joy and pleasure.
Who gives her children.
I press my forehead against the shower wall, water sluicing down my back.
One night.
Just one night.
I can keep my hands off her for one night.
When I finish my shower, I don’t want to put my dirty clothes back on, but I can’t walk around in a towel, so I reluctantly slip on my pants and shirt.
When I emerge from the bathroom, the sight before me stops my breath.
Valentina sits in bed, sheets drawn up like she’s trying to hide.
Her hair falls in dark waves around her face, and the lamplight casts her in ethereal glow. She’s like an angel.
“I figure we can share.” She shifts, making room on the bed beside her. "I promise not to compromise your honor."
I realize she’s still dressed.
Thank fuck.
Still, her clothes didn’t stop me from touching her in the car that one day.
I know I need to maintain some semblance of propriety.
Instead, I find myself moving toward her, sitting on the bed next to her.
“Get some sleep.”
I make sure to keep a respectable distance between us on the bed. Plus, I’m sitting on the covers while she’s under them.
But Valentina immediately closes the gap, nestling against me like it's the most natural thing in the world.
Her head rests on my shoulder.
"Is this okay?" she asks.
"Yeah," I manage, though every nerve ending in my body screams otherwise. I reach for the remote, desperate for distraction. "Let's see what's on."
The television flickers to life. We find a channel playing sitcoms. Valentina's laugh is a delight to hear, considering what we’ve been through tonight.
"God, I needed this," she says, relaxing further into me.
My arm settles around her shoulders, protective instinct winning over professional restraint, as we watch mindlessly.
Soon, we're trading observations about the absurd commercials,creating backstories for the actors, laughing like we aren't fugitives hiding from both her brother and her would-be husband.
"You think that guy knows his eyebrows are two completely different shapes?" she asks, pointing at the screen.
