Page 56 of Valentino

“You aren’t going to finish your dinner?”

“I just lost my appetite.”

He rinses his plate and without another word, leaves the room.

I ate dinner alone, and for over an hour I’ve been sitting at the dining table in hope that he would come back and finish our conversation.

He hasn’t, and more and more I’m realizing that I really have no idea who Valentino Leone is anymore. The young, playful and trusting person I once knew seems like a world away from the hardened man he is now. I have to wonder, is it the job that he does, or is it the company he keeps, or is it just with me? Once upon a time I knew what he was thinking, so much so that I could almost read him like a book, but not anymore.

I take my time and wash up from dinner; I put everything away and have another glass of wine. I’m unsure if I should go looking for him or do I just wait for him to come back down?

A quiet drone sounds in the distance; it’s been going for a long time. I thought it was coming from below or above the apartment, but what is that?

I walk out into the living area; it’s coming from inside this apartment.

Huh?

I make my way down the hall and through the large glass double doors I see that Val is running on a treadmill in the gym.

He’s shirtless, wearing shorts, and he’s running hard and fast with headphones in.

For the first time ever, I have full view of his athletic physique.

Hair is wet and flicking around, his muscular tanned body glistens with perspiration, and as he strides I can see every muscle in his torso contract. Broad shoulders and a chest scattered with a sprinkling of dark hair.

What in the world….

That stomach…an eight-pack of abs complete with the V of muscles that disappear into his shorts.

Oh….

My eyes linger over him, he has a full sleeve of tattoos that I haven’t seen before, and his body looks more like a weapon of sexual destruction than a mere male human. The power emanating out of his body is so strong that it could clearly fuck someone through a brick wall.

My mouth salivates at his virility.

I swallow the lump in my throat as my pulse begins to beat in my ears…. In my limbs…. And between my legs.

Holy….

He glances up and our eyes lock in the mirror before his gaze drops down to the treadmill.

He’s angry.

I hesitate at the door; unsure if I’m welcome to go in.

He pretends not to see me, or in fact doesn’t care that I am.

Well, maybe I’m angry too now. He knows I’m standing here, he knows I can’t help but be attracted to him…so what does he do?

He takes his shirt off to add kerosene to the fire.

Purposely!

He’s not stupid, he knows exactly what he’s doing, the days where I could be attracted to him without consequence are gone. He made it well and truly clear all those years ago that he wasn’t into me, he never asked me out, he never gave me an inch of an inkling of something more between us.

Because God knows I tried. I would have given anything.

I’m not letting myself go there again, anything now will only start another war. Deepen the hatred.