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The Italian Obsession

Page 139

by T.L. Swan

“No.” I look at our opulent surroundings. I feel everything but hungry.

Out of place? Hell, yeah. I feel that and then some. But hungry? No.

“I’m fine, thanks.”

“Let’s go upstairs.”

He takes my suitcase and I follow him up the grand staircase, where we veer off to the right. The balustrade is a chunky dark timber, and the carpet is a deep crimson tapestry, the kind you see in movies. We walk down a long, wide corridor, and then through a double set of timber doors.

Holy shit.

It’s a huge bedroom, with an already lit fireplace in it. It has two big armchairs and a couch in front of it. At the back is a large four-poster, king-size bed.

“This is your wardrobe in here,” Rico says as he pulls my suitcase in through the door. I follow him, and it leads to another room. The walls are all mirrored with black floor-toceiling wardrobes. There is also a pink velvet ottoman couch. A beautiful chandelier hangs low in the middle over a large mirrored chest of drawers.

My mouth does drop open this time. “This is my wardrobe?”

“Yes.” He puts the suitcase down.

“I only have one suitcase, Rico.”

“That will be changing.” He kisses me and pulls me out of the wardrobe and into the bedroom. “I haven’t spent much time at this house yet. Decorate it as you wish. Get an interior decorator or whatever you want, bella.”

I stare at him. I have no words. None.

Slow down.

He leads me through another set of doors just off the bedroom—a mirrored version of my wardrobe—only this one is already filled with his things.

“Your things are already here?” I ask him.

“I come here on weekends.”

“You don’t live here full-time?”

“I haven’t yet.” He puts his hands into the pockets of his expensive suit pants. “I didn’t want to move in permanently until I started a family.”

I stare at him. Okay, how many times can a man steal my words in one night?

“You want a family?” I gasp.

“No, just you.” He kisses me softly as he squeezes my behind. “For now.”

He pulls me out of his wardrobe and into the bathroom. The floors and walls are white marble. There is a huge round stone bath sitting in the middle of the room, and behind it is a large walk-in triple shower with a bench seat. The taps and fixtures are gold, and the entire back wall is mirrored.

“Holy fuck.” I put my hands over my mouth.

“I like this bathroom. This bathroom can stay,” he says casually.

I look over to him. “Can you hear yourself right now?”

“What?” He takes me into his arms and bends to kiss me.

“You sound like a rich snob,” I mumble against his lips.

He chuckles. “Maybe I am.” He pulls me again back into the room. “I hope you’ll be happy here.”

My eyes fall to him. “You are the only thing I care about in here, Rici. The rest is just…” I stop myself from saying something derogatory. “If you lived in a shack, I would love it just as much.”