Page 15 of Midnight Revelations

With her hair in a messy bun, and clad in jeans and a hooded jacket, most people wouldn’t associate her with the socialite of last night. I grabbed her hand and led her out the door. The weight that had been burdening me slowly lifted until it was just the two of us. My car was parked in the underground carpark and I paid the attendant a generous tip for taking care of it for me.

Our apartment was in a quiet part of the city, close enough for business but far enough away to avoid unnecessary tourists. My unique code deactivated the elaborate alarm system, and allowed us access. There were four bedrooms—one each and a spare for a guest. I dumped Lucrezia’s bag on my bed and quickly changed from my suit into jeans and a T-shirt.

“This is a beautiful apartment,” she called from the living room. “The views are amazing.”

Xavier preferred old architecture and he tended to select most of our residences because he would bitch if he didn’t get what he wanted. I tended not to care as long as the bed was comfortable and there was a bottle of alcohol somewhere.

“Ready?” I popped my head around the door.

“Yep.” Her smile was contagious. Francis should have been more concerned about me, because every moment I spent with her, my heart was more at risk of being shattered.

***

Chapter Six

Lucrezia

There were moments that would live in your memory your entire life, and this was one of them. If Ash had been able to plan the perfect date for me, this was it.

I had begged and pleaded as a child, but Papa said no due to the security risk. Excitement bubbled in my chest like an effervescent cascade that made my head light and every other thought disappear until nothing remained but the scene in front of me.

Euro Disney.

Ash had taken me to the land of my favourite characters for our date.

“You are the best boyfriend in the history of all boyfriends,” I whispered as I took a step forward to sense the atmosphere.

“We’re booked in for a few days and I have a room in the main hotel so you can get into the park first thing in the morning.” He smiled down at me with that lopsided grin that made my polka dot panties too tight.

I squealed and threw myself at him. “It’s fate that I wore my Minnie Mouse bra and panties today.”

His laugh washed over me. “I guess I’m going to have to fend off some randy mice then.”

Ash started to walk toward the entrance and I craned over his shoulder to see as much as possible all at once. I’d lost count of the number of times I begged to come here. It was on every letter to Santa when I was little until I refused to send a letter anymore.

We made it through security and Ash set me free like a child in a sweet shop. There was so much to see and so little time to experience it all.

“Hey.” He caught me around the waist and tugged me over. “Here’s the map. Start with what you want to see first.”

We wandered through and I stopped when I came face to face with the pink castle. I wanted to live in there when I was little. People moved past me, but this was the most iconic scene that I had drawn repeatedly in my sketch books.

“Come here.” Ash grabbed me and got his phone out. “Smile!” It was the first of many selfies and photos on both our phones. Every character I encountered, I had my photo taken beside them, including the iconic one and only mouse that I loved so much. Ash bought me a pair of ears with a polka dot bow in the centre that I wore with a huge grin on my face.

Ash laughed while I screamed on the rides. We ate ice cream and sat and watched the world go by. I couldn’t remember the last time I laughed so hard or smiled so much. We stopped in the afternoon to watch the parade walking down the central street. I was already ladened down with gifts by then for everyone back in Tuscany.

I rested back against his chest to watch the parade, smiling and waving at all the characters who passed. It was the most magical place on earth, and I never thought I would make it here. As I grew older, everyone told me that it was only for kids—they were wrong on so many levels. This place spoke to you at a deep level that made you feel young again.

When the parade was over, Ash took my hand and we went to eat in one of the many restaurants with the other people in the Park. Papa would never have allowed us to eat in a restaurant this full, but Ash got us a corner and we sat huddle together and ate pizza.

The entire park lit up into a magical faerytale land as it grew dark, and Ash led me back to the castle. People had begun to gather around and sit on the grass. He found us an area and settled me between his legs. The music started not long after that and the light show brought the front of the castle to life with all the different characters.

I sat enraptured by the story and the music, singing along in some places as I lay back against Ash’s shoulder. I’d fallen in love with him already, but today I fell harder and deeper. It was one thing teasing me about my panties, but another entirely bringing my greatest wish to life. The fireworks at the end were the perfect end to the best day ever.

I grabbed the front of Ash’s shirt in the elevator and pushed him against the wall.

He bit into his lip and smiled down at me. “Getting a little feisty?” he asked.

“Just wondering what the best boyfriend in the world deserves as a gift to say thank you for today.”

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