Page 45 of Duty and Desire

She paused in her task, straightened, and looked me in the eye. “Do you want my advice?”

I huffed. “If I say no, you’ll give it anyway, so why bother asking?” I sighed heavily. “Sure. Give me some advice. I’m just not promising to follow it.”

I was still angry, still hurting.

I was also missing Gio so much, my chest felt as if there was a spear lodged there permanently, and it hadn’t even been forty-eight hours since I’d walked out of his life.

“You need to do something.” Her face contorted. “You can’t go on like this.”

“And what do you suggest I do to rectify this mess?”

She didn’t break eye contact. “Go talk to Gio.”

I froze. “Are you serious? After what he did?”

She rolled her eyes. “And what exactly was that? Has he written a piece about you and sent it to the media? No, he hasn’t. In fact, all he’s done is write down what you told him about yourself—and you don’t know why.”

“It’s obvious, isn’t it? He’s going to write a book about me.”

“And you know that for a fact?” Her eyes blazed. “No, you don’t. And the only way you’re going to stop hurting is if you confront him and learn the truth. Which is what you should have done Friday night, instead of running away.”

“Youknowwhy I ran,” I remonstrated. “You more than anyone.”

She expelled a breath. “Yes, of course I do. But I still maintain you saw nothing that showed you he knew your identity.” She walked around the bed and placed her hands on my upper arms. Claudia gave a sad smile. “And the only way you’re going to get past this mess is to go see him, talk to him.” She kissed me on the cheek. “Can I tell you something?”

I smirked. “Can I stop you?”

She cupped my face in her hands. “I’m praying you sort this all out, because I have never seen you as happy as you were when you were spending your days with Gio.” She stared at me. “Am I wrong?”

I didn’t answer right away. In my head was Gio’s face, his smile, the light in his eyes…

That kiss.

The kiss that made me want so much more.

“No, you’re not wrong. But what if I do see him, and I learn everything that happened was part of some big scheme to?—”

She stopped my words with a finger. “Then at least you’ll know the truth. And while that will hurt, it’s better than sitting in here, avoiding all sight of Gio, imagining the worst.” Her eyes held the suspicion of a twinkle. “What are you going to do, stay in here forever, and let Franz go do all your jobs? Not that you need them.You don’t need the money—they’re your way of staying occupied. Which is how I know you’ll go nuts if you let this continue.”

I threw my arms around her. “Thank you,” I whispered.

“For what?” She held me, her delicate floral perfume a comforting, familiar scent.

“Being my best friend.”

She drew back, smiling. “I’ll always have your back. So now I’m going to do you a favor. Franz will take me to the airport—youhave more important things to occupy your time.”

I chuckled. “While the cat’s away?”

She grinned. “The mice get a little space. Use the time wisely. And let me know how it works out?”

I promised her I would. Then a thought struck me. “I appreciate you giving me an opportunity to visit Gio without Franz hovering around, but I’m not entirely convinced of your motives.”

Her face flushed, and I knew I’d hit my target.

I folded my arms. “Is the feeling mutual?”

She cleared her throat. “Maybe?”

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