Page 174 of Niccolo

And then it was time.

“I have to leave for my flight,” I told him as I stood.

A little white lie.

I didn’thaveto. Fausto’s jet was just sitting in a hangar, ready to depart whenever I decided.

But part of me was afraid that the longer I stayed with Niccolo, the more control he would gain over me…

And I would eventually give in.

So even though I didn’twantto leave him, Ineededto… out of a sense of self-preservation.

“Want to share a helicopter to the airport?” Niccolo asked as he stood up, too.

“No, thank you,” I said, even though I would have enjoyed it.

I couldn’t risk him tailing me and discovering which plane I was leaving on. If he did, he might be able to trace the plane’s registration number back to Modena.

Which would get him that much closer to finding Fausto.

“Ah well,” he said with a sigh. “Will you at leastconsidermy offer to switch sides?”

“Are you going to throw in a Michelangelo?” I joked.

“If I had one to offer, believe me, I would.”

He sounded totally sincere.

“…I’ll consider it,” I finally agreed.

He put his arms around my waist and drew me to him as he gazed down at me. “Well… if this is goodbye… then let me say ‘thank you’ for the most magical night of my life. I hope we get to do it again.”

“Before we have to kill each other,” I said in a deadpan voice.

“Before we have to kill each other,” he agreed with a wry grin.

And then he kissed me.

It was a long, lingering kiss that went on for nearly a minute.

I was completely lost in the moment. Niccolo’s kisses had the same effect on me as sex: not a thought entered my head… except maybe the wordMORE.

It was over too soon.

He pulled away, smiled at me impishly, and said,“Ciao, bella.”

And then, with one final smile over his shoulder, he walked out of my room.

I called the pilot of Fausto’s jet to let him know I wanted to depart as soon as feasible.

He told me the plane was already fueled up. He and the rest of the crew could be ready to go in two hours.

After I got off the phone with the pilot, I called down to theconciergeto arrange a private helicopter from the roof of the El Dorado to the airport in Hong Kong.

Then I checked out and went to catch my flight.

The entire helicopter ride back to Hong Kong, I barely glanced at the scenery.

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