Page 23 of Where Wild Hearts Dance
Trilby smiles. “Just head straight for the kitchen. If Benny’s still around, he’ll probably be in Cristiano’s office.”
I’m still wary as I walk into the deserted kitchen and pour out two vodkas. The place is silent, so when I turn towards the refrigerator and find a huge shadow standing between me and the door to the sodas, I scream.
Immediately, a hand covers my mouth, sending myheart up my throat and into my ear canal. “What the fuck, Tess? It’s me.”
The sound of Bernadi’s voice makes me want to scream even louder. When he doesn’t move his hand, despite my weak attempts to push him off, I bite it.
That works.
“Ow! Jesus Christ.” He yanks his hand away and stares disbelieving at the blood seeping out of his finger. “You bit me.”
I take two steps backward and hit the island. “Of course I did,” I snap. “What did you expect? You loom over me in the darkness then try to cut off my oxygen. Of course you’re going to get bitten.”
The room is dark except for the light of the full moon streaming through the garden doors but I can still see an annoyed frown covering his face.
“What were you trying to do? Kidnap me?”
He straightens and blocks out the small amount of light illuminating his features.
“Now why would I want to do that?” His tone falls somewhere between exasperated and bored.
“You had your hand over my mouth,” I say, accusingly.
“You were screaming and I didn’t want four of Cristiano’s capos to barge in here pointing their guns in our direction. I’ve seen what happens when someone wields a firearm near you.”
I plant my hands on my hips. “Why did you sneak up on me? You could have said something so I knew you were there.”
He scrubs a hand down his face. “I didn’t see you.”
I laugh but his sudden glare shuts that down.
“You’re dressed in black and your hair is black. It’s not unfeasible that you blend into the shadows.”
“I’m as white as a blanket of snow,” I counter and pull the hem of my dress up my thighs to demonstrate the point. His gaze drops to my legs and he’s suddenly quiet. I wait for his sharp retort but it doesn’t come. Instead, the room seems to heat up by several degrees and his gaze moves slowly up my body, back to my face. A hot shiver skates down my spine and I try to cover it up by talking.
“Can I get to the refrigerator, please? I need sodas for these shots, otherwise you might find me and my sister at the bottom of the pool come morning?—”
A bottle of coke lands on the counter beside me, making me jump.
“Right.” I stare at it. “Thanks.”
He takes a step forward so I have to tip my chin up to look at him. “Do me a favor, Contessa…”
I catch a drop of blood on the sleeve of his shirt in the corner of my eye and swallow.
“Next time you acquire your own personal stalker, tell me.”
I grip the counter behind me. “I would but I don’t have any plans to enter that dive of a barbershop ever again.” I smile sweetly.
In the dim light I see one corner of his mouth twitch as though he’s amused but trying his darndest not to show it.
“You won’t need to go into the barbershop to see me. Just head upstairs.”
A strained gasp leaves my throat. “I’m sorry, what?”
His voice is low and gravely. “Just come upstairs to the office above your dance studio.”
My lungs drain of oxygen.
