Page 59 of Where Wild Hearts Dance
“No it isn’t,” he says, a note of smugness on the tip of his tongue. “It’s at Cristiano’s.”
I roll my eyes. “Oh right, you had your men collect it?”
He doesn’t reply.
“You need a ride to Cristiano’s?” I kind of don’t want him to leave.
He shakes his head, his steps taking him further away.
“Your men are coming to collect you, aren’t they?”
His lips twitch but his expression gives nothing else away.
“Do you still hate me, Contessa?”
Time seems to stop as the growing distance between us heats up. His feet pause and he pulls one hand out of his pocket to wipe a thumb across his mouth. His focus on my response is unwavering.
I wet my dry lips then swallow. “With every fiber of my being, Bernadi.”
My heartbeat fills the next few seconds and just as the fire licking at my skin becomes too much, Bernadi tips his head back with a smile, spins on one foot and walks away.
I stand at the side of my car and watch him reach the street where a black car pulls up right on cue. He gets in without looking back and drives away, leaving me with a sentimental old music box and a head full of questions.
Contessa
I’ve clearly forgotten about the pool party when I turn up to the studio the next morning, but Paige puts that right in less than ten seconds.
“What happened to you?” she squeals before the door has even closed behind me. “I’ve been so worried! You didn’t answer any of my calls or texts… I thought you’d been kidnapped or something.”
I resist the temptation to roll my eyes, then remember how close I actually came to being abducted and possibly raped by my stalker. “I’m sorry, Paige. I?—.”
A few other girls are stretching their limbs, readying themselves for rehearsal, and clearly eavesdropping on our conversation, so Paige pulls me to one corner. “What happened?” she hissesin a stage whisper.
“My car broke down.” I almost kick myself at the lame excuse but I figure it’s less interrogate-able than ‘my new brother-in-law’s consigliere chased me down, threatened to murder anyone who looked at me, then gave me multiple orgasms on the hood of my car.’
Her eyes widen. “And your phone? Did that break down too?”
“I had to call home to get someone to pick me up and then my phone died. I’m so sorry, Paige. I really am.”
She straightens and folds her arms. “You never come out and I was so stoked you finally wanted to join us.”
God, now I feel like a real ass.
“I know. I promise if anything like that happens again, I’ll call.” I bite the inside of my lip. “That’s if you invite me again. I won’t blame you if you don’t.”
She blinks a few times then shrugs her arms back to her sides. “Oh, Tess, of course I’ll invite you again. You’re like my bestie in this place. Be nice if we could be besties outside of it too.”
She wraps her arms around my neck and I hug her back. Having a bestie is a slightly unsavory notion to me now. The only bestie I’ve ever had was Federico. I understood that he had to leave. I never expected him to completely abandon me, but he did. And for a long time, especially after I’d trusted him with my virginity, that hurt. So, naturally, I’ve grown a little averse to the idea of having a best friend.
My response is cut short by the arrival of Antonio.He barks at us all to get into position and we obey. As the music starts my eyes drift closed and a darkness wraps itself around me. A gap in a doorway, a spinning ballerina, the graze of unshaved skin along the inside of my thigh.
Then I dance.
“That was spectacular.” Antonio’s words halt me as I’m halfway through the door. Most other girls have already left and those remaining are pulling on shoes and jackets, chatting amongst themselves.
I turn timidly. “I’m sorry?”
“Your dancing this afternoon. It was spectacular.”
