Page 12 of Dark Masquerade
He smiled gently. “I know you better than you think, Elliana. And I had noticed, sweet girl.”
She squeezed his hand guiltily. “I’m sorry, Aldo. I never meant to make you feel badly.”
“Not at all …it’s just, Elli, I’m in very great danger of falling in love with you,” he confessed. “And somehow, it has seemed that you hold part of yourself back from me. I never want to make you feel obligated—so all I ask is that you’re honest with me about how you feel.”
Elli nodded, and for a few moments, she was silent. Finally, she decided it was time to confess. He’d been nothing but good to her and holding secrets back from him felt increasingly wrong. “Aldo, for a long time now, I’ve been stuck in a rut. I loved someone deeply. Entirely. It’s been eight years, and he still haunts my dreams—and now my nightmares. He broke my heart, Aldo. Shattered it.”
If she’d been afraid Aldo might react jealously—and she realized belatedly that she’d been somewhat worried about that, though he’d never shown a single jealous tendency yet—he calmed those fears immediately by sitting quietly and calmly, letting her speak, his expression betraying nothing but compassion.
“He was the moon and the sun to me,” Elli went on, choking up a little. She was grateful for the reassuring pressure from Aldo’s fingers on her hand, guiding her through the memories. “It’s been eight years and I don’t want to feel that way anymore.” She reached up and touched his cheek. “That’s as honest as I can be at this moment, Aldo. I love being with you, as a friend and as a lover. You are the first person since him who has broken down even some of my defenses. I can’t promise I’ll get there quickly, but I can promise to try. I do have feelings for you. I really do.”
“As I do for you. Thank you for being so honest, Elli.” Aldo bent his head and kissed her. Then he pulled off his clothes and slid into bed with her.
“Just to cuddle, don’t worry,” he said, as she settled comfortably into his arms. “I’ll buy that you do actually have a headache.”
Elli chuckled. “Which is getting better, by the way.”
“Oh, really?”
“Really.” She tilted her head back so he could kiss her. Aldo smoothed her hair back from her face, studying her.
“Still, I think you better get some sleep, baby. We have plenty of time.” He told her what Vivienne had said. “So I’m going to ask again, but I won’t be offended if you say no. Spend Christmas and New Years with me. I promise, as soon as you’re feeling one hundred percent well, we will have a riot together. There are a few parties I’ve been invited to, which I would love for you to attend as my partner, if that suits you. And if not, we have the world at our fingertips, Elli. Anything, anywhere.”
Elli smiled at him. “As long as I’m with you, I don’t care what we do.”
Her heart warmed when she saw the delight in his eyes.He is lovely,Elli thought now.Why the hell am I holding onto the ghost of what might have been, when this man is offering me the world?
Elli fell asleep locked in his arms, feeling something had shifted in her soul. Yes, she would try to be the woman Aldo thought she was, for him and for herself. Vivienne had been right.
It was time.
It was Christmas night and Elli and Aldo had finally stopped eating, lying with full bellies on his couch. Elli was groaning. “I seriously haven’t eaten that much in years,” she laughed and moaned as Aldo patted her bare stomach. “Don’t. I’ll explode.”
“Sexy,” Aldo said and laughed as she looked at him askance. “Elli, I’d like to thank you.”
Elli looked at him in amazement. “Youthankme? Aldo, look at this place. Look at what you’ve given me.” She held up her wrist with the elegant and delicate diamond bracelet he had given her that morning, along with a host of other gifts. “You have given me something I thought lost to me. A family Christmas.”
Aldo looked delighted, but he also shook his head. “You don’t understand—Christmas for me, for the last few years, has been …painful. Dark. You see, Yvetta was born on Christmas Day.”
“Oh, Aldo, I’m sorry.”
“No,yousee? You have brought the light back into my life and into the holidays. You, Elli, have given me more than I ever thought possible. Oh, I’ve dated a few women since Yvetta died, but none could come close to you, my love.” He leaned over and kissed her. “Elli, I told you a few days ago I was in danger of falling in love with you. These last few days have made me realize …I’m no longer in danger. Iamin love with you.”
Ellis eyes filled with tears and she looked away. Aldo turned her face back to him. “Hey, hey. I don’t expect or want you to feel the same until you do. There’s no pressure, but I had to tell you that. I love you, Elliana Moretti.”
Hot tears flooded down her cheeks as she kissed him. “Aldo …I am changing. I can feel it, and you’re the reason. I’m not there yet, but I’m starting to believe I will be. When I tell you I love you, I want it to be the absolute truth. But it’s only you, now, Aldo. Only you.”
It was only a partial lie, but Aldo seemed satisfied, grinning as he kissed her. “If only we hadn’t been so gluttonous, I would take you on this couch right now.”
She grinned. “Remember the time I was out on the balcony? I wouldn’t mind reliving that, Mr. Constanza.”
Aldo laughed. “Kinky girl. Just how kinky do you get, Ms. Moretti?”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “What did you have in mind?”
“Hmm, how would you feel about restraints?”
Elli nodded slowly. “We could do that.”
