A Touch of Sin |18+|

46

ALANI

The night couldn't have gone smoother. Truthfully, it went better than I had expected. Ava and Cecelia were full of smiles, gushing over their gift and chatting about their future wedding plans.

Being around my sister was a breath of fresh air and Valerio's commitment to the evening was heart-warming—to say the least.

With the news of his brother being found, he continued to plaster a smile on his face and enjoy the night with another care in the world.

By the end of it, we were on our way back to the hotel room.

It was sad saying goodbye not knowing the next time I'd see them but it had to be soon.

I smoothed my hands over my dress, relaxing into the seat of Valerio's car. My head was turned, leaning my cheek against the headrest while I watched Valerio drive. He seemed calm, more than usual as he kept one hand leisurely on the steering wheel.

Although his face was stoic, I could see that his mind was running a million miles per hour. I bit my lower lip, reaching over to lay my hand on his thigh.

"Thank you for bringing me here," I murmured, hiding the tired in my voice.

"I'll do anything for you," he said, clasping his fingers over my hand. I didn't know what was wrong with me but I started to feel bad. There I was, celebrating with my sister because Valerio made it happen even though other situations required his attention

. I sighed, pushing the feeling of doubt away. There was no use pondering over it and the only thing on my mind at that time was getting back to the hotel with him.

"Stop it," he whispered, giving me a once over. "I wanted to do this, amore. I'm happy you got to enjoy your evening."

"I know," I started. "But—"

"But nothing, my love," he interrupted, looking at me with a genuine smile. "That pretty head of yours is thinking too much. We're going back to our room and I'm going to need to hold you until you fall asleep because I miss you. Yes?"

There wasn't a bone in my body that objected that idea.

I sunk into the seat, my own smile creeping onto my face. "Yes. I'd love that."

"Good," he noted. "I'll give you a head rub, if you want." 

I groaned, suddenly aware of my hair being tied up for hours. "You have no idea how good that sounds."

"Just a few more minutes, baby," he said, bring my hand up to his lips. "We're almost there."

I nodded, watching the street lights and the strip of buildings past us. It was a quiet evening, the air still as the wind settled down to a barely there breeze. It wasn't entirely dark, but it was clear that Valerio and I were the ones on the road.

Until he merged onto the highway and into upcoming traffic, quickly finding a vacancy between the sudden influx of cars. Valerio glanced at me, his eyes on the seatbelt over my chest.

I scoffed a small chuckle and Valerio spared me a swift glare, knowing that his concern over the littlest things was almost entertaining.

He returned his gaze to the road ahead, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel when a tone sounded from his phone. Valerio frowned, reaching into the pocket of his suit jacket to retrieve his cell. I looked away, switching over to the greenery but I was barely paying attention.

"It's my father," Valerio said, his voice one of confusion. "He sent me a video."

His eyes glanced from his cell to the road, his brows furrowed while his thumb hovered over the screen. "I'll look when we get back to our room."