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"Good night," he said before pressing a button. There was a mist that seeped through the taxi. As my eyes slid shut, I saw him putting on some kind of gas mask. I had just enough time to wonder about what customs would say to that as I heard the whir of the windows opening.
When I woke up, I was in a room with a picture of white tulip buds over the bed. There was an ensuite bathroom to my right.
Also Massimo sitting in a chair.
"You're awake," he remarked.
"I am," I said. "You sent the taxi driver?"
"One of my security guards," he said. "I'm only lucky that you were so eager to get to LeSoleil that you didn't recognize him."
I cursed the fact that I'd been so distraught that I hadn't taken a good look at my taxi driver's face. "Let me go."
"You're free to leave this house any time you like. Your suitcase is there." He pointed to the corner. It hadn't been unpacked.
I pushed my hair behind my ear and walked out with my suitcase with as much dignity as I could. As soon as I stepped out of the house, I understood why he'd gone to the trouble of kidnapping m
e and would let me leave freely.
I was on an island. It wasn't terribly large. I could see the wide expanse of water in front of me. I brought my suitcase back into the house. Massimo was still sitting in the room where I'd woken up.
"You trapped me on an island."
"Welcome to one of my vacation homes, cara. I like the taste of fresh salmon."
I ground my teeth. "You're joking."
"Nobody has ever tried to leave before I was done with them before."
"Maybe you've never lied to someone to the extent that you lied to me, Prince Pietro." I spat out his title like foul black licorice, which I hated. "I thought you were a businessman."
"I am," he said.
"Lies of omission are still lies."
He ran a hand through his hair. "I wanted...I told you what I wanted."
"What about what I want? Someone who's honest with me, huh? What about that?" I didn't want to cry.
"We'll just spend some more time together," he said. "And you'll see reason."
I crossed my arms. "I hope you know that you'll be waiting for a long time."
"Bella," he said.
"Nope," I said. "You can't recreate the magic of when we were just two people falling in love. Stuff doesn't work like that."
He shrugged. "We have a lot of time. You'll come around eventually."
I was extremely stubborn. "When I was in kindergarten, my mom bought me a fuschia coat that I hated."
"And?"
"And I got pneumonia that winter because I wouldn't wear my coat. I spent a few weeks in the hospital."
Massimo massaged his forehead. "Please don't," he said.
"I won't wear my coat," I warned.
