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"I took it anyway."
"I don’t want to see you again."
"So you keep saying." I drag my fingers down to circle her throat again. Her pulse gallops like the hooves of a horse hitting the hard ground on race day.
"I mean it." She tips up her chin.
I glance between her eyes.
"Do you really?"
She nods. "I can’t afford to be messed up with the likes of you. You’ll take everything from me, and I’ll have nothing left to give to the life I’m trying to build."
I lean in closer, until our breaths merge. "You’ll have me," I say softly.
"It’s not enough."
12
Olivia
Luca and Jeanne look at each other like it’s enough to be in each other’s presence. They gaze into each other's eyes, heedless of anyone else in the vicinity. We’re in Malta, in the living room of the Sovranos’ safe house, where an official is currently formalizing the marriage between the two of them.
After that encounter in the restroom—apparently, I’m a member of the mile-high club now— when I spoke those hateful words to him, he released me. Then he stepped back, tucked himself in, washed his hands, and left without another word. He literally washed his hands of me.
I managed to step back into my panties and yoga pants, then took my time putting myself back together before returning to my seat. Penny was still sleeping. This time, Massimo had chosen a seat right in the front of the aircraft, with his back facing me. So, there’s no reason to lock gazes with him again. Maybe he finally got the message. Hopefully, he learned I’m serious about not having anything more to do with him.
You’ll have me.
It’s not enough.
I lied to him. Truth is, in a very short space of time, he’s crawled into my mind. I’ve been thinking of him to the exclusion of everything else, including the career I spent years building. The career that’s going to take off as soon as I step foot on stage as the lead in Beauty and the Beast.
Of course, it’s the first in the many steps I need to take to become successful. And nothing is going to stand in my way. If Massimo looks at me again or tries to kiss me, chances are, I’ll give in to him. I need another way to show him I’m off-limits. A foolproof way to communicate to him that I'm never going to entertain the idea of the two of us having some kind of a relationship. Not that he spelled it out, exactly, but the way he’d gazed into my eyes when we fucked... It made the act so much more meaningful—a way of speaking to each other with our bodies, of connecting to each other without saying a word. No, it’s too dangerous to be around him. I have to convey that things between us were well and truly over. I reach over and pull out my phone, making use of the onboard Wi-Fi to message my friend, Declan Beauchamp.
We met in LA, at one of the many auditions I made the rounds of. I kept running into him, even contemplated sleeping with him once, a notion I’d discarded just as quickly. He’s a few years older than me and landed his breakout role a few months ago, which quickly made him media fodder. It didn’t change him, though. If anything, it seems to have made him even more appreciative of our friendship. And that’s the true test, isn’t it? How someone behaves after they become famous? So far, Declan has aced all of the tests in that area. It probably has to do with the fact that he comes from money, and his brother, Arpad Beauchamp, is one of the most respected investment consultants in Europe, not to mention one of the richest.
Other than Jeanne and Penny, Declan is the only other person I’d count on to help me out when in need.
Me: Hey D?
He replies almost instantly.
Declan: Wassup?
Me: What if I told you I need you to back me up in a lie?
…
…
The bubbles jump, showing he’s typing out a message, then stop.
Declan: Depends on the lie.
Me: What if I told you it’s so I can stop myself from committing a HUGE mistake?
Declan: Hmm. It’s a man I take it?
