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“Want some company?” She asked in a seductive tone.
“Maybe next time. I’m just going to wash off really quick. Then I’ll get us a snack and some wine. I’m sure you’re famished by now.” I forced a smile, and she smiled back but it didn’t reach her eyes. I wasn’t fooling her, but I had to get away.
I hurried to the bathroom and closed the door. Her sweet scent was all over me. Not the floral scent of the shampoo and perfume I usually had her use. No, I could smell Aurora’s own scent on me, a mix of vanilla, ginger, and a subtle floral undertone mixed with the ocean. She smelled wonderful. But it was all wrong.
I hopped in the shower, scrubbing her scent off of me. It wasn’t right. As good as it felt to be with Aurora, really with her, in that moment, it was so wrong. Guilt twisted in my gut as I broke down for the first time three years.
Chapter 16
Aurora
Something was definitely not right, the way Enzo hurried from the lounge to the bathroom. I got up off the couch and got dressed, pacing around the room for a few minutes before taking a seat on the edge of the couch. It was taking him a lot longer than it should. My stomach growled so I went to rummage around the kitchenette.
I was halfway through a glass of wine and a plate of antipasto when Enzo finally emerged from the shower. He didn't look like himself. His eyes were red and swollen. I took in his casual clothes, my attention being drawn to his busted knuckles, and I rushed to him.
“Enzo!” I took his hands in mine and lifted them to study them better. "What happened?"
“It's nothing.” He pulled his hands from my grasp, and I looked up into his pained eyes, desperately needing to figure out what was wrong.
"This is not nothing. What happened?"
"I said it’s nothing," he snapped at me, and I dropped his hands as I jumped back.
I gave a tense nod, fighting back tears even though I didn't know why I wanted to cry.This is just a job.I reminded myself for the hundredth time. I was an idiot because even then, that fact wasn’t getting through. My heart pounded as I grew angry at myself for letting my feelings get that far and angry at Enzo for not being the man I could see that he truly was inside. But it didn’t matter. What mattered was that he was choosing to shut me out. He chose to keep distance between us. He was very clear in his expectations and rules. I was the one who was wrong.
I turned away from him, hoping he wouldn't see the pain on my face, and I struggled to keep my tone level. "I helped myself to a snack and wine since you were in the shower longer than expected. Can I pour you a glass?"
"No. I think I'll pour myself something stronger."
I nodded, unable to speak with the lump forming in my throat as I held back tears.
He downed a glass of bourbon and sat the empty tumbler on the table loud enough that I jumped thanks to my frayed nerves.
Enzo seemed downright angry with me as if I'd done something wrong but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out what it was. I needed to get away from him long enough to find my bearings.
"Mind if I take a shower?"
"Help yourself. I'll let the captain know we are ready to head back."
I didn't say anything as I headed straight for the bathroom.
Half an hour later, we docked in the same spot we'd started in but nothing else felt the same. I'd cried all my feelings out in the shower until I was left feeling nothing.
I worked on autopilot as Enzo led me to the car. I was silent on the flight home, except when social conventions required me to speak, and Enzo seemed perfectly fine with it.
Enzo's driver drove us in awkward silence, finally glancing in his rearview mirror once we were closer to home. "Will we be dropping Signora Ferro at her apartment or heading straight to the penthouse, Signore?"
"To her apartment."
Wow.I mean, I wanted to be alone to try to figure out what the hell happened on that boat, but he didn't even ask me or hesitate to send me right back to my apartment.
We pulled up to my building and I didn't wait for the driver to open my door. All I could think about was getting away from Enzo.
I could hear him start to say something, but I couldn't make out what it was as I shut the door behind me. I was so close to having some privacy. I felt like I was going to fall apart but the last thing I wanted was to fall apart in front of him.
After a good cry that night, I woke up the next day feeling better and more certain of what I needed to do. I needed to quit looking at Enzo as a friend or anything more than my employer. I had a good opportunity for the next month to make enough money to completely change my life. I needed to take that and make the most of it.
After a long shower I planned to call Enzo to try to smooth things over. Leaving things the way they were would just make everything more uncomfortable and make doing my job that much harder. I turned off the water and wrapped a towel around myself when I heard my phone ringing. I rushed out of the bathroom to find my phone on my side table. It was Enzo.
