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The frenetic rush of the airport terminal is all at once invigorating and overwhelming. Dozens of people dart by, speaking in a sea of different languages, dragging oversized luggage, and screaming children. I don’t know why I insisted on walking them to the security checkpoint. Maybe it’s because the loss of my new friend is suddenly starting to hit me. Since the divorce, all the Upper East Side wives I used to hang out with have conveniently disappeared. Which is fine, really. I was always too awkward and clumsy to hang out with the likes of them. They were all so extra, and I’m just me.
Which is why I immediately clicked with Rose.
“Well, I guess this is it.” Rose stops in front of the security line reserved for first class passengers. I’d wondered why the great Dante Valentino wasn’t flying by private jet, but Rose said something about wanting to stay under the radar. I suppose in the chaotic mass of people at JFK, it would be easier to slip by undetected.
She throws open her arms and pulls me into a big hug. “I’m going to miss you, girl.”
“You, too.” I give her a tight squeeze before stepping back to stare up at her. At just barely past five feet, I spend most of my time looking up at people. Not great for my self-esteem which is already pretty much scraping the floor. But that’s what therapy is for, right? “I’mreallygoing to miss you,” I murmur.
“I’ll be back before you know it.”
Dante tugs Rose into his side and drops a chaste kiss on her cheek. “Andiamo,” he growls. Then he whispers something in her ear that has her cheeks turning fifty shades of red. From what Rose has spilled, the man is an animal in bed. I can believe it too with those bulging biceps, that massive chest and those sexy-as-sin tattoos. I’m getting all hot and bothered just thinking about what a night in bed with a man like that would be like….
True fact: I’ve only been with one man my entire life.
And again, from what I’ve discovered, Jasper was no expert in the bedroom. I could count the number of orgasms I’ve had in my life on one hand. I really do need to get back out there. One day.
“Okay, we have to go, Maisy.” Rose ticks her head at the walk-through metal detector and the gates beyond. She pulls me into one more hug, and I catch Dante’s gaze lift over our heads. His dark eyes narrow in on something over my shoulder, but Rose is still squeezing me into her chest so I can’t follow his line of sight.
Whatever he sees has hard lines carving into his jaw, then something dark flashes across his expressive irises. Rose finally releases me and must notice Dante’s wary expression because her eyes follow his to the far corner of the terminal.
“What is it?” she whispers.
Goosebumps ripple across my arms for an inexplicable reason.
“I thought I saw….” Dante’s mouth tightens into a thin line, and then he shakes his head. “Nothing.” He curls his arm around her shoulder and guides her toward the roped off area. She walks through the metal detector first, and Dante lingers a moment longer before turning to me. “Thanks, Maisy. And be careful, okay?”
My head bounces up and down. “Um, anything I should particularly be careful of?” I’m super proud of myself for getting the whole sentence out without stuttering. I tend to ramble when I get nervous.
His dark brows furrow, and he’s still glaring at the same spot. There’s a café or something at the end of the terminal. “I’m not sure yet, but I’ll let you know if I land on anything.” He claps his hand over my shoulder and gives it a squeeze. “Ciao.”
“Ciao,” I mumble back weakly. I remain rooted to the spot long after the happy couple disappears into the jumble of rushing bodies and spinning carry-ons.
With a sigh, I finally turn around and trudge back toward the exit. Now, I just have to figure out how to get back to my car. Scanning the overhead signs, a dark shadow looms over me. A prickle of awareness surges up my spine, but I ignore it, keeping my eyes pinned to the directions above. I try to get my bearings and disregard the overpowering presence sending my mind into a tailspin.
“Are you lost, little fox?” That familiar deep tenor steals the air from my lungs. I blink quickly as vivid images assault my mind. The hood over my head, the gloved hand covering my mouth, my mind spinning before I passed out. Then that deep, sultry voice as we bounce around the backseat as the van rumbles down the street.
I slowly turn around and meet a pair of blazing blue eyes. A few strands of dark hair have come free from the tie at the base of his neck, framing the hard lines of his sculpted, scruffy jaw and drawing my attention to that cruel mouth. A thin line bisects his upper lip, the scar lending an arrogant twist to his lips.
Nico Rossi.
A tremor cascades through my body.
He must notice it because he lifts his hands innocently and takes a step back. “Relax,piccola. I only stopped by to say hello.”
I force my lips into a smile as I scan the hustle and bustle of bodies surrounding us. There’s no way he can take me again, not in the middle of a busy airport, right?
“And to apologize for that ugly business last week. I never meant for you to get caught up in it.”
My head bounces up and down, all the air tied up in my lungs. Was this who Dante thought he’d seen? It has to have been. I convince myself he’s here to check on his half-brother and this truly has nothing to do with me. I’m just at the wrong place at the very wrong time. Like always.
“Um, water under the bridge and all that,” I somehow manage. “That’s such an odd turn of phrase, don’t you think? Like what does that really mean?”
Nico’s scrutinizing gaze rakes over me, silencing my inane rambling.Thank God. His nostrils flare, and his broad chest expands beneath his expertly tailored suit. Like he’s smelling me…. I’m overcome with the most overwhelming urge to smell my underarms. Did I forget to put on deodorant? Why is he looking at me like he wants to devour me?
“Anyway, I have to get going.” I wave a nonchalant hand. I can’t even lie and tell him my boyfriend or my husband is waiting for me because he already knows I don’t have one. He’s already met my psycho ex.
I spin on my heel, but thick fingers close around my wrist before I can move an inch. Nico steps into me, his towering frame blocking everything else out. His lips brush the shell of my ear, and another wave of goosebumps domino down my arms.
“See you soon, little fox. Very soon.”
* * *
