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“No girlfriends. I wouldn’t call them lovers either. I fuck,” he replied, reaching up and tugging open the top of my towel to reveal my boobs. I rolled my eyes but let him as his hand caressed down my side and rested on my hip.
“Well, I don’t get jealous easily,” I smiled at him as his eyes flicked up to mine.
“Good for you,” he smirked, leaning in to kiss my neck as my eyes fluttered closed at the power of his lips on my skin. “I don’t care about your past, Elle. But there is something that has been bugging me.”
He lifted his head away from my neck and rested it on the pillow next to mine. I frowned a little, knowing how unpredictable he was. Anything could come out of his mouth and I wouldn’t expect it.
“What was the real reason you went to La Casetta in the first place? Why did you go through so much trouble to get in as a worker? Were you going to have sex there?” He asked, holding my gaze.
I sighed as I rolled onto my back to look up at the ceiling. “Yes, no. I don’t know. There wasn’t just one specific reason I did it. It was a whole magnitude of things that were happening in my life all at once and I just felt… suffocated. Out of control.”
“Like what?” he asked. I could still feel his gaze on the side of my face and it made my heart flutter.
“My lack of freedom mainly. I was forced to move back home when I finished uni. I wanted my own place. But I wasn’t allowed. I wanted to get a job at an art gallery, but I couldn’t apply. I couldn't go anywhere without my brother's permission and if I was allowed, I would have an entourage of men to follow me. I wanted the choice to date someone of my choosing, who wasn’t part of this fucked up world. But I was told it wasn’t safe. I felt trapped. Stuck in time and unable to do anything with my life to move it forwards. Gio was getting married. Mamma was finding a connection with Marco. Sephie had this amazing job in fashion she had just landed. Everyone was living their lives and I wasn’t allowed to. I was stuck and drowning in it all. And then I met Rico and I was intrigued. I have always been a sexual person and I wanted to see what a sex club was like for myself. To experience something new. It was something I had control over and was doing entirely for myself. And I am guessing you know the rest,” I turned my head to stare at him and my heart constricted in my chest at the look in his eyes.
It was one I had never seen before. I had expected him to think it all stupid and mock me. Most people did when I tried to explain my life. ‘Poor little rich girl who has the whole world at her fingertips and is complaining about her brother caring about her too much.’ I knew how it looked, how it sounded. But the look in his eyes was of understanding. He reached his hand up to my face and caressed my cheek.
“That’s what you meant by that text. Your greatest fear was that you would never be free. Never be able to make your own choices?”
I blinked at him, surprised he remembered that. I nodded slowly and he ran his thumb over my lips, looking down at them before they glided back up into my eyes.
“I’m sorry, Elle.” I frowned, not understanding what exactly he was apologising for. “For being another person in your life that has taken away your freedom.”
I held those ocean eyes, which were filled with so much sincerity, and I could tell he meant it. Spiralling emotions rocketed through me so fast that I found it hard to think clearly. Of course, he was right. He had taken away what little freedom I did have. He is holding me here in his house as his captive to gain control over the North. I should be mad at him for it and yet, for some reason, I can’t find the energy anymore. Because deep down, the last few days had made me feel more alive than I had ever felt before. Being with him makes me feel free, which is quite obviously insane. I was losing my mind.
I sat up and wrapped the towel around me again, covering my body as I leaned against the headboard and stared across the room. He tensed next to me, before slowly heaving himself up to a sitting position too. Our shoulders were touching, but I didn’t pull away because the contact calmed me.
“You were never meant to get caught up in all of this, Elle. I would have never put your life in danger or kidnapped you to gain the North, but this got messy. Now you are here, and I know I shouldn’t be but I am glad you are.” He rubbed his hands up and down his face in frustration and sighed. “I don’t know what this is between us. I don’t know what any of this means or how you even feel about me. But I want you to know that I promise you, I will let you be free to make your own decisions.”
I turned to look at him as he stared straight ahead at the black TV on the wall.
“What do you mean?”
He suddenly rolled over me and laid between my legs, wrapping his arms around my waist. He gazed up at me and I couldn’t help but trace my fingers over his handsome face.
“I have a proposition for you.”
My eyebrows furrowed as I regarded the small smile at the corner of his lips.
“That sounds dangerous,” I teased.
“It is,” his smile widened. “I have to go to Greece for a business meeting in a few days. But I’d like you to come with me. We could leave tomorrow and have a few days to ourselves before. And when we get back, you can make your decision.”
“What decision?”
His words and the look in his eyes were making my heart race. His smile faded and he lowered his head to my stomach, kissing it delicately before he glanced back up.
“Whether you want to stay with me or go back to your family,” he answered. My eyes widened as we held each other’s gaze. What? He would let me go? It would be my choice? Of course I would leave… wouldn’t I? I had to. Why would I stay here? It was madness to even think of staying. But at the same time, I couldn’t ignore the soul-crushing idea of never seeing Alessio again. Of walking away.
“You don’t have to say anything now. In fact, I don’t want you to even think about it. I just want you to say you will come to Greece with me and try something.”
“Try what?”
“We will pretend everything isn’t a completely fucked up mess right now. Just be our true selves. Pretend that our last names don’t make us mortal enemies. I know you don’t want to be part of this mafia world, but let me show you what life with me could be like. Let me show you freedom, Elle.”
My mouth dropped open and closed again as I struggled to process the magnitude of his words. I pushed him off me and stood up. I started pacing the floor.
“What are you even saying, Alessio? How can we just ignore everything that is going on around us? And a life with you? Are you actually suggesting we could have a future together? Did you hit your head when you were fucking me in the shower?”
