I get home to find the big house mostly dark. Looks like no one’s home yet. I hurry down to Sofia’s room, and I can see the glow of her light and hear her moving around.

I’m so excited to see her. I can’t stop thinking about her. I’ve been working myself double time all day, trying to get out early so I can spend some time with her.

I come up to the doorway and see her standing in front of her mirror, smoothing a black dress across her thighs. It has thick straps over her pale shoulders, plunging into a deep heart neckline with a tight bodice. The skirt is loose and short, showing off her fine legs.

The fabric glitters in the half light with a shimmering, wet look.

I move in the doorway, and she sees me in the mirror. As she turns around, the skirt twirls a little from its heavy, short flares, winking the view of her thighs between shimmering dark and shadowed skin.

“Hi, Marco!”

She’s enthusiastic, so happy. My heart lifts at her smile, but I’m not sure what she’s excited about or where she’s going.

“Hello, Sofia. Had a good day?”

“Better now,” she grins at me.

She turns back to the mirror to smooth the bodice gently against her skin. I watch her stroke along under her breasts, and it starts getting me hard. Such long legs, under such a short skirt…

She looks amazing.

“Going somewhere special?” I try to make it light.

She turns, smiling, skirt tossing about her thighs again.

“I’m getting ready for a special date, ” she says, smiling broadly at me, and winks.

Okay.

What the fuck? Who? Where?

I have half a mind to start fucking her right here and now, just to stop her going anywhere. She looks incredible.

She strides over to the closet and grabs a bright red silken wrap and pulls it around her shoulders. The glittering, silky black dress was dramatic enough against her pale skin and fine features. The addition of the vibrant red to the outfit brings out the red in her lips and makes her eyes even darker.

Like she needs more mystery.

“Does it have something to do with the gala?”

Maybe it’s a business dinner.

“Oh no,” she chuckles. “I have all that covered.”

She walks towards me, adjusting the wrap around her upper arms.

“This is all pleasure, I think.”

“I have something planned for tonight too. I was going to check with you…”

“That’s okay,” she smiles. “I’m sure it’ll work out. I’m really looking forward to tonight.”

“Yeah…This evening is pretty important to me. I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you about it sooner. Just the anticipation, you know? So much to plan.”

She’s beaming at me, literally. The good vibes are flowing off her in waves.

I really don’t think I know what the fuck is going on.

“I appreciate it soooo much,” she says.

She comes closer and puts a hand on my arm, looking deep into my eyes.

“I know how hard you’ve worked, and I’m so happy. Really. I’m so grateful for everything.”

This is starting to sound scarily like a goodbye. I’m not sure of what to say.

My plans tonight are important. I’ve worked up to it for a long time.

I can’t let all my good work go to waste.

She’s right in front of me, looking luscious, and I just want to get my head under that silky skirt and make her writhe and scream and cry my name. I’m quite desperate to prove myself to her physically. The idea that she has gone to this much trouble for someone else is really darkening my thoughts.

“I have some important details I need to fix up, then I’m going to see where Franco and Antonio are.”

She smiles like a kid with a secret.

“Okay. You go ahead. I’m nearly ready to go.”

She leans in, red lips curving in a gorgeous smile as she kisses my cheek.

“I can’t wait to see you later,” she whispers close to my ear.

With another ear to ear grin, she dances back to the dresser and starts putting on light touches of makeup. I’m completely baffled as I begin to walk away.

I’m pretty sure Antonio had a big afternoon moving paintings between warehouses and planning for a new art show. He’s usually out late in those situations. Franco wanted to get the paperwork finished so he could start on a clean slate with the new accounts and the upcoming business change.

He was planning a very late one too. So, she can’t be seeing one of them.

Maybe it’s a quick dinner date with one of them?

That doesn’t make sense. She was getting ready for a big evening.

Something is wrong here. I just can’t put my finger on it.

I’ve got a fierce little ember of anxiety inside me, and I’ve learned to trust my instincts. I have too much to do tonight, though. I really have to get moving.

I head towards my office to get some final tasks done.

As I enter and see my neatly stacked papers, I realize Sofia could’ve been in here. We have left her alone in the mansion multiple times. She might know everything about our operation and what we’re planning to do.

I try to shake off these paranoid thoughts. It’s just uncertainty about the next steps of the business. There’s nothing wrong with Sofia—maybe she’s meeting a friend.

We don’t know that much about her. In fact, we know next to nothing.

I feel that anxiety again, but I find I can’t accuse Sofia, even in my mind.

She’s such an amazing woman.

If we can’t trust her, then we can’t trust anyone. She has appeared in our lives at exactly the right moment, like a sign that everything we’re doing is the right choice.

It’s meant to be. And yet her behavior tonight is a little unnerving.