Chapter 17
Dante
I had to get out of there. I made sure she was asleep before I left. A good three hours went by before I decided to make my departure. If I had stayed any longer, I would have confessed everything to her, and that could not happen until she was available without any lingering attachments. The love I felt for her had increased one thousand times over. The feel of her soft skin pressed against mine, the smell of her hair, the warmth of her breath—all of it threw me into sensory overload.
I was bordering the lines of irrational thought that could lead to irrational action. I had to expose the truth about her husband and soon. She must be mine. Everything—all of me—every single ounce of my being was screaming out to have her in my heart and me within hers. The time for patience and treading softly was over. It was time for action. I loved her, and she needed to be with someone who would treat her like the goddess she truly was. That embrace—that soft, sensual embrace threw me into an enraptured state.
The moment she fell asleep, I let it all off my chest. I proclaimed my love for her. How her silky dark hair, soft flushed skin and beautiful hazel eyes, drove me to the point of emotional insanity. My heart fluttered noticeably when I pulled her body closer to mine. Her touch forced my body to shake uncontrollably, yet I knew those feelings couldn’t be reciprocated in her drunken state.
I was sure that by the time she woke up, she would have forgotten everything. Nothing could be more tormenting than loving someone you could not have, but to sleep in the same bed with them, to cuddle them, to have them ask you not to leave was a torture worse than hell.
If she only knew the depth of my love for her, then she would have known how much suffering my heart went through last night. I supposed I shouldered most, if not all, of the blame for this. Despite her pleading, I could have left. Despite her reluctance, I’d taken her out and flattered her with that helicopter ride and candlelit dinner.
Worst of all, I’d deceived her with my handwriting. Knowing she had become suspicious of me, I chose to write with my left hand and not my right, concealing my identity as her secret admirer—bringer of the letters. I suffered all this because I must. I had to keep it all hidden until she was divorced. I promised myself this.
Only now, I believed she was starting to see me in a different light. I could be everything she was looking for, everything she desired and more. My only hope, only wish, was that she would remember all of this when she woke up.
“Dante, are you in there?” a voice asked from the other side of the door.
I looked through the peephole. I was hoping it would be her, but instead, it was Maya. What could she want? I opened the door a crack. “You’re up early. Can I help you with something?”
“May I come in?” she asked.
“Why?” My glance was off-putting.
“I’d like to talk to you for a moment.” She smiled. I wasn’t so sure about letting her in; nevertheless, I opened the door wider, allowing her to step in.
“Why are you all dressed up this early?” She looked me up and down.
“These are the same clothes I was wearing last night. I haven’t had a chance to change.”
She walked by my smirking. “So, what’s up with you two ditching Gaspard and me last night? I went to check in on Isabella, but she’s still sleeping. What did you two do?”
“We just went out sightseeing and had dinner.”
“Just the two of you?”
“Yes.”
“I see.” She took off her shoes and sat on my bed.
“You like her, don’t you?” She giggled a bit.
“Excuse me?”
“Isabella. You like her. I can tell.”
“Well, of course I like her. She’s an exquisite businesswoman and has a great personality.”
“I’m not talking about professionally, Dante. I’m talking personally. You have feelings for her, don’t you?”
I tried to hide my embarrassment. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Oh, come on, Dante, it’s written all over you. The way you keep staring at her. The way you dismissed my advances. Not to mention the way you look right now.”
“And how do I look?”
“You look sad, disappointed even—that I came to your door and not Isabella.”
I stood there speechless.
“Well, am I right?” she asked.
“I’m sorry, Maya, but I really need to take a shower and get some rest. Our flight back is only ten hours from now, and I’m exhausted.”
“Prove to me you don’t have feelings for her.”
“Maya, I’m not sure what you think you’re doing, but—”
She stood from the bed and drew nearer to me. “Kiss me,” she said. I took a step back. She couldn’t be serious. Was she drunk?
“I’m not going to kiss—” Before I could utter another word, she pressed her lips against mine. I stood there in shock, unable to move. I didn’t kiss her back, nor did I touch her. A few moments later, she opened her eyes, pulled away, and smiled. She looked at me with certainty.
“You just answered my question. I’ll see you later, Dante.” She put her shoes back on and left. I couldn’t believe what just happened. How could she just come in here and— How in the world could . . . She was going to ruin everything. The landline of my hotel room rang, startling me. What could it be now? Gaspard was supposed to have kept an eye on that woman. How in the world did she find out what room I was staying in?
“Hello? Who is it?” I said agitatedly.
“Dante, how are you? You left so suddenly last night. Is everything okay?” It was Isabella.
“You told me to stay with you until you fell asleep. So, after you fell asleep, I came back to my room.”
“Thank you so much for last night, Dante. I had the time of my life. When is our flight back?”
“In about ten hours.”
“Do you want to have lunch with me?” she asked. Operating on very little sleep was a price I was willing to pay if it meant I could spend more time with her.
“Sure. When would you like to go?”
“Around one o’clock? We’ll meet in the lobby. Is that all right?”
“That sounds perfect, Isabella.”
“Good, I’ll see you soon—oh, wait a second. Maya’s banging on my door. I’ll give you a call when I’m headed down there. See you soon.” She hung up the phone. In my excitement to meet her for lunch, the fact she’d just mentioned Maya took a moment to register in my mind. If Maya was banging on her door, then she was probably going to tell Isabella what just happened. Crap!