AnastasiaAfter we got back to the mansion, he said he had some business to tend to, so he dropped me off and drove away. I was angry at our previous conversation and it only left me to truly think about what our relationship was.Hours had passed. I’d already showered and cleaned his room a bit. When I sat down on the couch and looked out the window, I felt lost. Lying down in my lingerie gown, I stared up at the ceiling in complete silence. The room was dark, and my mind was jumping from one place to another as I just thought about everything.The door opened, but I didn’t bother to sit up. No one else dared to walk into his room, so I simply concluded that Valentino had strolled in. Slowly turning my head, I faced him, only to notice the dark bags under his eyes and the harsh yawn that left his lips.His eyes wandered down my body before making their way back up. The bags that accessorized his eyes almost began to vanish as he walked toward me. I quickly held up my hand and shook m

AnastasiaWhen I woke up, Valentino was already getting dressed for the day. I couldn’t help but sigh as I watched him. He was such a handsome man. As I looked at him, I tried to find any flaw, but I came up empty-handed every time. From his black hair to his strong jaw and beautiful blue eyes, I used to dream of finding a man like him.“I actually wanted to talk about you for once. I noticed we always talk about me, but I would really love to even the playing field a bit,” I muttered sadly as he threw on one of his shirts.He walked over to me and stood by the edge of the bed. My knees sank into the mattress as I sat up and began to button up his plain white shirt while he just stared down at me. When I glanced into his eyes, he leaned down and pecked my lips. A warmth spread throughout my body and hugged me tightly as a small smile made its way onto my face.“We can talk later, no?” he asked.I let out a huff of air before shrugging and throwing myself down onto his bed where I pull

“I’m worried about you. He seems dangerous, and I don’t understand how you can choose a guy like him over me. I would do anything for you, don’t you know that?” I gulped before allowing my eyes to cast down to my lap. It was the conversation I was trying to avoid so I could keep him as my friend.He was right about one thing. How could I choose a man like Valentino over Jacob, who wasn’t stubborn, and who seemed like he knew how to love a woman? Jacob was more emotionally available than Valentino would ever be, yet Valentino owned my heart.“Please, just give me a chance. I promise I will treat you the way you deserve to be treated, which will be many times better than that Romano guy ever could,” Jacob let out. I opened my mouth to speak, but before a word could get out, Jacob pressed his lips to mine.I was shocked. I didn’t know what to say or do without losing our friendship, so I just sat there. There were no shocks or tingles like I got with Valentino, all I felt was lips moving

ANASTASIAThe car was parked in the middle of nowhere. There was nothing but trees and birds that called out from above us. The rich scent of woods clogged my nostrils as I opened the door and stepped out. I couldn’t hide my smile as I looked around me—it was beautiful.When I turned to face Valentino, who had already gotten out of the car, his eyes were glued to me. My smile seemed to grow as I looked at him before staring up above me at the beautiful sight of green and sky. The wind whisked through my hair, embracing me in nature’s hug. I loved the outdoors.“This isn’t all, Bambolina,” he said. My eyebrow rose as he locked his door before walking up to me. I decided to follow his lead with his arm curled around my waist. We walked and walked. I distracted myself with the animals that ran by. The place was lovely, and I could only question why I had never ventured out into the wild before. The silence Valentino and I shared was nurturing. I found myself gaining comfort in the musica

When he pulled me back up, he spun me around until my back hit his chest. I haven’t felt so happy in so long. Valentino made the bad luck that always stood in as my shadow, easily disappear. He may be a scary, dangerous man, but he was my savior. My life without him would be a deep pit of darkness.He gave my neck a small kiss before whisking me back around. I lowered my head down on his shoulder as his hands returned to my waist. We continued to sway to the music, loving each other’s embrace.His fingertips trailed down to my bottom, where he moved up the shirt and gripped my ass. I couldn’t help but let out a giggle.“Thank you for this,” I told him. Pulling my head up from his shoulder, I gazed into his eyes. I grabbed ahold of his face and stood on my tippy-toes to kiss his lips. He promised me he would try, and I was loving the effort.“You deserve the world,” he muttered as he grabbed my hands away from his face and leaned down to peck my lips.“Teach me Italian,” I repeated my