LOGIN~~SERA~~
During dinner, Knox turned on the egg eighteen times. Each time he did it was when a server came by or when I was taking a bite. He had me so turned on by the time we got the check that I could have moved from my chair and sat in his lap.Every time he switched it on, I had to clench my legs to stop them shaking. Knox sat on the opposite side and smirked while he ate his steak. While I, on the other hand, had to keep myself from moaning each time I took a bite of myI blink at Robert a couple of times, not quite sure what I'm hearing. Just because this is what I've been working toward and hoping for doesn't make it any less shocking to be here in his office, with him telling me I'm headed off to Italy for a job.I've done it! Somehow, I've done it. That feels really exciting."Do you mean it?" I blink at him a couple of times, trying to process this as best as I can. "This is happening? I'm really going to work on the Italian project?""You've started a brand new phase for the company," Robert laughs. "I'm just as shocked as you are. This is something that will be positive for all of us."The tight knot in my chest loosens. I have been so nervous ever since I had that meeting in Italy. I thought it went well, and now it seems like my suspicions were correct. Everything is coming together in the best way possible. My career is definitely going in a new direction, which is something that didn't seem possible at one point. When I first found out tha
~~Stephano~~I sweep a strand of hair off her face. Her face is so beautiful as it rests on my pillow. It's almost like she belongs right here in my condo. "This weekend has gone way too quickly.""I know," she murmurs back as she snuggles into me. "It has been so rapid. But fun."My heart won't stop pounding as I stare at her. I know I'm hooked all over again. I was addicted to Aria the last time we spent the night together; I couldn't shake her off for a reason. She was the most interesting person I'd ever had sex with. But being back with her has changed that.Now I realize it is because there's something there - for sure. We have a powerful connection, unlike anything I have ever experienced before. That means something, I'm sure of it. If there's a woman who's going to capture my attention and change my behavior, then it's Aria. If no one else has come along yet to even spark my fire, even a little bit, then I'm certain of it. I want to give
~~ARIA~~ Ring, ring... ring, ring... I don't want to get up from the table as yet because I'm having such a nice time... but this is Mom calling. I can't ignore the call because it might be about Leo. Bringing my two worlds together is a little unnerving, I have to admit. "I'm just going to take this," I tell Stefano as I scrape my chair back. "Be right back." "You don't have to go," he chuckles. "I won't listen in." I smile thinly as I back away because there's no way I can have this chat right in front of him. Not when I haven't even mentioned my son. I can't talk about Leo without being honest, and I really don't think Stefano will respond well to my news. Oh hey, you have a young son that I never told you about. Yeah, that won't go down well, especially since it seems to me like Stefano is still the same playboy he was a couple of years ago. He's still a flirt who doesn't give off vibes that he wants to settle down. So a son won't be a blessing. It's kinda sad, but I think
~~STEPHANO~~What the hell is happening to me? It's almost funny because it's so crazy. I can't quite wrap my head around it. I mean, all those months I spent pining after Aria and telling myself not to pine after her. I never thought that I would see her again. I didn't think our paths would ever cross and certainly not like this."Aria?" A smile spreads across my face. "What on earth are you doing here in the middle of my favorite coffee shop? What a surprise!"I try to ignore the way my heart skips a few beats as she smiles right back. Damn, she somehow looks even cuter two years later. My memory hasn't done her justice at all."I've actually just been at a meeting nearby," she laughs. "For work. I'm not stalking you!"I take a seat next to her and order my usual coffee with the waitress, unable to stop looking at her. As our eyes connect, it's almost as if the last couple of years haven't happened. They've simply vanished; this might as well be the day after the wedding."Wow, so
~~ARIA~~Two years later... My boss Robert, stares at me in shock as I finish my proposal. I can't help twisting my hands anxiously around in my lap as I wait for him to respond. I know I'm putting forth a lot, but I'm hoping he sees that I'm worth it. I mean, I've surely proven my worth over the last two years.I know that Robert took a risk when he hired me because I was pregnant, and there was no guarantee which way my life would go. But I've worked really hard to show that he made the right choice. At least, I've tried to, every single day. I always volunteer for any work available, and I'm always putting forth ideas during meetings.I'm lucky that my mother moved close as soon as Leo was born so she could help me out with babysitting. She loves him and adores looking after him, allowing me to pursue my career. I'm lucky, and I feel it every day. Somehow, I've managed to "have it all", although only with assistance. Architecture might still be more a man's world, but I've taken a
~~ARIA~~ Urgh, what was that? Streams of morning light bursting into the room from the drapes I must have forgotten to close them last night in the haste of everything that happened. My head is pounding way too much for me to see through the intensity of the blinding whiteness. I definitely had a few too many last night. More than a few but then it was worth it. Not that I regret it. It was so much fun. In fact, that was the best wedding I have ever been to in my life. Mostly because I met an incredible woman. One who made me feel things I definitely haven't felt before. Thinking about Aria brings a smile to my face, despite the agony ricocheting through my brain. I reach across the bed trying to find her. "Aria?" The bed is empty. More than that, the bed is cold like she hasn't been in it for hours. I force myself into a sitting position and blink furiously, trying to find out what's going on. I can't see Aria... no sight of her. "Aria, are you here?" She's bound to be in the
CHAPTER 25: (Friday, 5:45 PM)The hall smelled of floor wax, childhood sweat, and the faint, hopeful scent of hairspray from the mothers backstage. Keira stood at the back, her hands shoved deep in her coat pockets, trying to blend into the crowd of parents, grandparents, and b
CHAPTER 23: The morning after the kiss, Keira woke with the taste of him still on her lips. She lay in bed, the pale Sunday light filtering through the blinds, and replayed it all—the restaurant, the alley, his hands in her hair, the low rasp of his voice saying, This is happening, isn’
CHAPTER 20: COFFEE AND CONFETTI (Six months after Juliette’s birth) The café smelled of burnt espresso beans and cinnamon. A scent Keira had come to associate with this new phase of her life. The After Isabella phase. Not that Isabella was gone, exactly. Just… transf
CHAPTER 22: (Saturday) The rain started just as Keira was deciding what to wear. A sudden, insistent downpour that rattled the windows and turned the streets into temporary rivers. She stood in front of her closet, holding up a dress, then putting it back. Too much.







