Masuk~FIORELLA~“Fine. I'm staying. But you better behave like a gentleman tonight, or you're going to have to deal with me,” I tell Lucas and he scoffs.“You know I'm always a gentleman, Fiorella,” he says. “I don't do things without permission. If anything is going to happen tonight, you'll have to give me permission to do that.”I can tell he's clearly teasing me.“Don't look so pleased with yourself,” I tell him.“I promise I'm not,” he replies, and I stare at him for another moment before looking away.“And there's absolutely nothing that will happen tonight, you weird ass!” I add, and he chuckles.“Of course. There's absolutely nothing that will happen tonight,” he says with amusement in his voice.“I don't think I'd want to ever go into that room again,” I say, changing the topic, because I'm starting to have stupid thoughts.“Why??” He asks. “They're going to fix it though.” “And if I see another cockroach??” I ask.“You won't,” he assures me.“You don't know t
~FIORELLA~“You’re staying here.”For a few seconds, I genuinely wonder if I hear him correctly.I stare at Lucas, and he stares back at me.Neither of us moves at first, till I finally blink.My brain seems to need those extra seconds to process the ridiculous sentence that has just come out of his mouth.“Excuse me?” I say, but Lucas doesn't even flinch.“You heard me,” he says.“I think I did, but I’m hoping I didn’t,” I say, and his lips twitch, and that tiny movement immediately irritates me.“What?” I demand.“You’re staying in my room tonight,” he repeats.“You cannot be serious.” I push myself farther back on the bed, staring at him like he has suddenly grown another head. “This is a joke.”“It isn't.”“Then you’ve lost your mind,” I glare at him.“Possibly,” he shrugs, and I narrow my eyes.Lucas looks entirely too calm for someone who has just informed me that I am sleeping in his room….with him.Of all the ridiculous things that have happened since we
~LUCAS~I have seen a lot of things in my life.But nothing…absolutely nothing….has prepared me for this.For Fiorella Vincenzo clinging to me like her life depends on it… because of cockroaches.I stand there for a second after setting her on my bed, staring at the door like if I look long enough, the entire situation will rearrange itself into something that makes sense.It doesn’t.A slow breath leaves me as I drag a hand down my face, my lips pressing together.I turn my head slightly, glancing at her.She’s still curled up on my bed, legs tucked under her, eyes darting toward the floor every few seconds like she expects something to crawl out and attack her.Her hair is slightly messy, her chest still rising and falling unevenly, and…. She's wearing that.I bite down hard on the inside of my cheek.She's wearing a short, silky nightwear that barely covers anything, and she’s completely unaware of how she looks right now.She's completely unaware of how a
~FIORELLA~My scream doesn’t even sound human.It’s loud, sharp, high-pitched…like something inside me just snapped completely.I scramble backward on the bed so fast I nearly trip over myself, my heart pounding so violently it feels like it’s trying to claw its way out of my chest.“Oh my God….oh my God…what the hell is that?!”The cockroach just sits there like it owns the place, and like I’m the intruder.My entire body recoils in disgust, my face twisting as pure horror floods through me. It’s huge…absolutely huge. Its disgusting little legs twitch, and I can swear with my life that he's looking at me.“No. No. No. No.”I shake my head rapidly, backing further away until my legs hit the edge of the bed and I nearly fall off.“This is not happening. This is not happening!”I have never.…never….seen a cockroach up close before.I’ve heard about them, seen pictures, and watched people complain about them.But this? This is a personal attack.The thing suddenly moves, and I freeze.T
~FIORELLA~I don’t think I’ve ever been this aware of my own heartbeat before.It’s loud, too fast, and too embarrassing.I keep my eyes forward, staring at the seat in front of me like it personally offended me, like if I focus hard enough, I can erase the last few minutes from existence.But I can’t.Because I still feel it….his hand on my arm. The warmth of his body pressed against mine.The way my fingers had fisted his shirt like I had every right to hold onto him.God.My stomach flips again, and I swallow hard.What the hell was that?What the hell was wrong with me?I shift slightly in my seat, creating distance….actual, noticeable distance this time. My arm pulls away from his. My thigh moves just enough so we’re no longer touching.I need space, air, and sanity.Because if I stay any closer, I might actually lose my mind.My fingers curl slightly against my lap as I try to steady my breathing.It was just turbulence.That’s all it was.People grab on
~LUCAS~I don’t know when I stopped seeing her as a problem to solve.Or maybe I still see her as a problem to solve.Maybe it started last night… when she stood in front of me, stripped of that sharp, untouchable arrogance she wears like armor, and said she was sorry.Fiorella Vincenzo doesn’t apologize.She fights. She provokes. She wins.But last night… she didn’t.And now, sitting here on this plane with her head resting on my shoulder like it belongs there, I realize something I’m not entirely comfortable with.I let this happen.No… not just let it.I made it easier for her.My jaw tightens slightly as I stare straight ahead, unmoving, hyper-aware of the soft weight of her against me.When her head first tilted, I felt it.That subtle shift. That moment of hesitation where she could have pulled back.She didn’t. And neither did I.Instead, I adjusted. I actually shifted my shoulder just enough to support her better.Why the hell did I do that?My eyes fli
Alessandro stands in the middle of his father’s office, tall and impassive, hands in his pockets, face unreadable. His black shirt clings to his frame, sleeves rolled to the elbows, veins prominent, tattoos peeking at his wrists. The room is thick with tension.Behind the heavy mahogany desk sits
~ELENA~I walk toward Nico, grab him by his collar and crash my lips against his, kissing him hard and passionately.The kiss is hot, hungry…and for a moment, the kiss is all there is.Nico groans low in my throat, his hands immediately going to my waist as he pulls me clos
~ELENA~Vincenzo pins me to the door and takes my lips in his, kissing me hard and passionately.The kiss lingers for a moment, hot, raw and passionate before he abruptly steps back. Like he just crossed a boundary.“Leave now, please” he growls. “Now that I'm still able
~ELENA~Nico's lips graze my cheeks…almost a kiss.Almost.And then the gym door swings open.“Damn!” We both exclaim.Riccardo walks in, towel over his shoulders. He pauses, eyes flicking between our too-close bodies.“Everything okay here??” He asks, voice neutral, but b







