Page 18 of Isle of Seduction
She smiles widely at the waiter, who smiles back, so I take her hand in mine, linking our fingers together, in a ridiculous show of ownership I’ve never displayed with anyone before.
It has the expected effect. He takes a small step back, drops the Colgate smile, and disappears after announcing tonight’s special, a beetroot tartare with umeboshi and amaranth crumble. Too fancy and weird for my taste, but this upcoming chef specialises in vegan dishes.
“Was that really necessary?” Giulia drawls.
“No, but it was fun to see him piss his pants, and need I remind you, wife, that we’re here on a mission?”
She leans over the table and places her hand on top of mine, eliciting a new kind of warmth to spread under my skin. Her bright smile is finally directed at me but the edge underneath is all stormy and menacing. I love it.
“Underestimate me again, husband, and I’ll stab you with my fork. Watch and learn.”
For the rest of the evening, Giulia shines her brightest light on me. Her smile never dims, her charm never wavers. It all feels wrong. Fake. But everyone around us drinks it like kool-aid. The only real moment we share is a conspiratorial look when we witness one of other guests snapping a picture of us, hands linked on top of our table. It’s my favourite of the evening.
“Let the games begin,” she says, clinking her glass of sparkling water to mine. Kinship is something I only have with Nico. If I can allow myself to have that with someone else, someone I could trust, it would change the game and bring my ambitions to life.
Long after we’re back at the cottage, I walk to her bedroom door. It’s locked, as I thought it would be. Good thing it’s my house and I have all the keys and tools to open any door.
I enter and take my seat. Giulia’s regular breathing lulls me to sleep for a couple of hours and when I wake up, it’s harder to leave than it was yesterday.
I stand above her sleeping form, the dark blue sheets a stark contrast to her pale skin, and engrave her peaceful face in my brain. With a light finger, I move a strand of silky hair from her face, drawing the lightest contented sigh from Giulia’s lips. The sound will haunt me until the end of our fake marriage.
SEVEN
NO, I DON’T WANT TO FALL IN LOVE
That man really respects nothing.
I wake up with the curtains open again and the lock on the door undone. He’s not even pretending not to enter my sacred space anymore. I wish I’d feel violated but that would be a big fucking lie, and unfortunately, I hate lying.
Andrea might think I gather information and secrets on everyone by lying and playing actress, but the truth is that I’m genuinely interested in what people have to say. Gathering secrets is a thrill like none other and the idea of it makes me giddy and open, ready to receive what people are desperate to spill. You’d be surprised what people tell you when they think you’re an air-head who’s just really nice to them.
I slept fitfully. Restfully. Not waking up once.
I hold myself in my room all morning, ashamed and confused, trying to get the new curtains up by standing on the club seat and foregoing coffee. Anything to avoid seeing him.
A knock comes on my door and Nico’s voice fleets from behind.
“Come in.”
“What are you doing?” he asks, frowning.
“What does it look like?” I sigh, exasperated that I can’t manage to hang the curtains by myself. A ladder would be fucking useful, but I don’t want to see someone’s face. Is it childish to hide? Yes. Do I care? No.
Nico sighs and leaves.
I swear, that man only talks in onomatopoeia and his favourite is the loud sigh of annoyance. In two days, I’ve grown to like that he doesn’t fill the silence with silly chatter, but he also hasn’t given me anything on Andrea or their family. He’s a vault.
“There.”
I almost jump out of my skin when I find Nico holding a ladder. I didn’t hear him enter the room and I’m freaking out that he can move so silently. He must be Andrea’s enforcer, because anyone would kill to have that skill and it can come in handy when you deal with enemies.
“Thanks,” I say awkwardly and continue on my mission.
One window down, two to go. This room finally resembles something I can feel comfortable in, somewhere I could belong. It’s not home, but I need to make it so if I don’t want to go insane in the next five years. I dial the person I miss the most and she answers on the first ring.
“Are you okay, G?”
Lana’s voice is like a soothing balm. Even if I miss the salted air of Kalliste and the view of the sea from the cliffs, so different from the lush green forest outside my window, I can always count on her to cheer me up.