Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 142640 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 713(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 475(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142640 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 713(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 475(@300wpm)
The elevator doors open and we arrive at my private foyer, I scan my fingerprint and the door releases with a click. This place has so much security that it’s like a spy movie.
“Thank you, just put the bags here by the door.”
“You don’t want me to carry them up to your room?” he asks.
“No. That’s fine.” I smile. “I have washing to do, thanks anyway.”
He unloads my suitcases from the luggage trolley. “Is there anything else I can get you, Miss Ferrara?”
“No thanks,” I reply as I look around. “I won’t be leaving again tonight, you can retire.”
“There will be the usual men downstairs if you need anything,” he replies.
“Thank you, have a nice night.”
“See you tomorrow,” he says as the elevator doors close behind him.
I turn and look around my penthouse, I love this place.
Secluded and private.
The guards are able to wait downstairs, they don’t need to be so close that I can see them. I forget they are even around when I’m here.
This was the first piece of property that Giuliano signed over to me after my father died. I guess you could say that it has sentimental value, it was such a shock when he broke tradition and gave it to me. Little did we know at the time, it was to be the first of many properties that he signed over to me and my brothers over the next few months.
There are floor-to-ceiling windows looking over the city, and because it’s the rooftop and I’m the only apartment up here, I have a huge deck and entertaining area, complete with a pool and cabana. Beautiful gardens are planted outside, I even have a lawn with trees.
Green grass in an apartment, who knew?
I open the heavy slider door and walk out into my garden, strategically positioned spotlights shine up onto the plants and the sound of the water feature trickles in the distance.
I sit down on one of the deckchairs, and text Giuliano.
I’m here
ox
Now…. I wait. I’m excited and nervous and terrified that I’m doing the wrong thing all at once.
But…there’s no going back now. I’m here and I’m ready to take the chance.
Because he’s worth it, that I know for sure.
I lie back and look up at the sky, I’m in Italy. Maybe for forever this time.
A warm and fuzzy feeling filters through my bloodstream.
It’s good to be home.
Giuliano
I glance at the time on the top of my computer screen, I’m on the countdown until I can leave work. After Francesca’s text to tell me she’s here over two hours ago, I’m like a cat on a hot tin roof. I just want to get out of here, playing it cool is not as easy as I thought it was going to be.
I’m always the last to leave and I’m not acting any different, I can’t risk anything being picked up.
Lorenzo knocks twice on the door. “I’m going home.”
“Okay. Have a good night.”
He lingers, causing me to glance up at him.
“I hear you went to Paris earlier in the week…you visited Francesca.”
I sit back in my chair, annoyed. “Keeping tabs on me now, are you?”
“Not at all, just….” He hesitates.
“Just what?”
“It does make me wonder why you would take the trouble to go to another country to see her.”
Fuck off already.
“I picked up a computer from France from a new contact, I wanted to meet him in person and seeing I was already there I called in to visit Francesca for ten minutes at her office. I hadn’t seen her since my mother’s funeral and I wanted to thank her for coming. This may come as a surprise, Lorenzo, but I don’t run everything by you.”
His eyes hold mine.
“Is that all?” I snap.
We stare at each other; an unspoken warning runs between us.
Stay out of my fucking way.
He nods once, clearly annoyed. “Have a nice night.”
“You too.”
He disappears down the hall and I sit back in my chair and exhale heavily, and so it begins.
An hour later I pull my Ferrari into the underground parking lot, the two cars pull in behind me and park, I get out and walk toward the guards’ cars. “I’m not leaving tonight so you can retire.”
“How long will you be staying here, Mr. Ferrara?”
I shrug. “As long as the renovations on my other place take,” I reply casually.
I had to speed-plan a whole remodel of my other apartment so that it doesn’t look suspicious that I’m suddenly staying here. “This building is safe, you can leave.”
“The cars will be out the front if you need us.”
“Thank you.” I take the lift up with my heart beating hard in my chest, with every floor that I rise it brings me closer to her.
I get to my apartment and throw my briefcase down and race to the bathroom, I undress at lightning speed and get into the shower.