Chapter Ten
Jane
I barely withheld an urge to stamp my foot as I looked around my shop, its lack of customers a stark reflection of my current personal life.
Alessandro had left me high and dry...again. It’d been seven days since I’d seen him last, a whole week since I’d been left panting after him like a bitch in heat.
Little wonder he’d never been in a relationship. He was selfish, an asshole with serious commitment issues. Perhaps he didn’t know how to love a woman? Perhaps he only loved himself?
I huffed out an aggrieved breath and blinked back sudden tears. As if I didn’t have enough abandonment issues to deal with! But feeling sorry for myself wasn’t going to achieve anything.
Surely it wouldn’t be that hard to distract myself with everything that had to be done around my shop. Hard work would be the perfect antidote. My life might have been stagnant before I’d met him, but at least it’d been busy, at least it’d been ordered.
At least I’d been happy.
Hadn’t I?
I glanced at the gold bangle on my arm, its glinting warmth seemingly mocking my naiveté.
Being in Alessandro’s arms had brought me a joy I didn’t even know I’d lacked. I’m come alive under his tutelage, had basked in his pleasure along with my own.
The bell on the front door tinkled and I jerked my head up, something inside of me withering just a little when I saw a customer, not Alessandro.
I put on a brave face and smiled my widest smile at the forty-something brunette woman in her yellow pantsuit with a multi-colored beaded necklace. Her eyes lit up as she took in the shop’s vintage clothes and accessories.
“Oh, I’m in heaven!” Her head swiveled from one rack to another. “But where do I start?”
My spirits lifted a little at another vintage clothes enthusiast, and I shook off any lingering gloominess as I stepped toward her and said brightly, “Why don’t you start off over here. I think I have some perfect outfits for you.”
She clapped her hands. “Wonderful!”
An hour later I was ringing up her purchases. She’d bought what seemed like an entire wardrobe, her enthusiasm for almost everything I’d suggested revealed in the total cost.
“Oh my,” she said with an airy laugh. “I think I got a little carried away.”
I smiled at her. “You have great fashion taste.”
She looked me up and down, taking in my fifties navy and blue, polka dot dress with its red cinched belt and my matching fake red flower clipped to one side of my hair.
“As do you! You’re a walking, talking epitome of everything vintage.” She handed me her credit card so I could complete the transaction. “No doubt I’ll be back again very soon.”
“I wish I could have done the same.”
My heart jolted at the male, too familiar voice. I lifted my stare to meet Alessandro’s. Damn, I’d missed him. But his absence without even a text or message of some sort meant my happiness was dulled by anger.
I lifted my chin. “Why didn’t you?”
“Believe me, I would have been here a hell of a lot sooner if it’d been possible.”
Interesting. An answer without really being an answer. Why the need to be so evasive? What was he hiding?
My customer cleared her throat, reminding me with a start we weren’t alone. “Well, then, thank you again.”
I smiled graciously. “It was a pleasure. I’m just happy knowing you’ll truly appreciate your vintage clothes.”
It wasn’t until she left that Alessandro stepped closer to me and pulled my stiff body against his. “Please accept my apology. I had to take care of some family...business.”
Though my body all but melted into his, I looked up at him with narrowed eyes. “Business that took a whole week to resolve?”
He snorted. “You obviously don’t know my family.”
“Then perhaps I should.”
He inhaled sharply, his nostrils flaring. “That isn’t a good idea.”
“Isn’t it?”
“No.” He exhaled harshly. “They’re—“
“What?” I prompted.
“Nothing like a normal family.”
“Define normal?” I blinked. “Wait...are you ashamed of them?”
“What?” He frowned. “No, of course not. I’m fucking proud of every single one of them.”
My brain whirled, turning analytical as I thought about and discarded the explanation to seemingly endless possibilities. I finally settled on one. “So you’re ashamed of me, then?”
His eyes darkened. “Far from it. You’re everything to me.”
I wasn’t quite ready to accept his answer. It didn’t add up. I stepped back. “You’re probably right about me not meeting your family. It’s too early. We might have been intimate but we’re still very much strangers.”
“Strangers?” He shook his head, closing the distance between us. “You’re my fucking world, little sparrow.”
I knew he wasn’t lying. I could read the truth in his eyes, his face, hear it in his voice. With a ragged, desperate moan, I allowed him to tug me against him, my arms wrapping around him as our mouths merged as one. High voltage tingles danced through my nerve endings and fired up somewhere in my womb as I succumbed to the powerful feelings whirling inside.
I didn’t just lose all physical and mental strength, I barely even recalled my own name, or where we were—
Tingle.
I jumped back, my face flushed and my pulse pounding as a young couple entered the shop and began browsing through the racks of clothes.
The young man with spiky blond hair leaned close to his girlfriend. “Damn, that was hot,” he said in an undertone.
Did he realize he’d spoken loud enough for us to hear?
The dark-haired girl in a pleated navy skirt and red crop top giggled. “I know!” She elbowed him lightly in the ribs. “Do you wanna to go home?”
“Hell, yeah.”
They hightailed it to the front door then disappeared through it, the bell jangling louder in their wake.
I glanced at Alessandro. “You’re scaring away my customers.”
A slow smile spread over his face. “It takes two to tango, little sparrow. And they clearly liked what they saw.”
I tossed my hair, ignoring his response to add, “However are you going to make it up to me?”
“Make it up to you?” he repeated. His smile morphed into a chuckle that sent a smattering of goosebumps up my arms. “Can you shut your shop early?”
My pulse surged. “It’s my shop. I can do whatever I want.”
“Then what are you waiting for?”
What indeed?
My legs seemingly moved of their own volition. The next minute I’d locked the door and flipped the sign to closed . It was only once I’d returned to Alessandro that I realized he had no intention of going anywhere.
His husky voice confirmed it even before he said huskily, “I want to fuck you on the counter. Then every time you’re working you’ll remember what we did on it and I’ll never be far from your thoughts.”
That he never was far from my thoughts, erotic or otherwise, seemed pointless to admit, I was sure he guessed as much.
Instead I threw my hair back and said brazenly, “Sounds like fun.”