Sinful Pleasure (Sinful #1)

CHAPTER 19

C HAPTER 19

ALLYN

“Let’s go inside this store,” Ashley said, her voice filled with enthusiasm as she tugged me into another boutique.

Her bodyguard followed behind, his arms heavy with at least twenty bags of her purchases.

Ashley was the wife of one of Angelo’s longest-term partners, and here I was, stuck with her while they did God knows what in Italy.

As soon as we checked into the hotel, Angelo disappeared, leaving five of his men to babysit me like I was some child. Ashley didn’t seem bothered by it. In fact, she looked right at home, too busy spending her husband’s money to care what the hell he was doing behind her back.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” she said with a wide grin, holding up yet another dress to inspect. “It’s so much more fun to have someone to go out with.”

I glanced around the store as she added a third dress to her pile.

“Where are the other wives?” I asked, trying to make conversation while following her around the shop.

We’d flown to Italy on The King’s private jet, and while there had been at least ten other men besides the bodyguards, no other women had joined us.

“Half of them aren’t coming because their husbands prefer it that way,” Ashley replied, barely looking up from the dress she was holding. Her voice was nonchalant like she’d had this conversation a thousand times before. “And the others don’t have wives or girlfriends to bring.”

“And what is this important meeting?”

She shrugged, flipping through more dresses, her eyes scanning for the perfect one.

“I don’t know, and it’s none of my business.” She pulled a short blue dress from the hanger and held it up to me. “Do you like this one?”

I only managed a quiet nod as Ashley flashed me another smile, eager to rush to the nearby dressing room to try on all the dresses. Her bodyguards, still trailing behind her, exchanged exhausted grimaces, clearly not enjoying the shopping spree.

After what felt like an eternity spent running around the shops of Milan, we finally found time to pause and take in the beauty of the city.

Ashley was more than satisfied with her purchases—if I remember correctly, she had spent around 100,000 euros on clothes alone.

The streets were teeming with people.

It was no surprise, really. Every building and every corner of this city felt like a living masterpiece, so unique and full of history. I could wander around for hours, admiring the architecture, and still not feel like I’d seen enough.

By the time we returned to the hotel, it was dark outside.

I took a long, relaxing bath before Face Timing Tamara to share all the details of my Italian adventure.

Afterward, I had a quick chat with Lydia while flipping through channels, struggling to find something decent to watch on TV.

It was just after eight when I heard the door to the hotel room click open.

Angelo walked in, looking utterly drained as he shrugged off his coat. I was lounging on the couch, mindlessly watching “Friends” when he dropped into the seat beside me, loosening his tie but not saying a word.

He stared ahead, lost in thought.

After a moment of silence, I broke the stillness.

“Is everything okay?”

He just nodded without meeting my gaze, his eyes fixed on the TV. The quiet seemed to stretch on, thick with something unspoken.

“Are you hungry?” I asked, trying again. “We can go grab dinner if you want.”

I shifted on the couch, crossed my legs, and waited. He still didn’t acknowledge me directly, his mind clearly somewhere far away.

My stomach grumbled, betraying me with its loud demand for food. I hadn’t eaten since this morning, and now I was feeling it.

“We can order room service if you want,” he shrugged nonchalantly, continuing to type something on his phone.

I nodded, though I knew he wasn’t paying attention.

“Sounds good. I’m going to change first.”

I got up, heading toward my room. I was dressed simply in a white long t-shirt and my panties—my usual outfit before bed. Honestly, I didn’t expect Angelo to come back to our suite at all.

As I passed him, I caught the flicker of his gaze lingering on my exposed legs. It was the first time he’d given me any attention since he returned, and I didn’t quite know how to feel about it.

We were staying in the presidential suite, the most expensive one in the hotel. It was massive—two separate rooms, two bathrooms, and a kitchen.

Thankfully, we slept in separate rooms. He respected my personal space and didn’t try to force us into sharing a bed.

After changing into something more decent, I made my way back to the living area, finding Angelo in the same spot, still distracted by his phone.

“When are we heading back?’’

He locked his phone, tossing it onto the table beside him, and turned to face me.

“Tomorrow morning.”

But before either of us could say anything more, his phone rang again. This time, someone was calling him.

He groaned, slumping back against the couch, clearly frustrated.

“I have to take this. Can you order for the both of us?”

Angelo handed me his card, not waiting for an answer before getting up and disappearing into his room.

I stared down at the card in my hand. Had he forgotten that he’d given me one just this morning before he left for his meeting?

What was strange, though, was how different Angelo seemed. Normally, he was the talkative one, the more easygoing of the two brothers.

But tonight… he seemed off.

His usual charisma was replaced by a quiet intensity that didn’t sit right with me.

It was as if something had shifted during that mysterious meeting, but what exactly?