Chapter Sixty-One Ella
Ella
It’s almost ten o’clock, and I’m ready to head to the airport. The front desk ordered a cab for me, and it should be here any moment.
I haven’t heard from Tiero. Nor did I expect to.
He told me the next few days in Rome would be busy and that he wouldn’t be able to talk to me.
Yeah, right. As if sending a message takes more than a few seconds.
I bet it was his way of letting me know that whatever was between us is over. After I refused to stay longer, he’s making a clean break.
I should be grateful.
But I’m not. Not even close.
I want to cry.
I hated waking up alone this morning, the bed too big and too cold without his strong arms wrapped around me. It’s ridiculous how quickly I got used to sleeping against him.
How am I supposed to fall asleep tonight without him?
I’m so screwed.
After Tiero left, I slept like a rock, completely shattered after our marathon night of devouring each other.
God knows when I’ll ever have sex like that again.
We both wanted to make the most of our remaining time together and kept going long past the point of exhaustion.
I honestly have no idea how many times I came. I lost count after the fourth orgasm, and my throat is raw from all the moaning and screaming.
The other hotel guests must have had quite the concert last night. I’m surprised no one knocked on the door to shut us up.
When I tried to get out of bed this morning, I could barely move. I stood under the hot shower for half an hour just trying to loosen my muscles.
A bathtub would have been heaven. That will have to wait until I’m home.
Do I have any wine in the fridge? I can’t remember. Best to stop on the way home from the airport, just to be safe.
Good thing Rhia is taking care of the ice cream. I might need a whole pint.
Why did I let Tiero slip out this morning without a proper goodbye?
I’m furious with myself that I didn’t get up and hug and kiss him properly.
But I was practically unconscious when he left. That’s partly his fault, of course.
Still. Now I’ll never get the chance to tell him how much this past week meant to me.
I scan the room, gathering my things and placing them by the door. My gaze drifts to the lilies he sent me.
They hang limp now, their petals curling inward.
Faded. Just like me.
When I first received those flowers, I could never have imagined what the following days would bring. Or how deeply Tiero would get under my skin.
He stirred something in me the moment I saw him, and meeting him rocked my world. Every day after that, he burrowed deeper into my heart.
Being with him is effortless. Natural, even. As if we had known each other far longer than a week.
What I admitted to Rhia yesterday is really true.
I’m in love with Tiero.
What if this was it for me?
And I blew it?
Then again, maybe these feelings are just the result of a week-long orgasm high.
Maybe I’m romanticizing everything because I want it to be more than a vacation fling, because I don’t do casual.
It’s possible.
Time will tell.
Once I’m back in Dublin and fully immersed in my real life again, things will probably look different.
Clearer.
I step onto the terrace while waiting for the call from reception, inhaling the salty sea air. My thoughts drift back to Tiero.
Should I text him? Or would that be too needy?
I pull my phone out of my pocket and stare at it. My fingers hover over the keyboard.
If he wanted to be in touch, he’d be in touch. He was relentless in his pursuit of me, so his silence speaks volumes.
A noise on Rhia’s balcony makes me glance up.
A raven has landed beside a dove perched on the sun lounger. I watch them for a moment.
What a strange pairing.
Two birds from completely different worlds. Just like Tiero and I.
They could never belong together.
As if reaching the same conclusion, the dove hops away. The sudden movement startles the raven, and it takes flight.
I let out a humorless laugh.
Thanks, universe. Really subtle.
With a heavy heart, I slip my phone back into my pocket.
Maybe I should delete his number?
No. That’s… premature.
There’s still no call from the front desk. I should just wait downstairs. Too many memories linger in this room.
I move through the room one last time, making sure I haven’t forgotten anything. My eyes sting when I see the dead flowers again, and I grab a tissue from my purse to wipe my nose.
Good thing I’m traveling alone. I’m not in the mood for company.
I stare into space as the elevator carries me down to the lobby. With no one else inside, it suddenly feels very spacious. I hate to admit it, but I kind of miss having three testosterone-laden men surrounding me.
When I reach the lobby, a man in a driver’s uniform stands waiting near the door.
“Miss O’Neil?” he asks in a heavily accented voice.
I nod. Why didn’t the front desk ring me if the driver was already here?
He takes my suitcase and heads outside. Instead of a taxi, a dark town car with tinted windows waits at the curb.
Hmm.
Perhaps the hotel uses a car service.
The driver places my luggage in the trunk and opens the back door. I slide inside and the door shuts.
And then I freeze.
Someone is already sitting there.
A well-dressed older gentleman watches me with a grave expression.
“Who are you?” I stammer.
A cold weight drops into my stomach.
Something is wrong.
I reach for the door handle.
Before I can touch it, an arm snakes around my waist and yanks me back.
I scream.
The car lurches forward. Within seconds we’re pulling away from the curb.
I thrash wildly, trying to break free, but the man’s grip is iron.
Full-body tremors seize me.
My screams bounce off the walls of the car, high and ragged, barely recognizable as my own.
I have to get out.
Adrenaline floods my system.
I gasp for air between screams. I can’t breathe.
My pulse roars in my ears like a drum.
I kick, claw, fight with everything I have, but he pins my arms effortlessly.
He pulls out a cloth and presses it over my mouth and nose.
NO!
I try to hold my breath, but panic makes me gasp.
A sickly sweet scent floods my lungs.
My fingers begin to tingle.
Needles stab through my hands and feet. Then the feeling disappears entirely.
Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.
Dark spots swim across my vision.
The world tilts.
Someone is speaking Italian.
The voice sounds calm. Almost soothing.
The words fade in and out.
Then everything goes black.
The sunset was beautiful.
But the night is where his world truly begins…
and where he’ll never let her go.
Continue Ella and Tiero’s story in Nights at Sea.
Two years, one anniversary, and a total change of heart.
Rhia and Lex have always been the couple having the most fun. So what happened on their anniversary to make the girl who hated weddings suddenly want a ring?