Bella

Hello,

I’ve been silent recently because I’ve been working on my next release, which is coming VERY soon. If you’ve read Locked Doors (and you definitely should have. If not, click here.) then you’re familiar with Emilio’s younger brother, Christian and his interesting family background. Bella, will give more insight into who Christian is, how he even came to be, and most importantly, the woman he’s been in love with from afar for a long time. And just to whet your palettes a little, here’s a sneak peek from the couple. Enjoy!

****UNEDITED. SUBJECT TO CHANGE****

The first night …

Belle

“Oh my goodness!
I can’t believe it’s almost four in the morning,” I whisper as we make our way
down the hallway to my dorm room.

It’s been hours
since I got into the back of Christian’s town car, leaving my father’s soiree
and thoughts of animal cruelty by the aquarium far behind.

Anywhere you want, Bella.  

My heartbeat
kicked up a notch but I silently urged it to slow down. I wouldn’t tell him
again that my name was Belle and not Bella.
I’m pretty sure I’d made it clear, which only meant one thing. He was
deliberately calling me beautiful all night. I only knew a few words in Italian
and that was one of them.

“Is this the
latest you’ve been out?” He questions low next to my ear, his arm wrapped
around my waist.

I shiver at the
feeling of his warm breath on my neck before nodding because words escape me
right now.

His chuckle is
deep but not mocking. He’s not laughing at me, I don’t think.

“Bene.”

“That means good,
right?”

“Si.”

I dip my head and
smile because he’s been inserting Italian into our conversations throughout the
night. First, by calling me bella. Then when we made our way to the all-night
movie drive-in, that I was certain he’d scoff at when I told him I’d want to
attend, he would repeat some of the lines in Italian. Translating the famous here’s looking at you, kid in his native
tongue for me, from my all-time favorite film, Casablanca.

And that was
before he took me to an exclusive, genuine Italian restaurant, almost an hour outside
of the city. I was stunned to find out the restaurant was open all night. But I
think that was a lie. It was open for Christian
all night, not regular patrons. He’d ordered in Italian, teaching me how to
say my meal in the language it was meant to be said in.

“This is your
room,” he says as we stop in front of room 348.

It doesn’t occur
to me to ask how he knows this is my dorm room since I hadn’t said it, and I’m
pretty sure he’s never been here before. Least of all, with me. 

I turn to
Christian, a heaviness settling over my chest at the realization that our
evening has come to an end. I start to feel a little like what Cinderella
must’ve felt at the stroke of midnight, but I don’t know why. Something tells me
that whatever this night was, it is the last of it.

Christian’s eyes
are cast downward but when he peers up to look directly at me, they are dark.
Darker than I’ve ever seen them before.

“You will do well
in veterinary school, Bella.”

I want to thank
him but his words feel like too much of a goodbye and that absolutely shatters
my heart.

“Maybe we can go
to the movies again, sometime?” I question, holding out for a little bit of
hope.

His lips pinch
just before he shakes his head. “I will be leaving school soon. Finishing my
courses from afar. I must return to Palermo for some time.”

And just before
the heaviness overtakes the entirety of my body, crippling me, Christian’s lips
find mine.

There is no
hesitation on my part. This has been what my body has been craving ever since
he first wrapped his arm around me, preventing me from falling outside of the
aquarium.

What does
surprise me is the sound that comes from the back of my throat as his lips
moves over mine, his tongue invades my mouth and his hand moves to cup my
backside. My brain becomes too unfocused and thought no longer rules my
actions. Just feeling. Which is how the hold on my purse in my right hand
slackens, dropping it to the floor, so that same hand is now free to move
upwards until it reaches Christian’s hair. I sigh into his mouth because his
hair is softer than I’d ever imagined. His lips possess me in a way that I
never believed was even possible. And his hand on the back of my body,
squeezing, is causing little pulses between my legs. I don’t know how much
longer I’ll be able to stand on my own two feet.

And just when I
feel like my legs are going to give out, Christian releases me from the kiss.

I stumble
backwards, thankfully, saved by the door behind me, holding me upwards. I’m too
dizzy to manage on my own.

Christian doesn’t
say anything as he stares down at me. Instead he stoops low, picking up my
purse and handing it to me.

Slowly, I watch
as my hand reaches out, taking my clutch even though my fingers are trembling.

“Ti sto
guardando, ragazzo,” he says, tipping my chin and stepping back, giving me
space I’m sure I need but certain I don’t want.

Here’s looking at you, kid.

My eyes begin to
water and Christian wordlessly turns his back to me, heading back down the
hallway, disappearing around the corner without a backwards glance.