Forever Lies

20

All our attention turned to Sofia. Her eyes flitted about like a little mouse trapped in a cage until they landed on me apologetically. I knew instantly what she was about to do, but there was no time to stop her. “Alessia is dating someone,” she blurted out to everyone’s astonishment. As one, the group all turned their eyes on me. I glared at Sofia, promising payback. “We’ve only gone out a couple of times—there’s nothing to tell. I don’t have plans to ask him to the party, so don’t worry about that.” I was stunned when my father was the first to respond. “What’s his name?” “Why?” I asked cautiously, making sure not to sound too flippant. Dad wiped his mouth with his napkin before leaning back in his chair. “I want to know if we know this man. There are too many predators out there to be handing yourself over to someone we don’t know.” “Sticking to people we know makes for a pretty small dating pool, Dad.” I didn’t want to argue with him, so I tried to respond with as much respect as I could and still say my piece. “This guy could be a pervert or a serial liar, and you’d never know. It’s good to find someone with references—people who can vouch for him.” “Just because we know people doesn’t mean we know if they’re good people.” “No, but it helps reduce the risk. There’s no reason to reinvent the wheel —we have plenty of friends and family who could recommend good dating options—might as well give those a try first before you branch out to random people on the street.” Stunning us all, Maria chose that moment to interject her opinion. “I have to agree with Alessia. There’s no telling what goes on behind closed doors. Even the people we know could be completely different when no one’s around.” She so rarely contributed to our conversations, we were all speechless. I wasn’t sure if she even realized what she’d done, but I was enormously grateful she’d backed my position. “It’s not like I’m marrying the man,” I said, downplaying the relationship. “We just started dating, so there’s nothing to worry about.” Dad frowned but picked up his fork and returned to eating. “What does this man do for a living?” “He’s a banker.” His eyes looked me over for a brief moment, then nodded as if in answer to an unspoken question. A few awkward seconds passed in silence, so I used the opening to divert the conversation away from me. “Speaking of news, Sofia failed to mention she got a job.” I looked over at my younger sister, who’s eyes rounded in surprise. No doubt she would have kicked me under the table if she could have reached me; instead, she stuck out her tongue, and I responded with a wink. Payback was a b***h. OceanofPDF.com 10 Alessia The following Monday morning felt far different than its predecessors. The anticipation of hearing from Luca was a shot of adrenaline to my system. I wasn’t sure if it was excitement or fear—maybe a little of both. Regardless of the cause, I was up early, ready for my day. As if he knew I was thinking about him, my phone chimed while I ate breakfast. I’m coming by to take you to work this morning. Just like Luca—no question about when I needed to be at work or what plans I had. He simply informed me he was taking me and expected my compliance. I appreciate the offer, but there’s no reason for you to come all the way over when I have a driver to take me. I wasn’t crazy about relying on anyone, and I certainly didn’t want him to see me as a chore. You can argue all you like, but I’ll be there in twenty. I must not have felt too strongly about the matter because his words made me smile. The man was ridiculously overbearing, and damn if I didn’t love it. Of course, it had only been a week. Would I still feel the same way after a month, a year, or ten? Would his domineering tendencies mellow, or would they grow into a problem? I didn’t necessarily mind a man who threw his weight around. Who was I kidding? It could be unbelievably sexy when done right, but there was a fine line between sexy and a dictatorial asshole. I had no desire to be kept under the thumb of an egotistical man. Jackson’s warning whispered in the back of my mind, along with my father’s words about dating someone I didn’t know. Luca seemed like a decent guy, but that didn’t mean I truly knew him. The chime on my phone drew me from my thoughts. Luca was downstairs waiting. I gathered my things and made my way down and out to the street. Luca’s sports car was blocking traffic, a number of impatient motorists stuck behind him. I ducked my head in embarrassment and hurried to his car as fast as my pencil skirt would allow. “I suppose you’re aware you’re blocking traffic,” I murmured as I buckled my seatbelt. “Waiting a few minutes isn’t going to kill those people.” “I doubt that would be your opinion if you were the one stuck behind someone.” “You’ll learn quickly, Alessia, that I only care about myself … and what’s mine.” He turned his head and captured my gaze as he said the last words. Did he consider me his? Tiny butterflies came to life and danced around in my stomach at the possibility of being Luca’s girl. Is that what he meant, or was I jumping to conclusions? I certainly wasn’t going to ask for clarification. If that wasn’t what he meant, I’d look pathetic asking. “Thanks for the ride,” I said instead, choosing to sidestep his remark. His lips twitched upward at the corners as he checked the rearview. “The other thing you’ll learn about me is I’m a selfish man. The way I see it, giving you a ride is purely self-serving—it means I get to lay eyes on those sexy f*****g legs. The only way starting my day would be better is if I was naked between them.” My heart stuttered in my chest. His comment had been the most presumptive, lewd thing any man had ever said to me, and I loved every word. I pressed my thighs together, attempting to soothe the ache in my core that his words had provoked. “When I offer to do something for you,” he continued, “rest assured, I’m not being put out. I’m doing it because I want to—you may not be clear on my motivations, but that doesn’t mean I’m not getting something from my actions. Got it?” “Yes,” I breathed in the suddenly sauna-like heat of the car. I thanked my lucky stars when the phone began to ring through the car stereo system. I’d needed a moment to recover. His words had stirred up a whirlwind of emotions inside me, and I had no idea how to organize the chaos and decipher how I felt.