She would start saying no on Monday.
Not caring if she was found out, Ariana slipped away and found herself in the reception area of La Fiordelise, heading straight for his bed and the bliss he would temporarily give.
Life was better with Gian in it than not.
Yes, she was turning into Fiordelise, Ariana decided as she took the elevator up.
He opened the door and, before she fell into his arms, she stated her case. ‘There will be rules,’ Ariana said.
If she was to be his mistress then there would be rules andshewould be the one making them.
‘We shall discuss them,’ Gian agreed.
‘If you cheat on me, you die.’
He laughed. ‘I’m saving you from prison then. I never cheat.’
‘Liar.’
‘Never. Even at your interview when I wanted to kiss you but Svetlana—’
‘Stop!’ She halted him. ‘Don’t ever try to redeem yourself with another woman’s name.’ She was way too needy to ignore it though. ‘You wanted to kiss me then?’
‘All over,’ he told her. ‘Come, there’s something I want to show you...’
Down his hallway they went and she smiled when she saw there were pictures of Gian. ‘When did you do this?’ she asked.
‘Tonight. The maintenance man has been busy.’
‘Oh, Gian.’ Her eyes were shining and happy to see his childhood finally featured on the wall, but then her smile died. ‘What the hell is this doing here?’ It was the most appalling, awkward photo of her at her first Romano Ball. She had been tempted to tear it up, but had decided it wasn’t just her memory to delete.
‘No!’ She was appalled. ‘That photo was for your eyes only, I look terrible!’
‘You do and, believe me, your mother had nothing to worry about then... It was here that things started to change for me...’
Her breath stopped, as there she was, in a silver dress, standing next to Gian, in an informal shot of a night that had been more difficult than the picture revealed.
It was the first Romano Ball without herpapà. He had been a last-minute withdrawal due to a deterioration in his health. On the one hand, she had been relieved that she wouldn’t have to see him with Mia.
On the other hand, it had meant herpapàwas getting worse.
Gian had steered her through it, though. He always did.
He had held her in those wooden arms and told her that she was doing well, and it had meant the world.
‘I think,’ Gian said, ‘well, I know, that for me things changed that night...’ She swallowed as he went on. ‘You were right. I easily remembered what you were wearing, for my eyes barely left you that night, and I think things changed for you too, Ariana. You didn’t come by my office so much after that...’
‘No...’ She flushed as she admitted to herself something that for so long she had denied. ‘I have liked you for a lot longer than you realise, than even I dared admit.’
‘Come,’ he said, ‘I have something for you.’
Of course that something was in the direction of the bedroom, and as they walked there, she said, ‘I’ll make a terrible mistress, Gian. I talk too much, I’m not very discreet...’ But then her voice trailed off for there on the bed lay everything she had once thought she wanted: a blush tartan suit, a silk cowl-necked cami, a string of pearls and even a little wallet for her business cards.
‘Gian...’ She wanted to weep, for he made her so weak.
This time when he unzipped the back of her dress, his fingers lingered and she closed her eyes as he peeled it off and slowly kissed her shoulder.
‘Turn around,’ he said in that voice that made her shiver. She was a little bewildered and a lot in lust as she complied.