"Last night we shared a lot more than a past." They'd shared their bodies in every imaginable way. "You couldn't get enough of me."
And if she knew him at all, he'd left that morning, so he didn't give into the temptation of having her again. Because he might not trust her, but he still wanted her, and closure wasn't sex until you literally could not stop collapsing from exhaustion.
That was wanting more.
Only he had no intention of admitting it, did he?
"Thank you for breakfast," she said as he began to say something. "I'll see you around."
But she fervently hoped not before she'd developed some defensive walls where he was concerned.
Annette was not built for one-night stands.
She hung up before he could reply. When her phone rang a few minutes later, she ignored it.
However, she read the text that came in a few seconds after the call went to voicemail.
It isn't polite to hang up on people.
She texted back.I thought one-night stands didn't need to be polite.
I left you breakfast.
Yes, he had, but he'd also left her with the painful realization that Annette was no closer to being over Carlo than she had been before their wild night of lovemaking.
CHAPTER 4
Annette refused to pick up when Carlo called, but she replied to his texts.
Sometimes he sent ones laden with sexual innuendo, other times he sent her memes that made her laugh out loud. Some were just comments about his day.
They didn't text every day, but a full week did not go by before he would reach out again.
He always initiated the communication. It was her rule.
It felt right after spending five years being blocked by him, which she noticed was no longer an issue. She'd never unfriended Carlo on social media platforms and suddenly his posts started showing up in her newsfeeds.
He also reacted to her posts, which led to one spectacular donation for the summer youth camp she organized.
Were theyfriendsnow? She wasn't sure, but it seemed like it.
Apparently closure for Carlo meant they could be friends. But those sexy texts? They implied he wanted more.
Annette just wasn't sure what she wanted.
Annette flew to New York as soon as she could get a flight when her sister went into labor and made it in time to be in the room when Jocinda Valentina Messina was born. Her name filled Annette with warmth since her sister had told Annette that she and Fantino had agreed to name their daughter after both Joyce and Annette, using a derivative of the nickname Joyce still called Annette in their private calls and texts. Cinderella.
For once the moniker brought nothing but pleasure to Annette.
Joyce was euphoric after the birth of her daughter and Annette hated having to leave that much happiness to return to Portland, but she'd been recently promoted to regional director for her organization, and it could not be helped.
A month later, she flew to Sicily for the christening, and was shocked at her sister's wan appearance and Fantino's unhappy demeanor.
Annette waited until they were alone together on the terrace overlooking the pool and a fabulous view of the Mediterranean at the Messina family mansion to approach Joyce about it. "Is everything okay, honey?"
Everyone had congregated for a celebratory lunch and the grandmothers were currently taking turns holding the little sleeping Jocinda, cooing over the baby and saying what a sweetheart she was.
"What do you mean?" Joyce asked defensively, her wan face pinched. "Of course, it is."