And he wasn't going to find that until he'd worked Annette Hudson out of his system. Five years. It had been five years since she had jilted him, made him the butt of every kind of joke.
And in those years, Carlo had had sex with exactly two other women, one time each. On both occasions he'd been left feeling hollow and unsatisfied, regardless of the physical climax they'd both achieved. He could not forget the way it felt to make love to Annette.
He still dreamt about the woman who had as good as thrown his ring back in his face.
After the debacle, she'd sent the custom-made diamond and sapphire engagement ring back via her father. Carlo still had it stored in his wall safe. Maybe he could get rid of it after he finally got her out of his system.
Because he wasn't just being pedantic, he intended to have sex with her tonight, not make love. And in so doing, exorcise the demons that would not let him go.
The rest of the reception was a blur for Annette. She couldn't stop thinking about what was going to happen after. She'd meant to return to her spot out of the way, but Joyce had called Annette over, insisting she take Lynette's empty matron of honor seat.
"Lynette isn't going to be happy if she comes back and finds me here."
"I don't understand why she resents you so much," Joyce said with a familiar younger sister eyeroll. "You always did everything she didn't want to, making her life easier."
And been made into a meme because of it.
"Mom was lucky you were so accommodating. Lynette never would have been," Joyce said warmly.
She called AnnetteCinderellawith affection, finding it a great joke. She would never understand how much all the publicity that had circulated around Annette getting that moniker had hurt. Joyce had been a sunny dispositioned teen when it had happened and Annette wasn't about to go into old hurts now.
"I saw you with Carlo."
"I know." Annette shook her head. "Don't go getting romantic ideas. That man despises me."
"It sure didn't look like he hated you when you were dancing."
It hadn't felt like it either, but Annette knew something Joyce didn't seem to want to realize. When the sex happened, it wasn't going to be because Carlo wanted to start again with Annette.
They'd always been sexually compatible. Combustible more like.
The sex had been amazing, and Annette thought Carlo just wanted some more of it. Five years ago, she'd mistaken amazing sex for love, but she wouldn't make that mistake again.
She was looking for closure.
Nothing more.
If her heart accused her of lying to herself, Annette ignored that too savvy inner voice.
She had a keycard to his room, and she intended to use it.
CHAPTER 3
Annette stood outside the hotel room door, her palms sweaty, and her heart beating a mile a minute.
Was she really going to go through with this? Was she going to have sex with Carlo Messina, when they hadn't spoken before this week in five years?
He'd refused all her attempts at communication, blocking her email address, her phone number, and on social media. He'd wanted nothing to do with her and she was sure that would have continued if their siblings hadn't fallen in love and decided to marry.
So, what was she doing here?
Getting her own closure and maybe giving him some too, not that he acted like he needed it. But if he did? She owed it to him. Not via sex, that was her choice, but if she could give him closure too, she wanted to.
Sure, and you aren't trying to rekindle anything.That heart voice was back, and it was laced with sarcasm.
Ignoring it, Annette lifted the keycard toward the door, but still she hesitated.
A sound down the corridor decided her. The one thing she was certain of was that she did not want to be caught standing outside his door.