Page 55 of Whispers in the Dark
“Oh, I would love to take credit for all of this,” Madeleine begins, “but this is all Mauro.”
My heart stills. “He… He did this?”
“Yeah, he’s been working on this for weeks. He almost had a tizzy when the cake came in the wrong flavor.” She laughs. “Don’t worry, he made sure that was immediately fixed.”
“Wrong flavor?”
“He knows how much you love strawberry shortcake, so when they brought in a red velvet cake, it was as if the world was ending.” Scarlett smiles. “Guess your husband knows you pretty well, seeing that I didn’t even realize that was your favorite.”
I look over at him, finding him heading my way.
He did all of this…for me.
“This was all you?” I ask, finding myself stepping toward him.
He nods, and warmth washes over me.
“Happy birthday, Alina,” Vin says as he comes up behind Mauro with Leo, Alex, and Eli beside him.
“Thank you,” I say, gravitating toward Mauro’s side.
“You guys look like you walked out ofPeaky Blinders,” Madeleine notes with a grin.
“It’s called fashion,” Eli tells her, pinching the rim of his flat cap.
“Alina, dear.” Cecilia appears exquisite in a floor-length pastel-green sequined evening gown with her arms out wide. “Happy birthday.” Her arms wrap around me, enveloping me in a hug that I didn’t realize I needed.
“Oddest thing,” Vin says. “I tried to call your father to invite him, but when I did, I received an automated voice message saying the number was no longer in service.” He arches a brow.
Shit.Seeing that his number is no longer in service because he’s only allowed to use a landline, it makes sense that he got that message. “Weird,” I respond, swallowing down the nerves. “Maybe you dialed it wrong.”
Mauro eyes his brother, sliding an arm around me. His fingers clutch my waist, keeping me pressed against him.
Vin peers down at me with skepticism in his blue eyes. “It’s the same number I’ve always had stored in my phone.”
“Mauro,” Madeleine cuts in, thankfully interrupting her brother. “I had the dress you purchased for Alina put in the office for her to change into, but she’ll probably need your help with the zipper.”
“My dress?” I look down at the simple black knee-length dress I had chosen for tonight. Cute for a small dinner with your closest friends. But not quite enough for aGreat Gatsby-themed birthday party.
Mauro’s hand finds mine, intertwining our fingers before tugging me away from his family and leading me through the crowd of people toward the dark stairwell in the back. He gestures for me to go before him, and I do as he stays close behind me. After reaching the top, I enter the office, hearing Mauro close the door behind us. All sound from beneath us disappears, leaving us in profound silence.
Sparkles catch my eye, and I see the sequined champagne fringe dress draped across the burgundy velvet sofa.
I walk over to it and lightly run my fingers along the length of it. “This is beautiful.” Gripping it between my fingers, I hold it before me. It’s a curve-hugging bodycon silhouette with a mini skirt that will probably leave little to the imagination. And thefact that Mauro picked this out for me to wear ignites a fire within me. “You picked this out?”
I peek over my shoulder to see him leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest as he gives a slight nod. The epitome of what every book boyfriend looks like in your vision as you get lost in a good story.
It should be illegal to look that good.
“I love it.” I examine the room, noting all the glass windows that give everyone below us a direct view. Looking at him, I ask, “Where should I—”
They can’t see inside.
His answer is swift, conveying everything I need to know.
“Ah, so we can see them, but they can’t see us,” I muse, letting one side of my lips lift.
I watch as he swallows hard, my eyes traveling down his body, noting the tension in his stance.
