Page 64 of Whispers in the Dark
My lips part and close, no words escaping. My throat feels tight, the apology stuck somewhere in the black hole currently overtaking my mind. Finally, I manage, voice trembling, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
Knock. Knock. “The Captain has advised that everyone take their seats as we prepare for landing.” The flight attendant’s voice passes through the other side of the door.
I scramble off Mauro’s lap, smoothing down my shirt as heat rushes to my cheeks.What did I just do?Internally, I cringe. We made rules for a reason. Rules to keep things clean, not messy. And this… This is definitely messy. I push back my hair and take a shaky breath. “Mauro, I’m sorry, I took it too far. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
His fingers catch my chin, tilting my face until our eyes lock. With his free hand, he signs,Thank you.
A small smile breaks free over my face. “Well, we’d better get back out there.”
He nods and opens the door for me, leading us back to our seats, where I spend the next ten minutes wondering what would have happened if we hadn’t been interrupted.
“Welcome to paradise, ladies.” Madeleine adjusts her oversized designer glasses. “Eli, can you get my bags?” she calls over her shoulder before exiting the plane and disappearing down the stairs.
“Of course, love,” he responds, reaching inside the luggage compartments.
Leo shakes his head with a grin growing on his face. “She has you so whipped.”
Eli scoffs. “Have you looked in the mirror recently?”
Leo laughs and glides an arm around Scarlett’s waist, who willingly falls into his embrace. “Yeah, but for her, I’d do anything.”
Scarlett stands on her tiptoes and presses a kiss to his lips. “Right back at you.”
I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket and pull it out to see a message from Andrea.
Andrea
Everything is good here. Enjoy your trip! I’ll keep you posted if anything changes.
Relief washes over me.
I’ve never been this far from my father before, but at least I can be assured that he’s in good hands with Andrea.
My relief is short-lived when I see I have three missed calls from the same number. The same number that always sends a wave of unease through me. Swallowing down the nerves within me, I slide my phone into my back pocket just as Mauro appears by my side with our luggage.
“Oh, I can carry mine.” I reach for my bag, but he pulls it away and shakes his head.
I roll my eyes, a grin tugging at my lips, as I step off the plane into the sunlight. The ocean air hits me, wrapping around me like a warm embrace I never want to escape. I sling my tote bag over my shoulder, shielding my eyes from the sunlight with my forearm, and carefully descend the stairs.
When I take the last step, I look around and…
“Wow,” I breathe, admiring the view. White sands stretch endlessly, meeting crystal-clear water where every colorful fish beneath the surface is visible. To the left, large cabanas perch above the water, connected by a wooden deck, swaying slightly with the tide. “I can’t believe this place is real.”
As I move forward, my sandal gets caught in the sand, sending me flying forward. That is, until two large hands encircle my waist, hauling me up.
My back collides against Mauro’s chest, his fingers splayed out possessively over my stomach. A sudden flash of heat ignites in my core, my chest slightly heaving too fast.
“Can’t you two wait until you get to your room?” Madeleine teases, sending me flinching forward. Only…Mauro doesn’t let me go. He keeps me plastered to his body, his head suddenly tilting down, his lips skimming up the side of my neck before pressing a soft kiss to my skin.
He’s playing his role of the doting husband perfectly.
Almost too perfectly.
I feel on the verge of melting in his embrace. Of turning into a puddle at his damn feet. But before my body can betray me, he releases me, ensuring I’m standing upright, and then reaches for our dropped luggage.
“Welcome back,” an older man with salt-and-pepper hair, wearing a crisp white linen shirt tucked into tailored khaki shorts, greets the group. “It has been too long.”
“It certainly has, Emanuel,” Vin answers, greeting the man with a handshake. “How’s the family?”
