Page 68 of Whispers in the Dark
“It felt nice,” she murmurs, tracing her finger along my bicep. “Even if it was pretend.”
Pretend?
Right. That’s what this is supposed to be.
The only problem is, while standing here with her in my hold, I’m no longer sure what’s fake and what’s real between us.
She leans back, her brows knitting together as her gaze drifts to my chest. “I was thinking…” She pauses. “Never mind,” she says softly. “It’s stupid.”
I stop moving, lifting a hand to her chin and tilting her face up until her eyes meet mine.
She swallows. Her breath quickens, her pupils darkening as the space between us seems to shrink. “Well, what if, while we were here…” She licks her bottom lip, her eyes drifting around us before landing back on me. “What if there were no rules?”
My heartbeat thunders beneath my rib cage as the meaning behind her words washes over me.
“Ladies and gentlemen, your dinner is served,” a waiter announces, interrupting our moment.
Alina pulls away and quickly turns for the table as if she needs the space. I watch her rub at her forehead, shaking her head as if she regrets what she said.
I blink, dragging a hand through my hair, trying to steady myself.
“What if there were no rules?”
Did she mean—
“Mauro!” Vin calls out.
I draw in a breath and follow Alina to the table, taking the empty seat beside her.
“I’m starving,” Eli says as he and Madeleine take their seats.
“This restaurant has the best food on the island,” Leo tells him.
“It’s the only restaurant on the island,” Vin remarks.
“I can’t believe your dad gifted this place to your mom,” Scarlett muses, resting her chin in her palm as she gazes out toward the beach. “That’s so romantic.”
“Hey.” Leo tugs on the bottom of her chair, pulling it right up against his. “I gave you a library.”
She grins. “You gave me so much more than that.”
“Good evening, everyone.” A woman in a white chef’s uniform appears, followed by several servers. “My name is Carmen, and tonight, we’ve prepared a five-course meal, beginning with scallops wrapped in bacon, antipasto skewers, and crab cakes.” Mouth-watering aromas drift through the air as plates are set around the table. “Please enjoy.” With a polite nod, she disappears, heading toward the kitchen.
“Everything looks delicious,” Alina remarks, beaming at the plate before her.
My eyes graze over her.It certainly does. From the loose waves of her beach-tousled hair to her sun-kissed skin, she looks every bit as tempting as the meal in front of us.
“Earth to Mauro.” I flinch, turning my attention to Vin. “Easy.” He laughs, patting my shoulder. “I was just going to ask you to pass the salt.” I grab it and hand it over. “Someone’s a little on edge.”
I stiffen when I realize Alina is watching me with worry flickering across her face.
“Aren’t you going to eat?” she asks with a hint of concern.
I nod, reaching for my fork and spearing a piece of food with more force than necessary.
After the fourth course, Eli leans back in his seat, rubbing his hand over his stomach. “I don’t think I could eat one more bite.”
Madeleine pouts. “What about dessert?”
