Page 45 of Vicious Intentions
Or maybe this is a trick. A trick to get me alone and…
My phone suddenly vibrates and my chest tightens as I pull it out of my pocket.
Rafe:I’m here. Where are you?
This better not be a prank. The cruel thought alone of malicious laughter stirs memories I’d rather forget.
No. Raffaele is my friend. He wouldn’t do that to me. If he says he’s here, then he is. All I have to do is find him.
I move deeper into the woods, my gaze scanning the shadows, searching for anything familiar. A flash of blond hair. The steel blue of his eyes. The curve of his playful smirk. Anything at all.
A gust of cold air slips beneath my dress, raising goosebumps along my arms. My nerves are stretched tight, every sense straining as I push farther from the house and deeper into the trees. The sounds of the party are gone now, replaced by thequiet creak of branches and the soft crunch of thawing ground beneath my shoes.
The cold bites at my cheeks, turning them numb, but it does nothing to dull the awareness crawling over my skin. I feel exposed out here, like the woods are watching me right back.
Then something shifts behind me. I don’t hear footsteps, but I feel it all the same. A looming presence close enough to steal my breath.
I’m not quick enough to turn, though, as I’m startled by the feel of strong hands grabbing my waist from behind, yanking me back against a solid body. My mouth opens on a scream, panic exploding through me, but a hand clamps over my lips before a sound can escape. My heart slams hard against my ribs as fear floods my veins, sharp and blinding. I struggle instinctively, breath coming fast and shallow through my nose, every nerve screaming at once.
“Shh,dolce angelo,” Raffaele whispers teasingly against my ear. “You don’t want anyone finding out I’m here, do you?”
Relief crashes over me as he spins me around in his arms, his familiar smirk playing on his lips.
“You scared me!” I laugh, slapping his chest.
It’s hard and solid. Long gone is the boy I met all those years ago. Though he’s only seventeen, he looks so much older than I expected. He’s grown a few inches, almost six two if I had to guess. His shoulders are broader now, his body lean and strong. But it’s his smile, the same one he wore the day we met, that finally sets me at ease. For all his transformation, he’s still the same boy I befriended.
“Now is that any way to say hello?” he jokes, both hands still resting on my waist. “I did risk my life to come see you after all.”
There’s something intimate about the way he’s holding me. It doesn’t make me uncomfortable, but it doesn’t feel one hundred percent right either.
“Well, you would have gotten a better greeting if you hadn’t scared the bejesus out of me,” I say, placing my hands on his chest and pushing myself out of his hold.
“Sorry,” he laughs, rubbing the back of his head, completely unable to hide his grin. “I just couldn’t help it.”
“Not funny,” I say, trying and failing to suppress my smile.
“Ah, come on, Anna. It was too good to pass up. I mean, a girl walking into the woods at night all alone practically screams slasher movie.”
“You’re not funny,” I giggle.
“There it is.” His blue eyes shine. “That laugh. That’s what I wanted to hear on your birthday.”
My cheeks warm as his gaze drifts over my face, then lower, taking in the changes the last few years have carved into me.
“Damn,” he murmurs. “You grew up.”
“So did you,” I say softly.
“Yeah, but I see my mug every day in the mirror. Your face, though…” He smiles. “You’re even prettier than I remember.”
“If this is your way of apologizing for scaring me, you don’t have to flatter me. I’ve already forgiven you,” I say, laughing.
“Nah. That’s not it.” His voice turns sincere. “I mean it. You look… wow. Just wow.”
The way Raffaele is looking at me makes my pulse stumble. Not because it’s wrong, but because I’m not used to boys looking at me like this. Especially not him.
“Glad I risked life and limb to come see you,” he adds.
