Reed placed his coffee cup beside the frame. Grabbing her around the waist, he brushed the tip of his nose to hers. “Get over here woman.” He planted an insatiable kiss on her lips. “We’re gonna fix that right now.”
By the end of the weekend, all of her things hung neatly in their closet. Her favorite pieces of art now hung on the walls with Reed’s, creating a fresh blended canvas of their tastes.
JC buzzed through the front door after what she called the meeting of her life. The second most popular global brand of cosmetics wanted JC to tout their new makeup line. Dan pitched her to the top executives of the company as a woman who was strong on the inside and out. The campaigns full attention would focus on bringing out the natural beauty in women.
JC felt honored to fill the position of what they considered Redefine What it Means to be a Strong Beautiful Woman campaign. She looked at it as a higher platform in her career and a way to inspire women to embrace their unique individuality.
She called out for Reed while searching through the house, only to find a gorgeous flower arrangement adorning the kitchen table. Her already wide smile broadened even further as she snatched the card from the clear forked prongs. She bent to take a sniff of the rich red roses mixed within the bronze sunflowers and lilac snapdragons.
Congratulations, darlin’!
Meet me at Geoffrey’s at 7:00pm.
Don’t be late!
Love you,
Reed
As she entered the intimate restaurant, JC’s espresso brown dress brushed her thighs. She sauntered past the open-front façade flanked by rustic wood columns. The hostess greeted her by name, escorting her to a cozy table at the back of the restaurant. The waiter arrived with a glass of wine and a chilled glass of water complete with a wedge of lemon.
JC blushed, settling into her seat, impressed by the lengths Reed had gone in order to make the evening a perfect celebration. Everything from his choice of restaurant to her favorite cabernet. She sipped her wine, taking in the limestone fireplace and dark wood tones surrounding her, anxiously waiting for Reed to arrive.
Feeling the warmth of his hand on her bare shoulder persuaded a sexy smile. She tilted her head, exposing her bare neck to his lips as her fingers slipped down the curve of the wine glass, stroking the stem. Her eyes drifted shut as the heat of his breath caressed her skin.
“Ciao sei bllissima amore mio.”
JC bolted away from the warm breath. Her flesh instantaneously covered in goose bumps. Every hair on her body stood at attention hearing the sound of Luca’s voice.
JC’s mouth was parched like a dry lake bed in the middle of the desert. She choked down any remaining saliva left in her throat, snarling breathlessly, “What the hell are you doing here?”
Luca Santini stood within inches, groomed meticulously with a haughty smile and a designer suit. The words he uttered faded to a distorted murmur behind the sounds of her rampant heartbeat as reality of his presence sunk in.
“Auditioning for larger opportunities in Hollywood. No thanks to your step-daddy.” Luca attempted to stifle the resentment in his voice. He flashed a smile that at one point would’ve softened her, but not now. Not ever again. Fear, anger and hatred churned through her veins.
“Sei bellissima,” Luca urged again. His eyes wandered to her chest heaving up and down with each labored gasp for oxygen. “Mi sei mancato.”
“Well, I haven’t missed you. My father warned you never to come near me again.” Every inch of her body strained with warning. A thin layer of sweat flushed over her flesh.
“Ah, now JC, he can’t run me out of every country.” Luca’s accent was drenched with cocky arrogance.
“Bet me,” she assured through clenched jaw.
“Besides, I brought a few of your belongings you left when you moved out.”
“I didn’t move out. I escaped and I don’t want anything from you.” Her mind felt like a runaway train. How did he find me? How long has he been in California? Did he follow me to the restaurant? “You need to leave.”
“You don’t really mean that. Have dinner with me.” His hand traversed down her arm from elbow to fingers, bowing to place a kiss on the back of her hand.
JC remained frozen, numb to his touch. The surroundings around her fell mute. Though Luca stood right beside her, the vision of him seemed far away as his lips honed in on her knuckles. The sight triggered a surge of adrenaline screaming through her.
Yanking her hand free of his grip, JC sprang to her feet, sending her chair reeling behind her, knocking it to the floor. “You need to go.”
She wrapped her arms across her queasy stomach, clasping her elbows for safety. Blood rushed from her face and she felt as if she might pass out.