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“Nothing in particular. I wanted to slap her face and leave an imprint of my palm on her skin, but I’ve decided I just want her to see us like this. Happy and in love.”
He wraps his arms around my waist, and we move gently to the music. “You can still slap her if you want, I’ll have you know that I already punished her.”
“How?”
“I can’t tell,” Valentino grins. “You’ll call me a monster.”
“I already knew that before I said I love you. It doesn’t change anything. Now tell me what you did to her.”
“I sort of strangled her,” he says, pursing his lips. “I also warned her never to speak or come close to you again!”
“You sort of strangled her?” I gasp. “You really are a monster. It’ll be cruel if I hit her after you almost strangled her, so I won’t.”
“Okay.” He leans into my body, and we continue to dance like we are at a nightclub, and not here to mock Nina.
After several minutes of swaying to the soft music, I’ve almost forgotten why I’m here…until I look up to meet Nina’s hateful gaze. She’s staring like she wants to murder me, and I feel not one iota of fear as I stare back at her. Instead, I grin and wave.
“Is she looking?” Valentino asks.
“Yes.”
“Good.”
I thought he would meet her eyes, too, but instead, he pulls me close and kisses me passionately. I melt into his arms, all thoughts of Nina and revenge flying out the window.
“Let’s get out of here, Valentino.”
“Already?” He rasps.
“Right now.”
We run out of the building like children and into the car. Valentino has checked into the same hotel suite we had during our honeymoon. It was like a beautiful recreation of our past. It's a rare form of second chance.
“Thank you for doing this for me. I know it’s petty, but-”
“It’s not,” he says. “In fact, I’m glad we did it. I didn’t realize you were still thinking about it. Now you can let it go.”
“I can.”
Vance pulls up outside the steps of the hotel entrance and Valentino and I bid him goodnight and go up the stone steps. We enter the elevator, laughing and kissing each other. We really are like little kids, and I’ve never been happier than I am now.
As soon as we’re inside the room, we fall over each other, kissing and tearing away layers of clothing until we’re naked in each other’s arms. Valentino lays me on the bed, hovering protectively over me as he kisses my lips. His kiss is soft and affectionate, and his touch is like feathers sliding softly over my skin.
He pulls away from my mouth and kisses down my neck. A moan falls from my lips, and I crane my neck, granting him more access. He continues to trail kisses down my chest until he sucks a nipple into his mouth. I whisper, my fingers sinking into his hair.
“Valentino…”
“Tonight, I want to make love to you, the way I should have on our first time here,” he says, running his tongue gently over the pebbled tip.
I writhe sensually beneath him and trust wholly that he will give me the utmost pleasure like he always has. His mouth moves to the other tip, teasing and biting until I cry out his name.
Slowly, he dives lower, and I instantly part my legs, craving the touch of his lips in my most intimate place. Valentino doesn’t immediately touch me there. Instead, he kisses my foot before tracing his mouth up my ankles and the length of my leg. I can feel myself dripping on the bed, anticipating the touch of his lips or tongue.
He touches a finger to my clit, and I moan. “Please, Valentino…”
“What do you want?” he asks.
“Kiss me… there.”