Page 24 of Secret Baby for my Off-Limits Fiancé
But before I agree to everything, I look up at him one more time. “I have another condition.”
“Go on, then.”
“We are not in a real relationship, and I am under no obligation to you to share details about my own life. No digging into my past, no trying to uncover things I haven’t shared. Can you agree to that?”
He hesitates for a second but then nods. “Agreed. Your past is your own, and I won’t pry.”
With the terms laid out, we both sit back, the tension easing slightly.
There’s still a lot to figure out, but for now, we have a plan.
We clink our glasses together.
“Salute.”
To our partnership.
***
When dinner ends, he insists that we go back to his apartment to go over some more of the terms. “Plus, it’ll help us get comfortable around each other.”
Thanks to the liquid courage in the form of wine, I end up agreeing. But the entire car ride there, my thoughts remain fixated on Vincent.
Should I tell him I have a child? If we are going to be spending more time together, it is bound to come up. But then again, it’s risky. What if he finds out the truth?
No, you can always tell him he’s from another relationship. The dad is not in the picture anymore. Vincent cannot get involved only to be hurt.
I don’t even notice when the car stops.
“We’re here.” He hurries to open my door for me.
“What a gentleman.” The five glasses of wine I had are finally beginning to do their job. I feel more relaxed, and he guides me into his home.
He pours me another glass of wine as we step onto his balcony.
His apartment is on the penthouse of a large building, and the view from here is breath-taking.
I compare it with the small two-bedroom apartment I live in, and once again realize just how different both our worlds are.
Valentino joins me, standing close enough that I can feel the warmth of his body. “Beautiful, isn’t it? I come out here when I need to think. It’s peaceful.”
I take the glass of wine from him, “You know, if you told me forty-eight hours ago that this is what I’d be doing, I’d have never believed you.”
“Well, life has a way of surprising us.” I can hear the smile in his voice.
He turns to face me, and our eyes meet.
For a moment, the world seems to fade away. There’s a magnetic pull between us, something undeniable and powerful. Without thinking, I step closer, and he does the same.
Then, before I can stop it, his lips are on mine.
And God help me, I kiss him back.
This is a bad idea, my mind is screaming at me to stop. But my body has plans of its own.
His lips press against mine, warm and firm, sending a jolt of electricity through my body. The kiss is intense, his mouth moving with a practiced ease that leaves me breathless. Heat radiating from him through me, spreading from the point of contact and spiraling outward, igniting every nerve.
I need this right now, a way to release the pent-up frustration I’ve felt for the last couple of days. I need him.
