ELENORA

A constant buzzing is making my head throb. I wince trying to raise my head, but it's practically glued to my pillow. When I open my eyes I'm staring at the sleeping face of Rico. We're facing each other holding hands...in my bed.

How did we end up here? The last thing I remember was crying on the couch as he held me.

I cast my eyes down and breathe a sigh of relief when I see we are both fully clothed; he still even has his shoes on.

His hair is laying across his forehead. His short beard appears thicker today and his mouth is parted. There's a youthful look to his face when he sleeps, without that permanent scowl he likes to wear every day.

The buzzing goes off again and he starts to move and I shut my eyes. The bed dips as he shifts next to me and the buzzing stops. I'm surprised he doesn't let go of my hand, then I focus on the rustling sounds of clothing before his fingers run through my hair pushing some of my stray pieces back away from my face. My eye twitches, when he trails his fingertips down over my right temple. He caresses my cheek and skims his thumb over my lips.

"Ti ammiro." His whisper is gruff from just waking up. "Nessuna è come te, Elenora Borelli." (I admire you, no one is like you)

He curses when the buzzing goes off again and I open my eyes again. He shifts his eyes to me after turning off the alarm on his phone, a lazy smile spreads on his face. "Morning, how are you feeling?"

"Other than wanting to rip my own head off, not too bad."

I glance down at our hands that are still intertwined and then back up at his face, but he doesn't show any indication that he wants to let go.

"Are you going to be able to work today?"

My eyes widen, remembering I have a photoshoot. What time is it? I shoot up, but then instantly regret doing so.

"Argh!" I hold my head.

"Whoa, easy. I set the alarm early, well a few of them," he tells me and I move my eyes to look at him. "I sometimes have a hard time waking up—if I do sleep, that is, so I set a few alarms to ease me out of sleep." He rubs the back of his neck, and his hair moves loosely onto his face.

"I do that, too."

His head snaps back to me. We keep staring at each other in silence before I look away. I clear my throat and attempt to get up but my head is throbbing too much.

"Wait, let me grab you some water." He rushes out of the room. I lean over and pick up my phone from the nightstand. I'm relieved when I see I still have a few hours before the shoot. I also have some missed calls from my mom and Jackie and a couple of texts from Clara, too.

"Here you go." Rico walks back in and hands me the water and holds Aspirin in his other hand.

I peer up at him as he stands over me. "I'm sorry you had to come babysit me." I take the medicine and then chug the water.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay." He sighs as he sits down next to me. "But this was a first, well, second time now, with you."

"What?" I start to take a drink of the cool, refreshing water.

"I have never slept in the same bed with a woman before." I inhale in surprise but start choking on the water. He starts patting me hard on the back.

"Like ever?" I gasp in between my coughing.

"Never. Until you."

I don't believe him as the leggy, well endowed woman draped over him at the club comes to my mind.

"Hm." I stand, wanting to change the subject. I fight through the nausea that hits me as I walk across my room. I'm starting to sweat and reach out for my dresser when the ground begins moving under me.

"Easy." Rico's behind me now, holding onto my waist to keep me steady. "Maybe you should reschedule your shoot today."

I shake my head, careful, not to cause myself to lose the contents in my stomach. I take a deep breath. "No. I can't do that."

"Why not? Shit happens sometimes, you said it yourself." But my focus is on the fact that his hands have moved up to my shoulders and he's massaging them and then my neck. I find myself closing my eyes enjoying how his hands work the tightness of my neck and shoulders.

I startle myself when a moan slips out from me, and my eyes snap open. I tense up before I move away from him, holding on to the wall to keep myself up.

"Um, I'm going to jump in the shower. Thanks again for last night." I wave my hand out and realize I'm holding a fresh pair of panties and a bra and then slip my hands behind my back.

The slow smile that spreads on his face tells me he's enjoying seeing me flustered.

"So, you can go ahead and see yourself out." I move backwards. "Okay, bye." I slip into my bathroom and close the door behind me.

Get a hold of yourself, Nora. You act like you're deprived of attention and physical touch that one little moment with Satan himself and you're a moaning mess.

That's because you are deprived and he hasn't been too bad lately. He's been tolerable, and nice—sweet even.

Stop.

I stare at myself in the mirror. "Focus. Don't let your hormones take over."

I get in the shower and take longer than normal hoping all the tension and queasiness I'm experiencing washes away.

Afterward, I slip on a bra and panties, and throw on my robe, not bothering to tie it. I decide to eat something small to settle my stomach before I get dressed and ready. I grab my phone and send my mom and sister a text letting them know I'm okay and was busy.

Clara sent me another message this morning and when I open it there's a couple of photos of Rico and I in the cafe. One where we are standing and gazing into each other's eyes as he holds me and the other where we are sitting and laughing at the table.

Wow, that was fast.

I chuckle when I read her message. "Where was my coffee invite?" Followed by, "Is it bigger than a tube of lipstick?"

"I'm glad I stayed. I had my doubts that we would get this far, so soon."

I scream then hiss from the pain I caused myself, startled by Rico.

"What are you still doing here?"

"I used your spare bathroom and I had a change of clothes brought to me from the hotel. It's not that far from here." He stands, and I notice he is in fact in a new suit and his hair is damp.

"Is that a tattoo?"

I remember my robe is still hanging open, and I hurry to wrap it over myself and tighten the sash. "I thought you already saw me when I stayed in the hotel suite after my birthday?"

He looks down and shakes his head. "No, I had staff-maids take care of you. I'm not a complete sleazeball." He shoves his hands in his pockets. "Are you hungry? I got some coffee, but I didn't know what you felt like, something sweet or savory; so I got you oatmeal and an omelet."

"Thanks, that's nice of you." My attention lands on the flowers on the counter.

"Ruben said these came for you, too." He hands the bouquet that consists of yellow carnations, orange lilies and buttercups. I swallow the vomit that tries to make an escape. I lift the card out with a shaky hand.

"I gotta tell you, a part of me was wondering if I had competition over you. But now that I've seen the flowers you get, I know better. You must have pissed someone off, pretty bad, mia patatina." (my little potato)

I ignore his term of endearment. "What are you some sort of flower expert? You don't strike me as someone with a green thumb."

Rico chuckles. "I'm not. But as you know I was in prison and I had a cellmate who was a connoisseur of flowers. So I may have picked up a thing or two."

I scoff before I unfold the card:

"I'm so disappointed in you. If you think your new man will keep me from getting what's mine. You're wrong. Dead wrong."

I drop the note and reach out for the table. Rico rushes over to my side, helping me sit down. "What is it? Are you going to be sick?"

I rest my head on the table and take deep breaths.

"What the fuck is this?" I lift my head and Rico has the card in his hands. "Who the hell sent this to you, Elenora?"

Tears fill my eyes. I fight through the fear and nausea that overcomes me. "I...I don't know. I've been getting them for some time. I assumed they'd stop eventually, but it's getting worse."

"Do your parents know? Did you call the police?"

A humorless laugh passes through my lips as I wipe the tears. "Right, tell my parents I have some psycho stalker sending me flowers, notes and gifts. They don't think I can survive on my own, as it is, this would only reinforce their wishes of wanting me back in their house, keeping me locked up forever because I'm too weak to handle anything and anyone. Why do you think I'm stuck in this fucking arrangement with you in the first place?"

He doesn't say anything and begins to set the food out and then hands me my coffee in silence. He picks up the flowers from the floor and takes them to the garbage can. "I'll take care of it."

"How? What could your accounting background do with something like this?"

"I have a lot of friends." He sits down and begins to eat. I glance over at him as he eats what looks like an egg frittata. He has a cup of pineapple and strawberries on his plate, too. There's a certain elegance to how he eats, but it's also masculine. And then I scan over his tattoos littering his fingers and hands.

"Do your tattoos have meaning?"

He raises his eyes to look at me above his cup as he sips his coffee and then sets it down. "Most, yes. Some of the ones I got when I was a kid were just because I thought they were cool."

"How many do you have?"

"I stopped keeping track after fifty."

I swallow the omelet I had taken a bite of as my eyes widen. "Fifty?"

He nods and continues eating.

"What do the ones on your hands and fingers mean?"

He sets his fork down and splays his hands out in front of me. He gestures to the tattoos on the knuckles of his right hand. "The gun represents power, the rose is for my mamma, the knife was for the betrayal my father experienced that killed him, the snake can mean a lot of things, but for me it represents patience. The wolf represents loyalty."

I lean forward, resting my elbows on the table as I listen and look over each one he describes.

Then he points to the tattoos on the back of his right hand. He continues to share the meaning of the ink adorning his tan skin. "And the skull that covers this hand was just because I thought it was cool." He shrugs.

I trace over some of them, thinking about their meaning, but stop when I notice he isn't talking anymore. He's watching me with a soft smile on his lips.

"Cool." I lean back and tuck my hair behind my ears.

"What about yours?"

My face heats up. "Well, it stupid compared to all of yours."

"Who's comparing?" He leans back in the chair and crosses his arms, the shirt straining over his arms and chest. "I dare you to show me, unless you're too chicken..."

I narrow my eyes at him, knowing he's throwing that back in my face from the first night we met. I take a deep breath and pull the sash to my robe and open the left side to show him the quote I have running from my ribcage down my side.

I shake my head at myself. "I got it after Leo left."

Rico slants forward and reads it out loud. "With pain comes strength." I hold my breath when his fingers skim over it. I struggle to suppress the shiver that runs through me, but my skin erupts in goosebumps under his touch.

"It suits you." His fingers trace the feather images on either side of it. My breathing is accelerating the longer he keeps his fingers on me. His eyes leave a hot trail as they descend down to the elastic band sitting on my hip and then travel up to my exposed bra.

I'm completely entranced as he pulls in his bottom lip to moisten it and then his eyes meet mine. I don't know if he feels the energy running through me but it terrifies and excites me at the same time.

His eyes move to my lips and I find myself gnawing on my lower lip.

Have you ever had one of those moments where it feels like the person you're with is thinking the same thing?

Yeah, me either, but this is what that must feel like.

That can't be right. It's Rico.

But as I look back at him, I swear he's leaning in. I jump when his phone rings, placing my hand over my drumming heart. He looks down at his phone. "Sorry, I need to take this."

I nod much too quickly. "I have to get dressed anyway, thanks again." I close my robe and stand.

"I'll call you later?"

"Sure."

He slips his coat on. "I hope your photoshoot goes well."

"Thanks, have a good day." I respond, sounding like an idiot, I roll my eyes as I walk to the door. I pull it open and turn around, not realizing he's standing close to me.

"Be safe, Elenora." I stop breathing as he hugs me again like he did the other day. But this time my arms come around him as I hug him back. I try not to wriggle in his hold from his beard prickling my skin when he lowers his head in the crook of my neck. He inhales before he lets go then places a kiss on my cheek.

He pulls away smiling before he steps through the doorway.

Mrs. Jones opens her door. "Damn he looks good." She whistles as he steps into the elevator down the hall. "But he needs a lesson on how to properly kiss a woman goodbye."

I fold my arms. "Mrs. Jones, were you watching?"

"No, of course not, dear." She appears offended, but I know better. " I thought I heard a knock on my door and I came to answer and there you two were hugging each other like a couple of lovebirds but the kiss on the cheek was anti-climatic, Nora."

I laugh, shaking my head. "I've gotta get ready for a photoshoot. Have a good day Mrs. Jones."

"You too, Nora. Don't forget we need to have lunch soon." She reminds me for the hundredth time.

"Okay, let's plan for next week, this week is a little crazy for me."

"Sounds good, dear. Have a great photoshoot." She smiles before she goes back inside her apartment.

I close my door and lean up against it, smiling. And then I stop; scolding myself for getting carried away.

________________

I scan over the engagement pictures I took today. The couple's faces shine with love, laughter and happiness.

They picked the Brooklyn Botanical Garden as their site and with the different contrasting colors from changing seasons and foliage, it gives the pictures a warm, romantic glow around them.

I set my mug of hot chocolate down when my phone rings. I turn it over and see it's Rico. I try to ignore the skip in rhythm my pulse makes seeing his name flashing on my screen.

"Hey."

"Buona sera, Elenora." His voice comes through as smooth on the phone as it does in person. "How did your photoshoot go today?" (Good evening)

"It went well."

"And how are you feeling?"

"I'm better, thank you. The headache is still there, but not as intense." I tuck my feet under me on the couch. "How...how was your day?"

"It's been busy, but good. Do you have plans tonight?"

My heart starts to race in anticipation. "No, I was planning to lay low."

"Would you like to have dinner with me?"

"Is this part of the whole fake relationship?" I snap my eyes shut and slap my hand to my forehead. Of course it is, dummy. But he's quiet on the other end and I think I might have lost the call and pull the phone away and see the time's still running on the call.

"Rico?"

"We need to keep up the appearance of the relationship, especially if any of the photos or videos that were being taken while you were singing and dancing at the bar, announcing to the world that you were dumped, start circulating." His tone of voice is different now; clipped.

"Oh, right," I reply, deflated. I clear my throat. "Okay, where should I meet you?"

"I'll send a car for you. Be ready in an hour and don't dress like a whore." He hangs up and I sit there with the phone still pressed to my ear.

My hand hurts from how tight I'm gripping the phone. I get that I may have derailed the image yesterday, but that doesn't give him the right to talk to me like that.

He needs a reminder that I don't dress for anyone other than myself.

An hour later on the dot, the driver pages me through the intercom letting me know he's here to pick me up.

I head out of the apartment with a happy smile on my face.

When I step out of the elevator, George's chortles. "My, my, Miss Nora. I love the outfit. You got a theme party you're going to?"

I smile back at him. "Something like that, George."

I push the door open and the driver's mouth hangs open when he sees me, but he composes himself. "Signorina Elenora?"

"That's me!" I high five him and he fumbles with opening the car door but eventually gestures for me to get in. I climb in and he shuts the door behind me, but he keeps standing there for a moment before he hurries back to the driver's seat.

His eyes flicker back to me several times during the drive to the restaurant. I have a moment of last minute regret when I see the restaurant we are pulling up to, but it's too late.

No going back now.

I take a deep breath and exhale when Rico walks up to the car, opening the door. He holds his hand out for me and I take it, slipping my legs out one at a time and then stand. His eyes widen in shock but then anger takes over his features.

People who are walking in or getting out of their cars stop to stare; there's shock, confusion and even laughter.

"What the fuck are you wearing?" Rico hisses in my ear.

I shrug, looking down over the outfit. "You said not to dress like a whore so it was either this Cosmo Drink costume dress or the eggplant costume. Considering the options, I think this looks pretty good." I smile up at him.

His jaw muscles tick, and then talks to me through the fake smile on his face. "You're changing."

"No, I'm not." We stare at each other, still smiling even though there's anger in both of our eyes, challenging each other.

"Fine, you want to look like you've lost your shit, go ahead. It will sell better when this whole idiotic thing is over and we can use your mental illness as the reason."

"Mental Illness?"

"Yes, you're clearly deranged and I'm dating you out of pity but then it becomes too much and you need to go away for treatment but in fact we go our separate ways." His smile widens while I look back at him in horror.

He caresses my face. "Think about all the crazy shit you've pulled since this started and it's only getting worse. Come amore, let's go inside." He says the last part loud enough for those near us to hear him speak in a loving manner.

I stay frozen in my spot as he tugs at my hand.

Rico turns to me with a look of concern on his evil, gorgeous face. "Something wrong, love? Are you not feeling well?" He places his hand on my cheek then my forehead and there's a small smirk on his mouth. I lean away from his hand.

"I need to change."

"What was that, cara mia?" He leans in when I know he heard me. I fight the urge to pull his head down and knee him in the face. (My dear)

"I said I need to change." I grit the words through my clenched jaw.

"Yes, of course you can use the restroom, let's go inside."

I pull him back as he starts to walk away again. "I hate you."

"You don't think you can eat, now?" He sighs as he pulls me into a hug while my arms hang down by my sides. "Of course we can take you home."

"I hope you choke on the shit you're so full of." I whisper-shout against his ear.

Rico pulls away, holding on to my hand. "Raul, change of plans, Elenora isn't feeling well." He addresses the driver who witnessed and heard the entire interaction being so close to us, but he responds by nodding. "Take us back to the hotel."

"Right away, sir."

Rico opens the door and places his hand on my back when I dip down to get in. He gives me a slight shove before he closes the door behind me. He walks around the other side and gets in, leaning back to unbutton his suit.

"Lucky for you, I anticipated you pulling some shit like this. There are dresses for you to change into in the hotel suite."

I cross my arms and stare out the window. "I'm not wearing any of your fuck buddies' clothes."

"They're new, I got them for you."

I turn to face him, but he's looking out the window, too. "Why?"

"Because you obviously have no sense of taste or fashion."

The rest of the drive is silent.

"I'll wait in the lobby. I have some business to take care of." He tells me when we walk in. Several people give me double looks and some mouths hang open and then I remembered what I was wearing.

I didn't plan on my idea backfiring like this.

The staff lets me into Rico's suite and into another room that I remember as his considering how light it is in here and from what I remember his room was as dark as his soul.

A maid brings in a rack of dresses and a second maid brings in another rack with shelves holding all kinds of different heels, boots and shoes.

What the hell is all this for?

I ask one of the maids if they wouldn't mind helping and she smiles before she unzips me. "Signor Federico, must really like you, Miss."

"I doubt it." I mutter as I pull my arms out of the costume.

I peruse the selection he has and while they are all gorgeous, some of the dresses I own are a little short but most of these don't have backs or sleeves and the slits on them will reach my outer hip.

I decide on a bright red, strapless dress that has a high slit on the side and select a pair of strappy nude heels; I leave my hair up in the high ponytail I already have it in.

I touch up my lipstick and then head down in the elevator.

I look around the lobby for Rico and can't find him anywhere. I head outside and then I see him talking with several men. A few of them look over at me and then he turns, too. I hold my chin up, taking a deep breath as I walk towards him.

His eyes travel from my face down the dress and then back up.

"You look beautiful, Elenora." He kisses both sides of my face.

"I don't see how your taste and mine vary. At least my outfit would have kept me warm tonight."

"I'll keep you warm." He leans down and kisses my bare shoulder which, unfortunately, does make me feel warm.

He addresses the group of men watching us and introduces me. "Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Elenora Borelli." He keeps his hand on my low back and I switch the items in my hand to my left so that I can shake hands with the men.

They each smile and nod as they shake my hand or air kiss the sides of my face.

"I know Tiziano Borrelli, he represented my fathers company through a merger. Good man." A handsome stranger tells me.

I smile in return. "He is my father and yes, he is a good man."

My phone rings, pulling my attention away. "Excuse me." I tell the group and I hold my hand out to Rico. "You're going to have to hold these, since they won't fit in my clutch and because none of the dresses you bought lined up well enough to wear them without looking trashy."

I drop my panties in his hand and then he looks back at me as I smirk. The men chuckle as Rico stuffs them in his pocket but I see his eyes move over my dress. He realizes the men are doing the same and he glares at them as I answer the call.

"Hello?"

"Hola hermosa, you miss me?" (hello beautiful)

"Who is this?" I turn away from the group.

"Ouch, all those dances and that kiss didn't leave a lasting impression like I hoped. It's Diego."

"Diego?"

Rico's head snaps over to me and then it hits me. "Um, hi. How'd you get my number?" Rico's face seems to be growing a few shades darker than red. And that's saying something considering it's dark outside.

"Your friend, Clara," I turn away from Rico's raging gaze.

"Oh. So...what's up?"

"I wanted to see if we could get together."

"I'm with Rico, right now." The heat from Rico's angry stare is becoming uncomfortable so I move further away.

"How about next week?"

"I get pretty busy as the week progresses depending on work."

"I'll hit you up on Monday then and we'll see what day works best for you."

"Sounds good."

"Tell that bitch, Rico, I said hi. I was serious when I told you to watch yourself around him. He's not who you think, Nora." He hangs up without waiting for a response.

I turn around and come face to face with Rico. He steps up to me and I hit the wall of the hotel as I back up. "What did that asshole want?"

"Nothing."

"Don't fucking lie to me, Elenora." He seethes, his breathing comes out in puffs and his eyes appear black in the dim light of the night.

"He wants to get together next week."

"And you're considering it?"

I shrug in a noncommittal way. He moves even closer and his leg presses in between mine. I gasp as his hand slips through the slit of the dress. The rough skin on his hands scrapes against the flesh of my ass, gripping on to me hard but not painful.

I glance around but no one is paying attention to us and I don't know if it's because he said something or what, all I know is, I'm trapped under his heated gaze and his hard body pressed up against mine.

"Let's get one thing straight, Elenora, while we are in this relationship, you're not going to be seen with anyone else. Do you understand me?"

"Or what?"

"I'll ruin you." He dips his head down, brushing his lips against my ear, a shiver runs through me. "I'll fuck you so hard I'll seep into your soul and if and or when you are with anyone else, you will only see me, hear me and feel me." To prove his point he moves his hand down my ass and maneuvers himself as he slips his finger inside of me from behind and I take in a sharp breath but there's no hiding the pleasure in my reaction.

His soft lips are moving along my neck. I close my eyes as his tongue is licking me in a slow pace before his teeth graze my skin and then he nibbles on me, his beard is doing things to me I never imagined I could feel all the while his finger is playing me like a violin in public.

"Rico, please." I don't mean for it to come out as a moan.

However, at that moment, I'm not sure if I'm asking him to stop or to keep going, but I don't have to wonder long as he pulls away as fast as he started and holds onto my waist. I stumble along with him on shaky legs, as he guides us to the car.

"We'll meet up next week." Rico says to the group of men as we walk past them. They respond in a chorus of different responses. This time when Rico helps me in, there isn't a shove from his hand on my bare back.

The drive to the different restaurant is longer than the other one and I can't bring myself to look at him. I replay what happened outside the hotel and his words fester in my head and the longer they did the more I know he would do as he said.

What scares me most is not that he would do it, but the honest truth that I would let him.

Since I met him, it's like he's awaken a fire in me that's been simmering deep within my soul and I don't know if there's anyone else who can control it other than him and that makes me hate him even more.

I brace myself to peek over at him, and I know I'm done for as I watch him stroke his upper lip with the same finger he used on me, taking a deeping breath, with a small smile on his lips.

My mouth parts as my breathing accelerates and then his smoldering eyes burn into mine.

"You ready?"

"What?"

"We're here, at the restaurant."

"Oh, right." I shake the lust out of my head. It's just dinner, you can do this.

Rico chuckles, before he steps out of the car.

Great, he can read minds now, too.****