~ Niamh ~
I slid off the bed slowly, the silk of the mattress whispering against my skin as the hem of my nightgown rode high on my thighs.
My bare feet hit the cold marble, but I barely felt the chill. I padded toward him, every step making my heart pound faster.
Massimo shut the door behind him with a slow, heavy click, and turned to face me.
Goosebumps erupted across my skin immediately; it wasn't the air in the room, it was the full, crushing weight of his gaze slamming into me.
His eyes were dark, riveting, and dangerously focused. In the warm glow of the bedside lamp, they glittered like polished black obsidian.
He looked exhausted in a way that only made him look more deadly.
His dress shirt was rumpled, his black tie hung loosely from his collar like a noose, and his thick hair was tousled as if he'd spent the last hour raking his fingers through it in a fit of silent rage.
