horrible had happened.
The planets hadn’t collided.
No stars had fallen from the sky.
No scary men had jumped out of bushes and snatched her away.
Maybe all the bad things were behind her. Maybe, she thought, stripping off her dress and stepping beneath the showerhead with the faucets turned on full force, just maybe, everything would be okay.
Relief swept through her as the water beat down, first icy, then scalding until she finally adjusted the water to the perfect temperature.
Mind spinning, she soaped up, shampooed her hair and rinsed off all while thinking that her fears seemed so silly now. Why hadn’t she trusted Vitt sooner?
Why had she thought he’d be like her father?
How tragic that she hadn’t trusted him before. It would have saved them all so much heartache as well as lost time together.
Once dry, Jill styled her hair, then applied makeup, before slipping into the simple black cocktail dress hanging in the closet.
She felt like a different woman as she tugged up the dress’s zipper. It was such a relief to have shared the truth with someone. Such a relief to know she wasn’t alone. Keeping the secret had been a crushing burden and suddenly she felt lighter. Freer. Happier.
Twisting her hair into a silky chignon she stared at her reflection in the master bathroom’s enormous mirror, her brown eyes smiling shyly, her mouth curving uncertainly.
He knew the truth about her, knew she was Frank Giordano’s daughter, and he hadn’t pulled away in disgust.
But having him just accept the truth wasn’t enough. She wanted his love. She wanted his heart.
Yet how could he love her if he didn’t know her? She needed him to know her, the real her, the woman who was falling in love with him.
Looking hard at her pale reflection, Jillian took a deep breath and removed one contact lens, and then the other, taking the brown colored lenses out to reveal her natural eye color—a vivid, and rather startling, turquoise green.
Moving to the sink, she washed the brown contact lenses down the drain and then washed her hands, all the while looking at her heart-shaped face with the high cheekbones, aristocratic nose and strong chin.
This is you, she told her reflection, this is you without artifice and make-believe. This is the you Vitt needs to see.
She didn’t know how Vitt would react when he saw her eyes had changed color again but at least tonight when he saw her face, he would see her real face. He’d finally see her.
Vittorio rapped on the bathroom door. “My family is gathered downstairs and waiting.”
“I’m ready,” she said, opening the door and stepping out, wondering how long it’d take him to notice what she’d done.
He tipped his head, studied her. He’d noticed the change immediately. “You look…different.”
“Is it my hair? I can take it down.”
“It’s not your hair.”
“Maybe it’s the dress. It’s a little big.”
“Everything in your wardrobe is big.”
“I never bought new clothes after I had Joe. But I don’t mind. And no one’s really going to be looking at me tonight, right?”
He smiled with his eyes. “Keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better.” And then he drew a velvet pouch from his pocket. “But maybe this will add a little sparkle and shine to your black frock.”
Shyly she bent her head forward so that he could fasten the elaborate gold clasp at the back of her neck. The choker was snug, the strands heavy with precious stones.
“Turn around,” he said.
She did, and for a moment he said nothing and then he tipped her chin up with one finger. “Green eyes tonight.”
She nodded.
“How did you know you’d be getting emeralds?” he asked, sounding amused.
“I didn’t.”
“You just decided to swap out your colored lenses tonight?”
She fingered the precious jewels at her throat. “I decided I was tired of hiding, so I threw away the contacts.”
“Your real eye color is green?”
She nodded.
“And what is your real hair color? Red?” he guessed.
“How did you know?”
He’d been smiling but his smile died. “It’s the one color you’ve never been.” Vitt reached out to her smooth chignon and touched the twisted strands at her nape. “My wife has red hair and green eyes. How odd to think I’ve never really known her.”
“But you have. This—” and she gestured to her face and body “—this is the real me. The only me. The one you met in Istanbul. The one you took to the villa. The one who had your baby.”
“Good. Because you are the one I wanted in Istanbul, and