the clear moonlight in Alessandro's dark eyes made me catch my breath.
A flicker of light flashed in his gaze. “I don't make you lose control, Olivia?”
I shook my head, mesmerized by the infatuating shimmer in his black eyes. It appeared that light chased away the clouds of darkness. He smiled as though he could read my thoughts.
“So...” He leaned closer and breathed against my skin. “If I stole a kiss right now, it wouldn't turn you into a quivering mess in my arms and make you forget about the rest of the world?”
“No,” I whispered, fighting to resist the dark temptation. “I'm pretty sure nothing of the sort would happen.”
He smirked and brought his lips just an inch closer. “There's only one way to find out, cara, isn't there?”
He was going to kiss me. I should have stepped away, but my feet remained glued to the ground. In one breathless instant, his lips connected with mine and—to my absolute dismay—I instinctively leaned into his kiss. I moaned into his mouth and surrendered to the passion. His hand was in my hair and he kissed me with so much demand, as though his very life depended on it. I could register his erection against my inner thigh, but it wasn't enough to make me push him away. His lips were the source of water in an endless dry desert, and I couldn't stop clenching my thirst for affection which had been denied to me for so long. Instead, Alessandro was the one who pulled away. I let out an impromptu breath of protest when he removed his lips from mine. Only a split second later, I was mortified by my wanton reaction.
“Enough, cara.” He closed his eyes and uttered pleadingly, “I promised I would be a gentleman. I don't want to take it any further than this.”
We both breathed harshly as though affected by these invisible strings that pulled us toward each other. He was right. There were vibrations in the air. Some kind of heavy energy. I wished it wasn’t there, but it just was and it was undeniable.
“I don't mean to brag, but I think you’ve just failed the test.” Alessandro's soft voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
“You...you took me by surprise.” I tried justifying my reaction, reddening to the roots of my hair.
“Madre di Dio,” Alessandro uttered with a sort of rare fascination. “Are you going to continue to tell me you don't feel this?”
“I don't want to feel it,” I said in a miserable voice.
“But it's there. I don't think it will ever go away,” he whispered, caressing my cheek. “And I don't think either of us could ever experience it with someone else. Don't you think something so special is worth fighting for, Olivia?”
“Alessandro, you're not being fair.”
“How so, cara?” he asked calmly against my forehead.
“You make it sound so simple,” I argued, leaning back to peer into his eyes. “But there are many things you’re not aware of...”
“Are you referring to my amnesia?” he demanded.
I nodded. “Yes. Do you realize you want to fight for a marriage you can't even remember?”
“I’ve thought about this a lot and have come to the conclusion that the past doesn't matter. Nothing I would possibly remember could ever change the way I feel about you, Olivia,” he assured me. “Whatever you’re hiding from me, it has already been forgiven and forgotten on my part, so you can stop fearing the moment I regain my memory. I promise you that it won't change anything.”
A part of me wanted to believe him. If only I had married this version of Alessandro, I’m sure things would have turned out differently. But the wall around my heart refused to crack, and I couldn’t blame it. The other part of me had met the monster too many times to take that risk. “You say that now, but once you remember, you’ll change your mind.”
“Then why don't you make it easier for both of us and share any possible issues that might make me upset, so we can discuss them and get them out of the way?” he probed. “If you’re willing to talk, I’m willing to listen. I can't imagine there are such grave things torturing your conscience that you would need to fear my retaliation. It is I who should be making amends. Your wrongdoings don't come into it. As a matter of fact, I’m certain they fade in comparison.”
I shook my head. “There are things I've done you wouldn't forgive.” The