looked straight into his mesmerizing eyes. “Alessandro, I haven't been unfaithful...not in thought or deed. Please, believe me.”
“Olivia...” His voice still rang with warning, but it held a lot less malice. It was clear my actions took him by surprise.
Determined to remain brave, I dared to come really close and I did something I had never done before. I kissed him. It was soft, awkward and innocent, but my lips pressed against his nonetheless. This time, I was sure he had shuddered.
“Olivia, ma che cosa fai?” he murmured in Italian, like he was completely confused and taken aback. He’d asked me what I was doing, but still made no move to push me away or force me outside to face the hairdresser.
“Don't do this to us, please,” I beseeched him. “Don't make me hate you because of your cruelty.”
He let out a harsh breath like he was hit by what I'd said and—certain that I was reaching him on some distant level for the first time ever—I forced myself to remain close despite my fear.
My forehead was leaning against his.
My hand lay frozen on his cheek.
Our lips were an inch apart—almost touching.
Our heartbeats were synchronized; beating together in silence.
I was so close to convincing him I could almost taste it. I thought it would be hard for me to say what I was about to say, but my voice didn’t stutter and the words spilled out of me with unexpected clarity. “It has only ever been you, Alessandro,” I whispered softly. “I have never loved another man.”
He closed his eyes like those words meant something powerful to him. Suddenly, his breathing turned harsher and his lips searched for mine. But then, something changed and he stopped himself, regaining his cold composure in an instant. His expression became very serious, and he slowly pushed me away from himself.
“Yes you have, tesoro,” he whispered, and suddenly looked defeated, like he was hurt by something. “You most definitely have.”
I stared at him in utter confusion. “Alessandro, I don't understand—”
“No more sweet talk”—he interjected, narrowing his eyes—“and no more lies. You have despised me since the very moment you saw me kill a man. Are you going to try and deny that, Olivia?”
A flashback from the incident when he had rescued me appeared before my eyes, and I remembered all of the emotions that had consumed my mind the moment I realized the man of my dreams was a criminal and a merciless killer. I gave him a look of helplessness.
“Alessandro, please—”
“Come,” he demanded, and extended his hand toward me, waiting for me to accept it. When I failed to move, he said softly, “I don't have any patience left. This is your last chance to obey before I employ force...don't waste it.”
Despite his calm composure, the menacing look in his eyes told me enough to know he wasn't joking. Every last trace of warmth was gone and he was back to being controlled, cold, and dangerous. I could continue to defy him, but it would only cause him to hurt me and the result would still be the same. He would force me to have my hair cut. I had no choice other than accept my loss and—once again—bend to his will. But I was determined to keep as much of my dignity as I could. I stood up on my own without accepting his hand, and ambled into the room with my head held high. To my surprise, the hairdresser was already there, waiting for me by the vanity. Just how much of our discussion had she heard or seen? I bit the inside of my cheek. I was past the point of caring. Feeling Alessandro's presence behind me, I walked to the chair and sat down without a word.
The hairdresser didn't ask any questions. She just pulled out a comb and a pair of scissors from her bag. I assumed Alessandro had already told her exactly what she needed to do. Despite my resolve to handle this predicament with my dignity intact, I could feel my eyes fill with tears as I met Alessandro's gaze in the mirror. It hurt to see he didn't appear to be even remotely touched by my distress.
Then, the woman took hold of my hair and started cutting it from the bottom. My mind wandered back to those times when May and I played hairdressers, and she admired my long curls. I didn't make a sound, but those tears I had been holding in spilled down