8

Valentina pov

Determined to irritate him tonight, I sprawl on the bed, fully dressed. As soon as I hear the shower turn off, I shut my eyes, pretending to be asleep.

I can't allow him to sleep in the same bed with me. We can't share a bed.

I value my privacy and personal space. I've never had to share a bed with anyone except Fred, and I'm not prepared to reach that level with Rocco.

I understand that we're supposed to sign the contract tonight, but I'm not going to give him the opportunity to sweet-talk me into letting him sleep in the same bed.

The bathroom door opens, and I envision him stepping out with a bare chest, droplets of water trailing down his wet hair, and a towel wrapped around his waist.

I can picture the glare he'll give me when he realizes I'm already "asleep" on the bed, sprawled with my legs apart to keep him from joining me.

Tonight is our first night as a couple, and I want us to adhere to the contract's rules to make our time together more manageable. Allowing