41

Francesca

MY ROOM LOOKED THE SAME , but I felt completely different. Instead of the usual fear I experienced within these walls, I was relaxed. There were little touches of mine everywhere, from the lipstick on the side table to the bra I threw on a chair. It was familiar, and I realized I didn't hate being here anymore.

Was it because of Faust and Rome? Did I let your charm twist my mind into accepting this?

Or was I as dark inside as he believed?

Was he also experiencing this insane connection between us, the burning need for each other that felt too big, too important to be just lust?

I spent my life looking for something more, a way to find myself outside of my father's orbit, as my mother wanted. And I never felt more myself than when I was with Fausto. It was like he was peeling back the unimportant layers and helping me learn who I was underneath. Not to mention I was discovering that my handsome devil in a three-piece suit could be tender and sweet too.

My? Was I really thinki