aid her down in the middle of her bed. But when I was about to step back, I felt something tighten around my lapel, stopping me from stepping away. Ayla’s fingers were wrapped around my sh

k it would be this nerve-wracking. Being this close to Alessio but avoiding eye contact with him. We were a few feet away, yet it felt like he was right beside me. I could feel him staring. His gaze burned into my skin, marking me. “Ayla.” Alessio’s voice broke through my thoughts. He gave me a teasing smile and then nodded to the basket in the middle of the table. “Can you bring this for me?” I looked at Maddie and saw her hiding a smile behind her hand. With an annoyed sigh, I got the basket and brought it to Alessio. After he took the toast, I was about to walk away but his next words stopped me. “Thank you, kitten.” My mouth fell open. I couldn’t believe he called me that in front of everyone. His words were spoken low, but still. I hoped they hadn’t heard. When it seemed they weren’t paying attention, I sighed in relief. I said nothing, and placed the bowl back in the middle of the table. The rest of breakfast was uneventful. Alessio’s eyes were on me most of the time, but I avoided him. When all the men stood up and left, my shoulders dropped in relief and I finally relaxed. “Why is he so…” I started to ask Maddie, but couldn’t find a word to describe Alessio. “Infuriating? Annoying? Frustrating? Hot? Sexy as sin?” Maddie said. I glared at her. “The first three.” “He likes to tease you, but I think it’s payback.” “Payback?” Maddie nodded. “For ignoring him before.” “He is so infuriating,” I grumbled, as I helped Maddie clean the table. “I know.” *** Maddie was talking animatedly when we heard a knock on the door. Both of us turned toward it with a confused expression. “Come in,” I said. The door opened and Alessio stood in the doorway. My eyes widened and I quickly sat up while Maddie tried to look busy with the book in her hand. “Do you want to go to the creek?” he asked, his gaze slightly shifting to Maddie. My heart soared and I nodded with a smile. “Yes.” “I’ll wait for you downstairs,” he said, stepping out and shutting the door behind him. Placing a hand over my mouth, I tried to hide the giggle that threatened to slip out. “You are too cute for your own good, Ayla.” Maddie laughed. I quickly jumped off the bed and was almost at the door when Maddie’s voice stopped me. “Wait.” “What?" “Why don’t you change? Instead of wearing your uniform?” she suggested, sitting up on my bed. “I don’t really have any other outfit,” I said. “Except the pair of jeans and white shirt that Lena got me.” “Not a problem. Give me minute.” Maddie got off the bed, and ran past me and out the door. As I waited, I grew nervous and more impatient. After a few minutes, she ran back into the room holding a dress. She gasped for breath and shoved it into my hands. “Hurry. Go change.” Staring at the dress, I took a step back. “What—” “Don’t ask questions. You are wasting time. Hurry,” Maddie snapped. I went into the bathroom and changed, then stared at my reflection. “Wow,” I said. The white lace dress was simple yet elegant. It came down to my mid-thigh and there was a brown belt around my waist. It had been a long time since I wore a light color but this dress was absolutely beautiful. I ran a hand down my ponytail. “You look more beautiful with your hair down.” Alessio’s voice rang through my head and I bit down on my lips nervously as a feeling of giddiness overcame me. Without a second thought, I pulled the hairband off, letting my hair fall down my back in waves. Alessio was slowly taking over my mind and there was no way to stop it. Instead of fighting against it, I was letting it happen. I didn’t have the strength to fight my feelings any longer. I walked out of the bathroom and Maddie clapped her hands. “You definitely look prettier in the dress than me,” she said with a wink. “Alessio won’t be able to take his eyes off you.” “Hush,” I muttered, looking down shyly. “Okay. Go now. Alessio is an impatient man. He doesn’t like to wait.” I laughed as she rolled her eyes in exasperation. “I know.” I quickly ran out of my room and down the stairs. He was outside. As I walked out, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in. The sweet smelling flowers and fresh air filled my nose, instantly relaxing me. I turned to the side and saw Alessio leaning against the wall. His eyes widened at the sight of me. His gaze traveled down my body, resting a little longer on my legs before moving back to my face. Under his penetrating gaze, I felt flushed and a slight shiver went through my body. He stepped away from the wall and took a step toward me before stopping. Alessio cleared his throat and nodded toward the forest. “Let’s go,” he said. I nodded and he started to walk away, leading us down the path to the beautiful creek. A wave of disappointment crashed through me when he didn’t say anything else. I followed silently behind him, leaves and twigs crunching under our feet. We walked deeper into the woods and out of sight, next to each other. My breathing stuttered when he took my hand. My gaze snapped back up, staring at his face. A small smile tugged at my lips. Alessio’s touch was soft and gentle. His fingers moved over the back of my hand, almost feather-light. And then they slowly entwined with mine, holding my hand firmly in his as we made our way toward the creek. My heart fluttered in my chest. Instinctively, my fingers tightened around his and he gently squeezed my hand back, letting me know he felt the same way. I locked the image in my mind and heart, for I would always treasure it. My small pale hand was wrapped protectively in Alessio’s rough and much bigger hand. The image represented more than just two hands holding each other. It was a bond we shared in our darkest and weakest point. “We’re almost here,” Alessio said. I hummed in contentment. We finally broke free from the trees. I let go of his hand, then stopped in front of the stream and knelt down on the grass. Leaning forward, my hands hovered over the running water for a few seconds before I dipped my fingers into the stream. The water was cold but soothing. I drew circles and some weird patterns into the water, completely lost in the moment. “Isn’t the water cold?” he asked, stepping up behind me. “It’s not that bad.” Cupping some water in my hands, I stood up. “Here,” I said, moving toward him. His looked down at the water cupped in my hands. “Not bad,” he whispered back, feeling the temperature. I let the water slide through my fingers. When I looked up, Alessio was fixated on me. I was about to take a step back, trying to put some distance between us, but Alessio wrapped his hand around my waist, pulling me tightly against his hard body. My shocked breath resonated around us and small smile appeared on his lips, showing the indent of his dimple on his cheek. I melted into his embrace, my knees going weak as he continued to stare at me with the same intense blue eyes. Alessio brought a hand up and took a lock of my long black hair, wrapping it loosely around his index finger. “I like your hair like this. When it’s down.” His voice was soft. At his words, I struggled to suppress the smile forming on my lips. His words were sweet and simple, but they tugged at the strings of my heart. They brought life to my broken heart. Such a simple truth…it was enough to piece back a shattered fragment. With each day, Alessio slowly put back the broken pieces of my heart. With only soft gentle care