Chapter 412: Do you like working for him?

Eve sipped it slowly, watching Rome transform as the sun descended.

She thought about the last few weeks. The poison attempt. Angela’s infiltration. The yoga studio. The interrogations. Everything had been moving so fast, so violently, so completely outside of normal reality.

And now here she was. In Rome. In Dimitri’s penthouse. Overlooking one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Safe.

Or at least, as safe as a woman could be when she loved a mafia lord.

The knock on the glass door was soft.

A woman entered....middle-aged, dark hair streaked with grey, moving with the kind of calm efficiency that suggested decades of taking care of a household.

"Signora," the woman said respectfully. "I’ve brought you a calming tea. It will help with your sleep."

Eve turned from the window.

"Thank you," Eve said. "That’s very kind."

The woman....Juliet, according to the nameplate Eve had seen earlier, set the tea on the table beside the wine glass.

"You’re very welcome, Signora," Juliet said. "Mr. Valentino mentioned you might need rest after your travels."

"How long have you been working for Dimitri?" Eve asked, genuinely curious.

Juliet smiled...a genuine, warm expression that softened her entire face.

"Ten years now, Signora," Juliet said. "I came to work for him when he first acquired this penthouse. I manage the house, keep everything running smoothly."

"Do you like working for him?" Eve asked.

"Very much," Juliet said. "He’s a good man to work for. Fair. Respectful. He doesn’t demand much, but what he does demand, he expects excellence."

"Does he come here often?" Eve asked.

"Rarely," Juliet said. "This penthouse sits empty most of the time. But I know that despite the Valentino estate in the countryside, despite the properties scattered throughout Rome, this is the place he considers home. This is where his heart is, if you understand what I mean."

Eve understood.

"I think I do," Eve said softly.

"He’s never brought a woman here before," Juliet continued, and there was something knowing in her voice. "Not in all the years I’ve worked for him. This penthouse has always been his solitary space. His retreat. His sanctuary."

"And now?" Eve asked.

"Now it’s becoming something else," Juliet said with a small smile. "Something warmer. Something more lived in."

They talked for a few more minutes....casual conversation about Rome, about the penthouse, about how different the city felt in the evening versus the morning.

Then Juliet stood.

"I need to see to some things in the kitchen," Juliet said. "Those lazy maids won’t manage dinner preparations without supervision. But if you need anything, Signora, anything at all, you just call."

"Thank you, Juliet," Eve said. "For everything."

Juliet nodded and left, closing the glass door quietly behind her.

***

Eve returned to the window.

She looked at the wine glass in her hand, then at the tea Juliet had brought.

She set down the wine.

She picked up the tea and drank it slowly. It was warm and soothing, with hints of chamomile and lavender. It tasted like peace. Like safety. Like someone cared enough to help her rest.

Eve finished the tea and set down the cup.

She stood, moving away from the window, away from the view of Rome, and made her way deeper into the penthouse.

The master bedroom was massive...a space designed for absolute privacy and comfort. Floor-to-ceiling windows here too, though currently covered with gauzy curtains that let the fading light filter through but didn’t expose the interior to the outside world.

The bed was enormous. Italian silk sheets. Pillows that looked like clouds. Everything designed with the kind of luxury that suggested Dimitri wanted to be completely comfortable in his own space.

Eve began to undress.

First her sweater....pulling it over her head slowly, enjoying the moment of freedom as the fabric released her. She folded it carefully and set it on a chair.

Then her pants....unzipping them, sliding them down over her hips, stepping out of them.

She stood for a moment, just in her underwear and bra, looking at herself in the mirror that covered one wall of the bedroom.

She saw a woman who’d survived assassination attempts. A woman who’d faced betrayal from someone she’d trusted. A woman who’d chosen love over safety.

She looked strong. She looked alive.

She reached behind her back and unhooked her bra, letting it fall away. Her breasts....full and pale against the dimming light, felt the cool air of the room.

She hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her underwear and slid them down, stepping out of them with a kind of deliberate sensuality.

She was naked now.

And she wanted Dimitri to see her like this.

She wanted him to look at her body and see not a woman to protect, but a woman to desire. A woman to take. A woman who’d chosen him completely and wanted to be claimed by him.

Eve made her way to the master bathroom.

The bathroom was a masterpiece of modern luxury.

Marble floors. A soaking tub that could fit four people. A walk-in shower with rainfall showerheads positioned from multiple angles. Everything designed for absolute indulgence.

Eve stepped into the shower and turned on the water.

Warm water cascaded down her body, running over her breasts, her belly, between her legs. The sensation was exquisite.

She tipped her head back and let the water run over her face, her neck, her shoulders. She closed her eyes and just existed for a moment....present in her body, present in this moment, present in the reality that she was in Dimitri’s home, in his space, waiting for him.

The steam began to build. The bathroom filled with warm mist. The sound of the water was almost meditative....constant, rhythmic, surrounding her completely.

Eve picked up soap and began to wash herself. Her arms. Her legs. Between her thighs. She was thorough and deliberate, preparing her body for what she knew was coming.

Anticipation was building in her chest. In her belly. Between her legs.

She wanted him.