NO DOUBT [bwwm]

• 24 • The Excerpt

*It's 'bout to get ~ disgusting ~ up in here*

The drive back to the mansion was short. By 11PM I was there, all lights were off and the house was silent. I was exhausted and just wanted to fall straight asleep.

Of course that didn't happen. I tossed and turned in my cloud-like queen bed, but nothing. So I gave up, and went downstairs where faint light from the kitchen could be seen. I wonder who's still awake at this time...

Orlando. Of course it was him. I couldn't escape him even if I wanted to.

He slightly rotated the high stool he was sitting on so he could face me.

"Hi," I awkwardly whispered.

"Hi."

We were both silent as I made myself a strawberry jam toast. "Want one?" I pointed to the slice of bread in my plate.

"Why not?" He smiled and took a sip of his coffee. Was he...blushing? It can't be.

"Coffee at one in the morning. Your family has some serious issues," I shook my head and he chuckled.

"Bon appétit," I grinned as I placed his plate in front of him and went around the island counter to sit on the stool a few feet away from his.

"Thank you, dolcezza."

I slightly blushed but turned my attention to my toast. I could feel his gaze on me as I chewed so I looked his way to find that he hadn't touched his plate. I licked my lips clean of jam and asked, "Something wrong?"

His eyes flickered from mine to my lips before he singlehandedly grabbed the bottom of my chair and pulled it towards his, completely closing the space between the two. "That's better," he smiled before starting to eat.

How this man managed to pull that stool with me sitting on it with only one hand was a mystery, though definitely a turn on. I quietly went back to my food, and he did the same. I didn't feel the need to talk as the silence wasn't awkward.

I looked out to the window facing us where we could see the moon and the stars glowing in the night sky. "Beautiful," I mindlessly whispered.

"Ti comprerei un mondo di stelle se significasse vedere di nuovo quello sguardo sul tuo prezioso viso," I turned to Orlando who was watching me dreamily as he spoke in Italian.

(I would buy you a world of stars if it meant seeing that look on your precious face again.)

I rolled my eyes, "Again, Orlando, I do not-"

"Understand a word of what I just said? That's the whole point, baby," he smirked and stared out the window. Meanwhile, my insides were busy being tortured with butterflies and insects and the whole damn zoo. The things I'd do to this man...