Page 121 of Valentino

“Hi.” I smile, I reach over and slide my hand up his thigh. “How was your day?”

“Good.” He nods. “How was yours?”

“Mine was…dreamy.” I swoon.

His jaw clenches, his eyes stay fixed on the road. We drive for a while with my hand on his thigh.

“What a night, hey?” I smile over at him. “Every time I moved today I thought of it. You are a bad man, Valentino Leone.”

Silence.

He stares straight ahead, void of emotion, and eventually I realize he’s not going to reply, my face falls. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Why are you acting like this?”

“Like what?”

“Like I’m an annoyance.”

His eyebrow flicks up as if I hit the nail on the head. “I don’t feel like talking.”

I frown as I look over at him. “Why are you being weird?”

“I’m not.” He turns the radio on and turns it up so that he doesn’t have to speak to me.

Huh?

Something has happened. Something bad.

I turn the radio down. “Did the police commissioner come to see you today?”

“No.” He turns it back up.

I hit the button and turn it off altogether. “I don’t want to listen to music, Valentino.”

“It’s not all about you, Anna.” He turns it back on.

The fuck?

I cross my arms, annoyed. Not quite the romantic reunion I had imagined.

We drive back to his place in silence and pull into the underground parking lot where he parks the car. He gets out and walks around and opens my door, I sit still, my arms crossed.

He waits for me. “What are you doing, get out.”

“No.”

“No?”

“No, take me to my house, thanks.” I go to pull the car door closed but he holds it open. “I’m not putting up with your moods, Val.”

“My moods?” he explodes. “I am not fucking moody, Anna.”

“Really?” I huff. “Because you’re acting very fucking moody, Valentino.”

“Get. Out. Of. The. Car.”