Chapter 36: I'm Not One for Casual Flings

Angelo held her hand, leaning into her embrace, "Feeling frisky?"

His breath against her chest sent a shiver through her body, causing her to squirm involuntarily.

At her movement, Angelo let out a muffled groan of restraint.

Livia froze instantly.

"Stop teasing. I'm not sure you can handle it," Angelo whispered into her neck, his arms tightening around her waist, wanting to pull her even closer.

Livia dared not move again, having no doubt about his stamina.

They lay in bed together for a while until someone knocked on the door.

Livia shifted slightly, "Someone's knocking."

"Let them be," Angelo tightened his embrace.

"It might be Florence," Livia noted, the light outside filling the room, sure that Florence would come looking for her.

Angelo relented. “Call her, say you’re catching up on sleep.”

Left with no choice, Livia sat up to grab her phone, seeing indeed that Florence had sent her a message inviting her for lunch.

And another one asking her to open the door.

Livia replied: [Didn’t sleep well last night, skipping lunch.]

The knocking ceased.

Florence responded: [Had a hot date last night? Someone with you?]

Livia's fingers froze, impressed by Florence's sensitivity.

She played along: [Yes, so it's not a good time.]

Florence replied: [Enjoy.]

Livia sent back an "OK" to end the conversation.

As she was about to close her messaging app, she noticed Lucas's profile, and the reply time was 7:56 AM.

After reading the message, she sighed in resignation, placed her phone aside, and lay back down.

"You were on my phone," Livia stated.

Angelo, eyes open, looked at her. "Fancy that guy?"

Livia arched an eyebrow, creating a gap between them. "What do you think of him?"

"Not much," Angelo said, pulling her back into his embrace, his face nestled in her neck, his voice humming, "He’s not as good as me."

Livia thought he could be quite shameless at times. Feeling slightly tickled by his touch, she tilted her head, "Didn't Valentia come looking for you?"

"I turned off my phone."

Livia pursed her lips, casting him a glance. "She must be freaking out with you not coming back all night."

"It's not like she and I share a room. She's here for a commercial shoot."

"Did you come with her?"

"I'm here on business."

Livia snorted softly. "Quite the coincidence, huh?"

"Are you here for a romantic fling?"

Both replayed the conversation in their minds.

Sarcastically, Livia added, "Yeah, after being dumped, I figured I might as well see if I can catch a new big fish. Ouch. Angelo, what are you, a dog? That hurts!"

Livia, with tears surfacing, smacked Angelo's back with force.

Angelo looked up and saw her eyes glistening but felt no pity. He even fantasized about ravaging her more fiercely.

Her tears only increased his excitement.

"It was you who wanted to break up with me, not the other way around," Angelo said, sitting up and leaning against the headboard, treating the matter with utmost seriousness.

Livia pulled the blanket up to her chest, vowing not to give him another chance to bite, glaring at him, "You've been shacked up with Valentia. Who knows what you two have done? I won't cling to you."

Angelo reached for a cigarette, ready to face off with her squarely.

Taking a drag, billowing the smoke, he looked at her sideways with tightened lips. "Livia, I'm not one to mess around."

"You think you can keep it in your pants?" Livia felt a surge of satisfaction.

Angelo turned his head, looking at her with a raspy voice, "Can't you feel I haven't done it in a long while?"

Livia blushed, "Men like you say that after just a few days."

Angelo exhaled smoke rings. "Do I need to prove myself further?" Raising an eyebrow, he teased, "Round two?"

Livia bit her lip, clutching the blanket, cautioning him. "What are you, an engine?"

Seeing her nervous, Angelo suddenly laughed.

He smoked leisurely, his lips moist and seductive. "Miss Ashcroft, don't start complaining after you've had your fill of fun."

To Livia, there was nothing amusing about it.

Her stomach growled, signaling that she was done lying in bed with him for now.

Throwing off the covers to grab her clothes, she clasped her hands over her chest and stepped down to the floor, making her way into the bathroom. Once she shut the door behind her, Livia let out a shocked scream.

Angelo, startled and naked, dropped his cigarette and rushed to the bathroom door, pushing it open to find her standing safely inside. He asked, "What's wrong?"

Livia stared back at her own reflection in the mirror. Her body was a patchwork of red and purple bruises, her lips cracked, with some areas on her shoulders and neck looking darker and more inflamed, reminiscent of overripe grapes, starkly visible on her skin.

She even spotted a few bite marks!

Overwhelmed, Livia burst into tears.

Standing behind her, Angelo gently caressed the marks on her skin. "Stay in the room for the next few days. Don't go anywhere," he instructed her.

Livia felt like cursing out loud.

She was here for fun—not to be cooped up indoors. She might as well have stayed home.

Angelo continued, "We'll find some time soon, and I'll take you out to really enjoy yourself."

Livia was livid, gritting her teeth. She didn't believe a word he said and turned to bite down hard on his arm.

And it was a harsh bite, causing Angelo to grunt with repressed pain.

She held the bite for a good three to five seconds before finally letting go, releasing the frustration that had built up inside her.

Seeing the prominent red teeth mark on his throat, which certainly wouldn't fade for a week, gave her a dark sense of satisfaction.

It didn't matter to her if she had to stay indoors. She wasn't working anyway. But it was different for him—he had to go negotiate business deals.

That thought alone made her feel instantly better.

Angelo only furrowed his brow slightly at the sight of the bite mark on his throat but said nothing else.

Livia pointed to the marks on her body. "Compared to your handiwork, this is nothing, right?"

"This is how I prove my love for you," Angelo suddenly said with passion.

When Livia heard those three words, her heart skipped a beat. He said he loved her.

It was the first time in many years that she had heard someone say "I love you" to her.

She stood there, eyes locked onto his, not daring to blink, as though she might be hallucinating.

Angelo, noticing her intense gaze, wrapped his arms around her waist and looked into her eyes with a playful mix of affection and teasing, "What's the matter? Isn't my love for you enough?"

Suddenly, Livia snapped back to reality.

His 'love' was merely physical. He loved her, but it was only her body that he adored. It was never about an emotional kind of love. It was just physical consolation.

After that realization, a sense of loss washed over her.

She suddenly came to her senses and gently pushed him away. "I need to take a shower."

"Together," Angelo urged, pulling her into the shower and turning on the water, not leaving her any chance to object.

Livia didn't try to resist, letting him lead.

After the shower, Angelo realized an issue. His clothes were still in his initial room.

The clothes from last night were out of the question. He called the hotel's customer service and asked them to bring his suitcase to this room.

Soon, there was a knock on the door.

Livia opened it, her eyebrows slightly raising at the sight of the woman standing behind the hotel staff.