Page 25 of Lost Prince

I shrug. “I work for your brother.” I remember the look Lana gave me when she found Lazaro with me in the kitchen. I got the sense she didn’t like it.

“So?”

I don’t know how to respond to that.

Then his expression turns to a scowl. “Is there someone else in your life?”

“What? You mean like a man?”

He nods.

“No.”

“Good.” He leans in, capturing my lips in a kiss that's both tender and passionate. “I don’t like to share.”

That sounds like he thinks this thing between us is more than one night of passion. I try to temper my heart that wants to leap at the thought.

“Do you have someone else? Because I don’t like to share either,” I say.

His lips twitch upward. “No.”

We sit and stare at each other for a moment. Then realizing I need to get to work, I jump up. “I’m going to shower. Give me ten minutes.”

“I could join you.”

I laugh. “Except then I’ll be late to work, and I need this job.”

“I think if you’re late because of me, you won’t be fired.”

Maybe, but all I can think about is the awkwardness, not just from Lana but from the staff if they knew I was sleeping with the boss’s brother.

10

LAZARO

I’d much rather be fucking Diana on that too small bed of hers. It’s not Elio and Lana who have me resisting. It’s Diana. I don’t want to fuck up her job. So instead of following her into the shower to run my hands over that luscious body of hers again, I dress. But holy hell, when I think of her body, wet and soapy, my dick doesn’t want to be enclosed in my pants.

I force him behind my zipper and then distract myself from thoughts of Diana naked in the shower by taking in her apartment. It feels smaller in the harsh light of morning than it had last night. I wander through the space, taking in details I'd missed in the darkness last night.

The place is sparse, almost barren. A few pieces of secondhand furniture, mismatched dishes in the cupboard, a single backpack tucked in the corner. She has a single book on the nightstand.

It strikes me how little she owns. Everything she has can probably fit in that one bag. I hadn’t been much different before Lana found me. It makes me think of how nice it was. No shit tying me down.

I envy Diana’s freedom. No ties, no obligations. She can pick up and go whenever the mood strikes. I remember what she'd said last night about no one noticing if she disappeared. There was a hint of sadness in her eyes when she'd said it. Like she was used to being overlooked, forgotten. It made my chest ache, thinking of her moving through life unnoticed, leaving no trace behind.

Now, taking in the emptiness of her home, her words hit hard. As I look closer at her home, I see signs of loneliness. No photos on the walls, no mementos from past adventures.

The sound of running water from Diana's shower tempts me again. I want to go make her feel like she belongs. Belongs to me. An unsettling feeling washes through me at that thought. Who am I to make anyone feel wanted? I don’t know if I can. But fucking hell, how much I’d like to strip down and bury myself in her, possess her, make her mine. My worried family be damned. The thought of it is so tempting, it physically hurts to resist.

For a moment, I resent Lana and Elio for getting in the way of what I want. But then I remember Diana’s words last night about how fortunate I am to have a family who gives a shit about me. The way her eyes held a hint of sadness when she admitted no one's ever done that for her.

That’s so fucking wrong. Diana is an amazing woman. How anyone who’s met her doesn’t recognize that is a mystery to me. I’m certain I’ll never forget her. Inwardly, I laugh at the thought since I’m currently without memories of my first twenty-one years. All I've got are the last three years, living alone in blissful ignorance of the man I'd once been.

But Diana is an unforgettable woman. And it hits me then that I want to be the person who notices when she's gone, who goes looking when she disappears.

“You okay?”

Her voice cuts through the crazy thoughts running through my mind. I turn to her, watching as she emerges from the bathroom, her wild red curls damp and her face fresh and clean. She's wearing a simple, plain dress that emphasizes her role as part of the kitchen staff. It's a stark reminder of our different positions within the D'Amato household, and I feel a twinge of unease. How will Elio and Lana react if they find out about us? Will they disapprove? Do they see her as someone beneath my station?