CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 4

She turned and was confronted by a nice, hard chest. That someone was a he, and he was wearing a… dark green polo. She wasn't entirely sure, but that was what she was seeing from her blurred vision. She slowly raised her head. Fair skin, as she noticed in his neck. He was quite tall.

Aurora held the man's forearm. It was shameful that she leaned a bit of her weight on him. "Mi dispiace." (I'm sorry.)

Her eyes finally came to his face, and she staggered back again, but he pulled her to him. His arm was back to her waist. She shook her head, but that only worsened her lightheadedness. No. It couldn't be him. But even their cologne was the same. She didn't know if she was awfully drunk or had turned crazy. In all the entire male population in Italy, what were the chances that it was the person she loathed now?

And that someone could be back at home with his family, with his girlfriend. No. She was just hallucinating from the alcohol and was turning mad. She pushed him with what little strength she had, and she was wobbling back on her balance. The man allowed her to put some distance between them, but she didn't dare look at his face again. "Mi dispiace." (I'm sorry.) She repeated it more clearly this time. She wasn't really standing on her own. The man still held her by her forearm, and she was unconsciously holding on to him too.

Max almost smiled at the interesting scene before him. She truly believed that she could handle herself. But her grip on his forearm said otherwise. She couldn't even stand properly, what more to hike back to her room.

She was trying to focus, but she couldn't. It was like there was a fog in her brain.

He took in her appearance. Aurora hasn't changed much. Only that her hair had some red streaks in it. Highlights. But he felt that she was a grown woman now. It had been six years since they had seen each other in person. He was busy with the company, and she with her music career in the Philippines. He continued to stare at her bowed head.

Then, as if she just realized that she had been holding at him all this time, she tried to remove her hand, but he didn't allow it. In one fell swope, Max lifted her up. An arm behind her knees and the other at her waist.

Aurora yelped from the sudden stunt. Max adjusted her on his arms, and that made her own arm wound around his neck. Her eyes turned into slits as she looked at his face again. Though her vision was blurry, she could see the straight narrow nose the stranger had, his smooth skin, long eyelashes and full lower lip. Yep, she was hallucinating indeed. They had the same features. Though she couldn't identify the color of his eyes from the dim lighting of the bar and from the alcohol also.

"Call the manager to meet me in the lobby. ASAP." Max demanded to the bartender.

"Si, Signore."

Her heart skipped when she heard his voice. They had the same voice too? Are doppelgangers true? The only thing she believed was that this wasn't the same person with the man in her nightmares was he shouldn't be in a bar like this. He couldn't be holding her again like this. And they shouldn't be in each other's presence.

She didn't realize that she was being carried out of the bar until the lights changed into a bright white clearness of the surroundings. He wasn't even out of breath with his quick, long strides.

It was almost 10:00 pm. The restaurant was about to close in just a few minutes, but the bar would close at 3:00 am, so there were still people going in and out of the place.

Aurora was having clouded judgment in her situation. She didn't want this stranger to do something with her, and she didn't know where he was bringing her. But he looked too decent to be doing something like kidnapping her. And then again, she was still a celebrity and—

Her mind went blank for a moment. She instantly hid her face in his chest. She's a public figure. Anyone could see and take a picture of her. Then she'd go viral again.

"Per favore portami nell amia stanza." (Please bring me to my room.) She slurred, and her voice was muffled against his chest. As she inhaled more of his cologne, she was getting headier. "Don't kidnap me." She added.

"Just hide your face." He responded. He almost smiled at her last words. Then he saw the manager standing at the reception area. The female manager quickly approached them.

Aurora was surprised that the stranger understood English. Her mind was trying to remember if he was speaking English earlier. She didn't catch it as she was more focused on his deep voice. And the slight vibration of chest while he was talking was comforting to feel against her skin.

"Buonasera, Signore." (Good evening, Sir.) She greeted him, and she glanced at Aurora's figure in his arms.

He nodded at her. "Let's go to her room." Without any further delay, he turned around in the direction of the elevator.

The manager quickly got ahead of them so she could ready the elevator.

Not everyone knew the relationship between him and Aurora, especially in public. There were only a few people who had the knowledge of it. Only his family, a close friend, and some of his employees.

His hotel was a frequent place for celebrities and high profiled figures. It was the nearest five-star hotel to the airport. A great convenience for everybody. When important people checked in, the manager would inform his secretary and Gelo would share the information to him. His secretary was also one of the employees who knew who Aurora was to him.

They reached her room in just a few minutes. The manager opened it for them. The whole time, Aurora was trying to stay awake in case of any suspicious hint of danger that the man would suddenly think of in her vulnerability.

The manager inserted the key card in the holder and it instantly lighten the room. He entered the room and gently lay Aurora on the bed.

"Lasciarci e mantenerlo confidenziale." (Leave and keep this confidential.) After placing her down, he turned to hotel manager.

"Si, Signore. Just call us if you need anything." She exited herself from the room and Max locked the door. He went back to the woman on the bed.

Aurora tried to sit up but couldn't bring herself to. She tried to look around the room, trying to remember the familiar things, making sure that she was in her own checked-in room in the hotel. Then she stopped when the man stood beside her bed. She looked at him. Her blurry vision wasn't of any help.

"Grazie." (Thank you.) She mumbled, trying to smile at him.

Then, he slowly moved closer. She couldn't see his face properly too because he was against the light. From his figure that she can outline, he had a great physique. Tall and masculine. She bet girls go crazy over him.

Max crouched and removed her heels. He let them fall beside the bed. Then he turned body to face her again. He raised his hand and slid some hair to the side that covered her face.

He swallowed hard. She was just right in front of him. And he was barely touching her. His eyes studied her face.

"Please leave." Aurora started to feel hot as the man grazed his finger to her cheeks. She was drunk and she doesn't trust herself much in this situation with a very hot guy in her room.

"Can I kiss you?" That came out breathy like he'd ran a marathon. But this woman left him breathless all the time. Just like how it was before. It never changed.