Heart Song Anthology, Carolyn Faulkner [simple ebook reader .TXT] 📗

moment. Miranda was able to recognize this, partly because she had seen it so often, and partly because she’d played that role herself in past versions of her life. The role of the sub, always aware and always ready to please and be pleased.

“Where is Mr. Marino?” ask Antonio, looking past Miranda, into the hotel.

“Mr. Marino passed away since you were last here,” replied Miranda. “I am Mrs. Marino.”

Antonio looked directly at Miranda and smiled for the first time. “You are Mrs. Marino? Miranda?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

Antonio shrugged Brigitte off his arm as he extended both his hands towards Miranda. He took her hand in both of his, almost causing her to drop the clipboard. He brought her hand up to his lip, kissing the back of it in a way only a European could.

He held her hand in front of his face, looking up past it to her. “So, you are the lovely Miranda Mr. Marino always spoke about. The one he could never live without.”

Miranda didn’t know how to answer this. She didn’t think Tony had discussed her with the hotel guests. Feeling a little awkward at the attention, she simply replied, “I am.” Antonio released her hand and she drew it into her body, wrapping her fingers around the clipboard.

Antonio stood silently in front on her. Whereas before he appeared to have no interest in her, now his expression was fully on her and nothing else.

Miranda noticed Brigitte taking note of Antonio’s change in demeanor, and she was unimpressed at best. Brigitte tried to loop her arm through Antonio’s again, but he held it tight against his ribs, seemingly on purpose, making it difficult for her to do so. Brigitte forced first her hand, then wrist through, hanging on to Antonio purposely, possessively, looking at Miranda with a smug expression on her face.

Miranda noticed the expression, but gave it no mind. She slipped a room key from below the clip on the board, offering it to Antonio.

He looked at the key and then at Miranda.

“Room seven, the Penthouse Floor. Your suite is ready,” she said.

“Ah yes, seven. My favorite number, and my favorite room at the Dominion Hotel. So much space. One needs space to amuse oneself properly, don’t you think Ms. Marino?”

“Yes, Mr. Dante, I agree.”

“Perhaps you would like to join us later, for a little bit of amusement?”

Antonio reached for the key with the same arm Brigitte was holding on to. Brigitte held on as he reached, forcing her to stretch out her arm more than looked natural.

“Thank you for the enticing offer, however I have a hotel to run and don’t think I could get away.”

“Perhaps another time.”

“I think not, Mr. Dante.”

Antonio dropped his smile, obviously insulted. He turned his attention to Brigitte, smiling at her.

Brigitte brightened at the attention. She tugged Antonio’s outstretched arm, pulling him in, reaffirming her possession of her Dom.

Antonio pulled further away from Miranda. “Well, yes of course. I would expect no less a reply from Mr. Marino’s wife.” He nodded to Miranda, then handed Brigitte the key to the suite. “My pet,” he said to Brigitte, patting her hand that held his arm. “Shall we go upstairs and rest from our journey?”

Brigitte’s eyes widened, and she smiled a wicked smile. “Yes, sir,” she replied as she sauntered past Miranda towards the doors to the hotel.

Miranda thought of Tony often, usually with a mixture of sadness and joy. Sad for the years they would no longer spend together; joy for the time they’d had. Whenever Miranda walked through the lobby of the hotel, she could swear she felt his presence. Maybe this is why she’d so willingly accepted the role of hotel manager. It let her stay in the hotel Tony loved so much, feeling close to Tony every day. Tony had loved the Dominion hotel, and he loved its guests. However, on days such as today, meeting guests of the Penthouse Suites such as Antonio Dante, Miranda questioned her own love for the hotel guests.

Tony had also loved the Lover’s Ball, the annual Valentine’s Day gala event held at the hotel. He’d always chaired the committee, feigning a sense of duty to the hotel, while deep down Miranda knew he did it because he was a hopeless romantic and cherished the emotion the event brought out in people. For Tony, the night of the Lover’s Ball was an enchanted evening of romance and love, new-found and rekindled.

This year’s event would not be the same without Tony. Miranda knew the event would go off without a hitch. With Matt Warrington in charge, how could it not? Miranda had considered heading up the committee, but was relieved when Warrington stepped in. Perhaps he sensed her hesitation, either way, she was grateful to him.

Matt Warrington. Miranda loved Warrington as much as she’d loved Tony. Warrington was a past lover, Dom and teacher, and even after they separated, throughout the years, he was a good friend. When he left her for Alison, Miranda wasn’t overly concerned. She was ready for something else herself; she just didn’t know it at the time. Warrington had, he’d sensed it. It turned out that Miranda’s ‘something else’ was Tony Marino.

Miranda considered herself lucky having Warrington and Alison in her life. When she was with Tony, the four of them had been inseparable. By herself now, Warrington and Alison were the support she needed to survive without Tony. Now, they were becoming the love she desired.

Having lost Tony within the past year, Miranda never thought she would consider being with anyone else so soon. But this was Warrington and Alison, people she already knew, people she already loved. Their love got her through the worst times, it seemed natural to her that the love she felt for her friends would continue to grow. However, never did she imagine it would take her in this direction. She asked herself if she was filling the emotional loss of Tony with a misplaced love for Warrington and Alison. She’d