Page 26 of Cage of Thorns and Blood

“No, I didn't buy any of it myself.”

“But, there must be some things that you personally like. Like when you go antiquing or something, you must see the odd bits that you like.”

It’s disturbing me for some reason that there's nothing of him really stamped onto this house. Yes, he's redesigned it and made it a stunning home, but he's paid someone to do it, and the fact that he hasn't even bought one thing to put in here makes me feel he doesn't really see this as home.

“Antiquing?” He raises one of those dark brows at me mockingly, and I let out a sigh.

“I guess that's too feminine an activity for you to take part in, huh?”

He chuckles again. “It's not that, I'm just not really interested in it. This house was full of antiques before, and I couldn't stand them.” He pauses for a minute, and when he looks at me again there's a moment of vulnerability in that dark gaze of his. “I guess the house doesn't really feel like mine, you know? My father is still alive and yes, he says he's going to stay in Italy for the rest of his days, but it feels weird living in his home.”

He glances around the bathroom. “I suppose while he's alive, I don't fully feel like it's mine. He gave me the go ahead to redecorate, and he took most of the furniture, antiques, and all the other crap that he'd accumulated over the years with him anyway. Cost an absolute fortune to ship all that stuff to Italy. So the house was pretty empty. I had to do something. But I guess deep down it almost feels like I'm kind of renting, if you know what I mean. Or even squatting.”

“You're not squatting,” I tell him. “This is your family home. It is being passed down to you now. You run the business as well, and you don't seem to feel like you have no right to do that.”

He barks out a laugh, and this one isn't soft or gentle; it's quite harsh. “I've been running that business for many years, Renata.”

“You have?”

“Yes, I have. There were things that Aldo and Alberto were still doing, of course, because I couldn't wrestle control from them entirely, but in reality, I was running most things. With Clifford, of course.”

“What sort of things were they still doing?” I ask. It’s a nosy question, and he might simply shut me down.

I'm leaning against the wall and he's very close to me now. He sighs and rests his arm on the wall above me so that he's even closer.

“Landmine number one,” he says mysteriously. “Well, if you want to get right down to it, one of the things they did, which Clifford and I most definitely did not approve of, was trying to buy shares in your family’s business.”

“You didn't approve of that?” I ask, surprised.

“Of course not.” His voice is impatient, but I realize it's not with me. “It was a totally stupid move. I don't even know what they thought they were going to achieve. It's not as if your family wouldn't have eventually seen that they were buying up lots of shares in the business. They never would have allowed them to take a place on the board. It's the kind of stupid shit that generation keeps pulling. There's no need for it.”

Is he saying he wants some sort of truce?

I glance away from him, and when I look back his gaze has darkened. “Of course, your dick brother then went and did something dreadful in return, so he’s as bad as the old generation so far as I’m concerned.”

“My brother is an idiot,” I say dismissively.” Then I grin. “I doubt he’ll be as much trouble going forward.”

“Oh?” He watches me like a hawk watching a mouse. “Why’s that?”

“He’s in love. Utterly whipped as you men would put it. He wants to become more legitimate. Make sure his little blonde mouse is safe.”

“Really? Is that a fact? Whipped you say?”

“Yes. Gone and lost his head.”

“Weak,” Matteo says sharply.

I smile and simply shrug because he might say it is weak, but I’ve seen so many men lose it all over a woman. In fact, Matteo seeing love as a weakness only makes me want to bring him to his knees even more. I let my gaze lower and focus on his mouth. His tongue darts out and wets his bottom lip, and I follow the motion, something tight pulling deep inside.

He reaches out and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “Do you like my bedroom and bathroom, even though I didn't go out and buy all the things for it myself?” His voice is low and seductive now.

“I do like it,” I say. “It could maybe do with some personal touches, or a few feminine touches, but it's very nice. Your bathroom is awesome. I bet that shower is incredible.”

“You want to try it and see?” His eyes glitter dangerously under the bathroom lights.

I swallow hard. I do want to try it out because the idea of getting under that shower all naked with Matteo is a delicious one. I need to remember, however, that this is part of my plan, and not to get carried away with letting him take the lead.

“Are you trying to say you think I'm dirty, Mr. Mancini,” I say jokingly.

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