Page 17 of My Merciless Don

“But?” I asked, my heartbeat accelerating inexplicably.

“But I’m not really on the market for a relationship.”

I grinned even though I felt an unexplained twinge in the region of my chest and moved closer to him. I reached for him with my hand. “Neither am I.”

He took a step back. “No, you don’t understand. I’m not…” he shook his head, “I can’t have sex with you either.”

I cocked an eyebrow to hide my hurt. “Why not?”

He sighed, his eyes flicking over my face. “I was going to get married once. I had a fiancée.”

“Okay…” I said, not understanding the change of topic.

“You’re a dead ringer for her.”

I stared. I blinked twice. His words still didn’t make any sense. “Beg your pardon?”

He chuckled softly, shaking his head. “I mean that in a side-by-side comparison, it would be hard to tell you apart.”

“What the fuck do you mean by that?”

“I take it you don’t know Amy.” He said drily.

I stared at him with wide eyes. “I do not. Should I?”

He looked back at me, his face back to somber. “It would at least explain the resemblance if you did.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

MARCO

All this talk of Amy had me feeling restless so, after lunch, I took a trip down to Long Beach to visit her mother. She was in an assisted living facility due to advanced Alzheimer’s. Sometimes, she remembered who I was but, most of the time, she didn’t.

Still, I felt that I owed it to Amy to keep an eye on her.

The receptionist looked up from their typing. Her face lit up. “Mr. Cassio. Welcome. Sophia will be so happy to see you.”

“Yeah, if she remembers who I am.”

“Oh, she’s always happy to see you, regardless. Handsome man like you, who can blame her.” She gave me a flirty look and I smiled back. She really was old enough to be my mother so I didn’t take it too seriously.

“You’re too kind.”

She clipped me with her clipboard, before handing it to me, “Sign in, and I’ll call ahead so nurse Jenkins can get her ready.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“Please, call me Jennifer. Ma’am makes me feel like your grandmother.”

I laughed, “You look nothing like my grandmother, I assure you. Maybe my mother’s hot friend.”

She cheesed at me. “Aww, you charming thing. Go on with you before you have me risking it all.”

I gave her a playful wave and sauntered on down the corridor. The smile dropped off my face as soon as I turned the corner. Much as I wanted to be here, I couldn’t help the feelings of loss and grief the visit engendered. I stopped at Sophia’s door and knocked gently.

“May I come in?”

Nurse Jenkins looked up from where she was settling Sophia into the armchair, plumping up pillows. “Of course you can. Sophia is very excited to see you, aren’t you poppet?”

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