Page 80 of Taboo Flames

“I’ll call you back.” I hang up abruptly and immediately step out of the car before crossing the road and approaching the happy couple.

The dead motherfucker says something that makes her throw her head back and laugh. I increase my strides.

“Hello, princess,” I say silkily when I near them.

Aurora spins around, shock evident on her face, and then, for the first time since I’ve known her, she looks at me with something akin to hatred, and I find I don’t like it.

All I’ve done is miss her since she left my house, and I assumed I’d see some of that same longing reflected on her face. But I assumed wrong.

“Giovanni,” she says coldly. “What are you doing here?”

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?” I say, looking over at the man. He’s the lanky, bad boy, floppy-hairedtype, and I want to do nothing more than punch some of his teeth loose.

“Hey, man,” he says, holding his hand out. “I’m Eddie.”

“I’m Giovanni Lombardi,” I say without taking his hand. “And Aurora is taken.”

He looks taken aback by my words, looking between the both of us.

“No, I’m not,” she snaps at me. “I’m single and free to be with whoever I want to be. Isn’t that right, Gio?”

“Unless you want a bloodbath on your hands, I suggest you rethink that,” I growl.

“Why are you even here?” Anger bleeds through her words. “Aren’t you supposed to be, I don’t know, anywhere but around the immature girl with her head stuck in the clouds?”

“Actually, I said you’re someone far too young who thinks the whole world is a fairytale in the making,” I correct her.

She looks like she’s about to rip my arm out and beat me with it.

“I’ve missed you,” I tell her.

“You’re a dick,” she snaps.

I shrug. “Doesn’t change the fact that I’ve missed you.”

“Sucks to be you,” she retorts. “I’ve moved on.”

“With him?” I look at him sharply, and whatever he sees in my eyes causes him to take a step backward, his palms raised in surrender.

“I’m gonna, uhm, go. See you later, Rory?” the idiot says with a hopeful look.

She shoots him a look filled with disgust, and I imitate the look. What kind of pussy leaves a woman he’s interested in with a man like me? He’s not nearly good enough for her.

“Sure, Eddie,” she looks away from him and mutters, her eyes returning to shooting daggers at me.

Eddie looks like a kicked dog as he walks away.

I look at her with amusement. “You’ve just broken poor Eddie’s heart.”

“Not that it is any of your business, but I teach his younger sister.”

“So why was he touching you?”

She sighs loudly. “I honestly don’t have the strength for this. You should leave, Gio.”

“Didn’t take you long to get over me,” I say angrily, ignoring her attempts to get rid of me.

She snorts. “Did you expect me to sit around and mope for you?”

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