Page 28 of Twisted Obsession

‘Too much time, Gi.’ I could hear the strain in his voice.

‘You have your way, Salvatore. I have mine. I need to do this for our family, and you need to let me. Before…’ I stopped myself short. I knew how much I loved my brother. We had been forced into an awful situation, and I understood he was doing his best. I’d already come to terms with the fact I hadn’t really understoodthe dynamics in the way families like ours worked until a few days before.

‘Before what?’ he questioned, and I glanced quickly at the steadying stone building within arm’s reach. Was Dante already inside? I had to force my empty hand to remain at the side of my body and not reach out to touch the solid structure, which would surely give me away.

‘Before nothing,’ I conceded, knowing that in my reply was held my chance of getting across the threshold.

I understood my constraints, of course I did. I’d been aware of the fighting our family had been embroiled in only a year before, but I’d been protected against it. Mama and I had continued to travel, shop, and attend the theatre, and I continued with my studies. Because, until the past few days, women and children had remained inviolable.

But…call me immature, or green behind the ears, call me what you will… but suddenly, I’d been thrust into a world I’d had no previous experience of. Without my nonno, parents or brothers to lean on, I knew I was floundering in a violent sea, and I was at risk of drowning.

‘I know this is hard, Gi.’ Salvatore tried hard to let the forcefulness in his voice go. ‘I understand you’re scared and upset. But I need to not have to worry about you as well as everything else that’s going on… tell me you understand that?’

‘I do, I think. But you must allow me to breathe. I need to grieve; I need to pray and have my confession heard. Please.’ I presented my plea to him.

‘I won’t pretend to understand why you women push.’ I knew at that minute he was talking about me and Serafina, and wondered fleetingly just what she was pushing him for. ‘But my job as your brother is to keep you out of harm’s way, I need you to remember that.’ I nodded and released a sigh of my own. ‘You, standing outside and us having this drawn-out conversation,isn’t getting you back here. So, go in and do what you need to. I will see you at home shortly,’ Salvatore conceded.

‘Thank you, Salvatore.’

In one fluid movement, I dropped my hand from my ear and placed the earpiece into Lorenzo’s awaiting hand. In response, he grabbed at my wrist, making me falter and look at him in question.

‘Be quick,’ he spoke, as I pulled my hand away.

‘I have no need of any more brothers, Lorenzo.’ I glared at him, making sure he understood my insinuation, and watched as he nodded back his understanding.

Men!

Turning away, I started to take the few steps I needed to cross the worn stone flagstones. The brilliance of the sunlight dimmed, and its warmth left my body rapidly as I stepped from the light and into the cold stone building that was only lit by a limited number of high windows and the small tealights that had been haphazardly placed onto a few of the windowsills. Once I could no longer see Lorenzo, I stopped to give my pupils time to dilate and get used to my surroundings.

Casting my refocussed eyes onto the space I was now stood in, I searched for any movement. Disappointment captured me, when I only found the older ladies that Lorenzo had spoken of to Salvatore, and the priest who was in the process of lighting the gold-coloured thurible that always contained incense. Finding no direction in which to keep walking I stalled in the aisle, curtsying to the Madonna and child and making the sign of the cross in front of my body. Closing my eyes momentarily, I whispered up to God the prayers I needed him to hear and made the sign of the cross once again. As I took my first few steps and came in line with the antique, ornately carved, wooden confessionals which stood to the left of me, two things happened.

Firstly, the oak door to the west slammed behind the priest who vacated, and then an outstretched arm appeared unexpectedly in front of me. The hand took hold of my arm and pulled me towards the enclosed booth. My small gasp was extinguished by the shudder of the door finding home and instinct had me smacking my balled-up fists down onto the arm that now had me in its confines, as I fought to be released. It was then I noticed that the bare arm that had maintained its hold on me was covered with the same leather wrist straps I’d been fascinated with only a few days before. Breathing in deeply and trying to calm myself to keep my wits about me, I realised all I could smell was the cologne I knew I would only ever associate with Dante. In that knowledge, and without any further thought, I placed my hands on his muscular forearm and relaxed into my captor’s strong hold.

Giovanna De Luca disappeared in those few seconds, not just visibly behind the lattice work of the priest’s private part of the confessional. But also, the childlike part of her was extinguished under the very careful expertise of Dante Giordano, as his arms wrapped tightly around me, our eyes met, and his lips found mine.

Chapter Thirteen

Dante

Iknew I needed to take it slow, but there wasn’t the time.

Just as soon as I’d closed the priest’s door to the confessional and slipped the simple latch across to give us the privacy I understood we needed, I was aware of her, of every single part of her. And for those few seconds, the world around could have ended and I was convinced we wouldn’t have had a clue.

Trapped in a confined space, with what I knew was the most beautiful woman I had ever had the privilege of looking at, with adrenaline flooding my system, had to be the very best fucking high I’d ever felt.

So, here we were. The very position I’d been dreaming of since I’d sped away from her family home on Sunday. Her and me together, with my arms holding her, and her relying on me as though her life depended on it. The light around us was dim, but the candlelight that was managing to penetrate the decorative privacy screen appeared to pick out the gold in her hair. And I was sure it would do the same thing to those captivating hazel eyes of hers.

There was so much I wanted to say. But in the moment, I couldn’t say a thing.

Instead, I followed my need, tightened my hold over her and pulled her into my body. Like some lovesick teenager I briefly closed my eyes and inhaled as she exhaled, smelling the faint trace of mint on her breath. Feeling the way her chest rose and sank as she took in short, shallow breaths trying to gain control of her body, I realised she felt as overwhelmed with our situation as I did. The space we were confined in was small. I could have made it easier by sitting back onto the priest’s wooden bench and pulling her down onto my lap, but for now I chose not to, and I wasn’t prepared to ask myself why. I did understand one thing, that for some reason I was unable to let her go. Frighteningly, I understood the predetermined lines inside my head were beginning to blur. She was the sister of a man I hated. She was my tool to cause him the pain I so wanted him to feel at my hands. So why, when I smoothed my hand over the silk she was wearing and she snuggled further into me, did she feel like so very much more?

Stop thinking.

Slowly, I released one arm from her body and starting from her waist I drew my fingers up the side of her body, making her automatically move even closer. When I reached her long, slender neck, I trailed the tips of my fingers up her smooth skin and deliberately slowed when I reached her jaw. Carefully I applied pressure, gently coercing her to look up. Nothing could have prepared me for the way I felt when our eyes collided. In the silence of our guarded meeting, they spoke volumes. Her pain and anger were there laid out in front of me, but it was the trust, need and want that pierced my heart and, unable to wait any longer, I used my hand to hold the side of her face and lowered my mouth to hers.

‘If I forget to tell you later, you look beautiful, Giovanna.’ The few words left me on instinct. They were unprepared but full of truth.

Recognising, before our mouths even connected, that I would remember this kiss for the rest of my life, initially I slowed, not understanding what the hell was happening to me, but needing to absorb every nanosecond that passed between us. Briefly, I touched against her lips with my own repeatedly, watching her eyes flicker and close in response, until her own need unconsciously took over and her arms came up to wrap possessively around my neck. Using the hold she had on me, I released my arm from her waist and straightened my six-foot three frame up as much as our confines would allow, until I was sure she was on tip toes and every part of her body was leant onto mine.

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