Page 38 of Untouchable

I am not sure if she realizes she is doing it, but slowly, inch by inch she is leaning towards me. It takes me only a second to realize that I am doing the same. When our noses brush against each other I lift my hand to cup her jaw, lifting her face up to mine.

In her eyes I see desire and lust, heavily clouding the mesmerizing blue. I know I shouldn’t. I should pull away, push her away. Throw out a bullshit hurtful comment that will have her re-build the walls that I see crumbling before my eyes.Anything. But I won’t. I know I won’t. I have waited too long to feel her lips on mine.

When our lips are only a hairs width apart, the phone rings. Like a hammer coming down on this fragile glass bubble we have encased ourselves in, the moment shatters apart as Seraphina quickly pulls away.

Hanging my head for a moment, I dig into my pocket and pull out my phone. Gritting my teeth when I see who it is. I contemplate on just silencing it, grabbing her and smashing my mouth against hers, but I can easily tell that the moment has passed, and I am not so sure we will ever get another. I tell myself it is for the best, even if I don’t believe it at all.

I hand her the phone and when she sees the number, a guilty look overtakes her face. She takes it and answers softly before she stands up and heads inside. I sit there, unmoving, staring at the empty chair that she just vacated. I pick up the abandoned sketch, brushing my fingers against her full lips. I have tried so fucking hard to stay away. So hard to let her go. None of it has worked, obviously. I am right back to where I was 2 years ago. Totally out of my mind for Seraphina Mariano.

Fuck my life.

Chapter Seventeen

Seraphina

“Hello?” I ask quietly as I close the sliding glass door and head for one of the spare bedrooms.

“Baby! Are you okay? You were supposed to call me,” Aiden says.

Guilt instantly floods me as I think about what I was doing just before Aiden called. I almost kissed Alessandro. I almost cheated on my boyfriend who loves me and cherishes me with the asshole who tossed me aside like a piece of trash. What the hell is the matter with me? It is like I am losing my mind. It has to be the stress of running for my life. Yeah, just a momentary lapse of judgement.

The good thing is nothing happened. Aiden called and now I have perspective. I love Aiden. He is a good man, and I am lucky to have him. It doesn’t matter that Alessandro has done everything possible to keep me safe, that is his job, literally. My father would kill him if anything happened to me. He is protecting me out of obligation. But then, what was up with him cleaning my feet so tenderly even after we fought last night and drawing the most beautiful picture of me not 10 minutes ago? My brain is a mess. I can’t even think straight.

“Sorry. Today has been kinda crazy. We were being followed and Alessandro had to take care of him.”

“Take care of, as in…”

“Yep,” I answer quickly.

“Shit. I really do not like you with him. Where are you?”

Something about the way he says that irks me. I mean, I am most definitely not Alessandro’s number one fan, but he has saved me more times than I can count over the last two days. He may be an asshole, but he isn’t dangerous, at least not to me.

“I don’t think I should tell you. You never know who is listening.”

“Baby, I just want to know where my girl is. I am so fucking worried.”

I bite my lower lip as I contemplate telling him but decide to go with my gut and keep our location private. Choosing to change the subject instead of starting an argument, I ask, “Where are you guys? Are you coming home?”

He is quiet for a few moments, and I wonder if he is going to let my change of subject go. Finally, he seems to accept it.

“We are working on it,” he sighs heavily. I can practically see him running his fingers through his thick hair frustratedly. “The storm you were worried about didn’t hit us, but it is close. All planes in the area have been grounded for now. Your dad is raising hell but isn’t getting very far, unfortunately.”

My stomach sinks to know that no one is coming to help us anytime soon. I am so emotionally overwhelmed and drained that I am on the edge of a breakdown, I swear.

“Why is this happening to me?” I ask, my voice trembling as my throat begins to tighten.

“I don’t know, baby. But we will get them. My mom is already talking about how to nail whoever is behind this and put them away for good. Personally, I am liking the talk of what your father has planned for them instead though.”

I let out a strangled laugh as I shake my head. “You hate violence.”

“True. But I think I can definitely make an exception because I would love nothing more than to wrap my hands around these guys throats until their windpipes crack.”

I am slightly taken back. Aiden has always been a borderline pacifist. I always wondered if he looked down on my family because, as Alessandro put it, our thrones are built on top of blood and bones. He never gave me any indication that he disapproved of the Family’s methods, not that we exactly discussed them, but it was more like he preferred seeing people get their comeuppance behind bars instead of in a shallow grave.

“Babe, are you okay?” I ask.

He lets out a rough sigh and pauses for a few seconds.

---