Page 35 of Twisted Knight

My heart shamefully skipped a beat at the mere sound of her voice. I looked up, hoping my face looked emotionless despite the turmoil she caused in me.

She smiled at me when I met her eyes and the vise on my lungs started to squeeze. This woman was a witch.

Jude looked down at her feet, twisting his mouth to the side, seriously considering her question.

I did my best not to pull the boy into a hug. His way of taking everything so literal made him so endearing.

“You’re wearing flat ballet pumps; I’m not sure it will work.”

She nodded. “You’re right.” Her tone mirrored his seriousness. She jerked the carton drink tray under his nose. “What about if I bribe you with a hot chocolate?”

Jude keyed up, “Sure,” He took the drink she handed him. “But I’d say yes anyway, you know.”

She chuckled. “I do.” She handed me a small cup. “Double shot macchiato, one sugar.”

I couldn’t hide my surprise when I took the cup from her.

“What?” she asked, taking the seat beside me.

“No, nothing. It’s just—” I shook my head before taking a sip of the coffee goodness. I was praying it would do miracles on my sleep-deprived brain.

Today was Cassie’s planned C-section. I’d barely slept all night, first, because I was worried for her, and second, because I was cooped up in Luca’s condo with India only a door away without any supervision and that had been harder than I anticipated.

“I’m just interested. I remember things you say.” She shrugged. “No big deal.”

“Yeah,” I replied, looking down at my cup lid, but she was wrong. Itwasa big deal. Except for Luca and Cassie, she was the first person to show me genuine interest without having any ulterior motive. She didn't need my power, my skills, my money, or my dick…

I threw her a side-glance as she looked away thoughtfully, running her long, slender forefinger around the rim of her cup.

Maybe she did want my dick. Part of me hoped she did, that she was as aware of me as I was of her and that she, too, touched herself with me in mind.

“No?”

I refocused on her, slightly startled. I had not heard a word she’d said.

I cocked my head to the side, shrugging a little. “I see your point.” That was a catch-all answer I’d used so many times before.

She cocked one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows. “You see my point?” she asked, a smile tugging at the corner of her plump berry-colored lips. Would they be as soft and tasty as they looked? I could almost feel her bottom lip between my lips as I nibbled it gently.

I swallowed as my dick twitched at the mere thought. It was so not the place or the time, but it was also so unexpected. My body only responded to force, pain, submission… How could the thought of her lips, doing something as chaste as kissing me, set ablaze my body in such a way?

“You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?” she chastised, but the laughter in her voice softened the blow.

I gave her a sheepish smile and was about to answer, to give her some harmless flirting banter when we were interrupted by a guest I never expected in the maternity ward waiting room of this private women's health hospital.

“Genovese?” I sat straighter, suddenly alerted by his presence in the room with India and Jude. I didn’t like her being close to him at all. “What do you need?”

He gave us his cocky smile, the one he wanted to be jovial, even a little flirty, but it didn’t reach his eyes. I guess it was hard to fake when you were dead inside.

“Rude, Domenico,” he said with a small shake of his head. “You could at least introduce me to your lovely company.” He smiled even brighter and bowed a little at the waist. “I’m Matteo Genovese, nice to meet you.”

India was like frozen beside me. She didn't look enticed like most women were when they looked at him. No, she was wary. She was smart.

“I’m India, Cassie’s cousin.”

“Indeed, you are.” He turned toward Jude. “Come stai Giuda? Come ti stai divertendo in collegio?”

Jude studied Matteo silently like he always did, as if he could recognize something in him. Was it Matteo’s sociopathy that was calling to Jude’s Asperger’s?

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