Page 38 of The Collector's Temptation

My voice trembled, and he froze as though he immediately sensed my inner conflict.

Aston let me go, oh so slowly, his hands lingering on my sore wrists as though he was reluctant to release me. But he finally did, allowing me to step back.

His jaw ticked, and his hands fell slowly to his sides. But I saw the war that raged in his eyes. He wanted to drag me back into his arms, but he didn’t.

The fact he was battling his inner demons to give me what I needed sent a crack through the wall that I was trying to build around my heart. But I had questions that I couldn’t put off, so I forced myself to remain strong.

The air between us vibrated with the aftermath of everything I’d seen and heard. Blood. Gunfire. Dead bodies.

There was no pretending that I didn’t know who Aston really was. No more charming mystery or flirtatious distraction.

My voice was stronger than I expected as I said, “I need answers.”

He gave a single nod, his nostrils flaring. “You’ll have them. All of them.J’te jure.”

Our eyes locked, and I felt that pull again. I didn’t resist, giving myself this one beautiful moment before he gave me his truths. Instead, I leaned forward, and he met me halfway, his mouth crashing against mine in a kiss that was all desperation and gratitude and longing. It was unsteady and imperfect but also somehow more meaningful than all of the other kisses we had shared.

But then I broke contact, gasping for breath as I took a step back again. My voice was shaky as I whispered, “We can’t. Not yet.”

He nodded, swallowing hard. “Those answers I promised you.”

“Yes.” I dragged my hands through my tangled hair and straightened my spine. “I want the truth. All of it.”

His expression darkened, regret flickering in his gray orbs. “You deserve that.”

“I do.”

“I tried to keep you away from all this.” He scrubbed his hands over his bearded cheeks. “The dark side of me I never wanted you to know.”

“The part that’s a forger for the DeLuca Crime Family,” I prodded with a grimace. “And a killer.”

“Yes.”

My soft laugh was rueful, holding no humor. “I should have known when you showed me your studio. All the proof I needed was right in front of my eyes, but I refused to see it. The Caravaggio that was auctioned off the night we met, it was a forgery done by you, wasn’t it?”

His chest expanded before he admitted, “It was.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, my hope for our relationship withering as I wondered if anything that happened between us was real. But I needed to know other things more urgently. “The men who took me suspected you were involved, but they didn’t know for sure. After they explained who you actually are, they told me that I was to be used as leverage against you. And that I would remain unharmed if you cooperated.”

“Apparently, Sterling Ellis draws the line at murder.” His nostrils flared as he glanced down at my bruised wrists. “Not that it’s going to save him.”

My eyes widened at the familiar name. “The insurance investigator?”

Aston’s voice was tight with fury as he explained, “He’s trying to take down the DeLuca Family. His company is furiousthat they’ve failed to recover so many stolen pieces, and he’s convinced we’re behind most of them. Which, to be fair, we were.”

I didn’t respond except for a nod for him to go on.

“He’s trying to set us up. He planted a stolen and easily recognizable painting in one of the deliveries to the Belladonna Gallery. A Manet he knew we couldn’t sell without getting caught. When that happened, the blame would land on me—and by extension, The Family.”

With the information I’d already learned, his explanation wasn’t too much of a surprise. “And the kidnapping?”

Aston’s jaw flexed. “It was as you said, Sterling wanted leverage. And to give me a warning. You were never supposed to be in this. But when he realized you were close to me and suspectedNativity with Saint Francis and Saint Lawrencewas a forgery…”

His voice broke off, and he looked away, his fists clenched at his sides.

My knees were weak, but I forced myself to stand tall. “He no longer considered me an innocent bystander and used me to get to you.”

“Yes.”

---