Page 40 of Ruthless God

“We’re fine,” Massimo said. “Why don’t you bring Luna’s towel over to me?”

If she answered, I didn’t hear. I couldn’t even twist around to see if Giulia heard Massimo and was doing as he asked.

I didn’t have to wait long, though, because a towel suddenly appeared in my line of vision.

Massimo grabbed it out of her hand without saying anything and wrapped it around me.

I held still for him, somehow feeling like a naughty child caught doing something I wasn’t supposed to do. Was going swimming really so bad?

I wasn’t brave enough to ask that, and I wasn’t brave enough to stop Massimo when he reached down and scooped me up in his arms. I gasped and wrapped my arms around his neck as he walked us out of there.

Giulia might have said something to us—or to her brother—but I couldn’t hear anything. Not when all the blood had rushed to my ears, and my heart was beating erratically in my chest. Where was he taking me? And?—

Would it hurt?

The question was almost too much to think about.

“I’m getting your clothes wet,” I murmured. He paused at the base of the stairs, his gaze focused on me. I almost wished I had kept my mouth shut.

“That’s not important,” he said.

What was important then? I wasn’t brave enough to voice the question.

“Is there anything you need, sir?” A soft feminine voice came out from our left. I tensed in Massimo’s arms, something I was sure he didn’t miss.

“No,” Massimo answered tonelessly before he walked away. I looked behind him to Lettie standing right where we left her, a sour look on her face. Seemed she took it personally. I didn’t know why, and I was determined to put her and the head cook out of my mind.

We made it toourroom, and Massimo brought me to the connected bathroom, placing me down on the counter before he moved away and turned on the water for the shower. Steam billowed around the small space, and I pulled the towel tighter against my body when he turned around and looked at me.

I resisted the urge to squirm, to give away just how uneasy he made me, especially when he was silent, which I was guessing was his default setting. Massimo didn’t look like he was a very talkative man. No, he was the kind of man who only needed to say something once, and people just listened.

I shivered, and that seemed to bring him out of his reverie. “You’re cold.”

Was I? I felt warm all over the place, and I didn’t know why that was.

“Go shower.”

And with that, he walked out the door, leaving it open a small crack.

I was… surprised.

He was leaving me to shower. I frowned. So he cut my swim short, and now…

He wanted me to just take a shower, and then what?

I didn’t know, but I decided not to push him. I moved off the counter, looking over at the crack through the door. Ridiculous. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen me. Seen all of me. And now, I was feeling too hot.

I quickly removed my bathing suit and put it in the hamper before hopping into the shower. The temperature was nice—not as hot as I thought.

Even still, I didn’t linger. I scrubbed myself, and when I was sure all the suds were washed off, I turned off the water and got out, grabbing a clean, fluffy white towel hanging by the hook. I pressed my face against it.

It smelled like Massimo.

It wasn’t a bad smell. Not at all. And I wondered if there was some twisted part of my mind that was truly attracted to my husband. How… unnerving.

I wrapped the towel around me and walked out of the bathroom, halting to a stop when I found Massimo standing in the middle of the bedroom. His tie, shoes, and jacket were removed, leaving him in nothing but black slacks, black socks, and a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up and showing off huge tan forearms that made my mouth go dry from the sight alone.

He shifted, and I quickly looked up at his face. His eyes were making a slow perusal up and down my body. I might as well be naked under his gaze.

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