Page 168 of Kissing the Villain

“Marcello,” I breathed. “I think you already know this, but I need you, too.”

He squeezed my hand. “I’m here for you, but I think you and Luca need each other more.”

“I have given him years of my life, getting nothing in return.”

“In his own way, he loves you.”

“His actions are not loving,” I shot back.

“I won’t make excuses for Luca, but I will say this. Talk to him. Tell him what you want. And if he tells you no, then you have your answer.”

I stared into his eyes momentarily and had the itch to draw my Lonely Boy. “I like you, Marcello.”

He wet his lips with his tongue. “I know.”

“And I think you like me, too.”

“I do.”

I released a sigh. “So, where does this leave us?”

“I don’t know.”

“I’m in the mood to read,” I told him, mostly because I needed a reason to leave the bedroom. “How about I readThe Iliadto you?”

He smiled, a real one that lit up his face. “Yeah, that sounds good. It’s on the table at the center of the library.”

I climbed off the bed and stepped into a pair of fuzzy slippers. “I’ll grab it and come back.”

I stepped into the hallway. Dom leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. He dressed in a suit, a gun at his waist, and gave me a quick nod as I walked toward him.

“Everything okay, Miss Wellington?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Just grabbing something for Marcello.”

I rushed down the corridor and ascended the stairs to the third floor. The library was in the west wing. Luca’s office, bedroom, and library were on this floor. I flung open the heavy wooden doors on my right, and my eyes widened as they traveled up and down the two-story library. The large room had vaulted ceilings and endless bookcases.

I strolled toward a long wooden table piled high with leather-bound books. As I flipped through the titles, I recognized a few classics likeThe Canterbury TalesandThe Great Gatsby. I wondered who read these books. Did Luca sneak in here late at night and devour the pages? Was this where Marcello hid from his family?

I foundThe Iliadamong the books and clutched it under my arm. As I left the library, I wondered if I should take Marcello’s advice and talk to Luca. He’d given me his mother’s necklace and planned an amazing date. But after the shit in the temple last night, I wasn’t sure what to think about our relationship. Was everything a game to him, or did he have real feelings for me?

I walked down the hallway and poked my head into Luca’s office. He sat behind a long wooden desk, dressed in his usual three-piece Brioni suit. My handsome Devil focused on the computer screen, looking so severe and intimidating.

I knocked on the door, which creaked open from the force of my hand. Luca’s eyes shot up from the screen, his gaze meeting mine.

“Can we talk?” I asked him.

He threw out his hand at the chairs across from his desk. “I have five minutes before my next meeting.”

I strolled into the room with a determined expression. As usual, he would try to intimidate me, and I was not letting him take control of this situation. I dropped the book on a leather chair and sat across from him.

His blue irises bore into mine, cutting through me like knives. “So talk,” he said in a harsh tone.

“Why did you bring me to the temple last night?”

Luca leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. “To help you remember what we did last year. I’m guessing it didn’t work.”

“You guessed right,” I said with my heart hammering. “Look, I know things have been strained between us, but I have an idea I’d like to try, and I hope you’ll agree.”

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