Page 100 of Dangerous King
A soft scratching sound at the bathroom door catches my attention.
"Shadow?" I call.
A faintwoofanswers me. I smile, reaching for the towel. "Alright, you pushy little beast."
Wrapped in cotton and still pink from the heat, I open the door to let Shadow bound in, tail wagging, tongue out. I giggle and drop to my knees, burying my face in his soft fur as he licks my cheek.
"You missed me, huh?" I whisper. "It's okay. I missed you, too."
That's when I hear the footsteps.
"I figured the dog was here," Izzy's voice drifts in from the hallway. A moment later, she's leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed. She takes one look at my flushed face and damphair, and her brows lift. "Hot bath and dog cuddles. Classic heartbreak move."
I smile weakly. "I'm not heartbroken."
"Uh huh." She walks in and plops down on the edge of the tub, nudging a bath sponge out of the way. "So you justlooklike you lost your favorite person and your favorite dessert in the same night?"
I exhale. "I'm just… tired."
"No, you're sad." Her voice is gentle now. "I know you. Well, I'm getting there. But Iknowthat look."
I don't answer. Shadow rests his head on my lap and lets out a long, dramatic sigh.
Izzy nudges my arm. "Cat. Talk to me."
I pick at the towel edge for a long moment before finally murmuring, "It was perfect last night. Every second of it. But this morning, when I woke up in his arms… it felt like it wasn'tmineto keep."
Izzy's brow furrows, "Who?"
Dio mio. I forgot she has no clue. Beet-red heat spreads over my face.
She nudges me with her toe, "Enrico?"
Sharply, I look up. "How…"
"Oh, come on, a blind man can see the looks you two are giving each other."
More heat spreads over my face, making her laugh. "I told you I want us to be sisters. What better way than you marrying my brat of a brother? Although I have no clue why you would want to," she pretends to think, "oh, I know, because you want to be my sister, too."
Despite the heat still crawling up and down my face and neck, I can't help but grin.
"There, that's better," she proclaims, self-satisfied. "Now, tell me why you think he's not yours to keep?"
"Because," I whisper, "he'shim.Enrico Sartori. He's the heir to the family—the future capo. And I'm just… the girl who was saved. The one he's protecting because I helped you." I swallow.
She's quiet for a second. Then, "Didhesay that?" Something dangerous, something so Enrico flashes in her eyes, that another smirk curves my lips.
At least for a moment, then I admit, "No, but your mamma…"
"Ah." Understanding dawns in her eyes. "Themafia princesstalk."
I nod.
"Cat," she says, her voice firm, "Enrico doesn't do anything he doesn't want to do. Trust me, I've known that man since I could walk. If he's with you, it's because hewantsto be. Not because of some stupid alliance or pity."
"But what if he wakes up one day and realizes I don't belong in his world?" I whisper. "What if I'm just… a soft chapter in his hard story?"
Izzy tilts her head. "Or maybe you're the only part of the story that feels real to him."
