Page 69 of Where Dark Hearts Devour
“There’s no other explanation,” she insists. “You hate that I’m marrying your brother—that he’s spending his money on me. That I’m going to be the lady ofyourfamily home. That has to be it.” She shrugs her arms out to the side while I look on at her, stunned.
I suppose I should be grateful. If she hasn’t read any further into yesterday’s admission, I’m safe from Savero’s wrath, and so is she.
Her voice drops to a whisper. It’s a seething one, but a whisper at that. “If you hate me so much, why don’t you just leave the city now?”
My eyes pop.
“Take me to the Di Santo residence and leave me there. I’ll be safe until Savero comes home. And you’ll be free from ever having to watch over me again.” She turns to face me square and levels me with a pointed glare. “You can go back to Vegas,to yourpreciouscasinos, your cabaret singers, and your dancing girls, and live happily ever after.”
I stare at her for a long moment. Then my patience snaps.
I grab her arm and drag her down the side of the building, out of view of the restaurant. “Are you jealous or something?” I hiss.
She physically recoils, which twists a nerve in my chest.
“When have Ievertalked about cabaret singers and dancing girls? What do you take me for?”
She shrugs but continues to glare at me.
I breathe out, my nostrils flaring. “Now you’ve insulted me, the least you can do is listen to my defense.”
She works her jaw, not letting up.
“I have saved you from yourself and others too many times to mention. I have made you eat—I’vecookedfor you—and kept you alive despite your obstinate determination to starve to death. I’ve closeted you in my apartment when it was unsafe for you to stay anywhere else. I’ve practically shot a man’s hands off because he didn’t follow my order to get you home safe. If all of these things are symptomatic of my hatred for you, then fuck me twice, Castellano, I hate you with myentirebeing.”
Her lips have parted, and her chest rises and falls with a quickened tempo.
I step into her body and soak up the warmth of her breasts again my hard chest. “You think I hate that my brother is spending money on you?” I can’t conceal the growl at the base of my throat. “I hate that he’s not spendingenough. There isn’t enough money in the world that would make him worthy of you.”
Her breaths reach my ears, sending me even deeper into insanity.
“You think I can’t bear the idea of you being the lady of my family home?” I laugh low and dark. “That doesn’t bother me in the slightest. What bothers me is thathewill be your lord.”
I shift my feet out to each side and dip my mouth toward the crook of her neck. I can taste the sweat rising off her collarbone.
“Only one of your accusations is spot-on, Castellano.” My words drift over her skin, my lips brushing the hairs at her nape. “I do hate that you’re marrying my brother. I hate that it’s him.” I start to pant in her ear from the exertion of holding this back, then my voice falters. “It should beme.”
I linger until that statement has worked its way into her bones, then I push myself hard away from the wall and coast my eyes to the street. “Your aunt’s car is here.”
I ignore the sexy sound of her breathless gasps and pull her back out into the evening light.
I let her lead the way back inside, but “lead” is too generous a word. She can barely put one foot in front of the other. I didn’t see her drink a whole lot of wine, but maybe she really is as incapable of handling alcohol as she’s admitted to being.
I said too much, but she has to know.
Sheneedsto know I’m on the fucking edge, and that this is killing me.
I can’t stop myself from falling, but she can stop herself from pushing. And if she weren’t aware of that before, well ... now she is.
Trilby
Lower Manhattan is only as large as it is busy. When the traffic quiets, it takes no time to get anywhere. Which is a pity when the last place I want to be is in Cristiano’s apartment, alone with him, after everything he just said.
He wants me.
His statement was unequivocal and I don’t know what to do with it.
I haven’t been able to look at him the whole drive here. But I have been able to watch the streets go by in a blur, not one of them registering in my consciousness.
