Page 62 of Carnal

He clenches his jaw then locks eyes with me.

I put my hand over his, admitting, "I didn't mean for that to sound how it did."

He huffs. "Sure, Pina. Whatever you say."

"I mean it. I-I don't know why I said that."

He turns toward the window, mumbling, "Well, it's true, isn't it?"

Silence fills the air, answering his question. I shift in my seat. "Tristano."

He slowly meets my eyes.

Once again, I feel super vulnerable, but I deal with it so I can try and make this right. I state, "What you and your brothers do is nothing short of admirable."

He scoffs. "Don't lie to me now."

"I'm not."

He says nothing and turns back toward the window.

We sit in silence for a while until Danika appears. She beams as she asks if we're ready for dinner.

Tristano glances at me with an arched eyebrow.

I smile at Danika. "That would be great. Thanks."

"Coming up," she replies, then leaves.

Tristano firmly asserts, "I'm only going to ask you this once, Pina. Whatever you answer decides what happens tonight."

Nerves fill my chest. "Okay. What is it?"

His expression darkens. "Do you want to stay on this date, or do you want me to have the pilot turn the plane around?"

11

Tristano

Every second Pinadoesn't answer me feels like a lifetime. She wears her don't-mess-with-me expression, which could intimidate any gambler. Whenever she looks at me like this, I can't tell what she's thinking.

"Well? Should I tell the pilot to turn around?" I ask again, tapping my fingers against my thigh.

She exhales deeply and shakes her head. "No. It's not necessary."

Part of me is unsure whether I should be relieved or not. I'm used to women throwing themselves at me. There's never a challenge dating any of them. Nothing is easy with Pina though. It's good when we're together, but it's like I have to fight for each moment.

And that confuses me.

I should hate it, yet deep inside, I'm digging the obstacles she puts in front of us. Every time I figure out how to make her cave to what I want, I get a burst of adrenaline—except for now.

"Are you sure?" I question.

She doesn't hesitate. "Yes."

To make a point, I reply, "So you want to stay on this date with me, knowing I'm not bringing you home until the weekend is over?"

I rarely see nerves on Pina's face, but they pop up at my question. My stomach flips.

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