Page 68 of Carnal

I wonder if it's anger or embarrassment. "What are you worried is going to happen?"

She looks away.

I turn her chin so she's facing me. "Tell me. What do you think Dante will do? He's not going to fire you. He can't operate without you. So what is it?"

Her lips quiver. She swallows hard.

"Pina?" I urge.

She takes a deep breath then states, "You don't know what I've been through... What I've done to get where I'm at."

"Then fill me in," I demand.

Moments of tense silence fill the cabin. I force myself to wait for her to speak. She finally says, "I didn't grow up like you, Tristano."

I tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear. "So you mentioned. Tell me more about how you grew up."

She licks her plump lip, hesitates, then admits, "I wasn't lying when I said we grew up without food. My parents were always working, but nothing they did was ever enough. We got evicted so many times I lost track."

My chest tightens. The vision of Pina as a little girl moving all the time and going to sleep with a hungry belly makes me feel ill.

She continues, "I fought to get where I'm at."

"You've done well. It's because you're talented," I claim and mean every word.

She shifts on my lap. "Yeah, I am. But I didn't get here by sleeping with my boss."

I sniff hard, hating the predicament I've put her in. If I were a man of higher ethics, I'd let her go for her own sake. But I'm not that man. I'm a man who seizes what I want. Ever since that day in the conference room, all I've wanted was her. So I tug her closer and state, "No one would ever accuse you of anything of the sort. We all know how hard you've worked. Even my papà sings your praises, and he doesn't do that with hardly anyone."

"Exactly! What would your papà think of me if he found out?"

My gut flips. I blurt out, "Papà would be angry at me. Not you."

"You don't know that."

"Yes. I do," I insist.

She shakes her head. "Dante will throw a fit. You know he will."

"So what? He'll get over it," I claim.

Pina scrunches her face. "Dante respects me right now. I don't want to lose that."

I cup her cheek. "You won't. I'll make sure that never happens."

"I know your brother better than you do. He won't ever look at me the same," she says sadly.

"Pina—"

A loud ding interrupts me. The pilot says, "Please put your belts on. There's turbulence ahead. But on another note, we should be landing in the next hour."

I debate about ignoring him, but safety's always been my thing. I slide Pina off my lap, reach to secure her seat belt around her, then press my lips to hers. I retreat and assert the only thing that comes to my mind, "You owe me a date. If you want to end things after this weekend, I'll let you go." As I say the words, it feels like a steel fist is squeezing my heart.

She says nothing, and I sit back in my seat, buckling my own seat belt. No matter what, I'm making sure she has no option but to tell me she wants to keep seeing me. I'm not sure how, but I'm going to figure it out.

12

Pina

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