Page 134 of Beautiful Desire

I start to move back, my brows creased in a scowl.

What the hell is going on right now?

Cupping the woman’s face in her hands, Maria begins to talk. “Oh, bambina mia. Mia dolce, dolce ragazza Quanto mi sei mancato. Guarda come sei cresciuto.”Oh, my child. My sweet, sweet girl. How I’ve missed you. How you’ve grown.

As I stand still in my position, my eyes bounce back and forth between Maria and whoever this person is. I watch on as they both forget about my presence, and I notice how tears build in both of their eyes.

“Nonna,” she whispers before throwing her arms around Maria as they hold one another in a tight embrace.

My eyes trail up the young woman’s frame again, and I take in her features. Slim arms are wrapped around Maria, while dainty fingers press into her shoulders. Her eyes flutter closed as she soaks up the embrace. They stand lost in the comfort of one another for an uncomfortable amount of time as I watch, unable to move.

Pulling away, Maria moves back, holding hands with the young woman and takes her in.

“Alina, piccola mia. Non reisco a credere quanto sei cresciuto,” she says, her voice thick with emotion.Alina, my baby. I can’t believe how much you have grown.

Alina. Thisis Maria’s granddaughter?

I keep my features schooled. After years of conditioning, they know better than to react. So, instead, I continue to observe.

I take in the small dimple that appears on Alina’s left cheek as her rose-pink lips pull up into a smile at Maria’s words. A gold speck flickers in her polished whiskey-colored eyes.

A few more minutes pass, and finally, my body decides to start working again. I turn to start making my way to the stairs when Maria’s voice fills the space, making me freeze on the spot.

“Aspetta solo un secondo, Marco Rossi. Cosa stavi facendo con le mani su mia nipotie in quell modo prima?”Just you wait one second, Marco Rossi. What were you doing with your hands on my granddaughter like that?

So much for slipping away quietly.

Taking a deep inhale, I stand up straight and turn back around. An angry scowl is evident on Maria’s face, showing her unhappiness at how she found me pinning Alina against the living room wall. I keep my attention focused on Maria, but feel Alina’s gaze settle on me.

Clearing my throat, I say, “Pensavo fosse un’intrusa. Non ne avevo idea—”I thought she was an intruder. I had no idea—

Cutting me off, she interrupts.

“Un’intrusa?! Mio Dio,” she says, throwing her hands up in exasperation.An intruder? Dear God.

Trying to explain the misunderstanding, I tell her, “Quando Fabi ha detto che sarebbe venuta tua nipote, mi aspettavo un bambino, non—”When Fabi said your granddaughter was coming, I expected a child, not—

A shocked gasp sounds from Maria as her eyes almost pop out of her head. “Leièuna bambina.”Sheisa child.

I can see this is getting me nowhere. I just want to do a workout. My eyes move briefly to the quiet girl standing behind Maria, and I grind my teeth in exasperation.

“Scusa il mio errore. Non accardà più.”Excuse my mistake. It won’t happen again.

Turning on my heel, I don’t wait for her reply. I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as I make my way up the stairs to the in-house gym. Entering, I connect my cell to the speaker system, and the sounds of Imagine Dragons’ “Thunder” blasts loudly around the room. I quickly get into it and feel some of the never-ending tension I live with release from my body.

Half an hour into my workout, a tingle goes down my spine. Looking up at the door, I see those whiskey eyes from earlier staring back at me. It takes her a minute to notice I’ve spotted her, but once she does, she’s gone like a bolt of lightning, and an unknown feeling swirls tight in my gut.

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