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I swallowed hard, wondering if they knew what had happened. Serafina touched my shoulder. I nodded. “I’m fine, really.” I focused on the dishes once more. They probably wouldn’t judge me this kindly if they found out I’d helped Nevio keep his child from them for weeks or possibly months.
After the conversation, I was glad when my parents, my brother, and I left the Falcone mansion. We crossed the premises as there wasn’t a fence between our land and theirs, but I was too agitated to go inside yet.
“I’d like to stay outside for a bit,” I said.
Dad glanced at his watch. “It’s getting late. You should stay the night, and I’ll take you to your place in the morning.”
I couldn’t do that to Carlotta. Battista’s sleep pattern was still erratic. “No, I promised Carlotta I’d be home. She’s still a bit hesitant about being alone in the apartment overnight.”
“I could call Diego.”
“No, please don’t. He’s already overprotective. Carlotta would kill me.” She definitely would because she had no problem staying in the apartment alone.
Mom gave me a smile. “I don’t mind taking you to your apartment later. Take as long as you need.”
Dad gave her a look that made it clear he wouldn’t allow it. “I’m not letting you drive around the city by yourself at night.”
“Everyone knows my car and me. I highly doubt anyone’s going to give me trouble.”
“There’s always a first for everything.” He turned to me. “I’ll take you home in an hour.”
“Thanks, Dad,” I said with a smile and stepped on my tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek.
“You and your mom have me wrapped around your fingers.”
Davide rolled his eyes. “Can we go inside now? I paused my game for dinner, and I want to finish this before midnight.”
“You’re lucky I don’t confiscate your Switch.”
Dad and Davide moved into the house, arguing about the stupid games my brother enjoyed, while Mom stayed with me. She touched my cheek. “I really wish you’d confide in me. I can tell something’s bothering you.”
What was currently bothering me was definitely not something I’d ever talk to Mom about.
“Sorry, Mom.”
She nodded and went inside as well. I headed toward the pool and sank down on one of the lounge chairs, staring at the luminous water surface. I lost myself in whirring thoughts of my twisted relationship with Nevio, the myriad of lies I had to remember, and my growing feelings for the little boy I had agreed to babysit.
The next time I looked at my watch, forty minutes had passed. I rose from the chair and headed to my parents’ house when a twig broke behind me. I knew who was following me. Had he been watching me at the pool? I walked faster, desperate to get into the house before he reached me. I doubted Nevio would follow me inside. Even he had to have a sense of self-preservation because my father would kill him if he found us in a compromising position. When I’d almost reached our terrace, fingers curled around my wrist and I was jerked backward and dragged away. My surroundings briefly blurred before me, then my back bumped against the house wall, and Nevio took shape before me.
My back pressed against the wall by Nevio’s body, I craned my head back to look at his face. We were on a dark side of the house. Light only reached us from around the corner, where it illuminated the patio and living area.
Nevio’s face appeared foreboding, angry even in the twisting shadows. “You’ve been avoiding me.”
He was right. After the incident with the knife, which still brought up an equal amount of shame and desire in me, I couldn’t be around him anymore. Our relationship wasn’t going in a direction I’d envisioned in my fantasies, and I was worried I’d lose myself and what I really wanted along the way.
“I needed time to think. I still do,” I got out.
Nevio bent down, bringing us even closer. He smelled good, like sin and temptation. Musky and fresh. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, only low-cut workout pants. He must have been on his way to the gym when he saw me outside. My nights had been filled with fantasies about Nevio, things I wanted to do to him and wanted him to do to me, everything I tried to suppress during the day.
“You can’t escape your desire or me,” Nevio growled into my ear. The little hairs on the nape of my neck rose as his hot breath hit my skin. He was in a strange mood tonight, erratic and on edge. His lips pressed against the skin below my ear, then he scraped the same spot with his teeth, making me shudder.
I pressed my palms against his chest, wanting to push him away before he left a hickey. He felt perfect. Strong, his muscles firm and hot beneath me.
“Rory, I can’t stop thinking about you, about how wet you were, how my knife looked in your pussy.”
I didn’t want him to voice what had happened. It made it too real and sent a new wave of mortification through me. “If you don’t stop, someone will find out,” I gritted out, but I hadn’t taken my hands off Nevio’s chest yet.
Nevio cupped my neck, his thumb against my pulse point. “About us,” I added a little breathless.
