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She pulled back and looked at me. I wiped at my eyes but apparently not quickly enough because I saw the concern in hers. She glanced at Marco, who stood stupidly watching us.
I hated him.
“Mommy.” Effie tugged on her mom’s skirt. “The gift.”
Her high-pitched voice made me smile. She held up a box. I could see from the torn wrapping that it contained chocolates.
“Why don’t you give it to Aunt Lucia, and explain why the wrapping’s been torn.”
Effie turned to me and offered up the box. “I started to open it for you to help you.”
“Is that really why?” Izzy asked.
I gave Izzy a look. So did Effie.
I bent down to take the box from her, trying to keep a straight face. “Is this what I think it is? My favorite chocolates?” I asked, picking up an end of the wrapping and peeking inside the torn paper. “Maybe you can help me get the rest of the wrapping off.” She happily took the box and tore off the gift wrap.
“Yep. They’re my favorite too.” She reluctantly held the box out to me.
“You hold on to it. We should probably eat some, though. What do you think?”
“I definitely think we should eat some!”
I straightened and looked around, noticing how Marco hovered. “Let’s go into the living room.”
With a hand on the top of Effie’s head, I followed him to the spacious room adjoining the dining room. The sun shone bright, and the swimming pool glistened blue just beyond the large patio.
“God, it’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Izzy asked.
“It is.”
“Did you bring my swimsuit, Mommy?” Effie asked, her attention focused on the pool.
I looked at my sister, who rolled her eyes.
“I didn’t know they had a pool, so no.”
Effie gave her a look, which made me cover my mouth to hide the chuckle.
“How would I know? It’s my first time here,” Izzy protested.
“How about something to drink,” I asked just as Rainey walked in. She smiled warmly, and I introduced everyone.
“What would you like? I have some homemade lemonade maybe for the little one?”
“Actually, for me too,” Izzy said.
“Homemade?”
Izzy nodded.
“Make it three then, please,” I said. Rainey had been my only point of contact over the last couple of days. My world had always been small, but now, it had become miniscule.
Rainey nodded and returned to the kitchen. Marco remained in the room with us. Izzy and I both eyed him while Effie worked on getting the plastic off the box of chocolates.
“Are you just going to stand there?” I asked him.
He looked at me with raised eyebrows.
“I want to have a visit with my sister. Surely you don’t have to monitor every word I say. I promise, it won’t be that interesting.”
Before he could answer, footsteps echoed on the marble floors. We all turned as Salvatore entered the room. He wore a T-shirt and jeans, the V-neck clinging to his sculpted body. His cobalt-blue eyes locked on mine, and my heartbeat quickened, my body suddenly tingling, nipples tightening, every hair standing on end.
A moment later, he released me from his gaze, his posture relaxing as he nodded to my sister and smiled at Effie struggling with the plastic.
“Thanks, Marco. You can go,” he said.
Marco nodded and left the room. Salvatore walked over to Izzy.
“I don’t think I’ve met Lucia’s sister officially. I’m Salvatore Benedetti.”
She took his hand. “Isabella DeMarco.”
“Good to meet you. And this is?”
Effie looked up. “Got it!” She held up the plastic triumphantly, then checked out Salvatore. “I’m Effie,” she said, rising to her feet from the floor and holding out her hand.
Salvatore took it. “Nice to meet you, Effie.”
Rainey walked in with a tray and set the glasses of lemonade down on the coffee table. We stood awkwardly.
“I’ll let you and your sister have some privacy,” Salvatore finally said, his tone casual, his gaze wavering. “I’m going to take a shower.”
He waited. My body still did that vibrating, tingling thing as the air crackled between us.
“Thank you,” I finally said.
He nodded and left the room. We watched him go. Only when he was out of the room did either of us breathe. My thoughts wandered to what I’d found in his room. I wondered if he’d think he’d forgotten to lock the door between our bedrooms, or if he’d know I’d broken in.
“Wow. He’s intense.”
I exhaled. “Yeah.” I couldn’t tell Izzy about what he’d done. What I’d done. Hell, I wasn’t sure myself what it all meant or how I felt about it.
“Effie, it’s polite to offer chocolates to others first before you dig in.”
My sister tried to sound strict, but I saw the proud smile she worked to hide.
Effie turned her big, pale blue eyes to her mom, her mouth working on a second piece of chocolate. She rose to her feet and walked over to us.
“Would you like a chocolate?” she asked, turning to me first.
