With a groan of frustration, I tugged her fully into the room and tried to shut the door behind us. She stopped me. And because I didn’t want to crush her beautiful little foot, I let her.
“Nico, let me go!” Rae insisted, louder this time.
I lifted my hands “Fine.”
“Thank you.” She took a hard breath. “Why did you bring me up here?”
Ibrought her up here? Chased her, sure, but if I’d brought her up, I would have tossed her over my shoulder and marched to the guest room that Nonna said was mine.
“I just—I just needed you to myself for a minute.” In a whisper, I added, “While we’re on the subject, don’t flirt with any more of those bastards. Not if you don’t want to clean up blood.”
Rae sucked in a sharp breath. “I was only talking! To your guests, might I add.”
Red clouded my vision. I needed an outlet. Right fucking now! I rammed a fist in the wall. Pain split across my knuckles. “I don’t like the way he was looking at you, Magnolia.”
There wasn’t any one guy in particular. There were too many. And she’d smiled, brushing away the storm clouds for the briefest of moments, and those fucks had reaped the benefits.
Her voice was cold. So low, I almost didn’t hear it. “I wasn’t flirting.”
“Che cazzo fai! Magnolia, see reason!” I insisted.
The huffing of the ghosts made me flick a glance at the old furniture. I could have sworn there were a couple of shadows over there. But I didn’t see any spectral shapes because Rae’s response snared my focus.
Rae laughed. “What are you going to do? Kill every man who looks my way?”
That wasn’t a bad idea. “If I have to.”
This time, her responding laugh had a sad note to it. “Your grandfather will just love that.”
“Magnolia, please—”
“No, Nico. We come from two different worlds. You don’t get to put a claim on me in secret.”
Ripping open the door, Rae marched out. I groaned. Cazzo. She was pissed.
I was to blame. Jealousy got the better of me, and instead of being the shelter she needed from the storm, I raged.
I can do better.
Following her, I jogged to catch her elbow.
Her wild gaze darted around the hall. “We shouldn’t be up here!”
I pulled her into the first available door. “Then quit running away.”
“Nico.” My name dragged out in a moan.
I caged her against the wall and leaned with an arm over her head. “I’m sorry. I know you were doing your job. You’re really good at it.”
Rae shook her head. Hard.Fast.If her hair was free, it would have tumbled and whipped around her shoulders. I reached for the knot at the back of her head.
“Nico! What the fuck are you doing?” she hissed, jerking away.
Such a dirty mouth. So pretty and full. It would look amazing sucking on my dick. But I pushed that thought away as I kicked the door shut, plunging us into silence.
Rae was breathing rapidly.
Here, in privacy, I could stare at her openly. I searched her face, looking for the answer that wasn’t written there.
