Sounds that only continue to torment me every second we’re apart.
“I made an oath to you that night inElectrixthat I would protect you from Lazzaro,” I say slowly. “But I also swore I wouldn’t touch you again.”
Her breath catches at that. “As noble as that was, may I remind me that you grabbed me when you were trading me for Claudio’s debt.”
She’s goading me; I know she is. But still, I step closer, unable to stop myself from demonstrating my next point. “That’s not what I meant, and we both know it.”
Finally, I allow my fingers to brush her hair back from her face. The way she absently leans into the touch makes my heart begin to pound in my chest.
“I didn’t realize it was in a don’s nature to exercise self-restraint,” she counters, her voice quieter than before.
“It’s not in my nature to take advantage of women in desperate situations.”
She chuckles darkly. “You seem to think I’m incapable of making my own decisions.”
“You really want to argue with me about protecting the best interests of a woman who was being beaten by her boyfriend and decided that begging the local don for help was her best course of action?”
Her eyes narrow at that. “You think I’m an idiot.”
“I think you got dealt a shitty hand and took a calculated, if not reckless, risk,” I allow. “But I don’t think you’re an idiot.”
She searches my eyes for the truth, and I allow it to shine there.
Finally, she sighs. “If you want my help on this little operation of yours, you have to start treating me as an equal.”
“All right, consider it done.”
“I want to be trusted with any new information that you get.”
I consider this. “At my discretion.”
She takes a step closer to me, so close I can see the tiny glimmers of green in her eyes. “And if I want to get on my knees and put your cock in my mouth, you will get off your high horse and trust that it’s a decision I’m making for myself.”
I feel like something within me snaps in half at her words, knocking me entirely from my axis.Angioletta,I had called her. But perhapsla ammaliatricewas more fitting.
It’s as if she was conjured with the sole purpose of tormenting me. Every movement, each sway of her hips or flick of her hair, those goddamn perfect lips, all beckon to me and tell me to dive head first off the cliff of my own self-restraint.
From her smirk, I know she can see the effect she has on me.
Well, two can play that game.
“Is that an offer, Cassandra?”
Her eyes narrow. “That depends.”
“On what?”
“My discretion.”
With that, she ducks around me and walks away.
12
CASSANDRA
“Cassy, I was so worried!”
My mom’s familiar voice washes over me like a soft blanket, so far removed from everything else I’ve had to deal with this evening. It’s almost jarring to hear it bouncing around the guest room.
