Page 120 of Thin Lines (Donati Bloodlines 2)

Calisto looked older than his years in that moment. Hestill had that twenty-eight look about him, but his eyes spoke of stress andage that she couldn’t possibly understand.

Invisible burdens weighed him down.

“Come upstairs with me,” Emma demanded. “To bed.”

“No, I—”

“Is there something wrong with me?”

Calisto’s gaze widened before it narrowed. “With you?”

“That’s what I said.”

“There’s nothing wrong with you.”

Her bruising had mostly healed, and the swelling wasfinally gone. A little bit of makeup helped to cover up what remained. Evenstill, Emma wondered if that’s why Calisto was keeping a physical distancebetween them.

“Is it this?” Emma asked, waving at her cheek.

The makeup hid the worst bruise that had turned ayellowish color, but he would know what she meant.

“What do your injuries have to do with something beingwrong with you?”

“Well, since you won’t touch me, and you sure as hellwon’t come close enough to fuck me, I was starting to think there was somethingwrong with me, and that might have been it.”

“Emma!”

She didn’t even flinch.

“What else did you want me to think?” she askedsoftly. “I miss you. I know it’s not the right time and there’s so much shitgoing on, Cal, but I miss you. I want you. You said you would look after me,take care of me, but you’re forgetting that the only thing I want from you is you.”

Calisto stood fast from the piano bench. “Did youthink that maybe my reason for keeping a distance was because I felt like youneeded time to absorb everything that happened, and fucking you might not helpyou do that? Did you think that I was worried I might accidentally hurt you,because everywhere I looked on you, there was a new mark to find?”

Emma blinked. “No.”

“No, that’s right. No, you clearly didn’t.”

“You didn’t give me the chance to know, Calisto.”

“My fucking hands hurt, Emma,” he growled, holding hisarms out to her. “All I want to do is hold you or touch you, and I hurt becauseI want it that bad. And you think because you have a few bumps and bruises thatI must not like the look of you?”

She stared down at the floor, unsure of what to say.

“I am sorry that every man in your life has treatedyou like a piece of property. As if your only worth to them was your ability tobe constantly beautiful and quiet in a corner, but you are so much more thanthat to me, Emmy. You needed time. I thought I was giving it to you.”

“I don’t need time now,” she whispered.

By the time Emma glanced up from the floor, Calistowas in front of her. His gaze burned with a hunger that made her body heat upand her breath quicken.

He was still worried, though.

She could see that, too.

Calisto grabbed her waist in one hand, and her chin inthe other. He pulled her closer until her chest molded against his. She couldfeel her nipples harden when his hand drove down over her chest.

But he was hesitant.

“I’m okay,” she promised.