Page 50 of Contempt

The driver got in, too.

Soon, they were on the road.

All the while, Lucia glanced back and forth between the window, and Renzo beside her. Oh, sure, he kept a distance between them. A good two feet on the seat, but still … she could feel his warmth, and smell him. He was too close, and yet, not nearly close enough. All of those emotions she had been suppressing suddenly felt like rushing right back to the surface all over again.

Holy hell.

She really was a complete mess.

“Where have you been?” she asked him.

Renzo glanced over at her. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Why haven’t you answered me back? Why haven’t you called me? Did you ever even fucking look for me, Ren? How long have you been out? Are you just … off living your life without even giving a second thought about me? Is that what you’re doing now?”

Something darkened his gaze.

Pain, maybe?

Lucia didn’t know.

“What—”

“I have thought about you every single day. Have you ever thought about me?”

Renzo blinked.

In a second—a breath—he was across the seat, and right in front of her. Those hands of his grabbed tight to her jaw, and he pulled her in. The kiss burned, but oh, it felt so fucking good, too. The way his lips melded against hers was hard enough to bruise. The dance was familiar, though. As was the taste of him, and the way every single part of him seemed to surround her, and the way the rest of the world disappeared. His tongue struck out against the seam of her lips, and she couldn’t help but open up just to get a taste of him.

Yeah, all these years …

It still felt like yesterday.

It was crazy.

So good.

And bad, too.

All too soon, Renzo pulled away, and let out a shuddering exhale though he stayed close to her. Close enough that his lips grazed hers as he murmured, “I have waited five fucking years to do that again.”

A tear escaped, then.

Lucia didn’t wipe it away.

“I can’t explain …” Renzo shook his head. “Ask your father, Lucia. Ask him about the deal.”

She blinked. “Okay.”

What else could she say?

“To the hospital, Miss?” the enforcer asked from the front of the car.

Lucia cleared her throat as Renzo gave her a bit of room, and she finally felt like she could breathe again. “Yeah, thanks.”

She suspected the enforcer might have known about the fact her father was sick, as he was usually the one taking her to the hospital. So, she didn’t feel like she had to watch her tongue around him.

Renzo gave her a look. “You’re not sick, are you?”