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I know I had regretted our earlier closeness in the bedroom when I had kissed her, but I couldn’t keep away from her. And even though I knew it was confusing her even more, I wrapped my fingers tightly around hers.
After walking for a while, my mind went back to yesterday. “What did the Bratva want with you and your father?”
She stayed silent.
“Cate?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
I felt my blood pressure rise, along with anger at this girl who was next to me.
CHAPTER 8
ALESSIO
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
I could see that my question had caught her off-guard. I tried to dampen my fury. “It might help to talk to me about—”
“I don’t really remember much about what happened.” She cut me off. She was clearly trying to close down this conversation.
“You don’t remember?” I cocked my head to one side as I looked at her.
“No…my memory is kind of hazy. These headaches make it difficult to think.”
I saw her shiver, despite the fact that she was wearing my sweater. The air had turned cooler. “Are you cold?”
She shrugged. “A bit.”
“Come on, let’s get back inside and I’ll make us some lunch.”
I made us both a sandwich, and we ate a late lunch in the kitchen.
She didn’t say anything while we ate.
I watched her closely and could tell she was uncomfortable after my earlier questions. She was definitely hiding something from me.
Afterward, she went back up to my bedroom to rest.
CATE
After lunch, I went back up to the bedroom, saying I needed a rest. I needed to get away from Alessio—away from his questions and away from whatever else was going on between us.
I felt some sort of pull toward Alessio.
I couldn’t understand it. Did he like me? Is that why he kissed me? His actions lent an intimacy to the situation, an intangible dimension that made me wonder what he felt toward me.
These thoughts made me uncomfortable, but even more, they made me confused.
To distract myself, I looked around Alessio’s bedroom. Although the mansion was a modern home, Alessio’s bedroom had a cozy feel to it, and that surprised me.
The large bed, nightstands, and dresser all matched and were made of a wood with warm tones. The whole room was ruthlessly tidy, almost like a hotel room—so either the maid was excellent, or Alessio was a neat freak.
In the corner of the room was a small couch and an old-fashioned rocking chair, behind which the whole wall was one large bookshelf full of books that were all neatly ordered. The shelves held every sort of book imaginable, from novels to biographies, history books, and even children’s books. I ran my fingers down the spine of a well-worn copy of ‘Anne of Green Gables’. I loved that book when I was a little girl.
Alessio didn’t strike me as the bookish kind. I would have expected him to have had a display cabinet to show off all his guns and knives. He was five years older than me, and being a Made Man and Consigliere was his whole life. However, the books and warm wood of the furniture lent a certain softness to his bedroom, which was further enhanced by the pretty view of the gardens from the window.
The grounds looked enormous and there were lots of trees stretching into a wooded area, plus a helipad to one side, complete with a chopper. There was an outdoor swimming pool, plus I could see a striking glasshouse containing an indoor pool. I shuddered as my eyes fell upon the large garage block—thank God I wouldn’t ever have to go there again.
