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“Are you close?”
My shoulders lift sluggishly. We had been once. After what happened with my uncle, I’d withdrawn from everyone, men especially. Dad didn’t deserve it, but he’d earned the brunt of my pain. “Kind of,” I finally mutter.
His dark brows furrow, lips curving into a frown. “I’ve never seen you speak about anyone with such little enthusiasm. What happened between you and your father?” A hint of anger slices into his tone. It’s subtle but after this much one-on-one time together, I’ve grown to pick up on the hints.
“No, it’s nothing like that,” I blurt, shaking my head.
“He’s never laid a hand on you?” He spins at me, and red-hot fury streaks across the endless midnight of his eyes. “Did he hurt you, Rose? Is that why you didn’t want to go to Long Island for Christmas?” His hands clamp around my shoulders, fingers digging into my skin, and he drags my barstool between his legs. “Because I swear to God, if he—”
“No,” I blurt. “It wasn’t him; I swear.”
Shit. I snap my jaw shut, but it’s too late.
The fury morphs to rage, and his entire body trembles as he regards me. “Who the fuck hurt you, Rose?”
“It was a long time ago, Dante. It’s not worth getting into it.”
“The fuck it isn’t.”
“He’s dead,” I blurt. A total lie, but I cannot have this man going psycho right now. Not after all the strides we’ve made.
He blinks quickly and the rage simmers, along with the death grip around my arms.
“I’m fine, he can’t hurt me anymore, D. He’s long gone.”
“Who was it?” he snarls.
“It doesn’t matter ... a distant relative.” I shrug, the idea of bringing up the painful memories like twisting a knife in my heart. “We used to be close when I was little and….” I let the words fall away. Maybe it had been my fault. I’d been too friendly with him, even flirted a little. I was sixteen going on twenty-one. I’d been stupid, so stupid.
A growl tears me from my spiraling thoughts. “Thefiglio di puttanais lucky he’s already dead, or I’d dispatch him to hell myself only after I cut off his balls and shove them down his throat. Then I’d watch the life slowly drain out of his eyes.”
A shudder courses up my spine. I’d imagined that very thing more than once, only not quite so graphically. “Thank you,” I whisper. No one has ever made me feel so safe, but I’m scared to say the words out loud.
“I can take you to visit your old man, if you want.”
I heave out a breath. I really don’t want, but I can’t put Dad and my stepmom off forever, and going with Dante might just give me the strength I need, not to mention the excuse for a quick visit. “I guess I should….” I take another half-hearted bite of the savory frittata. “Don’t you have work to do today or something?”
He shakes his head, the hint of a devious smile tugging at the corners. “I told Clara I have Covid too.”
I snort on a laugh and nearly buckle over. The fact that Luca’s assistant frightens both Valentinos into submission just makes me giddy. I’ll have to learn her trick one day.
“You think that’s funny, sweetheart?”
“I do. I really do. That woman has you by the balls.”
He throws his head back, and a dark chuckle vibrates his massive chest. “There’s only one woman that has me by the balls, Rose, and in a second she’s going to have her mouth full of my cockandthose balls.”
My pulse skyrockets, shooting heat between my thighs. Good gawd, that mouth is so filthy, and it fires me up like nothing else. He’d just been inside me only an hour ago, and already I was ready for him again. “That’s what you think, Mr. Valentino.”
“That’ssignor….”
“Fine,signorValentino.” I attempt my best Italian accent. “Only if you beg, of course.”
A flash of mischief flickers through those midnight orbs. “That’s not how this works, sweetheart.”
I hop off the barstool and place it between us. He looms over the white cushion, hovering dangerously. “How about this?” I manage on an exhale, my heart already pumping overtime. “If you catch me, I’ll let you fuck me.”
Another wicked chuckle fills the air between us. “Let?That’s funny.” He shakes his head, a dark brow cocked. “You liked that game, didn’t you?”
