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She didn’t expect him to stop her and of course he didn’t.
Their unplanned interlude was over.
He had an illustrious quest to complete, and she...
Giada swallowed hard, her steps quickening on the stairs, not because she was in a tearing hurry, but because she feared she’d be unable to suppress the sobs frothing up her chest, eager to vocalise her shattered emotions.
She made it to her room as the first one choked out of her. She clenched her jaw shut, furious with herself for this inability to rise above torment that shouldn’t have been there in the first place.
Crossing the room, she dug out her phone and turned it on.
The void while she waited for it to power up felt like an eternity. But when it was done and only three meagre pings sounded, Giada wished she’d waited until she had herself under better control. Until she’d applied sound reasoning to everything that had happened to her and bolstered herself with everyI will survivespeech she could think up.
Then she would’ve been better prepared to accept there was no hope for the shattered family she’d been cursed with. Because only two further text messages awaited her.
After nearly two weeks since leaving London and having minimal contact with her sister. The first message she’d already seen when the internet briefly returned. The second came on Christmas Eve.
Renata says you’re not joining her for Xmas? Are you still with him? WTH? Call me. G
Giada reread the second message, incredulity building when it registered that her sister was more irritated that she hadn’t made it home for Christmas and was still with Alessio. There was a searing disbelief that Gigi could be this self-centred. That maybe Alessio was right. She’d made far too many excuses for her sister in the past. Sucking in a breath, she clicked on the third message. Sent on Christmas Day.
Call me now, Gids. Not sure what you’re playing at! G
A sharp bark of incredulous laughter left her throat. She stopped the next one for fear it would turn into something else, like hysterical screaming.
Jaw gritted, she hit the call button. And listened to it ring and ring, then click into voicemail. Giada cleared her throat. ‘Hey, it’s me.’ She paused, her mind replaying everything that had happened since she last spoke to her sister, shaking her head when her emotions started to swell out of control again.
‘I...we got stuck in a snowstorm...in Alessio’s chalet.’ She gave a quick, impersonal summary, leaving out the bits about her sleeping with the man she’d been sent to deceive. ‘Anyway, call me when you get this message. And please tell me you’ve located his crest.’ She paused, swallowed and delivered the last, most important news. ‘And, Gigi, Alessio knows I’m not you. I don’t know what that means for you, but please return his item. It’s more important to him than you know.’
She ended the call, her heart thudding dully in her chest. Then, feeling his presence behind her, Giada turned to find a fully dressed Alessio in the doorway, his eyes burning into her.
She didn’t need to ask him if he’d heard any of what she’d said. It blazed right there in his eyes as he watched her toss the phone on the bed.
‘I take it you didn’t reach your sister?’
‘You don’t need to lurk in doorways listening to my calls, Alessio. That’s beneath you.’
Her probably unfair dig bounced off his shoulders, his hands slotting into his pockets as he leaned his magnificent frame in the doorway. ‘But then how would I gain all the delicious information that serves me so well,bedda mia?’
The endearment threatened to weaken her knees, the way it had every time he’d drawled it. But the mockery attached to it steeled her spine. Kept her on track. ‘No, I didn’t reach her, but I’m sure she’ll call back as soon as she hears my message.’
Heavy scepticism crossed his face. ‘What will it take to lose this blind faith you have in her?’
She scrubbed her fingers through her hair, her emotions rushing wildly beneath her skin. ‘Feel free to take the high road on what you think is right for your family, but don’t you dare look down your nose at me for whatever you think are my shortcomings. Your opinions aren’t wanted or appreciated. Now, is there something you want particularly, or can I assume this conversation over?’
He stiffened, then he straightened, his body filling the doorway. Slowly, he sauntered into the room. Her breath caught as he came closer, his gaze ablaze with the kind of righteous purpose superior beings possessed.
‘There is such a thing as being far too accommodating, you know,cara?’ he warned silkily.
She met his gaze boldly, because she sensed if she didn’t, she would simply succumb to the tsunami of emotions churning ever closer. ‘Are you annoyed about that because it’s not directed at you? That I have the capacity to care about more than one person?’
His nostrils flared and she realised she’d scored a bullseye. Whatever this man denied he wanted from her, he wasn’t quite ready to see her give it away to someone else. That thought brought a shocked laugh. ‘You are, aren’t you? Why is that?’
‘Because I’ve seen first-hand what happens when people think you’re a soft touch. They will take and take and take until there’s nothing left.’
‘So your answer is to stop yourself from giving anything at all?’ Her question was softly spoken, something insidestillvulnerable for him. Enough to tread lightly with his wild emotions. ‘To hold everything inside until it shrivels to nothing and dies? Is that really how you want to live, Alessio?’
‘This isn’t about—’
