As soon as the last words left my mouth, my chest constricted again, and I looked away, not wanting to see his reaction.
His finger glided beneath my chin, and even with my lowered gaze, I could see him. “Ava’s choices had nothing to do with you. She…” He raked his teeth over his bottom lip like he was searching for the right words.
“She what?” I prompted. Nobody around me talked about her anymore except to compliment her talent, and I was curious how people saw her.
“She was impulsive. She made choices without thinking about the consequences.”
“You mean like swallowing a bottle of pills after a fight with my dad?”
“Well, yeah, but not only that. She caused a lot of friction within the Families by running off with your father. They were both engaged to other people. It was a mess that didn’t end with them.”
He grabbed my hands and pulled me onto his lap. I squirmed for a second, uncomfortable with the feeling of his warm hands on my legs. I gave in, though. I’d been fighting everything and everyone for so long, I wanted to let someone else take control until I figured out my next move.
“Did you like her?” I whispered into his chest.
“As much as a five-year-old can like an adult. She made cookies for me a couple of times and tried to teach me piano once or twice. I banged on the keys, and she quickly declared that I didn’t have any talent.”
The alcohol seeped into my system more and more, and each blink became longer and longer. I was taken aback by how right and wrong it felt to be held in his arms. “Maybe she would have wanted me to marry you.”
He scooped me up and came to his feet.
“What about the rest of the shots?” I asked.
“We’ll get to it another day.”
My inhalations became shallow and rickety. He pulled me into his chest, and his fingers smoothed over my hair. I inhaled his spicy cologne mixed with the hint of licorice on his breath. A rumble of something that sounded like approval rippled from me. He lay down on my bed, his body curled around my mine.
“We’re going to be fine, Emilia. I know you’re scared, and you don’t understand what’s going on, but I’m asking for your trust.” The tone of his voice webbed around me, evoking a surprising longing deep inside of my bones.
“What’s ‘fine’ look like in your opinion?” I mumbled into his chest, listening to the solid hammering of his heart.
“Come to Chicago for a year. We’ll spend time together and if either of us wants to back out, we can. No hard feelings. No marriage.”
“A year doesn’t sound unreasonable.”
He chuckled, and the smoky sound made me hold him tighter. “Glad you agree. So no running. No tricks.”
“Hmm.” I nuzzled into his neck and willingly succumbed to the siren call of his voice and the lure of his warmth. He clouded my judgment, distorting my desires, my goals, and my future.
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes. I promise,” I answered, needing and wanting to agree more than I’d ever wanted in my life. I felt too relaxed and too cherished to do anything except agree, all things I hadn’t experienced much of since my mom died.
A spark of hope ignited inside of me. Maybe I could do this with Marcello for real. Maybe he could be what I needed. Either way, I knew no matter where or with whom I ended up, this night, this moment, would alter the course of my life.
“You won’t regret this.” His mouth sought mine, hot and needy, devouring me in a way that robbed of me all thought, and I didn’t mind it one bit. Because in all honesty, an increasingly vocal part of me wanted Marcello.
CHAPTER
THIRTY-FIVE
Marcello lifted my dress over my head. Next went my black lace bralette. My nipples hardened, and I wasn’t sure if it was a reaction to the chilly air or his heated stare. An image of the curvy Sarah from our engagement party flickered through my mind, and I covered my chest, feeling more than a little self-conscious.
“Stop.” He pushed my hands away and cupped my breast, squeezing it reverently, erotically. “There’s no reason to hide from me. You’re beautiful. Sexy.”
“What are you doing?” I murmured, my voice rickety, and my heart doing summersaults.
“We’re sealing our deal.” He trailed a warm hand up the inside of my thigh, pausing at the lacy hem of my panties. My heart thudded violently. My breaths became ragged. Waiting. Anticipating.
His eyes never breaking contact with mine, he tugged the flimsy material to the side. He glided a finger over my aching center, unhurried and confident, teasing me. Warmth spread from my core to my limbs. I arched my hips and curled my hands into his shoulders, wanting more.