He waved the man’s outburst away with one negligent hand and focused solely on Teresa. “Are you?”
Teresa chewed on her bottom lip, then grumbled, “No.”
Disappointment welled inside him as his last hope at keeping her faded. But he had to do this for her. Damn it, he had blackmailed her into a monthlong affair. He would not blackmail her into being his wife. Since reason wasn’t working with her, he released the anger churning inside him.
“You think I want you to be a sacrifice for your family? Again?” He shook his head. “No, Teresa. You’ll go and you’ll do whatever it is you want to do without worrying about trading your life for theirs.”
“No one asked her to sacrifice—”
“Be quiet, Gianni,” she snapped and took two furious steps closer to Rico.
He saw the fire in her golden eyes and loved her even more. She was magnificent in her fury as she was in every other aspect of her life. This woman was everything to him. And his only chance to prove that was to force her to go.
“I don’t want you here,” he blurted out.
She sucked in a gulp of air and fired another glare at him as she shook her head. “You’re lying, Rico. You said you didn’t lie to those you care about, but you’re lying now.”
“Teresa, I think we should—” Gianni said patiently.
“Basta! Enough!” She snapped the words out and held up her hand, palm out toward her brother. Gianni shrugged and leaned one hip against Rico’s desk, settling in to watch the show.
“You’re an idiot,” she said, frowning at Rico.
Gianni laughed.
Rico scowled and murmured, “Thank you.”
“I’m not sacrificing myself by staying here, Rico,” she said, coming closer now, keeping her gaze fixed on his. “I’m staying because I love you.”
A flare of heat swelled in his chest and Rico breathed easy for the first time since she had stormed into his office. Maybe there was light in his darkness after all. “I love you, too. I always have.”