Page 6 of Caterina
“Vito.”
Teresa glances between us. “You could at least try not to look like you’re deciding where to bury each other.”
I have a feeling Vito already knows exactly where he’d bury me if he had to.
That’s fine. I have a few thoughts as well.
I offer my hand because Teresa is standing between us in every way that matters, and not just physically, and I’m not making her first five minutes with me into a territorial display on her front steps.
He looks at it once, then takes it.
His grip is solid. Not some stupid crushing contest. He doesn’t need that kind of nonsense any more than I do. But there’s a message in it.
Mine.
I give him the same thing back.
Not threatened. Not impressed. Just a simple response.
When he releases my hand, his eyes stay on mine a second longer than manners require.
“You made good time,” he says.
“My plane landed early.”
“And the drive?”
“Easy enough.”
He gives a small nod. “Good.”
Nothing in his tone is casual. Every word from him feels like it’s being measured against ten others he chose not to say.
Teresa, on the other hand, has clearly had enough of the silent chest-beating.
“Would either of you like to make this less weird?” she asks.
Vito’s gaze shifts to her. The hardness in his expression doesn’t vanish completely, but it softens around the edges in a way that’s hard to fake.
Something passes between them, and I get a hard jolt when I realize it's affection.
Love.
He's possessive, but not in the brutish way I expected. Not like she's his property. I've seen the kind of men who think they own a woman and make a big show of it.
Despite the whole kidnapping thing, Vito isn't one of them.
He's aware of her, even when he isn't looking directly at her. He knows where she is. He knows how she’s standing. I’m certain he could count her breaths if questioned.
I’d expected to find a captive I need to rescue, a woman who's been brainwashed or coerced or something. What I didn't expect to find is a man who acts like the center of his world is standing right beside him.
Vito Conti, kidnapper and mob prince, is in love with my cousin.
This complicates everything.
"It wasn't weird until you said it," Vito tells her, but there is no heat behind the words.
She just smiles, but it’s the kind of teasing smile that tells me she’s not afraid of him. It’s all too natural. She’s too at ease in her own skin. Too quick to tease him.
