Page 118 of War Within
“Fuck.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Just go. I got this.”
Not giving him a chance to change his mind, I raced outside. Lily’s back was turned. She was facing the surrounding buildings, lit up in the night. The sound of car horns and traffic below erased any silence. As I cautiously crept closer, she spun on her heels, tears welling in her eyes.
“I can't do this anymore, Carmine.” She shook her head.
“Lily—” I took a step closer.
“Now,” she crossed her arms, glaring at me through her tears, “I'm not about to even ask who she was.” Lifting her thumb to her eyes, she wiped her tears, sniffling. “But I have one question.”
I leaned on the nearby bar, sliding my hands in my pockets, waiting patiently.
“I mean I know we are not in a relationship but—”
“I haven't seen any other woman since I met you.” I chuckled, pushing off the bar, taking another step toward her. I knew exactly what she wanted to ask. “I spend every waking moment with you or texting you while working, when I can.”
“That day in my apartment, you hung up so fast.” She sighed. “Was it her?”
I nodded. “It was her.”
She rested her hands on her hips, tilting her head. “If nothing was going on, why did you hang up?”
“Babe,” I chuckled, taking her hands in mine. “I hung up because I didn't want to talk to her. I only wanted to spend time with you and she's not even important to me.”
“Ugh,” she closed her eyes, grunting. “I don't even know why I'm bothered. This isn't like me at all. But I got so ragey when she called you hers and said you told her you loved her.”
Closing the gap between our bodies, I pressed my lips to her forehead. “Don't all crazy women claim something that's not theirs?”
She giggled.
“Ah, she laughs.”
“Hush.” She sniffled, still trying her best not to smile.
“I never led her on.” I peered into her eyes, making sure she knew I was serious. “Never told her any of that stuff. But you're right about not doing this anymore.” I ran my fingers up and down her arms gently. “It's just exhausting, and I'm pretty sure we know at this point, we're way more than just friends.”
She grinned.
Cupping her cheeks, I swiped my thumbs under her eyes, erasing any tears. “I'm so crazy about you. I crave to be next to you. I have never been so hung up on anyone like this. The day I met you was the beginning of something special. Every moment we spend together makes me feel complete.”
Even in the nighttime, it was easy to see she was blushing. The city lights bounced off her face, giving her away. She was the definition of everything I wanted.
“Every time you text me, I smile like an idiot. So much so, Gio started calling me out on it every time he's around. You've become one of my closest friends on this earth. And every time you touch me, it feels like someone just breathed life into me. I know we haven’t known each other that long but when you know, you just know someone is special. We had that instant connection even as just friends.” Leaning forward, I barely pressed my lips to hers, whispering. “I only want you.”
Our lips crashed together, our tongues dancing as they entwined. Her nails scraped my scalp as she pulled me against her. I devoured her mouth, hungrily feeding the animalistic appetite. Self-control was something I was not known for. Holding back from fucking her right there was proving to be almost impossible.
We were so absorbed in ourselves, we did not realize we were no longer alone until the sound of a clearing throat summoned our attention. We turned toward the noise. Smirking, Luca’s gaze darted back and forth between us.
“Don't let this perfect face fool you.” He chuckled. “I'm not prude. I like to watch.”
Lily rolled her eyes, snickering.
“Carmine, I like this one.” He winked at Lily. “Please tell me she’s a keeper.”
Emilio and Emir waltzed outside, an evil smirk painted on Emilio’s face.
“Well, you certainly did a number on that bitch. I think you broke her nose.” He turned his attention to me. “Since you have been out here, things were…” pausing, he flashed Lily a quick glance, “handled.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
