Page 98 of When She Tempts (The Fallen)
And now she’s ruthlessly exercising it over me.
I drag my palm over my jaw.
She said she’d never tell De Rossi about us, and I believe her, but what I’m concerned about is if this thing between us can run its course before she leaves. Neither of us know when this war will be over. Will we have enough time to work out our desire for each other?
Because that’s what we have to do. We have to squeeze out every drop until there’s nothing left and we can return to our lives.
Mine.
My stomach turns. Staking my claim on her last night gave me a high. In the back of my head, I knew the words coming out of my mouth were a fantasy, but I couldn’t resist saying them.
They tasted so fucking good on my tongue.
Now, the thought of her with someone else makes me want to draw out the gun I keep in the nightstand and fire off a round into the ceiling.
Fuck.
One day, we’ll look at each other and feel absolutely nothing. We will.
Wemust.
The only way I can keep her is to marry her. De Rossi already said a marriage proposal is in her future, but I’m the last fucking candidate he’d consider.
Martina purses her lips in her sleep, as if disapproving of my thoughts, and uncertainty fills my chest. Letting her go now would be impossible, but with time, I’ll grow bored of her, as she will of me. And if it’s not boredom that deals us the fatal blow, it will be truth. When I reveal my secret to De Rossi, he’ll tell Martina. And when she knows who I really am, she’ll look at me the way my mother did her whole life—with barely hidden disgust.
It will be hard to say goodbye, but it will be even harder to seethatin her eyes.
Careful not to disturb her, I climb out of bed and walk over to the window. It’s early dawn, the sky only starting to brighten. Bracing my palm against the window frame, I peer out toward the forest. I haven’t gone in there since being back, but now it calls to me.
The pines sway in the wind as if beckoning me into their shadows.
I should visit her.
No one else does.
Instead, I stand frozen in place for a long while until Martina stirs behind me.
“Morning.” Her voice is still hoarse with sleep.
“Morning,piccolina.”
She climbs out of bed and comes to stand beside me. “I like it when you call me that.”
I wrap my arm around her slim waist and draw her close to me.
“What are you looking at?” she asks.
“The sunrise, I suppose.” It’s beautiful. Pink and orange ribbons have unfurled across the sky, marbling against each other.
She gazes at the view and lets out a contented sigh. “I’ve been here for nearly two weeks now, and I’m still not over the beauty of this place.”
It is sublime. I wish I’d given myself a chance to enjoy the castello in earnest before I spoiled it with bad memories.
“How are you feeling?” I ask, peering down at her. “Sore?”
She looks at me from under her lashes. “A little.”
My hand tightens around her waist. “Let me make it better.”
