Nope. I’m good. “We could discuss the weather instead.”
“Have I told you how very cute you are?”
Please don’t. “Even though it’s a little brisk out, the weather is remarkably nice for this time of year.”
“Fiona, I’ve never met anyone so determined to stick their head in the sand as you.”
“Thank you?”
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
Don’t I know it. “You’re going to break me.” The words come out barely as a whisper.
“No, I’m going to cherish you until the day we die.”
My whole-body shivers with the desire for those words to be true. To have a man like him love a woman like me…impossible.
“So, let’s go back to the truth.”
“Lies are safer.”
“I know it feels that way right now,tesoro mio, but I promise you’re safe with me. Are you dating Canyon?”
When a man like Massimo Vincenti is determined to make something happen, there’s no point in resisting. Let’s just hope I survive when he realizes who I truly am. “No.”
A smile lights up his face like I’ve never seen before. His thumb comes to a stop a hair’s breadth from my lip. “Did you ever love him?”
“No.”
“This one is going to be hard, but once you say it, you will realize just how easy it is. Do you love me?”
“What? I thought you were going to ask me if I wanted to date you. No one said anything about love. That’s not a fair question to ask. How can you ask that?”
“When it comes to the woman I love, I don’t fight fair. You need to know that, Fiona. There is nothing in the world that can ever stand between the two of us. Not even you. So I’ll ask you again.” He leans even closer so that his face is right next to mine.
Our eyes connect to one another like magnets that fight against every other force to be together.
“Do you love me?”
“Yes.” Even though it will probably end up killing me. “Yes, I love you, Massimo Rage Vincenti.”
“See, the world didn’t end. We’re both right here together forever.”
For now.
“That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“You don’t understand.”
“No, Fiona, you’re the one who doesn’t understand. You just tied your life to mine forever.”
Forever only lasts until you know. Then you’ll look at me and see the filth that’s hiding behind the pretty exterior.
“You don’t believe me.”
“No.” The truth burns its way out.
“That’s okay, for now.”
