“To see me?” My voice is nearly a squeak. But then I frown, remembering I’m pissed at Tommaso for his hot and cold behavior and how he ghosted me. Plus, why is he at the gates instead of coming to the house?
Davide seems to see my questions. “Grab your jacket, and you can ask him yourself.”
I do just that, ignoring his smirk. We walk quickly down the stairs and then to the door. The air is brisk when we exit, and I pull my jacket tighter around me, worrying as we walk toward the gates that I should’ve changed. I’m wearing sweatpants, and my hair is up in a messy ponytail again. My mother would have a coronary if she knew I’ve left my room, let alone the house,looking like this. My father would… Well, screw him and what he’d think or do.
The sun is just setting, and I can see Tommaso as we walk toward the gate. He’s talking with Salvo, the head guard here, looking at ease and comfortable around his men. Not holding himself above them, but as one of them. As we get closer, I hear him ask Salvo about his wife and newborn son, Gabrielle.
I don’t hear Salvo’s response because when Tommaso turns his head in my direction and looks at me, everything else fades into the background, and he’s the only thing that exists.
He’s sucking me into the whirlpool of expressive emotion in his eyes. He’s pulling me into the dangerous depths of everything he is—both the man and the Don.
And I’m powerless to resist.
“There’s nothing like a child to bind your love for all eternity,” he says to Salvo without taking his eyes off me. He steps toward me, reaching out his hand. “Hello,il mio sole.”
I stop short of touching him, remembering I’m still angry. Crossing my arms over my chest, I try my best to glare at him. “And what do you want?”
“The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,” he cheekily quotes Shakespeare.
And I have to fight a smile.
Damn him.
Damn him for being so charming, for being so impossibly handsome.
I’ve never thought of myself as a woman to fall so easily for a good-looking man, yet here I am. Falling. Hard.
And surely bound to get my heart shattered.
However, when he keeps his hand outstretched to me, I take it. “What are you doing here, Tommaso?”
He pulls me close, but not close enough for our bodies to touch. “Taking you away from here.”
My heart, the stupid thing, kicks in my chest. “To where?”
His smile is secretive and a tad bit sinister. “You’ll see.” Then he says to Salvo and Davide, “I’ll have her home by midnight. As far as Caruso is concerned, Gina is fast asleep in her bed.”
They nod, not questioning his order or that he’s taking me from here. Nor are they batting an eye that I’m going willingly.
Tommaso opens the car door for me, then gets in on the other side, and we’re driving away.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“You’ll see.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“I know.” His hand moves from the gearshift to take mine, intertwining our fingers together.
All protest or thoughts of any kind fly right out of my head like I’m a pathetic bimbo, perfectly content because a good-looking man is paying attention to me. Holding my hand.
But I don’t pull away. He only lets go to change gears before he intertwines our fingers once again.
We leave the residential area and travel through the city until it almost seems like we’re leaving it behind. The sun has set now, as we drive along a deserted road until it curves, and the dark ocean opens up before us.
Tommaso turns off the road and into a small parking lot. We’re the only vehicle here, and he hops out and comes around to my door. I let him open it for me, taking his hand as I get out.
He pulls me closer, almost close enough for our bodies to press together, but leaves an infuriatingly small amount of space between us. With being so close, I need to tilt my head back to look up at him.
