"For all your intelligence, you're too quick to believe in witchcraft. I thought you were more sensible than that."
"Stay away," I say, holding my fingers in position to form the cross meant to keep the devil away.
"Witchcraft is very real! It's been documented for centuries." Put off by his mocking smile, I start listing all the reputablesources that mention magic, starting with ancient texts and moving on to more modern ones. "I've read testimonials, you know. The occult is real and dangerous, and I demand you undo whatever spell you've put on me."
"Allegra," he says, taking a step toward me, and I prepare to run. "There's no spell, you have my word." He plants himself in front of me, his finger coming down to my chest and brushing past my nipple.
That's when I realize two things:
I've been arguing with him naked, and my nipples are stiffening under his touch, a shiver going down my spine and making me even hotter.
My eyes widen, and I set my deadly gaze on him.
"It's your body's natural reaction, little tigress," he says, lowering his head to bring his eyes to the same level as mine.
"And it only means one thing." He doesn't elaborate, leaving the room instead.
But he knows I'll fill in the blanks.
I want him.
Damn! Why couldn't it have been magic? At least then I wouldn't have been a willing participant.
Sighing deeply, I lower myself onto the bed, an expression of desolation enveloping my features.
This is it… The beginning of the end.
Ana assuresme that Lucia is out with her friends, so I take advantage of the opportunity to get out of my room. It's not often that she's out of the house, and sometimes I prefer staying in my room just to avoid a confrontation.
I go straight to the library, hoping to put Enzo out of my mind. Closing the door behind me, I release a disappointed sigh.
"Aren't you supposed to be at work or something?" I askwhen I see him lounging in his chair, reading the newspaper. He's always gone from the house around this time, so it's a surprise to see him here.
Damn it!
He's the last person I wanted to see—after Lucia.
"Have you had time to calm down, little tigress, or are you here to pick another fight?" He lowers the newspaper to regard me with amusement, a smile threatening to overtake his whole face.
"Couldn't you have been an ogre?" I mutter under my breath. If he'd been truly awful to me, maybe I could hate him wholeheartedly. I don't like that I'm wavering in my conviction.
"What was that you said?" His eyebrows shoot up, but I just shake my head and pick up a random book, ready to leave.
"No, no, no," he says, wagging a finger at me as if I were a child. "You can't take a book out. If you want to read it, you do it here."
I tilt my head to the side, annoyed at this sudden rule. But I can't blame him for wanting to be extra careful with his books. I look at the copy in my hands, debating if I should stay and read or just leave.
I won't let him bully me.
With a resoundinghumph,I plop myself into a chair, cracking open the book and starting to read.
It's only when his chuckling intensifies that I look up.
"What?" The word comes out a little brusquely. He stands and comes over to sit on the armrest of my chair, staring down at my book.
"I see you're not afraid to fall under my spell anymore," he mocks.
I close the book and lay it next to me, turning so I can look him in the eye.
