This was never about Bianca Gallo.
I mean, it was––she wanted this beautiful man in her bed––but other than that?
What was it that made him want to marry her?
What did Giorgio Gallo give him in exchange? Besides his daughter?
Was it power?
He had power.
Was Callum indebted to him?
What was it exactly?
I don’t understand.
Calmly, he saunters toward me, unbuttoning his jacket and taking it off as if he’s about to roll his sleeves up and apply corporal punishments.
I dream that it might happen someday.
I cheekily plant a hand on my hip, arch my spine, and thrust my chest out––he’s still not looking.
Who is he fucking these days? Who has warmed his bed all this time?
Mistresses have never been frowned upon by the men or women in this family.
Giorgio didn’t publicly cheat on Sylvia.
She threatened to kill him in his sleep if he did it in the open.
He laughed her off, but never did it overtly.
What he did in private was a different matter.
As a rule, having side pieces has never been a problem.
Having men on the side hasn’t been a problem for my mother either, although getting Xavier killed mustn’t have been on her bingo card that day.
Bianca cheated because that’s who she was. A toxic, vile woman. Like me, now.
He makes me stare at his back as he pours himself a drink and slowly turns to me, bringing his glass to his lips.
His eyes are deep and heavy like a solitaire moon floating in the universe.
They push a shiver through me while carving my heart out like it’s a peach pit.
His drink meets the cold marble counter while he winces and draws in a troubling breath.
I wait for him to deliver his blow, fully aware we’re not here by accident or to engage in a philosophical conversation about life and death.
Struggling to keep his temper under control, he ponders his words.Nothing in this world can stop me from having a crush on him. Not even his bad words.
He is the epitome of raw maleness, and everything about him turns me on.
His eyes, his hair, his hands, and his lips.
The way he tilts his head while holding my eyes, never letting me run free again.
