Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 38835 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 194(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38835 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 194(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)
I reached out and trailed my fingers down the column of her throat, drawing her attention to me. She shivered, and her stunning gaze snapped to mine. Her eyes were dark with pain, and an echo of it knifed into my chest.
“No,” she replied softly. “We’re not close.”
“Are they dead?” I could’ve asked in a gentler tone, but my nightmare about my parents’ murders was still close to the surface. If someone had dared to deprive Evelyn of a loving family the way my enemies had taken my parents from me, I would make them pay.
“No,” she said again. “We just aren’t close.”
She was shutting me out, withholding the information. If they were still alive, I didn’t understand why they wouldn’t be close. Any parent would be lucky to have Evelyn as a child. They should adore her.
My jaw firmed with determination. She wouldn’t escape my questions so easily.
“Why not?”
Her eyes darted around the table, anxiously taking in the other guests.
“Don’t look at them. Look at me. They don’t matter.” Something like jealousy burned in center of my chest. Her full focus should be on me, not them. Just as she’d captured my full attention. I couldn’t stand the imbalance between us. She would reveal her secrets.
“I don’t want to talk about this here,” she murmured. Her eyes were pleading when they snapped back to mine.
I took a breath, mastering my roiling emotions. My possessiveness was driving me to the edge of my control. I was skilled in compelling people to tell me what I wanted to know, whether through charm or interrogation. I’d honed my skills over the years; they’d helped me survive.
My obsession with Evelyn was close to madness. I wouldn’t force her to talk with crude demands. Especially not when she was clearly distressed at the prospect of being overheard.
I could question her more deftly, and I’d save my most intense queries for when we were alone later.
“All right, dolcezza.” I smoothed her shining hair back over her shoulder, revealing my mark that was still visible on her slender neck. The sight of it calmed me. Every man here would know that this stunning woman belonged to me. There would be time for me to learn her secrets later.
“Enjoy your meal,” I prompted. She hadn’t touched her melon since I’d started questioning her, and I wouldn’t neglect her needs. I’d pledged to take care of her, and I intended to keep her comfortable and happy with me.
Dutifully, she took another bite. Again, her eyes closed, and a serene expression chased away the lingering tension around her lush lips.
I watched her with rapt fascination. Her features softened into something almost orgasmic. My cock stiffened, and I craved to hold her close while she indulged in her sumptuous meal.
“You like it?” I asked, my voice slow and deep, like I was drunk on her pleasure.
“Yes,” she replied before taking another bite. She tried to keep her eyes on me when she answered, but her attention returned to the dish that was bringing her such bliss.
“If I’d known how much you liked melon, I would’ve ordered some for you sooner.” I’d have more brought to the suite later. I had a few wicked ideas about tasting the sweet juice on her pouty lips.
“I don’t get to have it as often as I’d like,” she confessed. “My stepsister had a lot of food allergies, so my options were very limited when I was growing up. Since leaving home for college, I’ve tried to enjoy more of a variety, but money has always been tight. A delicious meal is an indulgence. And George…” her eyes darkened with pain again, and I had to tamp down my answering rush of murderous rage. “Well, he controlled our budget. He earned more than I did on my teacher’s salary, so I couldn’t complain.”
“It’s a man’s job to provide for you.” My hatred for the cowardly piece of shit roughened my tone.
“That’s a very outdated view.” She sounded disapproving. “I contribute what I can. I’ll never take more than what I earn for myself.”
I cupped her nape, keeping her locked in my steady stare. “You’re with me now. I will provide for you. Anything you desire is yours.”
She shifted, strangely uneasy in response to my declaration.
Irritation needled me. She would accept what I offered.
“You don’t have to work another day in your life,” I asserted. “You don’t have to scrape by anymore. I will take care of you, Evelyn.”
Her brows rose. “And what if I want to work? What if I want to pay my own way? I don’t want to owe you anything, Massimo.”
Her defiance set my teeth on edge. She was rejecting my offer to provide for her. I wouldn’t fucking allow it.
“Do you want to be a teacher?” I asked. “Because if teaching is your passion, I won’t stop you. But you don’t need to earn a salary anymore.”