Page 88 of Chasing Caine
Our time in Naples had been amazing, and he told me he loved me over and over. But I had a voice in the back of my head, too. Mine told me the relationship wasn’t real. That he’d forget me the moment I left, like Vin had done after the summer I spent in Amelia with him. It kept reminding me the more people you let into your heart, the more who’ll leave you in the end.
“Perhaps I shouldn’t be telling you all this, but Sofia said you were a good match for him. I can see that, but still had to make sure.” He ran a hand through his hair, just like Antonio did. Was he upset by what he’d done? “I hope you can forgive me, but if you can’t, please understand that he means a great deal to me. I simply don’t want to see him suffer. Don’t take it out on him.”
I eased my legs over the side of the chair closest to him. “Promise you’ll never pull anything like that again?”
“Cross my heart.”
We shared a smile and I held out my arms to hug him. He was a great hugger, just like his cousin. Antonio had so many people who cared deeply for him, such a strong support system. Only good people had that.
I squeezed my eyes shut. Maybe Antonio did genuinely love me. Everything else he’d said was true, not just words. I relaxed into Mario’s embrace.
Maybe I did love Antonio back. But it was hard to trust myself on that and I couldn’t say something so important until I was sure.
“Two of my favorite people,” came Antonio’s voice.
My eyes flashed open as he stepped onto the patio from the stairs, one hand tucked behind his back. Navy linen pants and a white short-sleeved button up. So gorgeous.
I sat bolt upright in my seat, and an uncontrollable smile broke. “You’re home early!”
“Stay there,” he laughed, coming closer. “We need that leg to heal.”
“Then hurry up and get over here. You’re always so slow.”
Mario got up with his lemonade and headed for the stairs, patting Antonio on the shoulder as he passed him. “You have a good woman here.”
Antonio smiled and looked slowly from Mario to me. “I know.”
Antonio stopped just shy of my open arms and produced a bouquet of red roses and white lilies from behind his back. “Forgive me?”
“For what?” I dropped my arms when it was evident he wasn’t moving any closer. But the devilish look on his face told me there was a joke coming, an innuendo, or a tease of some sort. There was no actual apology.
“For not taking you out for a fancy dinner yet.”
I lowered myself onto the lounge chair. “When you say fancy, what does that mean to you?”
He extended the bouquet further, tilting his head. “You don’t like flowers, do you?”
Busted. I took the bouquet from him and pulled it to my nose, inhaling the sweetness of the lilies. “Dinner?”
“Whatdoyou like, bella?”
“Italian.” I raised my eyebrows, reaching for his hand.
His eyes narrowed, and he waved for me to lie back on the chair. “I meant instead of flowers.”
“That’s exactly what I meant. Italian food. Italian coffee.” I inched back as I talked, dropping the bouquet onto the small table, almost knocking the glass of lemonade over. “My Italian boyfriend.”
One knee planted between my legs, and he put his hands on the armrests, hovering over me. “Good thing I have that one nearby.”
“Very good thing.”
His chest and hips lowered to meet mine, lips dropping to my ear. “Cocktail dress.”
“You’re going to look funny in that.”
He struggled to hold back his chuckle as he ground his hardness between my legs. “The one you wore to the club is too short.”
“True.” I dragged a hand along his triceps, my thumb tracing the edge of the muscle. “It wouldn’t cover your butt.”