Page 53 of Incognito

Dante had just articulated the problem between them perfectly. She’d built a ludicrous fairytale in her head about mutual attraction and friendship and camaraderie, when in fact, from Dante’s point of view there had been nothing personal in any of it.

More fool her.

She’d come here for answers and got what she wanted. Unfortunately, her heart refused to comprehend what her head had computed a long time ago: she sucked at relationships or whatever she thought she’d shared with Dante.

She didn’t like pain, particularly the dull ache squeezing her heart that would take a lifetime to shift. Not an entirely new sensation. She’d felt something similar when she learned of Clay’s betrayal and later, when her mother died, but that pain had been different. More acute, less pervasive. Nothing like the building pressure centred in her chest now and spreading outwards, squeezing the very breath out of her.

She had to escape. Now.

“I’m sorry to take up your time.” She rose, aiming for a dignified exit.

Crossing the room took an eternity as she concentrated on forcing her feet to move and she sighed in relief as her hand hit the cold door handle.

“You lied too.”

Natasha stopped, her hand poised mid-turn, not sure if she’d heard correctly.

“There couldn’t have been any connection between us because you’re still involved with your ex.”

Without thinking, she whirled to face him, her desperate escape plan thwarted by the urge to throw something at him.

“You’re crazy. I loathe Clay. You saw how he was when you pulled your little stunt out the front of the Towers. Why would you think I’d still be involved with him?”

Dante stood, his arms folded and eyes narrowed, the epitome of a guy not used to being crossed.

“I saw you in the Lobby bar.” He snorted. “You were all over him.”

She shook her head, wishing she could take hold of his and knock it against the wall to bang some sense into him.

“That wasn’t how it looked.”

Dante strode across the room and reached for her before she could move. “You want to know how it looked? It looked like you were a cosy couple, that you were enjoying it, that you were thetype of woman to flirt with one man and wrap him around your little finger for a week while still involved with another.”

He spat the words out, his voice laced with contempt, his arms rigid, and as she stared into the furious face of the man she loved, Natasha knew she finally had her closure.

“You saw what you wanted to see,” she murmured, breaking his hold and opening the door in record speed, hating the sobs that she couldn’t subdue, dashing the tears from her eyes with her other hand.

She may have fallen in love with a prince, but Dante had just proved himself a lesser man than she’d thought.

“Tasha, I’m sorry—”

She didn’t wait to hear the rest as the door slammed shut and she ran down the long corridor.

She’d heard enough.

29

“What is troubling you?”

Dante turned from the parapet, not in the mood to have this conversation with his mother.

Then again, he wasn’t in the mood for much these days.

“Nothing,” he said, knowing she wouldn’t leave it alone.

Elena Andretti, Queen of Calida, didn’t disappoint.

“Ever since you returned from Melbourne yesterday, you look like the sky is going to fall in.” Elena pulled a face. “Or worse, that I’m going to announce your betrothal in your first week home.”

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