Page 56 of His Vicious Desire

His smile is sad.“You’re right.I’m a bad brother?—”

“Hey, no.I don’t want to make you feel bad.I’m sorry.You’ve been an amazing brother.I’m very aware I’m lucky.And you’re right.I could have told you.”

A waiter approaches the table.We’re in the elegant, three-Michelin-star restaurant of the hotel on the strip.

“Even though it’s not her first drink, since it’s her twenty-first, let’s go ahead and start with champagne.How does that sound?”He asks me.

I nod with a giggle.“Sounds awesome.”

“Wow, princess, when you giggle like that, I would have thought you were far younger than twenty-one.”Gaetano is dry with no hint of a smile.

Our eyes meet, and the longing I see in his steals my breath before he blinks, and it’s gone.How dare he do that to me?To allow me to see it for even one moment—that he wants me as badly as I’ve always wanted him.“What are you doing here?Shouldn’t you be busy kicking puppies?”

An eyebrow goes up.“Kicking puppies is on the weekend.Weeknights are for torturing bratty little girls.”

Sandro sighs.“Bianca, come on.”

“You didn’t tell her.Let me guess, you were going to wait until she was happy on champagne.”

“What is he talking about, Sandro?”

“Don’t be mad.But you have to know I couldn’t let you go to Rome by yourself for a week.So…Gaetano is going with you.”

This feels like a cruel joke.I’m supposed to wander around the city of Rome with Gaetano and not end every night begging him to fuck me?There’s absolutely no way it won’t be a complete disaster.“I’m not going by myself.We’ve already had this argument.I agreed to Joanna coming with me.Then that wasn’t enough for you, so her mom is coming with us.It’s one week in Rome, hardly a war-torn, lawless country.”

“Bianca, don’t be like this.Three women alone, two of them young and beautiful.No, you’re not going alone to another country where they love to traffic women who look like you.”Sandro is firm.

“Why can’t it be someone else?”If it isn’t someone else…

Another sigh from Sandro.“Because it’s a week near Christmas when we’re spread thin as it is.”

“Fine.I’m not going.”Swallowing my disappointment, I shrug at Sandro’s frown.“This whole thing was your idea.I didn’t ask to go.Thanks for the idea of it, but I’m not going with him.He’s an asshole who takes enjoyment in being an asshole.That is not who I want to spend a week in Italy with.”

Please don’t let him see through me.Don’t let him see that the only thing I want in this world is Gaetano.It’s too embarrassing, because Gaetano might want me, but not enough to give me what I need.He got over me making his cock hard once or twice.I still haven’t gotten over being held in his arms and would do anything to feel it again.

Gaetano rolls his eyes, and I want to smack him—hard.It wasn’t fair that he didn’t know how it felt to be so haunted by someone.“Quit being a brat.It’s ridiculous not to consider your safety.”

“I’m not being a brat.Fuck you.I don’t want to go.Cancel it, Sandro.”I demand.

Sandro shakes his head.“Enough.Fine.You don’t want to go then I’ll cancel it.”

“Good.”I swallow my relief.Joanna is going to cry.Whatever.

“You’re serious.”Sandro is stunned.I guess he thought I would back down.

“Very.”I double down.All we’ve done is be in the same room for more than ten minutes, and I feel like I’m coming undone from the need to touch him, taste him… What the hell is the matter with me right now?

Shaking his head, “Fine.”Sandro looks to Gaetano.“Never mind, man.I appreciate you agreeing, even if she didn’t.”

Disgusted, Gaetano pushes up from the table.“I’m relieved.Happy Birthday, princess.”

He walks away without looking back.

The rest of dinner is quiet, with Sandro obviously annoyed with me.I’m in bed by ten that night, crying over what I missed…the chance to be with him, to find out if we could…

When I open the envelope Sandro hands me at breakfast, I’m stunned.“What is this?”

“What does it look like?”He smirks.“You’re going to Italy.With security from Valdez trailing you, Joanna, and her mom.No Gaetano in sight.”

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