Page 40 of The Italian Reckoning
Waking tied up to that chair was terrifying. It was exactly like?—
“You’re not allergic to dragon fruit, are you?”
I blink and Rocky holds half of a pink dragon fruit in one hand. Its sweetness clings to the air and makes my mouth water as I shake my head. “I thought you were making me a cocktail.”
“I am.”
“Looks like you’re making a fruit salad.”
“Looks can be deceiving.”
“Clearly. Especially if the person just flat outliesabout who they are.”
Rocky points at me with a sharp knife dripping in pink juices from the fruit. “I never lied.”
“You weren’t exactly forthcoming, though, were you?” I snap. “You know how I feel about you and yet you let me…” My cheeks flush at the thought of what we’ve done together.
Rocky smirks, not taking his eyes off me. “I let youwhat, exactly?”
“What we did in the alleyway.”
“You mean when wefucked?”
He places such a guttural growl on that word that tingles shoot down my arms and legs, but I fight to ignore them. It doesn’t matter how good that sex was or how amazing I felt. If I knew it had been Rocky, I never would have touched him. “Sure, if you want to put it like that.”
“Sarah, you can act all pissed off that I didn’t tell you who I was, and that’s your right. I’m sorry I wasn’t completely honest, but you accepted that the moment you chose to give yourself to a stranger. I could have been anyone under that helmet, hell, even yourboss, and that didn’t stop you.”
“Fuck off,” I snap. “I don’t need you psychoanalyzing my sexual activities.”
“I’m not, but you can’t be pissed at me for not revealing my identity when you were getting off on the whole thing.”
“That’sdifferent.” My blood heats up, and a prickle of sweat tickles the back of my neck. “You knew I hated you and you stilldidn’t speak up. You knew I told you to stay the fuck away from me and yet you still let me… y’know.”
“I’m not saying what I did was without fault.” Rocky smiles easily. “But even the times when I tried to leave and you stopped me, I chose to stay. Just like you chose to ignore the fact that I was a mystery. And sure, I know you hate me. But I never said I hated you.”
My thoughts screech to a halt as Rocky adds the lime chunks and dragon fruit cubes to a tall, thin glass along with two small spoonfuls of brown sugar. He doesn’t hate me? That doesn’t make sense. We hate each other.
Or I thought we did.
Maybe I’m not arrogant enough to be worthy of Rocky’s hatred. But I still hate him. I think.
“You like Vodka?” he asks, reaching under the bar where bottles clink together as he searches.
“Sure.”
He straightens up with a bottle of pink lemonade vodka in one hand and pours a small amount into the glass, submerging the fruit. After a quick squash with a metal cocktail stick, Rocky fills the glass to the top with crushed ice and club soda. Then he slides the glass over to me with a wink. “This will make you forgive me.”
“Don’t bet on it.” To his credit, the drink tastes amazing. Very sweet and fruity with the added fresh aftertaste of the fruit at the bottom. My surprise must have been displayed on my face because Rocky suddenly looks very smug.
“Told you.”
I roll my eyes while conflicting emotions collide in my chest. I hate him but he saved me. I hate him and everything he stands for, but he’s also my mystery leather-clad biker. I hate him, but he gave me the strongest orgasm of my life.
How the fuck am I supposed to make sense of this on top of everything else?
Another few sips of the drink eases that feeling slightly.
Rocky makes his own drink and leans on the bar across from me without his usual cocky smirk. “I’m sorry.”
