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She dragged the chair Enzo had been using close to the bed before sprawling into it.
“This is all your fault, you know,” she muttered to the sleeping Di Salvo. “You came to our estate to check on me. I’m returning the favor.” The reminder settled her a little. She wasn’t overstepping. Antonio had set the precedent.
She leaned forward, her fingers sliding along where his poked out below his cast. They felt warm, which eased more of her tension.
“You were an idiot. I had things covered, but you interfered. This isn’t my fault.” Her gaze traced his face. She’d never really gotten to see his sleeping face before. She was usually the one who passed out first after sex, and he woke with her.
The scar down his chin toward his neck was only barely visible. His jaw was chiseled, and his cheekbones were high and sharp. He didn’t look sweet and innocent while he was dead to the world. Instead he was as gorgeous as ever.
She lay her head on the sheets near where she played lightly with his fingers, her eyes remaining on him until they slid shut.
When Vespa woke, Antonio was playing with her hair. It couldn’t be anyone else. He was the only one who’d ever done that.
She opened her eyes to study his face. The skin below his gorgeous, blue eyes was bruised, and there were lines creasing the edges.
“How are you feeling?” she asked with a yawn. “Need more pain pills?”
When she started to sit up, she realized her fingers were wrapped up with his. Neither of them pulled away.
“What are you doing here?” The words were soft, curious, and not accusatory.
She still stiffened. His good hand fell away from her hair as she sat up. “Should I not have come?” She stared at their linked fingers. “Sorry, I’m out of my element with this stuff.”
“I like seeing you here,” Antonio said.
Her eyes slid up. Damn it. His own looked gentle somehow.
“I might like it too much.” He wore that rare, boyish half smile.
Her gaze dropped. “I’m mad at you.” She frowned at the cast. “How bad is it?”
“Some fractures and muscle damage. The doctor added a cast as a precaution since no hospitals.” His fingers relaxed under hers. “It’ll heal, Ves.”
“Still sucks. And it wasn’t needed.” The sun at the window was brighter than she expected. She hadn’t thought she had been asleep that long. She pulled her hand away, digging for her phone to check the time. Her lips twisted at what she saw, and she stood.
“Leaving so soon?” he asked.
“A lot of shit went down recently.” She hated the hitch in her tone. It was like she was making excuses.
“I know.” Antonio reached for the pain pills on the dresser, and she opened the bottle before handing it to him.
“Fuck, Antonio, you’re hurting. I hate that.” She shifted her feet before reaching for the glass of water for him as well.
“It’s the day after. Of course I’m hurting. It’s fine.” He took the water and swallowed the pill.
Vespa debated leaving. She’d already be late, and their men could handle things. They should have cancelled the whole shipment, but it’d already been out on the water.
“Go, Vespa.” Antonio’s pressed smile flashed. “I appreciate you checking up on me.”
“Sure.”
His smile fell, his eyes looking even bluer in the sunlight.
She dropped a quick, hard kiss to his lips. “I wanted to see you,” she admitted. “I’m sorry if that weirded you out.”
Antonio’s good hand closed around her arm, stilling her when she started to pull back. “It didn’t. I did what I wanted too.”
She searched his face, not sure what she was expecting to find. “What’s that mean?”
