Page 135 of The Art of Ruin

“But not emotionally.”

I laugh softly, but it breaks awkwardly in the middle. “Apparently not.”

The city lights blur slightly.

I blink hard once, annoyed with myself immediately. “I’m just tired,” I say quietly. “Tired of feeling embarrassed by something that wasn’t even my fault.”

That hurts more to admit out loud than I expect.

Because it’s true. I’m not angry or devastated anymore.

Just tired.

For a second, neither of us speaks.

Then his hand closes gently around my waist and tugs me back into his body.

Not restraining.

Grounding.

I look down at his fingers against my ribs before turning my head and lifting my gaze to his face.

He’s closer than I realized.

Close enough that I can see anger still simmering beneath the calm expression he’s forcing into place, close enough that I can smell whiskey and cedar and winter air clinging to him.

“You have nothing to be embarrassed about,” he says quietly.

I swallow.

“You trusted someone you loved.”

Something in my chest twists painfully at how simply he says it.

Like trust isn’t stupidity.

Like love isn’t weakness.

His thumb shifts once lightly against the underside of my breast, and the small movement sends warmth sliding all the way up my arm. “I should be over it by now.”

“Who decided that?”

I let out a breath that sounds suspiciously close to a laugh. “You’re very annoying when you’re emotionally intelligent.”

“I’ll work on that.” He looks away and then back to me, with so much heat in his eyes it’s a wonder the snow doesn’t melt all around us. “They are right about one thing, though; I would never break your heart. Not because I don’t have one, but because yours is too precious to handle with anything but care.”

My mouth curves before I can stop it.

His eyes drop to it immediately, and my breath stutters.

The way he looks at me. The way his focus narrows on my lips. Like he’s trying very hard to remember why this is a bad idea.

My pulse starts climbing. “Adriano—”

“I know.”

The roughness in his voice goes straight through me.