Page 115 of Thin Lines (Donati Bloodlines 2)

It was all in his soul-black eyes.

“Can you smile for me?” he asked quietly.

Emma did. “Better?”

“I worry less when you smile, dolcezza.”

She gave him another one to make him happier.

Calisto’s free hand landed on her waist, and he pulledher into his side. She buried her face into his chest, breathing in hisfamiliar scent and soaking in his warmth. He hugged her tight enough to makeher feel safe, but not hard enough for it to hurt.

Just like he knew …

“Hey,” he murmured.

Emma glanced up. “Yeah?”

Calisto tipped his head down and pressed his lips tohers. His kiss was softer and slower than it had ever been. He didn’t demandand dominate the kiss like he usually did, but instead, loved and owned.

It still made her breathless.

He would never be this tender if there was a chancesomeone might walk in on them. It confirmed what Emma believed earlier—thehouse was empty. Affonso wasn’t here. But he had to have known that Emma wouldbe coming home from the hospital that evening.

“Where is he?” Emma asked.

Calisto stroked her face again. “Hiding out.”

Emma flinched, taking in his words and what it meant.

“He’s hiding out, but he left me out in the open tofend for myself?” she asked.

“You’re not by yourself. I’ll be here for whatever youneed until we get this figured out and the dust settles.”

“That’s not the point, Calisto.”

Calisto nodded. “I know.”

“Where is he hiding out?”

“A hotel in the city for now,” he answered. “It tookme a while to figure out where he was, and I don’t even have a proper roomnumber.”

“He didn’t care at all about what happened to me, didhe?”

“I never saw him after he left the club that night. Icouldn’t say how he felt or what he thought.”

“You don’t have to,” Emma said. “His actions say itall.”

Emma wasn’t surprised.

She wasn’t even hurt.

“I’m tired,” she told Calisto.

Without a word, she found herself cradled in his arms.Emma buried her face and hid her falling tears on his shoulder. Calistowhispered the same thing over and over until she was in bed, and sleep finallyfound her.

Farò meglio.

I’ll make it better.