Page 17 of Thin Lines (Donati Bloodlines 2)

Emma’s brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?”

“Tell me the baby was mine.”

“What difference does it make?”

Calisto rubbed a hand over his unshaven jaw. “Youcould have told me.”

“You weren’t around for me to tell you that I waspregnant,” Emma finally whispered.

It was the only thing she could give him.

It was the truth.

“You left me to fend for myself. You stayed away. Ihad to lie again. Where were you, Cal?” Emma scoffed, loud and hateful. “Nowyou care? Get out.”

“You’re right.” Calisto wet his lips, turned on hisheel, and grabbed the suit jacket he had discarded when he first came in. “Ifucked that one up, huh? I thought staying away would be better for you, or …”

“For you,” Emma said. “You stayed away for you. Notfor me. Say it like it is, Calisto.”

“Yeah, for me. I’m a selfish bastard, Emmy. I neverpretended to be anything different.”

“What does it matter? It doesn’t, Cal. What happened,happened. And now it’s over. Please get out of my bedroom. Don’t make me askagain.”

Thankfully, he listened.

Through the sting of fresh tears wanting to fall, Emmawatched Calisto go. She held back from asking him to stay, from telling himmore.

How she missed him.

How she thought of Vegas.

How she remembered …

At the doorway, Calisto glanced over his shoulder.“I’m sorry, Emmy.”

“Are you?”

“Yeah.”

She wished it made a difference.

But it didn’t.

All over again, her heart splintered and broke. It wasa damned good thing she had quickly learned how to perfect her mask everymorning.

Tomorrow would be no exception.

Emma

“You smell like a man.”

Emma stiffened in bed, grabbing a fistful of thesheets at the same time. “Pardon?”

She had been half asleep when Affonso finally cameinto the bedroom to ready for bed. Her husband hadn’t exactly been quiet as hewalked from one end of the bedroom to the other, kicking off his shoes andtossing his clothes wherever they fell.

“You smell like a man, Emma.”

She didn’t get the chance to respond before Affonso’shand landed on her shoulder, and spun her around in the bed. Under the dimlight of the bedside lamp, Affonso’s features darkened in his jealousy. Herheart raced.