Page 35 of Thin Lines (Donati Bloodlines 2)

She didn’t sound like she thought it was great.

Calisto let it go.

Ten minutes later, Emma walked out of the closetwearing a navy blue dress that hugged her curves and fell just above her knees.She had applied very little makeup, just enough to put more color into her lipsand cheeks, and also some black mascara to fan her already long lashes. Shedidn’t need the makeup. Her features were already vibrant and stood out in acrowd of people. In her left hand, she held a pair of matching kitten heels.She tossed the shoes to the floor, and slid her feet in.

Waving at her back, Emma said, “Zip me up.”

Calisto’s stomach clenched. The last time he’d touchedthis woman’s back, she had been on her knees while he pounded into her frombehind. She’d been gripping white sheets, shaking all over, and gasping formore.

Stop that, he told himself.

“What are you waiting for?” Emma asked, clearlyirritated. “Aren’t we already late?”

“No,” Calisto said, offering nothing more.

He quickly crossed the room and zipped up the back ofEmma’s dress. He made sure not to touch her skin or her body over the dress as littleas was possible. He didn’t need more fuel added to the already growing fire.

The more Calisto thought about it, the more he was absolutelyconvinced that he was punishing himself where Emma Donati was concerned. Surelyhe could let whatever this little obsession was with the woman go.

So why didn’t he?

Emma tugged on the elastic in her hair, and pulled themessy bun out. Her shiny, dark waves fell over her shoulders and down her back.Tossing the elastic to a corner chair, she put a hand to her hip.

“How does this look?” she asked Calisto.

He dragged his gaze over her curves, her tiny swell,and back up to her face. Despite how much it ached for him to see her like shewas, Emma looked good. Full of life, young, and healthy. Maybe he could finallyunderstand what people talked about when they said pregnant women glowed.

“Beautiful,” Calisto said honestly. “You lookbeautiful, Emmy.”

For a split second, Emma’s stony features cracked. Themask of disinterest and coldness broke away as her bottom lip trembled. Sheballed and released her fists over and over again at her sides like she wastrying to figure out what to say.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

“Were you nervous?” he asked. “Was that why you werehiding in the bathroom?”

“No.”

Emma’s distance and apathy was back in a blink.

Calisto wondered why.

What had he said?

“Are we ready to go?” she asked. “Because I don’t wantto stand around and chat, Cal.”

Apparently, it didn’t matter.

None of what he felt did.

Oddly, Calisto was grateful for Emma’s icy demeanor,as strange as it was. She was simply reminding him, without knowing she wasdoing it, that this was not his place. Her life was not for him to worry over.

She was not his.

That should have helped him.

It didn’t.

“Yeah,” Calisto finally replied, finding his voice.“We can go anytime.”