Page 69 of Thin Lines (Donati Bloodlines 2)

“I didn’t say—”

“You did,” he interjected coldly.

“Don’t do that,” Emma said.

She reached out to grab his hand in hers, but Calistopulled it away just as fast. The rejection stung like a million little bee stingsto her heart.

“Calisto, I didn’t mean it like that,” she said.

“Then how did you mean it? Why do this again, huh?” heasked sharply, but quietly. “We were doing just fine the way we were, Emmy. Iwas starting to fucking think we could stand to be around one another—friends,even. I was breathing again, for Christ’s sake.”

Emma’s brow furrowed. “What does that mean—breathingagain?”

“Never mind. It’s not important.”

“It is,” she insisted strongly. “Tell me.”

“I felt like I couldn’t breathe around you, Emmy.Every single time. Something else hurt. Something else irritated me. It was aconstant this or that. And then I was doing okay. But you fucked that up bigtime. You know what, I didn’t even mind. I was just handling myself, and notmuch else. I didn’t mind.”

Emma was unsure and warier than ever.

“I don’t want this whiplash,” Calisto continued,unaware of Emma’s internal war. “Not with you, Emmy. It’s bad enough withoutit. It’s crazy enough. Don’t do one thing and tell me another.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” she repeated weakly.

“Then how did you mean it?”

Emma, exasperated, waved at the door. “Look at wherewe are!”

Calisto took a step forward, pressing Emma’s back intothe wall. She was so stunned by his fast movement that she flung her hand outto grab something and grasped a hold of the bookcase. The small crack in theopening of the doorway sent a stream of light from the hallway cascading in. Itstreaked across Calisto’s dark features, letting her see the blackness in hisgaze and the hard set of his mouth.

It turned her on like nothing else.

His anger made her hot.

“Where we are,” Calisto drawled, “will never matter.It’s always going to be stupid and dangerous, Emmy. It’ll always be bad andwrong. The only thing that I care about is making sure you get out pleased and aliveeach and every time.”

Emma swallowed hard, taking in his words.

Calisto was planning to continue whatever this waswith her, regardless of how crazy it was. He wanted to.

“I want to see you smile,” Calisto said, stroking hercheek with the pad of his thumb. “You don’t do that anymore, and it bothersme.”

Emma shivered at his touch. “Play fair.”

“I wasn’t taught to play fair for things I wanted.”

“Play fair with me,” she insisted.

“I know it’s stupid,” he said instead. “I know thiswasn’t the right spot or time. I knew all of that.”

“And?”

“And it didn’t matter, Emmy. I wanted to tell yougoodnight. I had to say goodbye before I left.”

Emma’s heart beat harder, screaming for a simpler timewhen things weren’t so fucked up and she wasn’t so messed up.

“Why bother, Calisto?” she asked.