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“Tatum then.” We started toward the steeled rail at the end of the deck. “I’ve seen Castello with a few women over the years, and believe me when I say that he has never looked at any of them the way he looks at you.”

“And…how does he look at me?”

Her full lips curved at the corners. “Exactly the way his uncle looks at me.”

I twirled the champagne glass between my fingers, thinking about the dream I had of Castello telling me he loved me. Somehow, deep inside, I liked the idea of Castello loving me. Somewhere within the depths of my heart, I thought I wanted him to love me.

I placed my hand on my belly, wondering what it would mean for me—for us—if Castello had to love me. For the first time since seeing those two little pink lines, it all seemed simple. If he loved me, surely he would love the life growing inside me.

“Is there something wrong with your drink?”

I looked up at Angelique. “No. Not at all.”

“You haven’t been drinking. Are you feeling okay?” Her blue-green eyes stared at me with suspicion, and then her gaze dropped to my hand holding my belly. “Gino told me you weren’t feeling well earlier today, that you had a dizzy spell.”

I immediately removed my hand then pretended to take another sip of my drink. The liquid barely touched my lips before I brought my glass back down. “I’m fine. Doc thinks it’s just stress.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Yes…I’m sure it is.”

We stared at each other for what felt like forever. I felt uncomfortable under her gaze, but not because of any hostility between us. In fact, I liked her. But I felt uncomfortable because it seemed like she was staring right through me, straight at the secret I was carrying inside me.

I shifted from one foot to the other. “I’m going to go find Castello.”

Just as I walked passed her, she called out, “Tatum.”

“Yes.”

I turned to face her, and she gently took the glass of champagne from my hand while giving me a knowing look. “Don’t try to understand him. Rather trustinhim. Men like Castello are impossible to understand…yet easy to love.”

She gave me a heart-warming smile before joining the other guests. I remained still, staring after her for the longest time. Something about her reminded me of my own mother. The way she carried herself, the way sophistication followed her like a shadow. Even her blonde hair resembled my mother’s. For the first time since all this started, I longed to see my mother again. When we first arrived here after that fateful, horrible day, Castello and I had only addressed the subject of my family once. I asked him what would happen to them, and his answer was simple:“Nothing. Nothing would happen to them as long as they knew…nothing.”

I didn’t even dare ask Castello what they had been told, what happened to me and my father. I didn’t want to know. Not knowing was better for me—especially now. Besides, after everything that had happened, would I be able to go back to them, back to my old life?

I glanced at Castello still chatting with his uncle. No. I don’t think I’d ever be able to return to a normal life—whatever normal was. Castello had become my new normal.

Our gazes met, and his dark stare conveyed the same message he had whispered in my ear earlier.“Stay wet for me.”

Chapter 15

CASTELLO

“Tatum looks like she’s feeling better.” Uncle Gino glanced to where Tatum was standing.

“She does, yes.”

I kept my eyes on her. I noticed that she and Angelique had been in deep conversation earlier, before Angelique joined the other guests. Even though Uncle Gino and I were talking business, Tatum still had my attention. Shedemandedmy attention.

“I suppose she has been asking about her mother and her brother?”

I took a sip of my drink. I never liked champagne. I was more of a bourbon kind of man. “Actually, she hasn’t. Not since we first arrived.”

“Huh. That’s odd. They were close, I presume. Tatum and her mother?”

I shrugged. “I think so. But Tatum is a very…complex woman. I don’t think she really fit in with the rest of her family.”

Uncle Gino glanced at her then back at me. “Well, it seems to me that she’s fitting in well with this family.” He gave me a sly look, a look that was meant to bring up the conversation he and I had had earlier.

“Marriage is not at the top of my priority list at the moment, Uncle.”


Tags: Bella J. A Twisted Duet Erotic