by Bethany-Kris
The woman … had she put her hand on his leg?
Higher, even?
Something tight and hot balled in Emma’s stomach, making her angry and sick all at the same time. Leaning even closer, the woman’s blood red lips moved in a whisper as she said something to Calisto. Emma barely refrained from snapping at the woman to remove her hand from wherever it was on Calisto’s body, but only because she knew it wasn’t her right.
Calisto wasn’t hers.
Emma didn’t get to claim him.
Her jealousy still seared through her heart, flaring and growing like a wild fire that had found dry land to devastate. She swallowed back the ache it caused, pretending like it wasn’t there at all. Acknowledging it would only lead to bad things.
Emma found that Calisto was still watching her from the other side of the table in that silent, intense way of his. A way that said he knew exactly what was going on inside her head and the war that she was feeling in her heart.
Why did he have to do that?
The woman was still close to Calisto, leaning in with her hand under the table somewhere on his body, and talking like she was trying to gain his attention. Calisto wasn’t giving the flirting woman a damn thing.
In fact, his attention was all on Emma.
Waiting …
It unnerved her.
Then, he tossed out his cards with a two-finger wave. Two aces faced upwards, and the table erupted in noise. Four of a Kind—aces, the best Four of a Kind for a poker hand. Emma was out her chips—all of them—and Calisto had played her right off the table.
Fuck.
Calisto had played her well.
Emma stared at the cards, amused and annoyed at the same time. She ignored the cheers of the other players as they congratulated the winning hand and how well it had gone down. She was too busy gazing between the cards and Calisto’s knowing grin.
A sexy grin.
Sexy as sin.
Calisto was still ignoring the other woman. The dealer moved the pile of chips toward Calisto with a hooked baton. A lovely ache settled between Emma’s thighs as Calisto began to organize his chips.
Her hands were over.
She was out of chips.
Strangely, Emma didn’t mind losing to Calisto Donati.
This time, anyway.
Emma leaned against the entrance wall of the casino, swallowed by the flood of patrons moving in and out. Across the golden decorated, overly ostentatious foyer of the venue, Calisto stepped up to the chip desk. He dropped a satin bag, handed out to the guests when they needed to carry a load of winnings to be verified and cashed in, on the desk. He rested against the desk, and by the looks of it, barely spoke to the woman behind the counter as the chips were taken and dumped into the electronic sorter and counter.
Like this, behind Calisto and far away where he didn’t know Emma was watching, she had an entirely different view of the man.
An easy posture. A lazy smile. Drumming fingers. His left foot hooked behind his right ankle as he waited. Relaxed shoulders.
Instead of the seemingly aloof, unapproachable right-hand man to Affonso, Calisto now seemed his twenty-seven years, loosening up and having a bit of fun for an evening. Nothing more, nothing less.
Appearances certainly were deceiving.
Any woman would probably see Calisto and think he was a charming, handsome man. If the woman were lucky enough, maybe she could catch his eye. A man like Calisto, one that radiated confidence, intrigue, and sexiness all in one wave, was impossible to ignore.
He demanded attention.
But he didn’t seem like he noticed.
Calisto had changed from the jeans and leather jacket attire he’d sported earlier in the day when he had interrupted her dress shopping. Tonight, he’d opted for a flat black suit with sharp lines and perfectly tailored hems. All black, actually. Black, like the color of his dark gaze, something else about Calisto that Emma noticed drew people in closer to him. The sort of darkness that made people wonder, like little moths flying straight toward a brightly burning flame, wanting to touch the pretty colors only to be burned into nothing but ashes. From the dress shirt underneath, the tie with a straight, tight knot, to the pants and Italian leather shoes he wore, everything was black.
And the man looked good in it.
Really good.
She bet he thought dressing in dark clothing would allow him to blend in more, but she thought it made him stand out.
Calisto was trouble waiting to happen.
She could feel it in her blood.
So why couldn’t she bleed the curiosity out?
Emma averted her gaze, hoping that if she quit watching Calisto—and wondering about everything little thing that surrounded him—maybe that would help.
Surprise.
It didn’t.
Sighing harshly, Emma pushed off the wall. She fixed the skirt of her dress, readying to meet Calisto when he was done cashing in his chips. He hadn’t seemed all too concerned earlier when she left the table. Emma figured he would only have to play a few more hands to knock out the other players in the poker game, take his winnings, and run with it.
She’d been waiting for an hour.
Briefly, the jealous flare she’d felt when watching the woman try to flirt with Calisto came back to Emma with a vengeance. Had that been what took him so long? Had he taken the woman up on some kind of offer? Was that his reason for taking an hour, instead of the maybe twenty minutes it should have been to end the game?
Why do you even care?
Emma brushed off her inner voice. Other than being mocking or confusing, her instincts weren’t helping her out all that damned much lately. Especially not where Calisto Donati was concerned.
She knew right from wrong, though. That was the important part. It didn’t matter what Emma felt for Calisto, it was still wrong to act on it. It wouldn’t make a difference that the man could make her heart race, her lungs stop breathing, or her blood heat up with a single look … not when acting on the attraction would only put her in a grave.
And him, too.
Emma couldn’t forget that.
Running her thumb over her finger, Emma felt the band of her engagement ring press against the pad of her digit. It was a good reminder of the weight already resting on her shoulders, and how she certainly didn’t need to add any more to it.
Glancing up from the floor, Emma stilled in place. Calisto had turned around, cash in hand, and was watching her from across the casino’s foyer. She stopped toying with her engagement ring instantly.
How long had he been watching her?
Calisto nodded toward the elevator as he shoved the small wad of cash into the inside pocket of his jacket. Emma thought the wad looked smaller than it should have been, considering what he won in that last pile.
It didn’t matter.
He’d followed through on their deal of letting her try to make him go broke at the poker table. Emma had lost.
Fun time was over.
Back to reality again, her mind taunted. She didn’t even know what her reality was now.
Calisto met Emma at the elevator with one of those easy, smooth smiles that could make a woman wet just at the sight alone. The small flash of his teeth when his grin deepened and his gaze raked over her form let Emma know that she was not immune to the man’s charms.
Was he purposely doing this?
Emma shook off the oddities and pressed the button for the private elevator. While there were several elevators in the casino, this specific one took patrons straight to their very expensive, and high penthouses. Once inside, all Emma would need to do was swipe her card and the elevator would take her directly to her penthouse apartment without stopping.
“Ready to call it a night?” Calisto asked.
Emma shrugged. “I’m out of cash.”
“Oh? I thought you had a trust fund to dip into when you wanted.”
“Nice. Cheap shots.”
Calisto smirked. “I’m
joking. Don’t be bitter that I beat you.”
“I’m not.”
“Then what’s with the pout, dolcezza?”
The elevator door opened, allowing Emma a reprieve from answering Calisto. She stepped inside, expecting him to stay behind like he usually did. This time, Calisto stepped in with her.
“What, you need to see me walk into the apartment tonight?” she asked.
“No,” he answered simply.
Emma didn’t press him for more information. “That was a good hand, by the way. I don’t think I’ve ever pulled pocket aces like that.”
Calisto chuckled. “Luck and nothing more.”
“It takes a bit of skill.”
“Sure. A damn good poker face will get you everywhere. Bluff it until they fold it.”
“Exactly.” Emma shifted in her heels, aware of how close to Calisto she was in the small elevator. The mirrored walls let her see every angle of the man without even needing to turn. She simply had to look through her lashes and admire in silence. “Took you a while.”
“Business.”
“Oh?”
“Mmm. No good made man wins a decent sized pot in a Don’s casino without paying the man some kind of tribute for the business. I found one of Maximo’s guys and paid him a reward to deliver half of my chips to the boss’s offices.”
Emma blinked, stunned. It wasn’t the woman in red that kept Calisto away for longer, or anything like that. “Oh.”
Calisto glanced down at her. “What?”
“Nothing,” she said quickly.
“You’re lying.”
“No, I’m—”
Calisto turned quickly, his hand coming up to snag Emma’s wrist tightly in his palm. Heat siphoned immediately from his skin to hers, making her feel drunk and awake all at the same time.
“Lying,” he interrupted. “Did you think I was going to leave you to do whatever while I was playing poker?”
“No.”
“I didn’t think you’d mind if I took a bit longer. You know the place, after all. You live here. What’s the issue?”
Emma’s cheeks pinked and she refused to look at him again. “Nothing. Leave it alone. It’s not important.”
Calisto’s hand tightened around her wrist before he dropped it fast. “The woman at the table, was that it? You might as well have ‘pissed off woman’ stamped on your forehead, Emmy. What, did you think I kept you waiting so that I could get a quickie with that woman?”
Why did he have to be so astute?
Goddamn him.
“Did she offer?” Emma asked.
She knew better.
“She offered something. I wasn’t interested. Does that make you feel better?”
Yes.
“Should it?” Emma asked. “What does it matter? It doesn’t. I told you to leave it alone.”
Calisto didn’t answer. Emma peeked up at him through the shielded veil of her sharply cut bangs. The distance on his features was something she had seen him wear all too often. The confusion setting his mouth down into a frown was new, however. As was the sadness coloring his stare.
“It’s not important,” Emma said weakly. “It was a stupid, errant feeling that doesn’t have any say on anything.”
Emma didn’t believe her own lies.
She had seen the way Calisto watched her at the table. And earlier in the day at the dress shop? God, she had the pleasure of seeing him stare at her then, too. Like he was fucking starved for something beautiful, and his hands had suddenly felt it the moment they touched her skin.
He’d comforted her, but he hadn’t needed to.
He’d helped her, but it wasn’t his job.
And it had been there—right there in his soul-black eyes.
Desire.
Hunger.
Lust.
Calisto wanted her, too.
Emma wasn’t dumb.
“Not important,” she repeated.
Maybe if she said it enough, it would make it true.
“Yeah,” Calisto said gruffly. “You’re right.”
It still hurt.
Emma
“Have a good evening,” Calisto said quietly when the elevator dinged.
Emma stood unmoving, even with the sight of her penthouse apartment opening up before her. She was unsteady on her feet and unsure in her heart. A part of her wanted to ask Calisto if he would come in and have a coffee with her, talk, or … something. When the man was open and not being an asshole, he was enigmatic to her, drawing Emma in like a magnet. The other part of her, the rational one, kept her quiet and demanded she get out of the elevator.
“The elevator only stays open for so long, Emmy,” Calisto added.
Her nickname coming out of his mouth sounded a lot more affectionate than she was willing to admit. He spoke it soft enough to make her think that maybe he cared. Emma couldn’t get mixed up in that trap.
Whatever it was.
The elevator dinged and the door started to close. She still hadn’t moved. Calisto reached out and stuck his hand over the sensor. He didn’t drop his arm, so the elevator door wouldn’t close until he did.
“You all right?” he asked.
“Thank you for the poker game,” Emma said.
Calisto offered her a smile. “Don’t thank me for that. I beat you, after all.”
“But you gave me the distraction I needed. Losing the money was worth it.”
“Well, then I guess you’re welcome.”
“You didn’t need to come up with me, you know.”
Calisto chuckled. “You said that already. And I know that I didn’t, but I’m ready to call it a night as well.”
It took Emma far too long to catch onto what Calisto meant.
“You have a suite in the hotel?”
“I have to keep an eye on you, don’t I?”
Emma glanced away to hide her frown. “Sure, but this elevator is used for the expensive suites, not the regular ones.”
Calisto nodded toward the other side of the elevator. “Once the door closes to your penthouse, I just have to swipe my card and the other side of the elevator will open to the penthouse apartment that was rented for me to use this month. Affonso wanted me to be as close as possible to you, instead of a few floors down like I was first situated.”
“Oh.”
“It also makes it easier on me with the hotel security,” Calisto added. “They simply call through to my room to let me know the sensors are showing activity in your apartment in the mornings. It gives me a chance to get up and downstairs to meet you. I’m usually already up, but there have been a couple mornings when I slept in.”
Her heart clenched painfully. A fast rush of anger followed right behind. Emma wasn’t exactly surprised that Calisto had been situated directly across from her penthouse for the duration of his stay, but the security thing was new information.
She had no privacy.
The security in her penthouse apartment was meant for break-ins or other kinds of trouble. If there was unusual activity, she would get a call to ask if she was all right or needed help.
“They’ve been using my security system to alert you when I start to get ready in the mornings?” Emma asked.
Calisto’s expression remained a blank slate. “Yes.”
“Oh, my God. That’s … fucking ridiculous. It’s my private space.”
“No one expects you to like it, Emmy. That’s probably why you weren’t let in on the secret. Nonetheless, it’s what Affonso wanted. He demanded someone have eyes on you as much as possible. I couldn’t keep watch if I didn’t know something as simple as when you were leaving the penthouse in the mornings.”
It didn’t matter how Calisto tried to spin it, Emma still didn’t like it. It left a bad taste in her mouth, not to mention she felt violated in a way.
“I haven’t done anything wrong,” Emma said, trying to keep her tone level and hide the anger flooding her heart. “I’ve followed the rules, stayed quiet, and did whatever tha
t asshole wanted. Doesn’t he trust me at all?”
Calisto cleared his throat. “You’re a woman, Emmy.”
“What does that have to do with it?”
“Affonso doesn’t trust any woman.”
Well, then.
Fuck him.
“Is this what my whole life is going to be like now?” she asked.
The sharp, rugged lines of Calisto’s face softened when he smiled crookedly. Despite his small grin, sympathy flashed in his midnight-gaze.
“Without a doubt. It may seem like you’re alone, but you never will be. I explained this to you once. Did you think I was lying?”
“No, but …”
“Hmm?”
“I thought he would give me a bit of leg room to breathe. If all Affonso wanted to do was put me in a locked box, he might as well have just dragged me to New York when he left instead of leaving me here.”
“Leg room?” Calisto asked. “For what, to let you run?”
Emma’s fingernails bit into her palm when she squeezed her fists tight. “I never suggested I might run.”
“I didn’t say you would, either. Affonso thinks differently.”
“I’m really just a child to him, aren’t I?”
“You’re something else he can control, if that’s what you mean.”
Emma swallowed the painful lump in her throat. “Once I’m in New York, I’ll still have a babysitter.”
“You already know this.”
“It won’t be you, though.”
Calisto tilted his head to the side slightly before saying, “No, it’ll be whoever Affonso decides is the best to watch you. I have a job to do back home. And it doesn’t include keeping an eye on you, ragazza.”
But did he want it to?
That was the better question.
Emma didn’t ask.
Steeling her spine and refusing to give away her inner turmoil, Emma smiled. What in the hell else could she do? “Thank you again, Cal.”
Calisto nodded. “No problem.”
“Goodnight.”
Emma stepped out of the elevator and into her penthouse. Calisto dropped the hand covering the sensor the moment she was gone.
“Goodnight, Emmy.”