Salvatore: a Dark Mafia Romance by Natasha Knight Page B

chocolates.
    “Are you just going to stand there?” I asked him.
    He looked at me with raised eyebrows.
    “I want to have a visit with my sister. Surely you don’t have to monitor every word I say. I promise, it won’t be that interesting.”
    Before he could answer, footsteps echoed on the marble floors. We all turned as Salvatore entered the room. He wore a T-shirt and jeans, the V-neck clinging to his sculpted body. His cobalt-blue eyes locked on mine, and my heartbeat quickened, my body suddenly tingling, nipples tightening, every hair standing on end.
    A moment later, he released me from his gaze, his posture relaxing as he nodded to my sister and smiled at Effie struggling with the plastic.
    “Thanks, Marco. You can go,” he said.
    Marco nodded and left the room. Salvatore walked over to Izzy.
    “I don’t think I’ve met Lucia’s sister officially. I’m Salvatore Benedetti.”
    She took his hand. “Isabella DeMarco.”
    “Good to meet you. And this is?”
    Effie looked up. “Got it!” She held up the plastic triumphantly, then checked out Salvatore. “I’m Effie,” she said, rising to her feet from the floor and holding out her hand.
    Salvatore took it. “Nice to meet you, Effie.”
    Rainey walked in with a tray and set the glasses of lemonade down on the coffee table. We stood awkwardly.
    “I’ll let you and your sister have some privacy,” Salvatore finally said, his tone casual, his gaze wavering. “I’m going to take a shower.”
    He waited. My body still did that vibrating, tingling thing as the air crackled between us.
    “Thank you,” I finally said.
    He nodded and left the room. We watched him go. Only when he was out of the room did either of us breathe. My thoughts wandered to what I’d found in his room. I wondered if he’d think he’d forgotten to lock the door between our bedrooms, or if he’d know I’d broken in.
    “Wow. He’s intense.”
    I exhaled. “Yeah.” I couldn’t tell Izzy about what he’d done. What I’d done. Hell, I wasn’t sure myself what it all meant or how I felt about it.
    “Effie, it’s polite to offer chocolates to others first before you dig in.”
    My sister tried to sound strict, but I saw the proud smile she worked to hide.
    Effie turned her big, pale blue eyes to her mom, her mouth working on a second piece of chocolate. She rose to her feet and walked over to us.
    “Would you like a chocolate?” she asked, turning to me first.
    “I’d love one.” I chose a dark chocolate and thanked her. Izzy declined, and Effie shrugged a shoulder and helped herself to a third.
    “How are you doing? You didn’t answer any of my messages. I thought he wasn’t letting you use the phone!”
    I shook my head with a weak smile. “No, it was just drained. I only checked the messages a few minutes before you got here, actually.”
    “Well, you’re going to have to answer next time. I got worried.”
    I nodded.
    “You okay?” she asked quietly.
    I shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t know. I don’t want to cry.” As I said it, the first tears wet my lashes.
    “Shh.” Izzy dug for a tissue in her bag.
    Rainey walked out of the kitchen and toward us just then. I turned my face away.
    “I’m getting ready to bake cookies in the kitchen. Maybe Effie would like to help?” she asked Izzy.
    Effie’s eyebrows rose, and she bounced up to stand. “Oh, can I, Mommy?”
    “You sure?” Izzy asked Rainey.
    After a glance and a small smile at me, she nodded.
    “Sure,” Izzy said. “Thank you.”
    Effie took Rainey’s hand easily, and they walked off.
    “That was nice,” Izzy said.
    “I haven’t yet figured her out.”
    Izzy took my hands. “Are we okay, Lucia? This is important. I know we haven’t talked about it, about me leaving. I was wrong to just take off. I know that. I’m back now, though, and I’m not abandoning you again, okay? You’re not alone, even though it may feel that way right now.”
    I smiled. More tears fell. “We’re okay,