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He looks at me for a long time before answering.

“That is not a fear you ever have to carry. I will never leave you. It’sas simple as that. And as selfish as that. Because when you hear what you want me to tell you, you may not feel the same way. And when you push me away, I will not go. Ever. I will be with you even in your hate. Only death will separate me from you, and I have already decided even then, I will find you on the other side, rainbow. That is the depth of my feelings for you. Nothing you could ever do would change it. You could sleep with another man, and I’d just kill him. You could move to another country, I’d just follow. You could kill me, and I would just come back to haunt you. I am your shadow, and you are my light. There is no more you and me, only us. Its permanence is irrevocable.”

Fuck. This man should be a poet. As a book editor, I have read many romantic declarations. But to experience it in real life is something unfathomable. And nothing comes close to the raw and downright intense meaning behind some of these statements. It’s certifiable.

And yet, I swoon. I smile. I adore. I fall deeper, my tentative grasp on the little ledge of sanity I have been holding onto giving way. If he is crazy, then I am too.

Where do I even begin? This is why I have been gifted a photographic memory. For this moment. So that I can play it over and over in my mind for eternity.

“I’m over this. I’ll make you some pasta at home, and then we can talk.”

Damon's abrupt change of topic and movement surprises me, but I am delighted. I was also done with sitting at the table feeling uncomfortable.

We start walking back to the table, and suddenly, I’m nervous. Could we just leave? Wouldn’t it be rude?

“We’re off,” Damon announces to the table as we arrive.

I look around for my clutch and find it on the floor. It must have dropped when Damon put on his little possessive show earlier.

“You’re not even staying for the mains. Something I said?” Julia smirks, and I loop my arm through Damon’s, determined to show her that her earlier words have no impact.

“On the contrary. Sienna and I need some privacy for my next course. It’s not on the menu here.” His innuendo makes Marcello laugh, while Lucy winks at me before waggling her brows.

“I’m sure if Sienna wanted to, I could find something on the menu here. Something I think she would prefer.”

Shit, I look at Damon, and I can tell he is angry. His jaw is ticking, and his eyes are almost black.

“Nothing on your menu would ever be to Sienna's taste, I’m afraid. I know what she likes.” Geezus. Okay, we need to leave.

“We're meeting my brother early tomorrow, and the drive back is long. Thank you for the invite, Luciano, and congratulations. Again.”

I tug on Damon's arm, his gaze still firmly on Luciano. The testosterone at this table is so thick that I feel like I am choking.

“You’re meeting her family,” Julia says, disgusted.

This snaps Damon's gaze from Luciano to her while I continue tugging on his arm.

“Yes. Understand that this is serious, and remember what I said before.Ucciderò chiunque provi a toccarla.”The frostiness of his statement makes me shiver.

“Okay, everyone. It's time for us to go. Marcello, Lucy, it's nice to see you again.” This time, when I tug on Damon's arm, he moves, and finally, we turn away from the table and move toward the door.

“What does that mean? The thing you just said to Julia,” I ask him when we are out of earshot, a backward glance confirming everyone is still looking at us.

“It’s a warning. If anyone tries to hurt you, they deal with me.”

While a warning seemed overkill, the fact that Julia was a murderer,according to Damon, whom I trusted, made it less ludicrous.

When we leave the hall, all the reporters are gone, making our escape to the front quick. I was happy to see the end of this event.

The limo we arrived in is already waiting out front, the driver standing next to the open back door. I slide in, followed by Damon, and then we’re off. I cast a fleeting last glance at The Barcelona before turning my attention forward.

I wish I had experienced it under different circumstances. I read about it in a magazine. It was one of the finest hotels in the city.

“Don’t worry. Next time, I will take you somewhere nicer and with better company.” He intertwines my hand with his and then holds it up to place a kiss on the top. I shiver at the innocent gesture. When he smirks, I question the chasteness behind the action. He knows how he impacts me, and he loves pushing my buttons.

He had been pushing them since we met, and as our eyes lock, the sexual tension intertwining our relationship and coating every one of our interactions comes bursting forward in full force. I’m so horny. I don’t think I have ever been this aroused in my life. If Damon and I don’t fuck tonight, I feel like I might actually implode with need.

He inches forward at the same time the buzzing of my phone in my clutch sounds, alerting me to a message.