Page 33 of The Temptation

Romeo

Dante’s words have been weighing heavily on my mind for the past few days, but I’m yet to broach the subject with Lucia. I’m not sure if I’m going to, to be honest.

One, she’s still ignoring me, and two, I’m mulling it over. Dante may have inadvertently given me the green light if I want to pursue her, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to take it. And the last thing I want to do is give her false hope.

I want this woman, and deep down, I think I always have. If I were lucky enough to get her, I’d keep her, but that’s not the issue here. So many other factors come into play, her age being my biggest hurdle. The other is that she deserves better than a man like me.

So much fucking better.

I’m not worthy of someone as precious or wholesome as Lucia Rossi. I’m not even capable of giving her what she truly deserves. She’s like a treasure a man like me could only dream of, and I refuse to pull her into my darkness.

Somewhere along the way, I stopped feeling things the way normal people do. Sometimes you sink so far into the abyss that the light feels unreachable, but if I’m beingcompletely honest, there’s something strangely comforting about the dark.

Growing up with a mother who only seemed to care about herself taught me that love isn’t always safe. To some, it’s a weapon. I guess I got tired of bleeding, so I built walls instead. And now I don’t even know if there’s anything left on the other side.

Lucia makes me feel, and I hate that. I don’t do feelings. These walls are there for a reason … to protectme. From chaos. From heartbreak. From remembering what it’s like to need someone. But with her, the cracks are starting to show. And the worst part? I’m not sure if I even want to fix them.

There’s a part of me that is curious to see what it would be like to let someone in. To believe, even for a second, that I could be worth loving without the armour in place.

Lucia is everything I shouldn’t want. She seems to chase the thrill constantly, and I’ve had enough of those to last a lifetime. That woman is a bundle of life, whereas I’m the type of guy who’s happy to get lost in the shadows.

She’s currently in the main room, blasting some obnoxiously cheerful music that grates against every nerve in my body. It’s like a personal attack on my bad mood with its boppy melody and nauseating sunshine, while I’m stuck here feeling broody, irritated, and so fucking confused I can hardly see straight.

Lucia either hasn’t noticed the storm brewing in me or, more likely, she has and this is her way of twisting the knife a little further.

I need to talk with her sooner rather than later, and set some damn boundaries until I can make some sense out of this clusterfuck that is currently running rampant in my head.

With that thought in mind, I push off the kitchen counter and stalk in her direction. I pause when I reach theentrance to the main room and find her dancing in front of my dog.

Her back is to me, and her arms are raised high in the air as her shoulders bob up and down in perfect sync with her hands. My eyes move further south to that tight little arse of hers, which is swinging from side to side like it’s nobody’s business.

Despite my foul mood, a small smile tugs at the corners of my lips. This woman has zero fucks to give, and there is something utterly refreshing about her. She’s equal parts adorable, irresistible, and infuriating.

Tearing my gaze away, my attention moves to Killer, only to find his tail wagging as he watches on in complete amusement.

Is that a damn smile on his face?

It certainly looks like one.

That has me cracking my neck from side to side as I try to tame the anger raging within. What has happened to my growly man-eater? I already know the answer to that question.Lucia-fucking-Rossi.She is ruining this damn dog.

A low rumble bubbles in the back of my throat as I cross the room in a huff and turn off the music.

“Hey,” she snaps, swinging around to face me. “I was listening to that.”

“And now you’re not,” I grumble.

“Turn it back on.”

“No.”

“What’s your problem?”

You!

“Who dances in the middle of the room for no reason? This isn’t a nightclub or some fucking little kids’ disco party. It’s weird, and frankly, I don’t like it.”

“Me, obviously. And for your information, I wasn’t dancing, and Ihada reason.”