Blood Always

30

Chapter 10 Maria Seeing a lockbox on my front door when I arrived home was a rude awakening. I was the one who had set up the sale of my apartment with a realtor, but that had felt so abstract. Seeing the box made it real. Made all of it real. In less than a week, I would be getting married. The thought should have stirred some emotion, but after the weekend I’d had and enough jet lag to put an elephant in a coma, all I could muster was lukewarm indifference. I shuffled my bags in my hands to retrieve my keys and let myself inside. The second a sliver of light became visible through the cracked door, I pulled the comb from my hair and dropped my purse, never taking my eyes from the door. Because of the damn airplane, I didn’t have my gun on me, so I’d have to manage without. The realtor had said she’d let me know when she showed the apartment. I’d had no word from her and was absolutely certain I’d left the lights off before heading to Vegas. I quietly stepped to the side and pressed the door open. When no one ran at me, I peeked around the corner, immediately spotting Matteo sitting regally in my corner armchair. My muscles instantly relaxed, and I lowered my weapon. “Jesus Christ, De Luca. Are you trying to get yourself killed?” I tossed my comb into my purse and grabbed my suitcase to wheel it inside. When I turned around, he was stalking toward me. “I’d love to see you try.” His severe eyebrows shadowed intense green eyes, but his voice was a velvet tease. “That could absolutely be arranged, but not today. I’m too tired. Just because I told you when I was getting in did not mean I was inviting you over.” I tossed my keys and mail on the counter, turning back to him with my arms crossed over my chest. I wasn’t wearing anything sexy. I was a firm believer that airplane rides were for T-shirts and jeans, especially after a weekend of sun and drinking. But that didn’t seem to matter. Matteo drank me in like he’d been the one in the Nevada desert, parched within an inch of his life, and I was a crystalclear glass of Dasani. One step closer. Two. He stalked forward until I could smell his minty breath and feel his radiant heat warm my exposed arms. “Less than a week, and we’ll be living under the same roof, no invitations needed.” His voice was husky. Seductive. Dangerously tempting. “But that’s still a week away. For now, my life is still my own.” “Technically, the movers come in two days.” That was news to me, but I couldn’t summon a single f**k to give. “Whatever. I’m too tired to argue with you, so just tell me why you’re here.” His eyes flashed, and for a second, I could see our spanking session replayed in those dark depths. My skin heated, goosebumps dancing down my arms. “I came to welcome you back and to give you this.” He reached into his suit jacket and withdrew what looked like a black jewelry box—perhaps a necklace or a bracelet—long and narrow with a designer name embossed on the top. “I thought it could be your something blue.” I took the box in my hands, noting it was a tad heavier than I would have expected, but that was because I’d been totally wrong about its contents. Inside lay a fixed tactical knife with a sapphire blue handle, just big enough for a woman’s hand. I scooped up the gleaming blade, allowing the discarded box to drop to the floor. The quality was unsurpassed. Perfectly balanced weight with a carbonite handle and gleaming steel blade. Far more precious to me than any jewelry ever could have been. “It’s beautiful, Matteo,” I breathed, still engrossed with the gift. When he didn’t comment, my gaze eventually drifted up to his, where unabashed triumph lit his eyes. His hands clasped either side of my face and pulled my lips to his. I not only let him, I abandoned all restraint and surrendered to the kiss. His mouth tasted like paradise. Savory and dangerous and all man. I tasted sleepless nights and the slow burn of hard liquor mixed with temptation and untold secrets. Some mine, some his. Together, it was irresistible. Our tongues danced and reveled in the feel of one another, breathing life back into me. Overriding my exhaustion and stirring a fire in my belly. When he pulled away, he didn’t go far, resting his forehead against mine. “That’s the first time you’ve called me by my first name.” It was? I tried to think back but hadn’t paid enough attention to recall. “I don’t know what to say. This is the most thoughtful gift I’ve ever received.” I pulled back, dropping my gaze to the knife in my hands between us. I wanted to examine the blade, but I also needed to escape the intensity electrifying the air around us. It magnified my emotions so profoundly that I couldn’t breathe. He used his knuckles to lift my chin, raising my eyes back to his. “You’re not like any other woman, are you?” There was heat in his eyes, and I knew he meant the sentiment as a compliment, but I’d spent a lifetime being all too aware of just how different I was from everyone around me. I wasn’t exactly the black sheep —more like the venomous toad in a pond full of graceful coy fish. There was no comparison. I stepped back and retrieved the box from the floor. “I appreciate the gift, but if movers are coming Wednesday, then I have a busy couple of days ahead of me, so I better get to bed.” I offered a tight smile, feeling the frigid organ in my chest solidify back to its icy status quo. Frozen. Unfeeling. Safe. At my retreat, a black veil descended across Matteo’s gaze, masking his response to my withdrawal. We went from scalding liquid magma to brittle volcanic rock in a matter of seconds, and as usual, it was all my fault. I ruined everything good I ever touched, and that was exactly why I allowed Matteo to leave without a word. Better he learned now just how defective I was, rather than later, when my heart could no longer recover from his rejection.