Page 16 of Humility

“Please, I know you so well, and the look you give him says it all,” I said, nudging Ciro’s arm before he twirled me out on the dance floor.

“Fair…okay, spill, why isn’t he here?”

“His cousin from Australia passed away, and he’s gone for the funeral.” Marcus was Papa’s personal assistant, and Ciro had been eyeing him up from the moment he laid eyes on the red-haired, blue-eyed Scotsman.

“Dammit, I was hoping to get to know him better tonight when it would look normal for us to be socializing,” he said as I spun back into his arms. Ciro was a year older and an amazing dancer. The only reason I learned a single move was because of him.

“He’ll be back, and I’ll even cover for you.”

“I can’t keep asking you to do that,” he said, but his eyes were all puppy dog and hopeful.

“Of course I will. I’m pretty sure you have nothing to worry about. He seems pretty interested in you, too,” I said, smiling at my friend.

We’d always been close, but that was the one thing that had changed since the villa. We were closer than ever, and Ciro was over almost every day after school. When my mama passed away, he became more protective. Saturdays were our romcom night, and he would sneak into my room to watch movies until the sun came up.

“What about you,” Ciro asked, spinning us around so I could see Angelo at the bar. He didn’t look happy as he glanced my way, but that was expected when it came to him.

“What about me?”

“When are you going to start dating?” Ciro motioned with his eyes toward Angelo or maybe Dario. Heck, it could be both knowing him.

“That is never happening.”

“Never say never. I’ve seen how Angelo looks at you. He wants you.” Ciro’s eyes shined with as much mischief as the glittering little lights hanging around us.

“He looks at me like he wants to kill me. That is not the kind of want I’m looking for, thanks.”

“You’re missing out. Angry sex is the best.”

My face flamed red, and I shook my head at him. “Trust me, I never think about him like that.”

As the song ended, he dipped me low and whispered. “I think you protest too much.”

I wanted to smack him and wipe the smug smile off his face, but he bowed and wandered toward the bar. If he expected me to follow, then he had another thing coming. I walked over to the table where my papa was sitting. He was slowly swirling his drink glass but didn’t seem to be looking at anything.

I squeezed his shoulders. “Are you okay?”

He patted my hand. “Just missing your mama. She loved weddings. She was always so excited to plan yours.”

My chest constricted, and I bit my lip to hold the tide that wanted to burst free.

“I see her in the twinkling lights, the music playing, and the smell of the fresh flowers, Papa. She is on the dance floor right now and will be here with us when I get married, too.” He looked up at me, tears in his eyes, and that broken look shattered my heart.

“Mia Bambolina, you are an incredible daughter. Thank you, you are right. She lives on in every moment we remember her.” He stood and hugged me before he excused himself to get another drink. I looked at the half-full glass on the table and sighed.

I didn’t feel like rejoining the party and escaped out the side door to the gardens. The summer was exceptionally hot, and even the nights didn’t seem to cool off this year. A couple sat among the decorations near the fountain. They looked like a pair of love birds as they rubbed their noses together.

Not wanting to disturb their private moment, I veered onto the path of tall bushes that led down to the roses. During the day, they were magnificent. Not paying attention, I rounded the last corner and screamed as someone grabbed my arm and tugged me through a narrow opening in the thick bushes.

Before I could fathom who held me, my back was pressed against one of the large decorative pillars, and lips latched onto the side of my neck. Angelo’s cologne filled my nose, his hands holding me tight as he nipped at the skin over my racing pulse.

“What the hell are you doing,” I asked, but I sounded pathetic even to myself.

“Hello, Tiger,” he growled, biting my ear.

Even though everything in me screamed to hit him or push him away, I didn’t. My head tilted to the side to give him better access as my hands curled into the fabric of his shirt. It was as if his touch had put a surge into my blood as it raced through my body, making my heart pound hard. He had grown up so much. His shoulders were broad, his muscles were taut, and I couldn’t stop my body from responding to his touch.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he whispered against my neck, and desire bubbled inside me. My breath caught in my throat as he slid his hand up my torso and rubbed his thumb over my nipple. “Every time I see you, you take my breath away.”