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He only meant to create some distance between them

But the moment she realized what he’d done, her eyes widened Furious color rushed up her neck and she sidled off his lap as if she were on fire Or maybe it was he as on fire

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to… I just…”

Pretending a callass of water and handed it to her

Did the woain? Was she really that naive? Did she not realize her appeal, as unconventional as it was? Had the lowlife she’d mentioned shattered her confidence completely?

It was still nowhere near what Enzo with his kindness and Stefano with his schemes would do to her

The thought shattered his desire He couldn’t let Stefano get his dirty hands on the colobal leader But he was also running out of options

Options that didn’t involve Pia And getting involved with Pia, his gut told him, was not a path from which he could turn back Even if he wanted to

He felt as if there was an invisible noose tightening around his neck

It made his voice harsh when he said, “What is your solution, Pia?”

“You should pretend… I mean we should pretend to be interested in each other” When his frowneach other As if ere…violently attracted to each other and nothing else, no one else would do It’s the perfect solution,” she added when he just stared at her

“How?”

She folded her hands, realized how defensive she looked and dropped them Did the man have to look so displeased just by the notion of the? “Gio thinks the world of you If you weren’t so utterly out of ue, I think he would have pushed you and me toward each other”

“What?”

“Do you needfrom Gio, from everyone’s o for Even Gio isn’t foolish or stubborn enough to wish for so between us Which, perversely, makes it the perfect solution”

“I have to ad does prove you have Vito blood”

“Most of the men I’ve met over the last feeeks, Enzo included, wouldn’t dreaed to you They are all in awe of the force that is Raphael Mastrantino,” she added caustically