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“Let me explain, cara mia You will—”

Chest rising and falling, Pia faced him “Don’t call me that”

His fingers crawled to her bare ar around it “I will call you whatever the hell I please”

There was a possessive intensity to his words that shivered over her skin He wasn’tclearly had upset him too Not that he would ever admit to it “But I’m not yours to call whatever the hell you please,” she countered softly, staring into his eyes

They flared infinitesie of satisfaction amidst the panic Did he really think she had no spine? “I didn’t protest in front of Gio because I didn’t want to upset him Because I tried to understand that he called your honor into question Clearly there’s so on between you two”

Inscrutability again What were Gio and Raphael planning that she wasn’t supposed to know? She hoped it wasn’t another protective measure “I’ve never seen you so upset before”

She fisted and unfisted her hands “I hate lies I hate deception of any kind and it is ”

“It’s only deception if it’s not true”

She flinched and stopped her frantic pacing But he wasn’t joking Dear God, he looked absolutely serious! “I’ve not agreed too it is deception”

“If the lack of a proper proposal upsets you…?”

A hysterical laugh fell from her mouth while he stared at her with an inscrutable expression “Stop saying I’ for the record that we don’t even have a relationship”

“No?” His fingers clasped her bare aro around sleeping with men for the fun of it?”