Chapter 59: Smoldered
"I’m good with girl talks."
I shot my eyes at him at the sudden change of topic.
"Excuse me?"
"I don’t have a sister, and I’ve always wanted one," he said with longing before his eyes met mine, lighting up like a Christmas tree. "Good thing I have you now."
This was getting all too spooky to take in, so I just simply asked. "What gave you the idea that you’re good with girl talks?"
I’m probably gonna regret asking that, but it was the least I could do to turn it around in some way.
"A few lovely ladies from the strippers’ club."
Wonderful.
"They are really good listeners, you know."
I’m sure they are.
"So, um, about your brother..." I trailed.
"Dante?"
"The eldest."
"Zade?" He chuckled. "You know you can just say his name to be a little more specific. What’s so hard about that?"
I’m not gonna answer that question.
"Did he, by chance, know me before the wedding?"
Luca sneered. "Naturally, he did. You were his wife to be. That’s the whole point, isn’t it?"
It was. But it doesn’t make sense with the piece of information I have now. It got me questioning a lot of things.
"That was until a few months ago..." I clarified. "I’m talking about something around the time frame of two years."
Luca’s eyes flashed with something unreadable. It came so quickly, I thought I had imagined it.
"Luca?"
"Um..." He scratched the back of his head, suddenly appearing nervous. "I have no idea what you’re talking about."
I scoffed. "So you’re saying you don’t know?"
"Well, it’s not like I know everything about my brother. He’s Don, and he can do whatever the fuck he wants."
"Huh..."
"But what made you think that way?" He looked genuinely eager for my answer, which made me wonder.
"My director... she said he has been to my stage performances, that’s why."
"Oh..." Relief colored his voice, which threw me off.
"Is there something you wanna tell me, Luca?" I brought the fork to my lips, pinning him down with a look.
"Hi, bro!"
My gaze moved in speed, to Zade walking into the kitchen, raking his fingers through his damp hair.
A bizarre feeling plugged through me when I caught a glimpse of him completely.
He was covered in sweat, beads of it running all over his broad frame, from his biceps, chest, and solid abs that were hard as rock. He was practically glittering in it like a shiny new toy that had just made the market.
His sweatpants hung dangerously low around his waist, and his hands were wrapped in boxing tape.
I was frozen in place, unable to peel my eyes away, every movement provoking the tense muscles sculptured on this man, flexing repeatedly like a prohibited nightmare.
I forgot to breathe for a moment when he came directly toward me, bracing a hand against the counter and leaning down over me, the pungent smell of sweat and smoke dulling my mind to the point it took me a beat to realize he had taken a bite from my fork.
A quiet gasp escaped me as he straightened his spine and wet his lips.
"Mm... Tasty," he murmured, voice in a low rumble that caused an unwanted pulse through me, like I had been penetrated by that mere sound.
I had no idea where I got the thought that he wasn’t talking about food.
Of course, it’s about the goddamn food, Ana. What else could it be?
A knowing smirk appeared on his lips as if he could read my mind, eyes hooded by whatever shit he had smoked, but doused in heat that pierced through my skull like flaming arrows.
I felt heat rising, and I prayed to God it was just my face turning red. I could only tolerate that right now.
Zade veered his eyes to Luca and then descended them to his finished plate. Something flickered in them, and I hinted at an irritation flaming behind those unreadable hollows.
"Don’t you have something productive to do, little brother?"
"Nope! Spending time with sis here..."
"Mm..." Zade hummed, walking toward the fridge and taking out a bottle of water.
The air was tight with tension in a lot of ways I couldn’t explain, and it only grew worse.
"How was your night, darling?"
I stiffened at the question.
"I trust you slept well."
"..."
"Luca."
"Yes, sir."
"Quit wasting around and get your ass to work." Zade pushed off the counter and came toward me, still drinking from his bottle.
My breaths came out uneven as I analyzed how his Adam’s apple bobbed in a way that made my throat go dry like the desert.
Zade released a satisfied sigh as if he had been parched the whole time. His intense gaze stayed glued on me, and my mind flashed images of last night like a replay of a horror movie.
He left.
He left?
I was taken aback by surprise as I looked at the door, wishing I could summon his ass right back here, and demand some explanation.
He just came in here gave me fuck me eyes and... left?
"I’m full..." I said, shifting my plate to Luca, a twisting feeling crawling all over me like hives.
"Really?"
Without a word, I pushed to my feet and walked to the door.
"Take three turns. The hallway on your left."
I halted my mid-step and faced him. "I’m sorry, what?"
"That’s where my brother went. In case you wanna know."
I puffed out a breath. "What are you talking about? I’m going to my room. In case you didn’t notice before your uninvited visit, I was working."
Luca laughed, shoving his mouth with pasta, giving me a knowing look that made me wanna scratch his eyes out.
I left, in more haste than I intended, throwing a look over my shoulder to make sure he wasn’t tagging along.
Thank God for pasta.
I took the three turns.
