Twisted Hearts (The Camorra Chronicles 5)

My gaze darted over to him and he leaned back against the headrest, pulling me with him. His eyes met mine and there was something in them that had me swallow thickly.

He didn’t seem fazed by me sitting on his lap in the slightest. Of course not, Savio was used to girls being on his lap, but usually with less clothing and more hip rotation. His eyes held mine, the sexy infuriating smile on his face. Butterflies filled my belly at our proximity. This was the first time I sat on a guy’s lap, on Savio’s lap, and it felt good. I could feel his muscles through our clothing, the strength in his body, and his warmth. God, he felt so good. I wanted to lean into him, bury my face in his neck.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Gemma? Get up!” Diego growled, grabbing my wrist in a bruising grip before he scowled at Savio. “And you take your fucking fingers off her waist or I’ll break them.”

Oh no. Tension shot through Savio’s body and his hold on my waist tightened further as he slowly sat up with me still on his lap. “Try it.”

The threat in Savio’s voice stunned me. I touched his forearm, fingertips brushing the scars there, and his expression, still fixed on my brother, became even harsher.

My eyes darted between my brother and Savio, realizing this had just turned dead serious for them. This was going to turn into a testosterone-fueled shitfest. And no offense to Diego, who was a nasty piece of shit in the fighting ring, but I had seen Savio in the cage. He was a Falcone, and fighting was in his blood, and so was a talent to destroy his opponents with words and fists.

If those two ever killed each other, it wouldn’t be because of me. I jammed my heel down on Savio’s foot. He grunted and loosened his hold on my waist, giving me the chance to jump to my feet and ram my fist into Diego’s stomach, causing him to groan and jerk back.

“You are idiots.”

I whirled around and stomped upstairs. I needed to get away from Savio before I did something even stupider.

Diego was breathing hard beside me as he stared after Gemma who rushed up the stairs. My eyes, too, followed her ascent, unable to tear myself away from the outline of her ass in those sweatpants. Gemma made even those look sexy.

She was a goddamn enigma.

In all the time I’d known her, she never said ‘fuck’. With everyone else, I’d have rolled my fucking eyes hearing the word ‘fudge’ as a curse, but she made it work. That girl loved to fight and could throw a mean punch, and yet at the same time, she loved to watch those vomit-inducing chic-flicks featuring those pussies claiming to be men and the color pink. I didn’t even know there were boxing gloves in pink.

Gemma was the hottest girl in the city and didn’t even realize it. She was the girl I wanted most and couldn’t have.

Diego narrowed his eyes at me, still standing over me.

I leaned back again, cocking a brow.

“Don’t ever touch her again.”

I rose slowly, stepping up to him. “Or what?”

Diego looked like he was considering murdering me. “If you don’t honor our values, if you don’t respect that our women are off limits unless they are your woman, then you can’t come over anymore. I’ll have to protect Gemma at all costs. If you pose a risk to her, our friendship has to end.”

“Pose a risk to her?” I scoffed. “She sat on my lap. I didn’t pull her down, and I didn’t touch her inappropriately, Diego. I wrapped an arm around her waist.”

“That’s already too much,” he muttered. “Gemma doesn’t know what she’s doing. She doesn’t realize how you’ll take it if she sits on your lap.”

“How do I take it?”

“You’ll think she might be up for more or that she’s hitting on you.”

“She is hitting on me. We both know it.”

Diego tensed.

“Calm the fuck down, asshole. I know Gemma isn’t up for more. But you know as well as I do that she’s got a crush on me.”

“It doesn’t matter. You can’t have her—unless you marry her.”

I laughed and sank back down on the couch. Lifting my shirt, I clapped my hand on my bull tattoo peeking out. “This bull won’t ever be chained to one woman.”

Diego rolled his eyes but finally sat down as well. “Believe me, I know. Now only Gemma has to get it in her stubborn head. Maybe it’ll sink in once Dad’s found a husband for her.”

“He’s looking?” I asked, trying to determine why I felt the urge to crush something.

“Yeah.” Diego regarded me.

I relaxed against the headrest with a shrug. “He’d better know how to throw a punch or she’s going to bulldoze him.”