Lahat ng Kabanata ng Be Careful With My Heart : Kabanata 71 - Kabanata 80

(Pamela)..MASSIMO SAYS he's fine. But I know that's not true.Despite his efforts to hide his emotions from me, I can still see the flashes of pain and grief in the depths of his storm-gray eyes. For a man whose cold exterior and arrogance are the main reasons I dislike him, it surprises me that he's capable of any other emotions.I know grief when I see it. I've felt it, basked in it and now I was learning to get over it. But what I haven't prepared for is consoling others who feel the same way.So I remain silent and take another bite of my grilled fish, though the flavours are now a bit dull. Maybe it's because of the sweetness of the wine or the intimate silence that falls between us. We both listen to Erik’s babbling for a moment as we try to process our thoughts.I look up from my plate to see Massimo’s eyes on me. Not just watching me but intently staring as if seeing me through a new pair of eyes. I've never been been self conscious before. His gaze trails over me, among m

(Pamela)..ON THE NIGHT I lost my virginity almost ten years ago, my then-boyfriend had this burning look of desirein his eyes that spoke volumes without him needing to say a single word. I'd been scared and anxious and put of my damn mind but that look on his face had been forever engraved in my memory. I can recognise that sultry look anywhere. Men give it to me all the time, most especially in my early twenties when I was still a big fan of clubbing and having fun. That look meant only one thing: that they wanted to have sex with me.As soon as Massimo entered the master suite that we shared, it was undeniable what he wanted to do to me. His face said it all and his piercing storm-gray eyes nearly shredded me into pieces as they travelsd all over my body, the parts that weren'thidden by the duvet anyway. I wrapped myself up even more with the duvet because I couldn't even trust myself at this point.We were both vulnerable and under the influence of being so close all evening.

(Pamela)..THE WORDS HANG in the air between us like a live wire, crackling with electricity. My breath catches in my throat as I stare up at Massimo, his dark eyes burning with an intensity that makes my knees go weak. The kitchen suddenly feels suffocating, the walls closing in on us as his confession reverberates through my mind.‘On her damn knees.’Heat floods my cheeks, but it's not from embarrassment. It's from the traitorous way my body responds to his raw honesty. I should be outraged. I should slap him for confessing that he'd had sexual thoughts about me right from the first day we met, the worst day of my life. Instead, I'm frozen against the wall, hyper aware of every inch between us, which isn't much."You're sick," I whisper, but my voice lacks conviction. His wolfish grin widens. "Am I?"He places one hand flat against the wall beside my head, leaning in even closer. His cologne completely fills my senses and I can feel the heat radiating from his body, can see the

(Pamela)..Heat flares in my chest at Massimo’s hurtful accusation. "Maybe because he genuinely wanted to know me rather than treat me as just a means to an end.”Massimo leans forward slightly, his voice dropping to that dangerous tone that makes my pulse race despite my anger. "If I treated you as ‘just’ a means to an end, believe me, you'd be in a far worse position than this."His statement only confirms my perception of the kind of man he is. "How enlightening. And here I thought we were business partners.""Business partners don't usually. . .""Don't usually what?" I challenge when he stops mid-sentence.His gaze drops to my lips for just a moment before snapping back to my eyes. "Nothing. Forget it, Pamela."But I know what he was going to say. Business partners don't usually almost kiss in kitchen corners. Don't usually look at each other the way we've been looking at each other all evening."That's what I thought," I murmur, taking another sip of champagne to hide my sa

(Massimo)..I DON'T REALISE the implication of what I've said until Pamela goes rigid beneath me and her hands suddenly start pushing against my chest instead of pulling me closer."What did you just say?" Her voice is barely a whisper, but it cuts through the quiet of the room like a blade.The name hangs in the air between us, and I realize with horror what I've just done. In between the sweet pleasures of the moment, I'd accidentally mentioned Elsa. My dead wife's name. The woman whose memory I've spent years trying to honor, trying to move past and trying to forget."Pamela, I . . ."But she's already scrambling out from beneath me and pulling her dress back up with shaking hands. The look on her face is pure devastation mixed with humiliation. I'd just made a fool of her by moaning another woman’s name. Even for me, it's an unforgivable sin.I'm the biggest clown to ever exist. "You don't even see me," she finally says, her voice cracking like she's on the brink of tears. I