His greatest love.

Chapter 51.

The moment Camille disappeared down the hallway, the house fell quiet again.

Not awkward.

Not tense.

Just warm in that dangerous sort of way that made Diana suddenly too aware of Giovanni standing close enough to touch.

And he was touching her.

One hand still rested lightly against her waist, fingers spread possessively but not forcefully against the soft fabric of her shirt as though he'd forgotten to let go.

Or simply didn't want to.

Diana looked up at him slowly.

"You enjoy embarrassing me."

Giovanni's mouth curved instantly. "No."

"No?"

"I enjoy watching you pretend you're unaffected by me."

"That sounds incredibly arrogant."

"It would be," he murmured softly, "if I were wrong."

The warmth in his voice wrapped around her carefully, deliberately, and Diana hated how easily he dismantled her composure these days.

Because this.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

Not to her.

Not after everything.

Yet somehow this man had walked into her carefully rebuilt life and made himself comfortable inside her thoughts with terrifying ease.

"You flirt like a full-time occupation," she muttered.

Giovanni smiled faintly. "Only because you reward me for it."

Her brows lifted.

"I do not."

"You kissed me in a way that has me still melting at your feet."

"That was a lapse in judgment."

"A passionate lapse."

Diana laughed softly despite herself and Giovanni's expression changed instantly at the sound.

God.

That look again.

Like hearing her laugh genuinely affected him.

His thumb brushed slowly against her side.

"You have no idea," he murmured quietly, "what that sound does to me."

Her heartbeat stumbled traitorously.

Diana shook her head lightly, trying to recover ground. "You're very dramatic today."

"I missed you."

The answer came too quickly.

Too honestly.

And suddenly the air shifted again.

No teasing.

No games.

Just sincerity sitting openly between them.

Giovanni looked at her for a long moment, dark eyes softer than she'd ever seen them.

"You were angry with me," he said quietly. "Do you know how unbearable that felt?"

Diana folded her arms loosely, though the movement lacked real defense now.

"You survived."

"Barely."

"You ignored my calls."

"I didn't though. I swear if I heard it ring I would have answered." His jaw tightened faintly. "I would never pass an opportunity to here your voice amore."