By Fate I Conquer (Sins of the Fathers #4)(68)

Instead, we talked about the farm as we sat across from each other, enjoying Greta’s cooking. “My sister and her husband have two dogs as well,” I said, nodding toward Bear.

“Really?”

“From a shelter.”

“That’s wonderful.”

My eyes were drawn to another dog bed I hadn’t noticed before where a black and white dog slept soundly. It’s hind-legs and tail were bandaged. “The dog you saved?”

She nodded, compassion filling her face. “Dotty. She’s sleeping a lot because of the medication but I think she’s on the mend.”

I didn’t follow her gaze to the broken creature because I couldn’t take my eyes away from her face.

Sitting like that with a woman and talking felt foreign, but at the same time right in a profound way I couldn’t quite figure out and I knew it wouldn’t ever be like this with any other woman, especially not Cressida. I’d either have ulterior motives or try to escape the situation as fast as possible. With Greta I was content just being close to her and hearing her take on things, which was so unique, positive and inherently kind that it felt even more foreign than our situation in itself. That didn’t mean that I wouldn’t have liked to kiss her, to touch her. Fuck, to do so many things to her, but right now, I was content. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d just been content, without my mind running a hundred miles an hour thinking about all the problems ahead.

This moment here was what my parents shared. It was what I’d never hoped to have, and now, with Greta, for a fleeting moment, I experienced it. But this couldn’t last.

Anger at myself rose up like a flash flood. I put the spoon down. “I’m not here to chat and eat.”

Greta jumped at the sudden change in my tone. She put her own spoon down. “Why are you here then?”

Fuck. If I knew why. “Greta, our families are at war.”

“It doesn’t have to be that way.”

I smiled bitterly. “Your brother and cousins kidnapped my aunt and cousin. Isa still has nightmares.”

Greta lowered her gaze, her lips thinning. “I know it was wrong. But you attacked us first. Kiara had a concussion.”

“It was a mistake,” I admitted. I wasn’t sure why I said it. Only Dad knew what I thought of our failed ambush.

Greta looked up in surprise. “Thank you for saying this. I didn’t think you would. I know men like you have trouble admitting to faults.”

“You’re welcome,” I said in a strangely gruff tone.

I stretched out my hand on the table, my palm upward and Greta put her hand in mine without hesitation. I closed my fingers. How could this feel so fucking perfect when it was betrayal in so many ways?

She swallowed thickly. “Do you want me to show you around?”

I wanted many things, but not that.

Greta’s eyes darted down to my lips as if she could read my thoughts on my face. She looked away, her brows snatching together.

“Are you often alone out here?”

“This is actually the first time. It was a hard fight to get this far. But I’m a good shot. I beat Alessio and Massimo at skeet shooting.”

My eyebrows rose. “Really?”

She gave me an indignant look. “Really. It’s a sport, which was why I agreed to take lessons, and once Dad saw how good I was he allowed me more freedom. I could defend myself if the need arose.”

“But you wouldn’t be shooting at clay pigeons.”

“That was Nino’s and Dad’s argument until two days ago. Then they realized I was capable of violence,” she said in a strangled tone.

“It’s not the same.”

She shrugged. “Nobody’s going to attack because only few people know about this place.”

“And one of them is part of an enemy family.”

“But you’re not going to use it to hurt me.”

“No.”

We looked at each other and the pull was so strong I wanted to tug her across the table to claim a kiss.

“Let’s go outside and sit on the swing for a bit,” she said, not waiting for my reply to get up.

I rose and moved toward her. As we headed outside, I put my hand on the small of her back without thinking about it. I’d never done something like that and had always wondered why Dad did it with Mom. She gifted me with a smile that lit up her entire face and even filled her eyes with a beautiful spark.

She sank down on the swing and pulled her legs up to her chest. I sank down beside Greta, causing the swing to finally move. She stared off toward the grazing horses.

I did the same, and the last bit of tension slipped away.

At some point, our hands moved closer together and Greta’s fingers brushed mine until we linked fingers once more. I angled my body toward her and suddenly our faces were very close. I cupped her cheek, ignoring the annoying gleaming of my ring and then I kissed her. A soothing, gentle kiss because Greta had been through a lot, that quickly became more heated. Her soft moans, her sweet taste, the playful way her tongue responded to mine, it all drove me higher and higher. I guided Greta to the cushions, and half covered her with my body. She tensed and I pulled back, searching her face for a sign that I’d crossed a line I had no business crossing.

Greta looked overwhelmed and I began to push up but she quickly cupped my face and raised her head for another kiss. “Stay. I was just surprised. I want this.”