46
" As the gondola cut between the Giudecca and San Giorgio Maggiore, wind whistled through the slats of the felze, stinging Cass’s eyes and skin. She wasn’t cold, though. She might never be cold again. Touching her lips, she replayed Falco’s kiss in her head, one delicious second at a time. His lips hovering near her face before coming to rest on her cheekbone. The indecision, the terror that gripped her heart as she decided whether to give in. The way she had every reason to turn away and only one reason to turn toward him--because she wanted to, almost more than she had ever wanted anything in her life.
What would have happened if they hadn’t been interrupted by the other artists? She reclined against the back of the felze, trying to imagine Falco’s weight on top of her, his mouth finding her neck, making its way down to her bare shoulder while she ran her fingers through his messy brown hair. She had no idea if it was all right for a woman to touch a man or if she was just supposed to let him touch her. She knew what Falco would say: Forget about what’s appropriate. Do what feels right.
Cass closed her eyes. Kissing him had felt right. So right. But it shouldn’t happen again. Couldn’t. "
― Fiona Paul , Venom (Secrets of the Eternal Rose, #1)
47
" What about now, Cassandra?” he asked, touching his hand to her left cheek, his other hand coming to rest on her slender waist. “Are you ready now? I must return to France to study. Come back with me. I can protect you. I will protect you. And I will try--I will do everything I can to make you happy.”
Cass didn’t know what to say. She stared into Luca’s eyes--patient, warm, kind. He would be an excellent husband. An almost-perfect husband. But would he be the perfect husband for her? Cass didn’t know.
Just then, something moved in the shadows. Instinctively, Cass tensed up. Her head whipped around as a figure emerged from the taverna behind them.
It was Falco, holding a canvas sack over his shoulder. He froze, watching her and Luca, and Cass saw them as he must: standing close like lovers, their arms intertwined. He was still at a distance, but his stare radiated heat. Not anger, just his own peculiar energy.
Luca did not appear to notice her attention had been distracted. “Will you go with me?” he prompted. “As my wife?”
“I--” Cass looked up into Luca’s face. Her fiancé would love her and protect her. He understood pain and loyalty. He would die to keep her safe.
Falco was moving now, walking toward the shoreline. Cass’s heart rose into her throat. Her first love. Falco understood her desire to be free from expectations. The man who would support her in living the life she wanted to live.
But what life was that?
Cass stood frozen, unable to decide. Luca was still staring at her expectantly. Falco reached the two of them, raising his blue eyes just long enough to give her a single soft look as he passed by.
As Falco waved an arm to signal a passing fisherman, the sun dipped completely below the horizon. "
― Fiona Paul , Venom (Secrets of the Eternal Rose, #1)
49
" Your problem is that you do believe in all of that nonsense. And that’s why you’re scared.”
“I’m not scared,” she insisted, but even she wasn’t convinced by the thin protestation.
“Yes, you are, or you wouldn’t be asking all these questions. You’re stalling.”
Falco bent down and started untying the gondola’s rigging. His hands worked through the ropes easily, as if this were a trick he’d performed many times before. “Hop aboard before I let it go completely loose.”
Cass swore she saw him wink at her through the gloom. “My aunt will positively murder me if she finds out I took her gondola without asking.” In the middle of the night. With a strange boy.
“Oh, don’t get your laces all in a knot. We’re just going to borrow it. We can have it back before your precious auntie realizes it’s missing.”
Cass stood by the dock, staring at the sleek gondola. The early morning was cool, but the blood racing through her veins kept her warm. As long as Falco was certain they could return before anyone found out…
Falco knelt in the middle of the boat, one hand held out in Cass’s direction, the other poised to release the gondola from the dock with a quick tug of the rope.
“I understand if you don’t want to come. So many rules to break.” Falco’s voice still had that lilting quality to it, but his eyes were serious. “It is safer in the cage, isn’t it?”
It was safer. If her parents had stayed in Venice instead of plunging themselves into plague-afflicted foreign cities, they might still be alive. They had wandered outside the little circle of safety and expectations, and had paid the ultimate price.
But Cass didn’t want to stay in the circle. She wanted to live.
Besides, if there really was a murderer out there, and he had his eye on Cass, what was the point in sitting around waiting for him to come to her? "
― Fiona Paul , Venom (Secrets of the Eternal Rose, #1)
53
" You are not my husband yet,” she said softly, but with force. “And I do not have to listen to you.”
Luca’s fork fell to the table with a clatter. “Then you are a sillier girl than I thought,” he burst out. “And I would urge you to be more careful. Where have you been spending your time, Cassandra?”
“One might ask the same question of you,” she said. Both Siena and Madalena had claimed to have seen him on the Rialto. They couldn’t both be mistaken. Her eyes narrowed. “How long have you really been in Venice, Luca? You told me you had just arrived, but you were seen in the city more than a week ago! How do you explain that?”
“All I have done since arriving in Venice is attend to your safety.” Luca flung his balled-up napkin onto his untouched dessert plate. “What you don’t know can hurt you, Cass.” He pushed his chair back abruptly from the table.
For a second, no one said a word. The outburst had startled even Agnese into silence. Cass was sure that the servants were taking in every word.
Luca seemed suddenly to remember that there were others in the room. He passed a hand through his hair. “I apologize,” he said stiffly. “I don’t know why I got so upset.” He brushed a few crumbs from his clothing as he stood. “If you will both excuse me, I have some reading I must complete.”
Cass turned to her aunt the second Luca disappeared into the portego. “What on earth do you suppose that was about?” she asked.
“It appears that during his time in France, your fiancé developed a bit of a temper,” Agnese said mildly, as though Luca’s outburst were perfectly normal. She blotted her mouth with her napkin and signaled a servant to bring her a second pastry. “Let’s just hope he saves some of that passion for your wedding night. "
― Fiona Paul , Venom (Secrets of the Eternal Rose, #1)
55
" I apologize,” he said stiffly. “I don’t know why I got so upset.” He brushed a few crumbs from his clothing as he stood. “If you will both excuse me, I have some reading I must complete.”
Cass turned to her aunt the second Luca disappeared into the portego. “What on earth do you suppose that was about?” she asked.
“It appears that during his time in France, your fiancé developed a bit of a temper,” Agnese said mildly, as though Luca’s outburst were perfectly normal. She blotted her mouth with her napkin and signaled a servant to bring her a second pastry. “Let’s just hope he saves some of that passion for your wedding night.”
Cass folded her napkin and put it on the table. She felt nauseated. She replayed the conversation with Luca again and again. He hadn’t even denied returning to Venice early. It was true--he’d been in town for at least a week, maybe more. Why had he lied to her? She thought of how she had seen, for just one second, his face contorted with rage as he warned her to be more careful. It was a side of Luca she had never seen--almost as though for just one second, he had slipped on a mask.
Or perhaps he had slipped out of a mask. Maybe, in that moment, he had let drop the image of the ever-composed, always righteous Luca.
It was more than just jealousy or overprotectiveness. Luca was hiding something. Cass was certain of it. "
― Fiona Paul , Venom (Secrets of the Eternal Rose, #1)
56
" She took a step toward the gondola. “I want to go.”
Falco grinned. “I knew you would.”
Cass paused, her hand on the side of the boat. She looked up at Falco. “Why is that?”
This time, he definitely winked. “Not every girl likes to wander through graveyards in the middle of the night.”
“I guess I’m not every girl,” Cass said, allowing him to take her hand and gently assist her into the gondola.
An indecipherable look flashed across Falco’s tan face for just a second. Then he smiled. “No, Signorina,” he said. “You are definitely not. You’re different, and I like it.”
Cass couldn’t help but think that Falco, with his teasing manner and bizarre beliefs about life and death, was also quite different.
And she, too, liked it. "
― Fiona Paul , Venom (Secrets of the Eternal Rose, #1)
60
" I can’t imagine how a woman could be comfortable just lying around naked while a bunch of boys gawked at her.”
“You should try it. You might like it.” Falco’s teasing voice sounded very close, as if he were seconds from ducking behind the screen to see what was taking so long.
“Almost finished,” she said quickly. She had her arms in the flowing sleeves, and her fingers were struggling to button up the back of the costume. It felt like there were a million little pearls that needed to hook inside a million little slippery silken loops. She managed to do enough to cover up her lower back and then had to quit. She simply couldn’t reach the top buttons by herself. “Promise not to laugh.”
“I promise not to--” Falco’s eyes widened as she emerged from behind the screen, and he almost dropped one of the glasses of wine he was holding. He looked her up and down, murmured something under his breath that she couldn’t make out.
The way he was looking at her made Cass feel like the costume was transparent. “Stop staring,” she demanded. She crossed her arms and pointed at the wine. “Is one of those for me?”
“My apologies, Signorina.” He handed her a glass of crimson liquid without taking his eyes off her. “I always knew you were beautiful, but I think you may have the longest legs of any woman I’ve ever seen. And your skin--exquisite! Turn around.”
Cass wanted to refuse, but felt herself spinning slowly in a circle so that Falco could look at her. She took a sip from her glass and struggled not to cough. The wine, or whatever it was, was bad.
“Magnificent. Let me help with the buttons.” Falco set his glass down on the wooden stool. Before Cass could protest, he was behind her, his fingertips on the small of her back. Cass felt a pearl come loose.
She whirled around, sloshing a bit of wine out of her glass as she slapped his hand. “You undid one,” she accused.
Falco laughed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.” He reached for her but she leaned away. “Come on, I promise I’ll behave. "
― Fiona Paul , Venom (Secrets of the Eternal Rose, #1)
