He’d never had to be any of those things to get a girl because of the bassadone . “Because it always has been.”
Cam snorted. “Fuck that. Get your head outta your ass and stop feeling sorry for yourself. You use that damn spell as a shield, you always have.”
Antonin frowned at him. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“You use it so you don’t have to commit. You can always whine and bitch that the women never really want you for you and then you can leave them.”
“Fuck you, Cam. That’s bull.”
Cam slashed a hand out in front of him, throwing just a tiny bit of the power he controlled straight at Antonin, who staggered back two steps. “Don’t even give me that poor-little-me routine. I’ve seen you at work, bro. You’ve gotten really good at love ’em and leave ’em.”
Bullshit. Most of his relationships had ended because the bassadone spell eventually wore off and by then the women were tired of him. Cam was just trying to get a rise out of him. And he wasn’t biting. “What the hell do you want anyway?”
Cam shrugged. Nothing ever fazed his big brother. “Told you. Just checking in.
And since I’ve done that, I’ll let you get back to your miserable life. I’ll let the ’rents know you’re okay. If you need me, just give a holler. Later.”
* * * * *
Ellie listened to the men talk from her seat on the stairs to the loft. The height of the ceiling magnified their voices, making it easy for her to hear every word.
82
Seduced in Shadow
She’d been on her way back downstairs to confront Antonin again. She didn’t want to be a coward. She wanted to know everything and she wanted to know it all right now. Especially whatever it was he was hiding from her.
Then Antonin had spoken to a man she assumed was his brother and taken away all her angry heat.
He wanted to keep her.
A tiny corner of her heart melted—which made her want him again.
But first she had to know what this bassadone spell was they were talking about.
Was it a spell he had put on her? A spell to make her want him? Was there a way to tell whether he’d woven a spell over her? Would she want to know if he had? Was this what her father had told him to come clean about?
Too many questions. Questions she wanted answers to.
Ellie heard Antonin downstairs, pacing, prowling. Almost like a caged animal.
Shifting closer to the banister, she looked down to see him stop and stare out the large window at the front of the house. With his arms stretched above him and his hands flat on the glass, he looked trapped, as if there was no way out.
She followed his gaze out the window. All she could see was dark forest. Her dad had said they were going to Chester County, which bordered Berks. But she really didn’t know anything other than that.
Ellie rose, knowing he’d hear her the second she did, and she wasn’t disappointed.
Antonin swung around to watch her walk down the steps, his expression wary.
She walked across the room, taking her time, holding his gaze. There wasn’t much furniture and she walked straight to him. When there was only a foot between them, she stopped, tilting her head back to look at him.
He was so gorgeous and she knew, she knew , she felt that way because he was gorgeous. Not because of some spell he’d cast over her.
“I take it you overheard that conversation?”
83
Stephanie Julian
She nodded. “That was your brother?”
“Yeah. My oldest. Cam.”
“You have others?”
“Two more. Rio and Teo. They’re both younger. Because of our, ah, abilities, Rio, Cam and I have trained as security specialists most of our adult lives. We do personal security, information retrieval and gathering.”
“You mean you’re a bodyguard and a spy?”
He shrugged. “Pretty much, yeah.”
When he didn’t elaborate, she decided to ask the twenty-four-thousand-dollar question. “Are you going to tell me what bassadone means?”
He drew in a deep breath as if she’d hit him but
Cam snorted. “Fuck that. Get your head outta your ass and stop feeling sorry for yourself. You use that damn spell as a shield, you always have.”
Antonin frowned at him. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“You use it so you don’t have to commit. You can always whine and bitch that the women never really want you for you and then you can leave them.”
“Fuck you, Cam. That’s bull.”
Cam slashed a hand out in front of him, throwing just a tiny bit of the power he controlled straight at Antonin, who staggered back two steps. “Don’t even give me that poor-little-me routine. I’ve seen you at work, bro. You’ve gotten really good at love ’em and leave ’em.”
Bullshit. Most of his relationships had ended because the bassadone spell eventually wore off and by then the women were tired of him. Cam was just trying to get a rise out of him. And he wasn’t biting. “What the hell do you want anyway?”
Cam shrugged. Nothing ever fazed his big brother. “Told you. Just checking in.
And since I’ve done that, I’ll let you get back to your miserable life. I’ll let the ’rents know you’re okay. If you need me, just give a holler. Later.”
* * * * *
Ellie listened to the men talk from her seat on the stairs to the loft. The height of the ceiling magnified their voices, making it easy for her to hear every word.
82
Seduced in Shadow
She’d been on her way back downstairs to confront Antonin again. She didn’t want to be a coward. She wanted to know everything and she wanted to know it all right now. Especially whatever it was he was hiding from her.
Then Antonin had spoken to a man she assumed was his brother and taken away all her angry heat.
He wanted to keep her.
A tiny corner of her heart melted—which made her want him again.
But first she had to know what this bassadone spell was they were talking about.
Was it a spell he had put on her? A spell to make her want him? Was there a way to tell whether he’d woven a spell over her? Would she want to know if he had? Was this what her father had told him to come clean about?
Too many questions. Questions she wanted answers to.
Ellie heard Antonin downstairs, pacing, prowling. Almost like a caged animal.
Shifting closer to the banister, she looked down to see him stop and stare out the large window at the front of the house. With his arms stretched above him and his hands flat on the glass, he looked trapped, as if there was no way out.
She followed his gaze out the window. All she could see was dark forest. Her dad had said they were going to Chester County, which bordered Berks. But she really didn’t know anything other than that.
Ellie rose, knowing he’d hear her the second she did, and she wasn’t disappointed.
Antonin swung around to watch her walk down the steps, his expression wary.
She walked across the room, taking her time, holding his gaze. There wasn’t much furniture and she walked straight to him. When there was only a foot between them, she stopped, tilting her head back to look at him.
He was so gorgeous and she knew, she knew , she felt that way because he was gorgeous. Not because of some spell he’d cast over her.
“I take it you overheard that conversation?”
83
Stephanie Julian
She nodded. “That was your brother?”
“Yeah. My oldest. Cam.”
“You have others?”
“Two more. Rio and Teo. They’re both younger. Because of our, ah, abilities, Rio, Cam and I have trained as security specialists most of our adult lives. We do personal security, information retrieval and gathering.”
“You mean you’re a bodyguard and a spy?”
He shrugged. “Pretty much, yeah.”
When he didn’t elaborate, she decided to ask the twenty-four-thousand-dollar question. “Are you going to tell me what bassadone means?”
He drew in a deep breath as if she’d hit him but
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