"Fuck off!" I swear, turning away again.
I hope my small act of defense will somehow deter Casteel. A twitch would be enough to make me feel the sense of victory but his reflection is just as calm as before. He studies the stain for some time, then shakes his head, shoving his own cup of coffee into Laura's shaking hands.
"Signore, you okay?" Laura asks, touching his arm in a gesture of solace.
Her eyes are shimmering in a new kind of glow as she watches him and it makes me wonder if her acts of friendliness towards me are a lie. That look speaks of admiration for the monster, maybe even a crush.
Casteel brings his attention to me, ordering Laura in a grave voice, "Leave us."
Laura rips her hand off Casteel.
"Si, Signore," she says, glancing at me. "Excuse me, Miss Holland."
She struts away to her own seat in the cockpit, leaving the madman behind with me.
Casteel doesn't take the seat Laura vacated beside me. He instead slides down to sit on the floor, his hands touching my feet which I have up my seat. His thumb grazes my ankle. I fail to jerk my feet away as he traps them under his herculean forearm.
"Feeling good?" he taunts with a bitter curl of his lips. "Satisfied?"
"Leave me alone," I seethe, attempting to push his hands away from me but his grip is firm, his gaze unyielding as he scrutinizes my face.
"Why do you expect me to do things you know I can't? Leaving you alone is out of question, Tesoro," he says non-amusedly. "You're in a fragile condition. I don't trust you with your mental health."
I let out a bitter laugh, finding my head beginning to throb. "You're the reason behind my condition, Signore Lorenzo."
His smirk spreads to a smug smile. "It's just Casteel for you. You should know that." He adds, "You're the only one allowed to call me that."
I stare in amazement at the look on his face. He seems so sincere; his words sound so genuine. And it bites more because all of that is fake. Expecting love from this man would be a cruel thing for oneself. He doesn't love. He only obsesses.
Someday he would meet someone new to obsess over and forget all about me. I pray the day comes soon.
"What do you want from me?" I question, finding a curiosity to poke the bear. "You can have any woman you want. Why are you running behind me like a lap dog begging for attention?"
The insult jumps over his head. His grin widens.
"That's right, Tesoro. I'm your lap dog," he admits. "I'll dance to any of your tunes. Just tell me where and how."
Did this man get dropped on his head at birth? Or was he born different from everyone else?
"You're a psycho."
He laughs at my vain response. "You don't know how many people have told me that before." His finger traces the shape of each of my toes, sending tingles up my legs. "Tesoro, you shine for me more than anyone else ever did. How can I let you go?" His voice drops to a depth so low that it's like he is talking to himself while looking at my feet. "You're the only one who understands the games my mind plays. We're the same, mi amore. My fire burns with yours. Equals we are—mind and body alike."
"I'm nothing like you," I state, lifting my chin confidently. He might be good at manipulation but I am Tatia Holland too. I have had my fair share of demons. He is nothing but another.
I will escape him again. He doesn't know it yet. Even if he forces me to marry him, I will escape. No one has ever been able to tie Tatia down. No one ever will.