*LORENZO*
Shit. Maybe that’s the reason.
“Look, I can’t keep you here if you want to leave. Magda is moving to Canada. So where you’ll go, I don’t know. If nothing else, stay until you know where. But please don’t go. Stay. With .”
She can’t run...she can’t.
Forgive ! Please.
I hold my breath. Waiting.
It’s excruciating. I’m the defendant in the dock waiting for the verdict. She turns her tearstained face to .
“You are not ashad of ?”
Ashad? No!
I can bear it no longer. I skim the back of my index finger across her cheek, capturing a tear. “No. No. Of course not. I...I...I’ve fallen in love with you.”
Her lips part, and I hear her just audible gasp.
Shit. Am I too late?
Her eyes glisten with fresh tears, and my heart clenches with a new and intimidating sensation. Perhaps she’ll reject . My anxiety level ratchets up several notches, and I’ve never felt as vulnerable as I do now.
What’s the verdict, Danica?
I open my arms, and she looks from my hands to my face. Her expression uncertain. It’s killing . She bites her lower lip and takes one small hesitant step, and she’s in my embrace. I wrap my arms around her and press her to my chest. I never want to let her go. Closing my eyes, I bury my nose in her hair and inhale her sweet scent. “My love,” I whisper.
She shudders and starts to sob.
“I know. I know. I’ve got you. You’ve had a terrible fright. I’m sorry I left you on your own. It was a stupid thing to do. Forgive . But those arseholes are in police custody. They’re gone. They won’t harm you again. I’ve got you.” Her arms slide around , and she grabs my coat at the back. She holds as she weeps.
“I should have told you, Danica. I’m sorry.”
We stand for seconds, minutes, I don’t know. Jensen and Healey give up on us and wander down the stairs.
“You can cry on anyti,” I tease. She sniffles, and I tip her chin up and stare down into beautiful, red-rimd eyes. “I thought...oh, God, I thought if they got their hands on you...I’d never see you again.”
Swallowing, she gives a weak smile.
“And you must know,” I continue, “I’d be honored to call you mine. I need you.” And loosening my hold, I gently caress her face, avoiding the slight red mark on her right cheek. The sight of her bruise fills with anger, but, taking great care not to touch it, I smooth away her tears with my thumbs. She places her hand on my chest. Through my shirt I feel the warmth. It spreads. Everywhere.
Danica clears her throat. “I was so scared. I thought I’d never see you again. But my biggest...um, sorrow...um, regret,” she whispers, “was that...was that I never told you that I love you.”
Joy bursts like a million fireworks within from head to foot. Its intensity leaves breathless. I can’t quite believe it. “You do?”
“Yes,” Danica whispers with a timid smile.
“Since when?”
She pauses and lifts a shoulder in a coy shrug. “Since you gave the umbrella.”
I beam at her. “I felt so good about that. Your wet footprints were all over my hall. So...are you saying you’ll stay?”
“Yes.”
“Here?”
“Yes.”
“I’m so very glad to hear that, my love.” I brush her bottom lip with my thumb and lean down to kiss her. I place my lips on hers, gently, but she ignites around , her fervor taking by surprise. Her lips and tongue are greedy, urgent, her hands are in my hair, tugging and twisting.
She wants more. So much more. I groan as my body cos alive, and I deepen the kiss, taking everything she has to offer. There’s a desperate quality to her demanding mouth. She’s needy. And I want to be the one to fulfill her need. My hands move into her hair, holding her still, steadying her, slowing our pace. I want to take her, here, now, on the landing.
Danica.
My arousal is instant. I want her.
I need her.
I love her.
But...she’s been through hell. She winces when I run my hand down her side. And her reaction brings to my senses.
“No...” I whisper, and she pulls back, giving a carnal but bewildered and disappointed look.
“You’re hurt,” I explain.
“I’m okay.” She’s breathless, and she cranes her neck to kiss again.
“Let’s just take a mont,” I whisper, and I rest my forehead on hers. “You’ve had a horrible morning.” She’s extrely emotional, and her ardor may be a direct reaction to being roughed up by those arseholes.
The thought is sobering.
Or maybe it’s because she loves .
I like that idea better.
We stand forehead to forehead as we each catch our breath.
She strokes my cheek, then tilts her head to one side, and a hint of a smile plays on her lips.
“You are the heir to the Moretti Empire?” she teases. “When were you going to tell ?”
There’s a mischievous twinkle in her eye, and I laugh out loud, knowing that she’s echoing my question from the other night.
“I’m telling you now.”
She grins and taps her lip with her finger. I turn and wave theatrically to the portrait and explained who the people are in each one.
My great grandfather, my grandfather, my father.
“Where is your portrait?” She asks.
“I don’t have one yet. I just started working in the company. My father said I haven’t proven myself yet.”
“Is that why you didn’t tell ?” Danica asks.
“It’s one of the reasons. I think part of just wants to be an ordinary young man to you. All this, and the other estates, it’s a lot of responsibility, and I’ve not been trained for it yet.”
This conversation is getting too deep and too close to ho. I continue with a slight smile. “I’m very lucky. I’ve never really had to work before, and now all this will be mine. And I have to maintain it for the next generation. It’s my duty.” I give her an apologetic shrug. “This is who I am. And now you know. And I’m glad you’ve decided to stay.”
********************
“Sir?” Mona calls up from below.
Lorenzo’s shoulders sag a little. Danica senses that he wants to be left alone.
“Yes, Mona?” he answers.
“The doctor is here to see Danica.”
Lorenzo turns an anxious gaze to her. “Doctor?”
“I’m okay,” Danica says, hesitantly.
He frowns. “Send her up to the blue room.”
“It’s not Dr. Carter, it’s Dr. Conway, sir. I’ll send him up right away.”
“Thank you,” Lorenzo calls down to Mona, and he takes Danica’s hand. “What did that bastard do to you?”
Danica can’t look him in the eye. She feels ashad, ashad that she’s brought this horror into Lorenzo’s life. “He kicked ,” she whispers. “Mona wanted the doctor to see this.” She lifts the side of her Arsenal shirt to reveal a vivid red mark that’s the size of a man’s fist.
“Fuck.” Lorenzo’s expression hardens, his mouth pressing into a thin line. “I should have killed that scum,” he hisses. He takes her hand, and they walk back to the blue room, where an elderly man with a large leather bag is waiting.
Danica is surprised to see that the clothes she’d left on the bed and the floor have been tidied away.
“Dr. Conway. It’s been a while.” Lorenzo shakes hands with him. The doctor has wild white hair, a wispy mustache, and a beard to match.
His keen blue eyes are the sa color as his crooked bow tie. “Have we brought you out of retirent?”
“Sir, you have. But only for today. Dr. Carter is on holiday. It’s good to see you looking so well.” He places a hand on Lorenzo’s shoulder, and a look passes between them.
“And you, Doctor,” Lorenzo answers.
He turns his attention to Danica, who tightens her hold on Lorenzo’s hand. “Good day, my dear. Ernest Conway at your service.” He gives her a little bow.
“Dr. Conway, this is my girlfriend, Danica.”
Lorenzo looks at her, his shining eyes full of pride. As he turns back to the doctor, his expression hardens. “She’s been assaulted and was kicked in the side by soone who is now in police custody. Miss Campbell thought it best that a doctor examine her.”
Miss Campbell?
“Mona,” he answers her unspoken question. He gives her hand a quick squeeze. “I’ll leave you to it,” he adds.
“No. Please don’t go,” Danica blurts out. She does not want to be alone with this strange man.
Lorenzo nods in understanding. “Of course, if you’d like to stay.” He sits down in a small blue armchair, stretching out his long legs.
Reassured, Danica turns her attention to the doctor. His expression is serious.
“Assaulted?”
Danica nods and feels her face flush with mortification. “Would you like to take a look?” Dr. Conway asks.
“Okay.”
“Please sit.”
The doctor is kind and patient. He runs through several questions before he asks her to lift her shirt, and keeps up a steady stream of chatter while he examines her.
His kind manner helps her relax, Danica glances at Lorenzo, who gives her a comforting smile.
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