“Just me in your bed.”
He didn’t bother denying the truth. “Yes, Iwant you there. Or here. Or anywhere I can have you. Any way you’ll allow it.”
He closed the final gap between them and sank into her mouth. He heard her sigh of pleasure. Felt it. Drank it inward. Their lips molded, shaping themselves one to the other, before parting. Her breathing grew ragged. Or maybe it was his. More. The insistent demandsounded in his head, so clear and sharp he almost thought he’d said it aloud. And maybe he did, because she reared back, breaking the kiss almost as soon as it began.
She turned her head a fraction to avoid any risk of their lips colliding again. “Making love to you is too intimate. It leaves me too vulnerable,” she told him with devastating frankness, the stark pain underscoring her words ripping through him. “I can’t open myself to you if I don’t trust you.”
“We’ll find a way to make this work,” he insisted.
He’d said the wrong thing. Instantly, she ripped free of his embrace. “There’s only one way that’s possible. Ican work for you or I can sleep with you. But I refuse to do both. It’s your choice, Sev.”
She gazed at him and he could see the burgeoning hope in the inky darkness, ahope he had no option but to crush. “I believe we’ve already had this conversation. You work for Dantes.”
He forced himself not to flinch at the acrid disillusionment that shattered the last of her hope. Her chin shot up and she embraced her fury. God, she was even more gorgeous, if that were possible, filled with righteous indignation and feminine power.
“You’re the consummate businessman to the bitter end, aren’t you, Sev?” she said bitterly. “No matter who gets in your way or how many get hurt.”
He opened the door a crack so she could see inside. “There’s never been any other choice for me. My family has always depended on me to be the ruthless one.”
“I’m not in your way, Sev.”
He inclined his head. “Not anymore. You need to understand, sweetheart, that my family still depends on me to make the hard decisions. If I don’t make them, if I’m too weak to make them, Iput Dantes at risk again.”
“Fine. Now you’ve made one more hard decision. You’ve chosen Dantes over our relationship.” She stepped back. “Just don’t expect me to reward you for that decision.”
He dared to touch her a final time. He scraped his knuckles along the curve of her cheek and pretended not to see her flinch. “I’m sure that’s your intention now. But you will be back in my bed. There won’t be any other choice.” He smiled, apainful pull of his mouth. “For either of us.”
Francescatwisted the engagement ring she’d worn for the past ten days, the fire diamond flashing fiercely up at her. It still surprised to discover it decorating her finger. “Who all will be at your grandparents’ house for dinner?” she askedSev.
He shot her a quick glance of reassurance, which dashed any hopes that he hadn’t picked up on her nervousness. “Just Nonna, Primo, and my brothers this time around. I’ll save the rest of the family for another occasion.”
“Oh.” She started to twist her hands together again, but the fire diamond stopped her, flashing an additional message of reassurance. To her amusement, it worked and she found herself relaxing despite herself. “Does your family get together often?” she asked, honestly curious.
“Once a month without fail.”
“Do they know our engagement isn’t real?”
“It is real. For now. As far as my family’s concerned, you and I are engaged,” he warned. “I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t disabuse them of that notion.”
Her brows pulled together. “And how did you explain the suddenness of it? Or the fact that I used to work at TH and now work for you?”
“Easy. Itold them we had no choice. It was The Inferno.” He shrugged. “I didn’t need any other explanation after that.”
She caught her bottom lip between her teeth. So much for relaxing. Whenever she’d been sent to a new foster home, that first meeting always proved the most difficult for her. Most of the time she walked into situations where the other foster children, or her foster parents’ natural children, had already formed tight family units. Sure, they always welcomed her. At first. But she dreaded those early days of adjustment, hovering on the outside of their too jovial camaraderie as she tried to figure out how to best fit in. What hole she could fill, regardless of whether the fit felt comfortable.
This time around they all believed her madly in love with Sev. How could she possibly convince them of that? “I don’t think I can pull this off.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he told her softly. “We won’t stay long if you’re not enjoying yourself.”
“I’ll be fine.” And she would. She could handle the situation. After all, she wasn’t a lost child any longer. And if she’d learned nothing else during those formative years, she’d learned how to fakeit.
To her delight, she discovered she didn’t have to fake anything. From the moment sheand Sev walked in the door, the Dantes welcomed her with open arms. Primo and Nonna both gave her exuberant hugs, exclaiming in pleasure over her choice of engagementring.
“It’s a stunning design,” Francesca complimented Primo with utter sincerity. “I told Sev how envious I am that it isn’t my own creation.”
“I am honored,” he said, clearly moved. “And I am even more honored that you have chosen this particular ring to wear for as many years as God blesses your marriage.”
The breath caught in her lungs, the weight of his words pressing down on her. “Thank you,” she managed to answer, shooting Sev a look of clear desperation.
