“I'll help you out.Hang tight.”And then he opened his door and slipped out of the car.Something inside me cringed for him at the movement.I feared he'd hurt himself trying to get out of the car that quickly.But he didn't so much as grunt.
Like he wasn't in pain any longer.
I watched him stride around the front of the car to my door.He walked so quickly.With no hesitation.
He opened my door and held out his hand.I looked at it for a second and then thought better of taking it.I didn't want him to strain anything in helping me up.
“I've got it.I'm fine,” I said.But before I even had a chance to step out of the car, Stefan’s arms were underneath my legs and behind my back.
And then I was airborne.I gasped as my hands wrapped around the back of his neck.I feared he would drop me, or we would both go crashing to the ground.“Oh, my gosh!”I squeaked as I panicked.“Let me down.”My fingers dug into him.
“Shh, quiet.The kids are probably sleeping.”And then he shut the door with his foot and started walking toward the house.
“Stefan, I'm serious.You're going to hurt yourself.Put me down,” I ordered him.But it didn't seem like he was having any difficulty at all carrying me.And if he was in pain, he sure hid it well.
Stefan stopped moving and looked at me.Gosh.He truly was the most handsome man I'd ever seen in my life.His face had filled out.The hard angles he had before were still hard, but not as pronounced.His hair was cut, and he was clean-shaven.I wanted to reach up and touch his skin.Even though it was dark, the outside lights on the house were on, illuminating the grounds quite well.
And Stefan.
He was still Stefan.But different.
Healthy.
Vibrant.
Full of life.
My heart swelled inside my chest knowing he'd not only made it—but he'd fully recovered.
Especially if he could carry me like this.The old Stefan wouldn't have been able to do this.Not at all.
“I’m not in any pain, Francesca.”The corner of his mouth quirked up a bit.
Gosh.
That man's smile was clearly just as effective on me now as it had been months ago.
“Okay, but I can walk,” I insisted and peered over at the house.Carlo and Giselle's house.
It was huge.The front yard itself was enormous.Filled with trees and flowers.I wondered whether Giselle had a hand in any of it.Or if Carlo was the one who designed it.
“In those shoes?”He nodded over at my feet.Reminding me of the ultra-high heels I had on.I mean, he wasn't wrong.Walking in these wasn't exactly the easiest thing to do.Even so, I didn't want him to carry me.I felt like he was going to hurt himself.
I shook my head.“I know how to walk in high heels.”I levelled with him.
His smile grew, and it was a good thing he was carrying me because otherwise my knees might have given out.
Gosh.
That smile.
“Fine.I'll let you down on the walkway.Deal?”he asked, his eyebrows raising slightly in that sexy little way he had about him.It took everything in me not to slide my hand into his hair and pull him in for a kiss.
Instead, I bit my lip and nodded.“Deal,” I said, and then swallowed over a dry lump in my throat.Stefan carried me to the winding walkway and set me down.Carefully.I tried to let go of him, but he kept his hand on my hip.And his body close.
“You can let go of me.I'm fine.I can walk.”
“Then walk.”He jerked his head toward the house.
