“We are no longer there,” I whispered. “My home is safe.”
“I know,” she whispered/snapped.
This woman hated to be vulnerable, and I wondered what had happened in her life to make her that way. Rocco had sent over everything he had found on her, but I wondered if she would tell me on her own. She did not owe me anything, and this could not go far between us, but I wanted to know everything about her, down to the deepest noises she made while in the throes of passion.
Like those old fantasies I had of swinging my sword and defending my woman’s honor, I imagined her legs wrapped around me and my cock driving into her deep.
Those noises she would make would me mine.
“A tour,” I said, making sure I warned her before I applied more pressure to her back.
She narrowed her eyes at me but didn’t ask why my voice sounded so rough.
She was quiet as I introduced her to my place. Her hand lingered on the spiral iron staircase that brought us to the second floor. She seemed to brighten in the small library, where the sun flowed like white honey through the gauze curtains.
“Beni lives here too?” she asked.
“Sì. A few years ago, I decided to separate the two sides. Dario Fausti is an architect, and he drew up the plan for me. Beni lives on the other side.”
I set her bags down in her room. She hovered by the door. “You two seem very close.”
“We are. We served in the military together.”
“He seems worried about you. Why?”
“What happened in Venice.”The two of us meeting, and what road it might lead me down.I had never attacked one of my brothers the way I did Leandro. Because he had called her a conniving witch. I would have killed him, but if I had, I would have been sentenced to time in Malum.
No blood shall be spilled on the soil from an outsider,or the outsider is sentenced to time.
Who would look after this wild bird if I was locked up? She would be left to the hands of my family.
“Yeah,” she breathed out. Then she looked at the bed. “I’m so tired. I’m going to take a bath and get some sleep.”
“You only have ten minutes of water time,” I said, about to crack a smile, but I was stopped by the rush of her next words.
“I’ll be out in five! At home, with Sonny, I mean, we didn’t get a lot of hot water because the house is so old. And Lucila would stress about using too much water, ’cause she thought we wouldn’t be able to afford the bill, then we’d get disconnected and not be able to get it turned back on. So I won’t use much, I swear.”
A beat passed between us, and she breathed out.
“Judging by the blank look on your face, you probably meant the hot water runs out fast because this place seems old too. I don’t think money is a problem for you…” She shook her head. “Not sure why I just had word vomit, but…here we are.”
“It was a joke, about the water. Take as long as you need.” I went to leave, but she stopped me.
“Are you leaving?”
I felt her unease, like she did not want to be alone. She was hiding it behind her armor.
“No,” I whispered. “I will be here.”
She waited until I was out of sight to close her door. I stopped in front of my room, where I’d left my bag, and stared at my door. I ran a hand over my head and looked toward her room. There was nothing I could do to fucking lockherout.
I wanted her in my bed, writhing beneath me, her eyes locked on mine. I wanted to fuck the unease out of her and replace it with my courage. Let her feel how safe she was in my arms, in my bed, in my life.
Every woman should have that.
A man who would protect his woman at all costs. Who would pick up a sword and be prepared to use it in her honor. To bleed for her. To die for her.
I sighed, knowing how complicated going to her would make things. And she had not invited me in.
