tomorrow.”
“Okay, goodnight, Nick.” Nadia hurried up the stairs, conscious of Dante’s gaze burning into her back while he jogged up the steps behind her. She found the courage to face him when they stepped into the hallway.
She pointed to the oak doors and forced a smile. “This is me, that one’s you.”
To her surprise and disappointment, Dante turned without another word and walked toward the guestroom.
“What, no goodnight kiss?” she blurted.
He stopped and slowly twisted around to smile at her. Something unreadable flashed in his dark eyes.
“Still afraid of me, huh?” she joked, but her heart pounded in her ears when he strolled back to her.
Her breath caught when he gently removed the flower from behind her ear. He traced the bloom along her face, down her throat and Nadia shivered, not from the whisper of the rose across her skin, but the desire burning in his eyes.
“No. I’m afraid of me. Afraid if I touch you again, I won’t be able to stop. Goodnight, princess.”
He handed her the rose and walked to his room. He slipped inside and shut the door behind him before she could even muster a reply. Not that she had any idea what to say to that anyway.
Nadia slipped inside her room and shut the door behind her. She closed her eyes and leaned against it for a moment, reliving his kiss and the feel of his hands on her body. With a sigh, she crossed back to her bed and slipped between the cool, crisp sheets.
She sniffed the rose again before laying it on the nightstand and tugging the sheets up to her chin. Closing her eyes, she willed herself to sleep, but thoughts of Dante kept intruding.
What would tomorrow be like? For the first time in a long time, she couldn’t wait to find out.
Saturday, August 6
8:30 a.m.
Dante slipped out of the guest bedroom and shut the door behind him. He stopped by Nadia’s door and lifted his hand to knock, but then decided against it. The emotion of the night before still had him reeling.
I feel you
.
He’d known exactly what she meant.
Ever since he’d lost Sharon, when he’d known he’d lost Lara forever, he’d felt it. The same void, the same restlessness inside that provoked him to do crazy things just for that one surge of adrenaline, that one moment he felt alive. All these things, this mindless attraction to Nadia … he finally recognized it for what it was.
He felt her too.
What kind of life had Nadia led to make her feel the way she did? What could make such a beautiful, electrifying woman feel cold and numb inside?
His mind was like a movie screen and only one feature played there. Visions of Nadia in the garden, her silver silk nightgown sliding on his bare skin, the way she tasted, the scent of her perfume. The raw, vulnerable look in her eyes.
He was in serious trouble here.
If he kept on, he would hurt her. She needed someone she could trust, and he wasn’t it. How would Nadia feel if she knew he was here to kidnap her, even if he was doing it for her protection? But no matter how many times he vowed to keep his distance, his resolve crumbled at her touch.
Troubled, Dante wandered downstairs, through the dining room and into the kitchen. Nick Branson sat with his back to him, outside on the patio. He was talking on a cell phone, and Dante guessed from his animated gestures that the conversation was an important one. He slid the door open a crack to listen.
“I want him dead! Whatever you have to do, whatever the cost. I’m sick of worrying about my family. My daughter was nearly killed yesterday. Yes, yes, I know that, but you have to find a way to get to him. No, I don’t blame you … no. It was a good plan, but it came just a little too late.”
Footsteps sounded in the foyer behind Dante. Not wanting to be caught eavesdropping, he yanked open the patio door, making sure Nick heard him.
Nick twisted around to stare at Dante, then said into the phone, “I have to go. I’ll be in touch soon.”
Clicking the phone shut,
“Okay, goodnight, Nick.” Nadia hurried up the stairs, conscious of Dante’s gaze burning into her back while he jogged up the steps behind her. She found the courage to face him when they stepped into the hallway.
She pointed to the oak doors and forced a smile. “This is me, that one’s you.”
To her surprise and disappointment, Dante turned without another word and walked toward the guestroom.
“What, no goodnight kiss?” she blurted.
He stopped and slowly twisted around to smile at her. Something unreadable flashed in his dark eyes.
“Still afraid of me, huh?” she joked, but her heart pounded in her ears when he strolled back to her.
Her breath caught when he gently removed the flower from behind her ear. He traced the bloom along her face, down her throat and Nadia shivered, not from the whisper of the rose across her skin, but the desire burning in his eyes.
“No. I’m afraid of me. Afraid if I touch you again, I won’t be able to stop. Goodnight, princess.”
He handed her the rose and walked to his room. He slipped inside and shut the door behind him before she could even muster a reply. Not that she had any idea what to say to that anyway.
Nadia slipped inside her room and shut the door behind her. She closed her eyes and leaned against it for a moment, reliving his kiss and the feel of his hands on her body. With a sigh, she crossed back to her bed and slipped between the cool, crisp sheets.
She sniffed the rose again before laying it on the nightstand and tugging the sheets up to her chin. Closing her eyes, she willed herself to sleep, but thoughts of Dante kept intruding.
What would tomorrow be like? For the first time in a long time, she couldn’t wait to find out.
Saturday, August 6
8:30 a.m.
Dante slipped out of the guest bedroom and shut the door behind him. He stopped by Nadia’s door and lifted his hand to knock, but then decided against it. The emotion of the night before still had him reeling.
I feel you
.
He’d known exactly what she meant.
Ever since he’d lost Sharon, when he’d known he’d lost Lara forever, he’d felt it. The same void, the same restlessness inside that provoked him to do crazy things just for that one surge of adrenaline, that one moment he felt alive. All these things, this mindless attraction to Nadia … he finally recognized it for what it was.
He felt her too.
What kind of life had Nadia led to make her feel the way she did? What could make such a beautiful, electrifying woman feel cold and numb inside?
His mind was like a movie screen and only one feature played there. Visions of Nadia in the garden, her silver silk nightgown sliding on his bare skin, the way she tasted, the scent of her perfume. The raw, vulnerable look in her eyes.
He was in serious trouble here.
If he kept on, he would hurt her. She needed someone she could trust, and he wasn’t it. How would Nadia feel if she knew he was here to kidnap her, even if he was doing it for her protection? But no matter how many times he vowed to keep his distance, his resolve crumbled at her touch.
Troubled, Dante wandered downstairs, through the dining room and into the kitchen. Nick Branson sat with his back to him, outside on the patio. He was talking on a cell phone, and Dante guessed from his animated gestures that the conversation was an important one. He slid the door open a crack to listen.
“I want him dead! Whatever you have to do, whatever the cost. I’m sick of worrying about my family. My daughter was nearly killed yesterday. Yes, yes, I know that, but you have to find a way to get to him. No, I don’t blame you … no. It was a good plan, but it came just a little too late.”
Footsteps sounded in the foyer behind Dante. Not wanting to be caught eavesdropping, he yanked open the patio door, making sure Nick heard him.
Nick twisted around to stare at Dante, then said into the phone, “I have to go. I’ll be in touch soon.”
Clicking the phone shut,
Similar Books
