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She gave a small, sad smile. “You’re good at that,” she conceded.
“That I am,” he agreed.
His copilot’s timing was perfect. “Let’s go somewhere else to talk,” he suggested to Celina when the knock came on the door.
The switch of personnel was made smoothly. “Straight to bed,” he advised once he’d closed the cockpit door behind them. He escorted her to his private quarters at the rear of the jet.
~~o0o~~
She was soul weary and desperate to feel Diego’s arms around her. She needed to know he was safe, and she wanted him to know how much she appreciated him risking his life to save her. And for what? Marissa was dead. But so many other women would be saved. She had to cling to that thought, just as she had to cling to the fact that she’d come close to joining the ranks of the disappeared herself, and that she might have, if Diego hadn’t saved her.
His private suite on board the jet was such a contrast to the stinking barn where she’d been held captive that, for a moment, her head reeled. Her life recently seemed to comprise a series of stark contrasts, and while the cockpit had been full of distractions, this was a haven of calm. From the crisp white linen to the artwork on the walls and the thick layer of carpet beneath her feet, and even the pristine cleanliness, it was a perfect representation in miniature of the privileged world Diego inhabited. She couldn’t pretend she belonged here, but it was a welcome resting place, and for the next couple of hours, she was going to take him up on his offer and just say thanks.
“You don’t know what you’ve got,” she murmured as she looked around.
“I know what I almost lost.”
The tone of Diego’s voice made her turn to face him. And of course, the doubt came back. Maybe it was tiredness, but all she could think was, what had he lost? Sex on tap? Her tech expertise? The fact she was a crack shot? Diego was a billionaire and a royal duke. She was an orphan, the girl with no name, who had been called Celina for no better reason than the moon had been shining on her blanket on the night she was found. But there had been a blanket. Someone had cared for her. Her mother had cared for her. It was just getting her head around the fact that the man staring with concern into her eyes right now seemed to care for her too.
She didn’t move as Diego took the single step necessary to bring her into his arms. “Stop,” he whispered. “Stop doubting, and trust me. Sometimes good things are taken away, like your friend Marissa, but not always. Don’t waste precious time fretting about something that might never happen.
“You can have your pick of women. Why me?”
He shot her a look of pure irony. “I’ve been asking myself that over and over. There has to be an easier option than a woman with a mind of her own.”
“A dog?” she suggested in her first weak attempt at humor.
“Even my dogs are willful, but I love them just the same.” He smiled ruefully. “What’s life without a challenge?”
I love you so much, she thought as he stood back and waited for her to climb into bed, but she knew she’d feel gauche and awkward in his sophisticated world. It was better to remain working for him, where she knew she could do a good job.
Chapter Twelve
Courage had proved instinctive when the chips were down, but love was hard, Celina realized as she snuggled down in Diego’s bed.
Bad things can happen unexpectedly, whatever Diego said. Life can quickly spiral out of control.
“Leave the past behind you, where it belongs,” he insisted.
“Can you read my mind too?”
“Yeah.”
He remained by the bed. She felt safe while he was there. She didn’t want to be alone. She’d changed out of his sweats and was wearing one of his clean tops. It was like a rather long dress on her. Everything he owned was giant-sized. “Another shower can wait,” he’d told her. “You had one at the airport before you came on board, so just lie back now, close your eyes and picture yourself somewhere you’ve felt safe in the past.”
In his arms?
Everything smelled so fresh and good, as if sunshine had been woven into the fabric. Inhaling deeply, she closed her eyes. This was all very new to her, this feeling of letting go, of being cared for, and she couldn’t say she didn’t like it.
“Sleep,” Diego insisted as she rested her face against the deep bank of pillows. “I’ll stay with you.”
I’ll close my eyes for five minutes and he’ll be gone, she thought. He must have better things to do. But when she closed her eyes, blackness quickly overwhelmed her, and she welcomed the healing power of sleep.
~~o0o~~
He watched Celina transition from exhaustion into a sleep so deep, she might have been comatose. This was the first time he could remember wishing a flight were longer. She needed her mind to switch off. Seeing worry fade from her face as she drifted away was worth every moment of his time. As much as he wanted her, and he did want her, she needed this more. She touched him in more ways than he could say, and it upset him to see her still wrapped in a defensive huddle even in sleep. Sex had always been a simple transaction in the past, but it was the last thing on his mind now. Friendship with a woman was new to him. He had acquaintances. He had lovers. And then was Celina, who was both.
Her life had been an emotional desert similar to his. He’d never known if his parents would be home when it came to the holidays. They weren’t interested in hearing about bullies and the harshness at school. As a little boy of seven, he couldn’t have articulated this anyway. He’d learned to fend for himself and to say nothing that might up
