Page 139 of Bene

She did.

Instantly.

She tipped her head down, and because of that, didn’t see him climb those last steps, and cross the remaining distance between them. He didn’t even think about it before wrapping Vanna in a tight hug at the top of those stairs. The second she was in his embrace, he found life became far more bearable. All the noise of the city faded into the background. Her sugared scent soaked into his lungs, the soft strands of her hair on the top of her head pressed against his lips, and for the moment, everything was good again.

Just fine.

Or they could pretend.

Vanna dropped the paper bag between them and hugged him back. He’d done well—did all he could to keep a respectable distance until they said as much as they could before his control snapped. Hanging on by a thread, watching her do what she needed to survive from a distance, all the while she still risked herself to help him, and his family …

Yeah, he didn’t need to be told.

He knew she loved him.

It was just so fucking messy.

“I meant what I said that day,” he muttered against the top of her head, “that I love you and I hated you, but I didn’t know how to do both things at the same time.”

“And now?”

“Seems you can’t hate things you love.”

He heard her heavy sigh.

Their embrace tightened.

“That doesn’t mean everything is good, Vanna.”

She nodded. “I know.”

“But it does mean I want it to be.”

Her head tipped back, and her wet gaze met his. He swiped the pad of his thumbs under her eyes, wiping away what remained of her tears because he couldn’t stand that. She should never cry, but especially not with him. Sure, he understood why she cried now, but that didn’t mean he wanted her to.

Hadn’t this been bad enough?

“What bothered me the most,” he told her, “was that for a time, I wasn’t sure you ever loved me, or this had just been a scheme.”

“It was at first, but then there you were, Bene … and you were not who I expected. You were nothing like who I thought you would be.”

God, yeah.

“I know all about that.”

She smiled.

All he wanted to do then was kiss her, so he did exactly that. Oh, they had a huge mess to clean. Apologies to make. More things to say between them. Of that, he was most sure. There were more obstacles in their way to face, yet, the number one problem being his family.

And yet, when he kissed her … it didn’t matter.

Just the press of her lips, and how her mouth parted for him without question, letting him find the taste of her on his tongue. Whatever remained of the world around them disappeared, and he had never been happier for it.

With a kiss, she had him again.

Took his heart back.

Held it so tight.