Page 36 of Secret Seduction

“Hey,” I say, kneeling in front of her.

She looks up at me, her violet eyes meeting mine, and the vulnerability in her gaze reminds me so much of my sister. She’s only a couple of years younger than her, with her entire life ahead of her. Before Dani moved home, all our father wanted was for her to stay as far away from the corrupt world we lived in. She went to boarding school and went away to college, and I hoped that she’d live a normal life outside of Harbor Point … until she was dragged back into this life the same way Vanessa was.

“Matteo is working overtime to find this psycho bitch, and once he does and she’s no longer a threat, you’ll be able to go back to your life, I promise.”

She blinks several times, and when a few more tears escape, without thinking, I reach out and wipe them from under her eyes.

“Maybe,” she whispers. “But that won’t change the fact that my only family was willing to sell me to a sex trafficker so she and her husband could continue to live their cushy little life.” She sniffles back a sob. “The worst part is that before I moved in with you, I didn’t know what true love looked like. I knew my mom wasn’t nurturing, but until I saw you with Leo, I didn’t grasp how little my mom loved me.”

My heart breaks at her admission. No child should feel unloved by their parent. My parents were far from perfect, but Dani and I always knew we were loved.

“I guess I have you to thank for that,” she says with a sad smile. “I’m nowhere near ready to become a mom. But I hope … no …” She shakes her head. “I know that one day, when I become a mom, I’ll make sure I love my child the way you love Leo. My child will always know they’re loved, just like Leo knows he’s loved.”

“And what about you?” I find myself asking. “Do you … want to find love?”

I immediately regret my question, but before I can take it back, she starts to speak.

“Someday,” she says. “I’ve never seen what that type of love looks like either. When I was growing up, the men she dated … they didn’t love her, and sadly, the only person my mother knows how to love is herself. Though I’m not even sure if she’s capable of that. So, I’m just going to hope that when the time comes, I’ll recognize what love is supposed to look like. And until then, I’m going to focus on my future because the only way to ensure I don’t end up like my mother is to pave the path myself.”

Fuck, this woman. She’s such a contradiction from the woman I met on the yacht. The one who drugged and tricked me into marrying her. And I don’t know what to do with that.

“What about you?” she asks. “Do you want to find love?”

“Yeah,” I admit easily. “Despite the shit my ex put me through, I want to find someone to spend my life with.”

Her sad smile turns genuine. “You’re already a great dad, Lorenzo. I have no doubt you’ll make a great husband.” As if she realizes what she said, she flinches and tries to backtrack. “I mean, you know … one day, when you aren’t tricked into marriage, that is. But you’re a good fake husband to me. You could’ve kicked me out, but instead, you gave me a place to stay, and you took a bullet for me and told my mom off … God”—she groans—“after being married to me, you’re probably going to want to change your mind about ever getting married again.”

I bark out a laugh. “Being married to you isn’t so bad.”

Her eyes go wide, and I consider taking what I said back, but the truth is, aside from the gunshot wound and her crazy mom, I’ve liked having her around. During the day, we work together to take care of Leo, and in the evening, once he’s in bed, we play cards. I wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but it’s been nice to have an adult conversation with someone that isn’t work-related. I love my son, but he isn’t exactly the best conversationalist.

“Well, thanks, I guess. Good to know that when the time comes to get married for real, maybe I won’t be too bad of a wife.”

She clambers to get up, so I stand and reach my hand out to help pull her onto her feet. Only when she stands, in this position, we’re close … too close. Our mouths only centimeters from one another. I glance down, and her perky tits are flush against my chest. Her soft, feminine scent fills my senses, and I force myself to take a step back, willing my cock not to react. We might’ve had sex before, but I don’t remember it, and there will not be a repeat.

“I need to get back to work,” I say, pressing the button for my floor and moving to stand as far away from her as possible. “I can’t change what your mom did, but Matteo will get you out of here as soon as he can.”

The moment the doors open, I stalk inside my penthouse and find Vince sitting on the floor, playing with Leo, who’s climbing all over him like a jungle gym.

The second he spots me, he scrambles off Vince and crawls straight for …

“Up, up, up!” he shrieks, stopping in front of Vanessa instead of me and lifting his arms for her to pick him up.

“Hey, Monkey,” she chokes out, kneeling in front of him.

She lifts him into her arms and snuggles him close. “I have a quiz I need to take,” she murmurs to him, like he can understand her. “Once I’m done, we’re going to build the biggest block tower.”

With a kiss to the tip of his nose, she stands and hands him to me, and then she walks out of the living room and down the hall, closing her door behind her.

“Thanks for watching him,” I say to Vince once I have Leo on my hip. “If anyone tries to see Vanessa, make sure you check with me first.”

“Will do.” With a nod, Vince disappears back out the front door, leaving Leo and me alone.

For a few seconds, I stare at Vanessa’s door, considering knocking on it and talking to her. But what would I even say? I wasn’t lying when I told her that it wasn’t so bad, having her here, but that doesn’t mean anything can come of it. For one, she’s fifteen years younger than me. And the only reason why she’s here is because she drugged and tricked me into marrying and having sex with her.

And then there’s the fact that the last woman I let in helped to have me imprisoned, almost had my company taken from me, and then proceeded to trap me with a baby and steal millions from me.

“If there’s one thing I can teach you,” I say to my son as I head back to my office, “it’s to never underestimate women. They’re like the ocean. Beautiful yet dangerous.”