Page 119 of The Man with a Treasure

Smirking, he rolled his eyes. “Stop with the dramatics.”

“Sal!”

“Can you just try to have a romantic bone in your body? You are an Italian, after all.” He winked and left the room.

It felt like forever had passed by four times by the time the door reopened. I had pretty much convinced myself Scarlett had changed her mind. With the door still open, she stood there in her nightgown, staring at me. I couldn’t see him but knew Sal was in the hallway for her.

I swallowed. Maybe she really was rethinking all this. “We don’t have to do this, Scarlett.”

Her full lips parted. “I never knew being tied could look so beautiful.”

That was not what I expected. In fact, that had my level of confidence building and me sighing in relief. I think every insecurity had stepped forward before that. Until this special night, I hadn’t even known I had any.

Scarlett didn’t pay attention to Sal when his hands appeared, reaching through the entrance while pulling the stick-thing from her hair. Long, thick black hair fell over her perfect shoulders.

Jesus. She is everything any man could ever want.

I heard Sal chuckle, “Lucky fucking bastard,” before the door shut.

Galaxy eyes stared… “Was he praying?”

“Cursing me for being so lucky to be with you.”

Completely unaware of just how striking she was, her dark eyelashes batted in surprise. “Oh.” She walked to me while observing the sheet. “You do know I have seen a naked man before?”

I closed my eyes to shut out thoughts of those vile men, but it didn’t work. Inside, I became furious. “I also know there was no option offered to you.”

Tilting her head, she raised her hands. “Fair trade.” Those artistic fingers were like a white flag as she mimicked me.

Ease entered my heart. Brilliant. You are simply brilliant.

“Do your wrists hurt?”

I was tied up like she had been most of her life, yet she worried about my well-being. I love you, Scarlett Giordano. “No.”

She came to my side, worry filling her eyes. “Angel… I don’t know where to start.”

I reached out to touch her—comfort her—until my arms jerked. I was restrained. It was foreign. It was wrong to be unable to move as I pleased—Oh, my poor Scarlett. It was tragic that she knew this too well.

No more, Star. It’s all about you now. “Start wherever you want.”

Timidly, she sat next to my thigh and asked a very unexpected question. “How do you feel when imagining me marrying a man in Italy?”

I felt my restraints tighten. “It doesn’t matter how I feel.”

Her voice almost cracked as she quietly told me, “It does,” she patted her chest, “to me.”

Awareness hit me. She was aligning her heart to her body. Brilliant.

It was going to wreck my world to walk away from her. “It hurts.”

Her eyes shut as a soft sigh escaped her. “Thank you.” She touched my thighs. “Thank you.” Her eyes still closed, she hiked up her nightgown to crawl over my legs. “Thank you.” Only her heart was open as she climbed up my body to lie on me. “Thank you.” Only our souls spoke as she gently kissed me. “Now… make me fly.”

The sensation of her silk nightgown and weight on top of me was indescribable. Her breasts pressing against my chest had stolen my breath. But her words and sincerity possessed me. “You being so close already has me soaring.”

Looking like an angel, she whispered, “Thank you.”

Softness caressed my lips until she chose to deepen our kiss. I followed every lead she was willing to take. When her tongue asked for entry, I opened and surrendered to her every whim.