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“You don’t understand, Cassidy. If you step any deeper inside my regime, there is no turning back, no leaving.”
Maybe I don’t want to leave.The words were on the tip of my tongue to say, my heart racing.
Then the door was opened, and I pulled away, still studying the look in his eyes. What had made him such a hard man? What tragedy had he endured to strip away his heart? I’d caught such a beautiful glimpse, but maybe it hadn’t been real at all.
“Non posso credere che tu sia qui!” A beautiful woman with long cinnamon-colored hair rushed onto the porch, throwing her arms around Valentin’s neck, continuing to murmur in Italian. She was very young—maybe twenty, tall and lanky, dressed in jeans and a tee shirt, her feet bare. She radiated with sunshine and adoration for Valentin.
“I told your father I was coming,” he said, laughing exactly as I’d heard a few times before the world had turned into a nightmare. When she continued speaking in her native language, he placed his finger over her lips, finally nodding in my direction. “English please, Bella. Our guest does not know our language.”
Our language. It seemed they had a very special bond, and I could tell by the glisten on her face that she cared for him very much.
She pouted and wrinkled her nose.
“Devi esercitarti,” he told her. “I said she needed to practice.”
Bella turned toward me, holding out her hand. She cocked her head, glancing into his eyes then mine. Then she threw her arms around me. “His lover,” she said awkwardly. “Now family.”
As Valentin laughed again, I stiffened, but the girl’s spunk was difficult to shove aside. “I’m just his friend.”
“Friend,” she repeated, pulling away then winking. “Is that what Americans say now? What do you call it… Um… Oh, yes. Friends with benefits. Is that correct?”
He appeared more relaxed as he watched the two of us interact. Then he laughed, the sound skittering down my spine.
“Sometimes,” I finally answered, feeling heat crawling across my face.
“She needs a bath and some clothes. Can you do that? Will you be able to show Cassidy around?” he asked.
She stood back, wrinkling her nose again. “Of course, but what happened? Is that blood?” The look of horror on her face was genuine.
“I had a little accident but I’m fine,” I answered, uncertain why I was trying to please him. He gave me an authoritative nod of approval then walked past us.
“Oh! You poor girl. Come. Come. I will help you. You should have done something, my Valentin,” Bella cooed, taking my hand. “Papa wanted me to remind you that you left some things in the room you insisted on staying in the last time you were here.”
Valentin nodded. “That’s good to know.”
I glanced at him, uncomfortable as hell. He tilted his head, studying me. I could swear this was a test of some kind. Fuck him.
Yet there was such a spark between us, a need that seemed to increase with every passing hour.
“I will help you become… er… comfortable,” Bella jabbered as she led me through her home.
The house I was led through was just as incredible inside as the exterior, but everything was casual, inviting. While the woodwork was dark, the ceilings high and everything rich in detail, there was a sense that the house was loved. Fresh flowers were in every room, pictures of family members and pets in several locations. I heard music coming from somewhere, the lilting sounds comforting.
But this wasn’t my home, and I certainly wasn’t on vacation. Whether he wanted me to believe it or not, this was a prison, just one that was four thousand miles away from everything I held dear.
I bit my lip, the ache inside cutting through me. If only I hadn’t agreed to take the trip to New York, hopeful of obtaining the dream job. And a safe place. Safe. I wasn’t certain if there would ever be a safe place. If only I’d remained at home. No, that hadn’t been possible either. I’d created a firestorm and the heat had already threatened to consume me. At some point, I’d need to trust Valentin, maybe asking for help. Was that even possible?
“You are special to Valentin, yes?” Bella asked as she headed into the kitchen. There was a buzz of activity, three people preparing food.
“I’m not sure.”
She gave me a sly smile. “I know him. You are.”
As she spouted off words in Italian, speaking rapidly, the women in the kitchen all darted glances in my direction. Whatever she was saying brought smiles to their faces. What had Valentin told the Lucianos about our visit?
“Come. We will have refreshments soon,” Bella said as she whisked me toward a set of stairs. She had a quiet beauty about her that resonated in every action as well as the way she spoke. The woman radiated warmth, a gentle and inviting creature, nothing like what I would expect Valentin to be involved with.
Then again, I didn’t know him at all.
