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Hal watched Valentina intently as she struggled with a myriad of emotions. He read hurt, confusion, pain, and need in her eyes. Her breath was uneven and her arms were wrapped around her waist. Her cheeks drained to a ghost white, then blushed to a fiery crimson red. Her lips trembled and she stayed rooted to the spot, searching his eyes looking for something he was damn sure he was not capable of giving to her.
Hal had expected anger, disgust, outrage, or even a hard slap from her. But what he hadn’t expected was the look of hurt and betrayal on Valentina’s face. She didn’t fight him. Or resist. Or even spare a glance in his direction when he took her arm and led her down the hallway to her room. When Hal heard the decided click and clear message of her door being locked against him, Hal felt a tightness in his chest. He leaned his shoulder against the door and listened until the muffled sounds of her misery slowly turn into the fractured breathing of restless sleep. He hadn’t wanted to make her cry…he had just wanted to…? Who the fuck knows what had made him say the things he had said to her. He only knew that he didn’t want her to look at him and see a lie. See a fantasy image or get any crazy ideas about who he was—aboutwhathe was.
Well, you sure as hell took care of that you, asshole.Hal’s conscious upbraided him as he made his way down the hallway.Good thing you spilled the beans to that beautiful, perfect woman about what a sexual psycho you are. You know, buddy, just in case she had somehow gotten the wrong impression. That she had thought under all those scars and that road dirt and black leather that you were actually Prince Fucking Charming or something. Well, you sure set her straight…on and on and on that pain in the ass Jiminy Cricket nagged at him, and this time, Hal’s inner soldier had absolutely nothing to say in his defense.
It was with grudging respect, great surprise, and more than a little relief, that Hal watched Valentina move towards him at a fast clip across the dew-kissed lawn. After the previous night he was pretty sure she wouldn’t show up this morning, and the fact that she had, shocked the shit out of him. Hal wondered why the hell she wasn’t still lying in bed plotting up diabolical ways to get rid of him. On his part, he had spent the better part of the night pacing the damn floor trying to decide if he should go apologize for the crude and unnecessary things he said to her, or go bang down her door and do exactly all those things he told her he would do. Bitch was under his skin either way, that was for sure.
She had locked him out. As if a little bit of metal and wood could have stopped him. Thoughts of how her soft, wet mouth had yielded to him made his balls ache. When he had put his hands around her neck, it was not for want of violence or to control, he realized in surprise, but to feel the quickening beat of her pulse in response to his touch.
God help him.
As Valentina drew nearer, he was struck again by just how goddamn pretty she was. Valentina Abruzzi had no hard edges. Everything about her was soft and feminine and fresh. And she always dressed in those pastel colors that he loved. Mint green, lemon yellow, cotton candy pink, sunset orange. This morning she was wearing a pretty cornflower blue sundress with thin, white lace straps that he made him wanted to run his fingers under them.
Or snap them right off.
Hal felt the crotch of his denim tighten. Again.
Jesus.
Being around Valentina was starting to give him a constant boner. He needed to gain some damn control over this situation.
For starters, thatDriving Miss Daisycrap ended today.
Hal lifted his chin in greeting to Valentina as she approached the car. Then he flicked his morning smoke to the ground, walked around to the front passenger door, and held it open for her as if in challenge.
She looked at him with a raised brow but didn’t say a word.
“No more of that backseat bullshit, Tia. From now on you’re sitting in front— next to me.” Her deep brown eyes, usually so expressive, told him nothing today. His breath stalled somewhere in the vicinity of planet Mars when his gaze zeroed in on a small blue bruise on her neck.
“Last night—did I hurt you?” He forced himself to ask.
“Hurt me? No, Hal. You didn’t hurt me.” Her voice was gentler than he deserved. “I’m absolutely fine.”
The muscles in his face slacked briefly with relief and his throat worked up and down as he searched for the words that needed to be said— because if Valentina was woman enough to show up this morning and downplay the shitty way things went down, then Hal sure as hell better be man enough to give her the apology she deserved.
“I can be a real sonofobitch, but that doesn’t excuse the way I acted last night. I shouldn’t have said the things I said to you. A woman like you doesn’t need to hear that messed up kind of shit. A woman like you deserves better, especially from a guy like me.” Hal’s voice was thick with regret. “So I fucking apologize for acting like a dick, and I’m sorry for saying that demeaning and graphic shit to you. And if that bruise on your neck is from my goddamn hand being around your throat, I’m sorry for that too. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I wouldneverhurt you. I just ain’t used to touching something…someone…so soft.
Valentina looked away for a second while that faint blush hit her cheeks again, then she met Hal’s eyes without rancor or recrimination. “Apology accepted.”
“Just like that?” he asked with a small degree of suspicion, even as his body was flooded with relief.
“Yeah, Hal, just like that. Not everything between us has to be a battle.” She reminded him of his own words with a small smile. Then, without another word, and to his total amazement, she slipped right past him and settled into the front seat.
Hal kept stealing looks at Valentina’s legs while he was driving. She had them crossed at the knees so the sundress rode up high on her thighs. On her right ankle was a thin gold chain with a tiny heart dangling from it. And her toes. They were small and dainty and painted a pale ice blue. Kinda like the color of his own eyes. Her sandals were flat heeled, little strappy things that made the arch of her foot look incredibly fucking sexy.
Valentina Abruzzi—the gift that kept on giving.
She reminded Hal of those giant color-layered jawbreaker candies that his mom used to buy for him and Glory when they were kids. It took forever to get to the prize in the middle, but each layer was so sweet and unexpected that you wanted to take your time licking your way through—Glory would plow right through hers, but Hal could make his last for days.
Stand at attention, lover boy.Hal’s inner soldier forced him to focus on the road ahead—and with good reason. Valentina’s directions were leading them deeper and deeper into the city. As they drove through the littered streets of some of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the area, Hal raised his eyes in question at Valentina, but she remained sitting serenely beside him.
She called this little foray into hell, Bread Day? More like run for your life—get me the fuck out of here—what the hell was I thinking— Day.
The tension in him coiled tight as his eyes took in the deserted streets. The apartment buildings were lined up in a crumbling brick row, their grimy windows and torn shades pulled dark against the coming day. No one behind these scarred doors was getting up early and showering to put in a solid nine to five work day. This was not a place that instilled ambition.
The sidewalks glittered with shards of thick bottle glass, used needles, and crushed cans of energy drinks. A large pit bull sporting a choke collar and a very short chain was tied to a broken, rusted metal link fence. The dog’s teeth were bared as he snarled and barked savagely, doing his best to defend his owner’s squalid, fetid territory. But even those ferocious growls were not enough to wake the junkies who jerked and huddled under the sparse bushes as the early morning light cast its heat on their ravaged faces. The putrid odor of vomit, dumpster waste, urine, unwashed bodies, and despair seeped through every molecule of air.
“It’s just up ahead. The next corner after that downed stop sign.” Valentina leaned forward in her seat and pointed. Hal took the left and pulled into a parking space littered with newspapers, food wrappers, and a half dozen or so used condoms. The building that Valentina pointed out appeared to be a small, abandoned warehouse.
