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“I needed to be away from my family for a while.” She looks down at her feet and my gut squeezes. Christ, this woman would do anything for a family and I spent years running away from mine. “Sometimes it’s nice to go where you can be under the radar, you know,” I add. “Somewhere where your every move isn’t scrutinized.”
She nods. “I can understand that.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m under the radar. People don’t really notice me.” I go completely still as she continues to walk. The second she realizes I’m not beside her she turns. “What?”
I shake my head, taking pleasure in her thick, auburn hair, the warmth and honesty in her green eyes, and the way that sexy dress hugs all her curves.
“You have no idea how beautiful you are, do you?”
She shrugs at the comment. “You don’t have to say that.”
“When you walk into a room, all heads turn, Peyton. You don’t even know.”
She looks away t
o gaze out over the water. A visible shiver moves through her, and I close the distance. I shrug out of my jacket and drape it over her. “I spent so many years trying to be invisible, Roman.”
My throat practically closes over as pain grips my heart. I put my arms around her and pull her in. I press a kiss to the top of her head. “I know.”
“If I didn’t cause any trouble, if they rarely saw me...” She goes quiet for a long time, and I just hold her quivering body to mine, tucking her safely beneath my arms so no one else can hurt her. “I...” Her voice hitches, and she adds, “I guess I figured if I was small and invisible, they wouldn’t be so quick to get rid of me.”
Jesus, I hate that her childhood was so damn brutal and her scars are still so raw. “No one is going to hurt you anymore, Peyton. I won’t let them.”
She puts her hand on my chest, and her eyes are watery when she lifts her gaze to mine. “My very own knight in shining armor,” she says.
I chuckle. “I thought you didn’t believe in fairy tales.”
“I don’t,” she says so quietly, so softly I almost missed it. I hug her tighter when a hard quiver racks her body.
“We should get you home. You’re freezing.”
I make a move to go but she stops me. “We should end this, Roman. I don’t want your sisters angry or hurt, and you’ve...you’ve helped enough.”
“No,” I say so forcefully, her eyes widen. “I’m seeing this through to the end. I told you that right from the beginning and I’m a man of my word.”
Really, Roman. Is that the only reason you can’t walk away from this?
“But your sisters—”
“I’ll deal with them.” I put my arm around her and we hurry back to the villa. Once inside I carry her shivering body up the stairs to the shower. “We need to warm you up.” I peel the zipper down on her dress, and there is something so completely open and honest about this sweet, vulnerable woman as she stands there stark naked, gazing up at me, I could fucking sob. The world might not have wanted her, but I sure as hell do.
I’m in love with her. So lost in her, I’ll never find my way out. Not that I want to. I might have been engaged, but this is the only woman who’s ever truly mattered to my heart. I strip down and help her into the shower, ignoring my pinging phone for the time being. Right now, Peyton needs my attention.
I turn the water to hot and pull her under the rain showerhead.
“Mmm, that is nice,” she says.
“Getting warm.”
She laughs. “I don’t think I’ve ever been warm in my life.”
“Come here.” I pull her back to my chest and soap up my hands. I run the suds over her body, cupping her breasts as I clean her. She rests her head against my shoulder, and a warm, contented sigh escapes her mouth. I spin her and rinse her clean. Once done, I turn the water off and towel-dry us both before I wrap her in a clean one, and knot another one around my waist.
She yelps when I scoop her up and carry her to the bed, setting her down gently and crawling in beside her. She snuggles into me, her skin warm and fragrant. I lightly touch her arm, trail my hand lower. Her sexy moan wraps around me, and I part her legs to caress her sex.
“Sore?” I cringe. “I sort of went a little caveman on you earlier.”
