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“We’ll eat in here. Near the fire.”
He strides into the room and takes the candlesticks from the mantel. It takes me a few seconds to realize they’re for the table. I’m here for dinner and to set a tone. It’s not a romantic evening.
“Candles aren’t necessary. Between the lamps and the fire, we’ll have plenty of light.”
He nods curtly and replaces the candlesticks before leaving without a word. As much as I’m sure he’d like to, Victor knows better than to question me further.
I light the kindling in the fireplace and gaze into the flames as it catches. No matter how much sadness fills her warm brown eyes, I can’t be soft with her. Not even when we’re alone. Not yet. Maybe not ever. That part is in her hands.
Why didn’t I stay in the goddamn city tonight?
17
Antonio
When I turn around, Daniela’s in the doorway, wearing a fitted skirt with a soft red wrap draped around her shoulders. Thin lines mar her brow, but her head is high and her posture regal.Not like aprincesabut like a queen.
“Come in.”
She hesitates before stepping into the room.Can’t blame her for being wary.
As she moves, the light bounces off the gems dangling from her ears, bathing her face in a pearly glow.
She’s gorgeous.
I suck in a long breath as my eyes rove down her legs to a pair of high-heel slides.
I can blame oaths and contracts until I’m blue in the face, but this is why I didn’t stay in the city.
“Red is beautiful on you,” I murmur, taking a step toward her.
“Red is beautiful on everyone.”
Her lips curl as she gazes at the fire, but the smile doesn’t reach her eyes. “Although it’s not so beautiful when applied directly to the skin.”
It’s a small slap to remind me I’m an asshole. I should have known she wouldn’t let the manhandling slide. A part of me is happy she’s calling me out, but as much as I deserve it, I can’t allow her to question my behavior.
I glance at her arm. The color has deepened, and it’ll be a dark-purple hue by tomorrow.She’s entitled to the small slap.That’s what my better angels whisper.
No one’s around, so I choose to ignore the slight. But I know better. Tiny infractions, if not nipped in the bud, turn into something bigger and, ultimately, more dangerous.
If you can’t control your woman, how can you control the entire region and a multibillion-dollar Port industry?That’s what my enemies will conclude right before making a power grab.
Daniela is going to fight me every step of the way. Nothing will be easy.
Easy is boring, Antonio. Easy is all the women who came before her. The women who were happy to spread their legs. The ones who wanted nothing more than to be your wife. The women who couldn’t capture your interest for more than an hour or two. She’s not like them.
No, she’s not.
I reach over and take a loose wave between my fingers. She lowers her eyes but doesn’t pull away.
Sometime after she left, while I was still healing, I wandered through the D’Sousas’ house to see what kind of upkeep the property would require. I spent longer than necessary in Daniela’s room—trying to get a sense of the woman who would one day be my wife. At least that’s what I told myself.
But the truth is, I was recovering from a near-death experience. My enemies got to me because I was reckless and arrogant. I felt young and stupid, and my lungs were still weak from the ventilator. I’d been in bed for weeks, unable to work out, and for a while I couldn’t even make it to the bathroom without stopping to rest. My pride was wounded and my body weaker than it had ever been.
Being in Daniela’s room infused me with a renewed sense of strength—of purpose. It made me feel alive. I promised to marry her. To keep her safe. I was with her right before the attack, and her bedroom was steeped in her essence, reminding me how sweet she tasted, how her hair smelled of orange blossoms, and how hard my cock had been from a simple stolen kiss.
I drank her in. Learned everything I could about her—and took it with me.
