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“You, Allegra. You are incredible. I want to help you see that.”
Clear blue eyes blink at me before Allegra dips her head, breaking our connection. I need to back off and let her have her space, but it’s nearly impossible. Still, I know I gave her a lot to think about. If I want her to trust me, I can’t hover over her every second of every day, even if that’s exactly what I want to do.
“Come out to the kitchen whenever you’re ready. I’ll have some food for you.”
Allegra nods, and I stand in front of her, unsure if I can leave. Like a dork, I wave at her, then spin on my heel, shaking my head as I make my way to my room.
Once there, I close the door and lean against it, rubbing my hands down my face. My heart is jackhammering against my ribcage, my palms are sweaty, and my mind is racing with a million thoughts and plans.
Right now, I need to focus on one thing at a time. I may be ready to spend the rest of my life with the woman I’ve only known for half an hour, but she needs time. I’ll need to ease her into the idea of forever with a big brute like me.
Filled with a renewed sense of purpose, I dig through my dresser and find a T-shirt, socks, and sweatpants for Allegra. I debate whether to grab a pair of my boxers and ultimately decide to provide everything.
After stacking the neatly folded pile of clothes outside her door, I head to the kitchen and remove the lasagna from the fridge. It’s only a few minutes past eleven in the morning, but my girl needs a good home-cooked meal before getting some sleep. I’m not much of a chef, so besides this lasagna Thalia made for me, I only have frozen dinners.
I spend several minutes tidying everything up, frowning at my empty mantle and blank walls. I never realized how lifeless this place is. Even the furniture is generic—I bought the whole set from some fancy store in the Upper East Side after the sales clerk said it was a timeless classic. It was good enough for me at the time, but now I wish I’d gone with something more personal.
It doesn’t matter now. Allegra can go on a shopping spree to redecorate. Or, if she doesn’t like doing that stuff, I’ll give her free rein to hire an interior designer to do it for her. As long as she’s happy.
The water from the shower shuts off, snapping me from my thoughts. I try not to picture Allegra stepping out of the shower completely naked, droplets of water cascading down her dips and curves…
Stop it, I scold myself.
Returning to the kitchen, I cut out an enormous slice of lasagna and put it on a plate to warm up in the microwave. I can’t stop my foot from tap-tapping nervously against the tiled floor in anticipation of Allegra’s presence.
As if conjuring her up, Allegra pads down the hall and appears in the kitchen doorway. She pauses, leaning against the wall as if uncertain of her next steps. I want to pull her into my arms but stay back, letting her come to me.
“Hey,” I say softly. “How was the shower?”
“Amazing. Thank you,” she whispers.
Allegra takes a few tentative steps into the kitchen, and I register what she’s wearing. Goddamn, I like seeing her in my T-shirt, which hangs down to her knees. She doesn’t have the sweatpants on, and I’m guessing it’s because she was drowning in them. I don’t mind. Allegra has my socks pulled halfway up her shins, and she’s so fucking adorable I don’t know what to do with myself.
I hold out my hand, watching as the tension drains from her shoulders. She gives me a smile and closes the distance between us, taking my hand. I study her face, noticing the freckles on her nose and cheeks for the first time. I notice something else for the first time, too. A deep horizontal scar on the right side of her neck. It’s nearly an inch thick and four inches long.
Allegra gasps softly and drops my hand, immediately covering up the scar. “Sorry,” she murmurs.
“Stop apologizing for everything, sweetheart.”
Allegra nods, but her shoulders curl in, and she’s doing her best to hide from me.
“Look at me, Allegra.”
She takes a cleansing breath and raises her head, meeting my gaze again.
“Good girl.”
Shit, where did that come from?
I’m about to apologize, but then I see something flash in her eyes. Fuck me. She likes it. I can’t think about that right now. I have more important things to deal with.
“Don’t hide from me,” I murmur. “Scars are nothing to be ashamed of. They prove you survived.”
Keeping my eyes locked on hers, I lift the hem of my shirt to reveal a similar-sized scar crawling up my left side.
Allegra’s eyes widen, and she reaches out to place her hand over my skin, stopping when she’s a millimeter away. “Does it hurt?”
“Not anymore.”
