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“No time. I’m going to the office with Damian. We need to be there in an hour.”
“You were discharged less than twenty-four hours ago. Maybe you should take a few days off.”
“I don’t remember shit, Isabella. I need to get up to speed on my own life. There’s no time to waste.”
“You say that as if you don’t believe your memory will return.”
“Dr. Jacobs said it might happen in months. Or years. Or never. I don’t plan on sitting at home and hoping for a miracle that may never happen,” he says.
“That’s a very... pragmatic way of looking at the things.”
He tilts his head and looks at me sideways. “Do I have a choice?”
“No. I don’t think you do.” I crawl over the bed until I’m sitting behind his back and place my chin on his shoulder. “Is it bad?” I nod at his arm.
“Not so much,” he says and looks at me from the corner of his eye. “Don’t faint.”
“I never faint,” I say as he unwraps the last of the bandage and removes the dressing.
“Dear God, Luca.” I suck in a breath and quickly bury my face in his neck. The skin on his arm, from just below the shoulder all the way to his wrist is mottled red, and looks like it was scrubbed raw. “Do you need help?” I mumble into his neck.
“No, I’ll manage.”
He starts putting some kind of balm over the burns on his arm, but his movements seem too sharp, and he’s rubbing the sensitive skin way too much.
I slide to the edge of the bed next to him and take the jar. “Let me do it.”
I’m not good with blood or wounds of any kind, but the rough way he’s going about it will only make it worse. Taking a deep breath, I scoop a good amount of the balm with my fingers and carefully start applying it to his wounds, first focusing on the less damaged parts. Then, I move up his arm, leaving the worst of the burns to be treated last. Not a very wise decision. When I come to his bicep, my hand is shaking so much that I have to pull away for a moment to calm myself. I don’t want to risk hurting him more. Luca’s hand wraps around mine, and he moves it back to his wounded skin.
“You’re doing great,” he says.
I nod and resume applying the balm, trying my best to be as gentle as possible. When I’m done, I place a thin piece of sterilegauze over his damaged skin and bandage his arm. Only then do I let myself sag.
“I’m sorry,” I say and close my eyes. “I don’t deal well with this kind of stuff.”
His hand cups my face and a kiss lands on my lips. “I think you deal quite well with anything that gets thrown at you, Isabella,” he says against my mouth. “Unexpectedly well, I might add.”
“Not really.” I kiss him back. “I’m just good at pretending.”
“Are you pretending now?”
“No.”
“Good. I don’t want you pretending with me.” His lips move across my cheek, toward my ear. “But I know you’re hiding something from me, Isabella,” he whispers.
My eyes snap open. “I’m not hiding anything.”
“Yes, you are.” He bites my ear slightly and stands up. As he walks toward the wardrobe I enjoy the view of his powerful body moving with grace. Watching Luca move around has always been one of my favorite things, but I usually had to do it in secret. Being able to do so freely feels strange. I still can’t believe he’s finally mine. Well, at least until he remembers he doesn’t like me. Then, he’ll probably hate me for lying to him. But I don’t care. It will be worth it.
Chapter 14
I place my fist to my forehead, switching my gaze between Luca and Damian every few seconds. We’re fucked.
“I don’t have the slightest idea, Luca.” Damian raises his hands in the air and sighs.
“How the fuck am I going to discuss the next shipment with the Romanians if I don’t know the terms we agreed to?” Luca asks.
“Well, you’ll have to improvise.”
