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“Sausalito. And to answer your second question, we’ll fly there.” He interrupted before she could express her concern over the cost of an airline ticket. Her savings, already faltering, didn’t need the hit of any extra expenses. “A Salvatore corporate jet is on standby at the airport.”
She stared in shock. “A corporate jet,” she repeated faintly.
“Is that a problem?” He handed her the water he’d poured.
“I didn’t realize you were—” Mia broke off, adeep blush touching her cheeks. She took a steadying sip of water.
“Rich?”
A frown drifted between her eyebrows. It had never occurred to her that his life resembled anything of the opulence she had seen at his family home. His straight-forward demeanor, his kindness, didn’t reek of extraordinary wealth. “Are you?”
“Yes.”
She turned slightly, only willing to show him her profile. Now that she thought about it, it made sense he’d come from wealth given the Salvatore mansion. No doubt Carina had taken it into serious consideration when she’d been on the hunt. “Aren’t you worried I’ll take advantage of you?”
“Is that your plan?” His gaze met hers, lacking any hint of suspicion. If anything, he appeared amused.
“No.”
Her voice came out in a whisper, but the ice cubes in her glass rattled a warning. To a certain extent she was taking advantage of him. She chose Brand because of that magical evening she’d shared with him six years before. She wanted what she hadn’t experienced then. At the very least, there an element of dishonesty existed. She spared him a quick glance, alarmed to catch him studying her again.
“If you’re not planning to take advantage of me, then there shouldn’t be a problem.” He said it simply, no doubt or concern present in his voice. Trust was implicit. “For tonight, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’m not here to talk about how our relationship will end, but how it’ll begin. And that brings us back to the question I asked in the elevator. What’s wrong, Mia? Are you having second thoughts?”
Her head dipped forward like a flower too heavy for its stalk. It had been a long day and exhaustion threatened. “Try second, third, and fourth ones.”
“Tell me. Maybe I can allay your concerns.”
She took a deep breath and blew it out. “Let’s start with Soren. He’s not someone who gives up.”
“No, he’s not.”
“If he’s here, that means he has objections. Maybe your entire family objects.”
“Doubtful, since my father is the one who came up with the idea of my attending the ball.” He moved to the couch and took a seat beside her, asingle malt whiskey in hand. “Mia, my family has always had opinions about how I should live my life, perhaps because I’m the youngest. But they don’t control it any more than they can end our marriage. Only we can do that. And I have no intention of ending it.”
He turned her gently in her seat and placed her feet in his lap. Digging his thumbs into her aching arches, he worked to massage out the tension.
“You mean until Toni is better,” she corrected pedantically.
He inclined his head. “Finished with her rehab and walking properly. Spending most of her time in the real world instead of this fantasyland she’s created. Acting more like a normal five-year-old.”
A small frown formed again between her brows. What did he mean? “Rehab?”
“I told you she’d been badly injured. She has a bad leg. Yours?”
“A permanent injury,” she admitted.
“Then that’s something you’ll have in common. I’m hoping when she sees how well you’re doing, she’ll decide to push through with her rehab instead of giving up.”
Compassion swept across Mia’s features. “It’s unfair, the burdens laid on children.Dolce bambina.”
“The doctors have told us she’s through the worst of it. The problem is…” He hesitated, struggling to find the right words. “She’s stuck. She’s tired of doing the necessary exercises or trying to take that final step toward wellness.”
Mia’s frown deepened. “And you think I can help with that?”
“I’m hoping.”
He continued his soothing massage, moving on to her ankles and lower calves. Soon she’d have to stop him, before he saw the damage to her leg. She didn’t object to him seeing the scars, refused to act sensitive or self-conscious about them. She just preferred anyone about to view them to have a reasonable warning in case they were squeamish.
