Total pages in book: 163
Estimated words: 148612 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 743(@200wpm)___ 594(@250wpm)___ 495(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 148612 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 743(@200wpm)___ 594(@250wpm)___ 495(@300wpm)
Her boot dropped to the floor, and she sat up slowly, her blue eyes finally meeting his. She saw pain there.
“Too many things between us, Val. You know that. The ropes. The blonde. Your family. Mine.” She shook her head. “I know you told Stefano you loved me, but that wasn’t the entire reason for binding me to you. Not in the beginning. I saw your face. You were so smug about it. You knew exactly what you were doing. I would lie awake at night thinking about how you looked and how you distracted me by kissing me. I let you do that. I let you take me over. I was ashamed of myself for not fighting, for putting my family in danger.”
“We’re going to take this one step at a time. I did tell your brother the truth. I do love you. I felt very smug and satisfied every single time I managed to get more ropes around your shadow. In the beginning, you were good at hiding from me. But eventually you let your guard down. I was happy about that. Elated, in fact. I did know what I was doing. I started researching our weird Saldi myth. If I could find a way to tie you to me permanently, you better believe I was going to do it.”
She stood up and pulled the tee over her head, allowing the material to drop around her curves. He was taller than her by almost a foot, and the shirt hung on her. She reached under the hem and opened her trousers.
“Your family was never in danger. If anything, my family is in danger from yours. Baby, I don’t want you to ever feel shame because you want to be with me. Is it because of who I am? A Saldi?”
Emmanuelle shook her head. “You know what we do, or you can guess. Your family is out in the open where mine is literally hidden in the shadows. It would be a little hypocritical of me pointing fingers at you.”
He still wasn’t exactly certain what her family did, but they had taken care of Miceli’s men efficiently. More than efficiently. Thinking like a leader, he had to admit, forming an alliance with Emme’s family would be more than beneficial to him.
Val didn’t like the fact that she carefully folded her trousers, then unfolded them and arranged them over the back of the chair.
“Come here.”
Emmanuelle sighed and turned her head to look at him over her shoulder. She looked so damn heartbreakingly young. His woman was fierce, and yet right then, she looked vulnerable and afraid. He hated that he was the one who’d put that look on her face when she should always feel safe and protected with him.
“You do know it doesn’t really matter what we feel for each other, don’t you? It isn’t like we can sneak around like we used to.” She ignored his directive and walked around the room, one hand moving along the wall, staying as far from him as possible. “You have a life already mapped out for you, Val. You said yourself you can’t change it. My brother even implied you couldn’t. You’re taking over as head of the Saldi family, aren’t you?”
She turned her head to look at him. Once again, her blue eyes met his. He felt the impact of those twin brilliant gems piercing him all the way to his heart.
“Yes, I am.” He made the statement quietly, watching her closely.
She nodded. “I have a life as well, Val. I have responsibilities. I have a job I don’t want to give up.”
“And what is your job?”
She hesitated. “One I trained for and I’m good at it. I work with my family.”
“Why would that mean you can’t be with me, Emme? Many women are married and still have jobs. Did you think I would be so controlling that I would insist you wait at home chained to my bed?” He would dictate that if he could, but she might cut his throat. Emmanuelle was not the kind of woman to take kindly to dictators, no matter how much she loved him.
“Yes.” She frowned at him. “You’re very controlling. You order, you don’t ask. I don’t think you’ve ever asked.”
“I haven’t?” She made him want to smile.
“No.”
“Then I’m asking now. Please come here to me.” He widened his legs and pointed to the spot between his thighs. He wanted her close. He needed to touch her. To feel her skin. Her heat. To know that after two years of silence, she was really there with him, even if she was still struggling with the idea of being with him.
“I walked into that one, didn’t I?” A hint of laughter mixed with resignation in her voice. She left the safety of the opposite side of the enormous room and came toward him slowly.