like Capri salad, tuna salad and pineapple,” she said, messing with the belt on her robe that looked as if it might be making it hard for her to breathe as tight as it was drawn around her tiny waist.
“You’re asking me this at one in the morning?” he asked, not at all irritated that she was there, but unable to hide the humor he found in the situation.
“Okay. Yeah. Well...I know it’s late, but I couldn’t sleep, and I thought I’d go ahead and make our picnic lunch for the beach tomorrow. And then I couldn’t remember. Well...actually, I didn’t know if you still liked those things or not so I figured I’d better check with you and-”
“Slow down, baby. It’s fine. I’m glad you’re here. C’mon in and we can solve the lunch dilemma,” he said, wanting to get to the bottom of what was really bothering her. She’d never had trouble sleeping, that he knew of, but whatever it was that had her up tonight was making her a nervous wreck.
“I shouldn’t-”
“Yes, you should,” he said, reaching gently for her arm, pulling her inside the door and closing it behind her. “It’s me, baby. Now what’s got you so worked up? And don’t even go with the salads and pineapple. I know better. This is me you’re talking to.”
He led her over to the edge of his bed—either the smartest thing or the dumbest thing he’d ever done—and sat down, patting the down comforter, inviting her to join him.
She finally sat next to him, but not without pulling the belt on her robe even tighter.
“You do remember that I’ve seen what’s under there many times before, right? That damn belt looks like it’s cutting off your circulation,” he said, hardly able to keep from laughing out loud.
At least she laughed at his comment, which immediately relieved the tension in his gut. He couldn’t stand it when she was upset or worried. And she’d always worried a lot. He’d do anything to take away her worries, and hopefully, she still knew that.
“Sorry. I’m sorry for barging in here so late and for such a stupid reason. It’s just that I was having trouble sleeping, worrying about Brandenberg and his flunkies and what they’re going to do us. What they’ll do to you. And god, if they hurt you or threaten to hurt again-”
“Whoa. Wait a minute. What you mean if they threaten to hurt me again? When did they ever-”
Dario didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t have to. He knew from the look on her face that that’s exactly what had happened. That’s why she’d left him twenty-five years ago. And broken their engagement. It wasn’t that she didn’t love him anymore. She was protecting him.
“Oh, baby,” he said pulling her toward his chest as the tears started streaming down her cheeks. “Why didn’t you tell me? Why did you let me think all of these years that you didn’t love me? I could have handled watching my back. Protecting myself and you. What I couldn’t handle and never got over was losing you.”
“I know. I know. I should have told you. But I thought I was doing the right thing. I was young. We both were. We had our whole lives ahead of us. And I couldn’t stand the thought that I could be responsible for something horrible happening to you.”
“The only horrible thing that’s ever happened to me was losing you,” he said, wiping the tears from her cheeks as best as he could, considering how fast they were falling.
“I’m scared, Dario. As much as I love you, I’m scared. I’m even more sure now than I was then that Brandenberg will make good on his threats. If either of us stands in his way, he won’t hesitate to get rid of us.”
“But there is a difference this time,” Dario said, moving her away from his chest long enough to look in her eyes when he said what he needed to say. “I’m not going to let anything happen to either one of us. We’ve got two of the best security teams in the world. We’ll figure this out. Together, baby. I promise
“You’re asking me this at one in the morning?” he asked, not at all irritated that she was there, but unable to hide the humor he found in the situation.
“Okay. Yeah. Well...I know it’s late, but I couldn’t sleep, and I thought I’d go ahead and make our picnic lunch for the beach tomorrow. And then I couldn’t remember. Well...actually, I didn’t know if you still liked those things or not so I figured I’d better check with you and-”
“Slow down, baby. It’s fine. I’m glad you’re here. C’mon in and we can solve the lunch dilemma,” he said, wanting to get to the bottom of what was really bothering her. She’d never had trouble sleeping, that he knew of, but whatever it was that had her up tonight was making her a nervous wreck.
“I shouldn’t-”
“Yes, you should,” he said, reaching gently for her arm, pulling her inside the door and closing it behind her. “It’s me, baby. Now what’s got you so worked up? And don’t even go with the salads and pineapple. I know better. This is me you’re talking to.”
He led her over to the edge of his bed—either the smartest thing or the dumbest thing he’d ever done—and sat down, patting the down comforter, inviting her to join him.
She finally sat next to him, but not without pulling the belt on her robe even tighter.
“You do remember that I’ve seen what’s under there many times before, right? That damn belt looks like it’s cutting off your circulation,” he said, hardly able to keep from laughing out loud.
At least she laughed at his comment, which immediately relieved the tension in his gut. He couldn’t stand it when she was upset or worried. And she’d always worried a lot. He’d do anything to take away her worries, and hopefully, she still knew that.
“Sorry. I’m sorry for barging in here so late and for such a stupid reason. It’s just that I was having trouble sleeping, worrying about Brandenberg and his flunkies and what they’re going to do us. What they’ll do to you. And god, if they hurt you or threaten to hurt again-”
“Whoa. Wait a minute. What you mean if they threaten to hurt me again? When did they ever-”
Dario didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t have to. He knew from the look on her face that that’s exactly what had happened. That’s why she’d left him twenty-five years ago. And broken their engagement. It wasn’t that she didn’t love him anymore. She was protecting him.
“Oh, baby,” he said pulling her toward his chest as the tears started streaming down her cheeks. “Why didn’t you tell me? Why did you let me think all of these years that you didn’t love me? I could have handled watching my back. Protecting myself and you. What I couldn’t handle and never got over was losing you.”
“I know. I know. I should have told you. But I thought I was doing the right thing. I was young. We both were. We had our whole lives ahead of us. And I couldn’t stand the thought that I could be responsible for something horrible happening to you.”
“The only horrible thing that’s ever happened to me was losing you,” he said, wiping the tears from her cheeks as best as he could, considering how fast they were falling.
“I’m scared, Dario. As much as I love you, I’m scared. I’m even more sure now than I was then that Brandenberg will make good on his threats. If either of us stands in his way, he won’t hesitate to get rid of us.”
“But there is a difference this time,” Dario said, moving her away from his chest long enough to look in her eyes when he said what he needed to say. “I’m not going to let anything happen to either one of us. We’ve got two of the best security teams in the world. We’ll figure this out. Together, baby. I promise
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