eyes again and grinned. ‘But I’ll go to sleep way quicker if you talk to me. A bedtime story?’
‘How old are you?’
His grin broadened. ‘It could include potential list items...I hear erotica is all the rage. I’ll leave it open.’
‘No lists. No funny stuff. We are not alone, remember?’
‘With that noise I’m not likely to forget.’ His toes wriggled against her thigh. ‘Spoilsport.’
‘One more time and you’ll be in the bath.’ She huffed out a breath. Loudly. Just so he’d hear the frustration. ‘Okay. Once upon a time there was a very irritating man who refused to go to sleep, so his...friend did away with him in a very nasty grisly way. With lots of blood and pain.’ She tweaked his toe. Hard. ‘The end.’
‘Don’t ever take up writing for your next career. You really suck.’
‘No fear, I’ll stick to twisting limbs. Much more fun.’
‘So you have an evil side too. Very interesting...you are very interesting, Daniella.’ He laughed and opened his eyes. Heat from his body curled around hers. His smile kicked up one corner of his mouth, making his dimple twinkle. He looked for a second like a mischievous child.
He watched her for a while, but slowly his expression changed to thoughtful. He pushed back against the wall and sat up. ‘Hey, princess. Tell me about that photograph. What was going on back then?’
‘Why are you asking?’ She drew her legs up in an effort to wriggle away from him, wrapped her arms around her knees. She was so not ready for this.
‘You were so angry down there tonight, thought it might help if you talked a bit.’ He leaned forward.
‘Oh, yeah. The big guy who won’t talk wants me to talk. Right.’
He took her hand. ‘I’m trying to help. Maybe build a bit of trust here. Reckon we could both use it.’
‘No.’ Her reaction was automatic. She couldn’t hold in the tight bitter laugh as she snatched her hand away. ‘I don’t trust any man, not least one who’s employed by my father.’
‘I’m a man. And I’m employed by your father. Can you separate the two?’ He held his palms out to her. ‘You keep harping on about talking. Go on, try me.’
She sat there watching his face in the half-light, remembering the thunderous look when he’d arrived in the bar all breathless and confused. All she’d been able to think about was how the heck to save Jaxon, but all Zac had been concerned about was saving her.
Well, actually, it had been about sex. But he’d stayed and helped. To save her’the younger her. To prove someone cared.
That he would do that for her’
Something shifted inside her, swelled and filled a hole she hadn’t realised had been there. For so long she’d kept her own counsel, hadn’t let anyone in, but maybe it would feel good to let that go just for a few minutes. Trouble was she didn’t know if she could, and now was not a good time to learn to trust a man. Right when he was going to walk out of her life in a matter of weeks.
But hell, if she wanted him to open up to her, she had to lead the way. Just a bit’after all, touching on details wasn’t baring her soul, right?
‘They were wild, crazy days. We had too much time on our hands and too much money to blow on booze and dope.’ She nodded towards Jaxon. ‘Like Numpty here. Getting wasted was our number-one priority.’
‘Our? We?’
‘My friends.’ As she said it she rolled her eyes and made speech mark shapes with her fingers. Zac got the impression that people like the Danatellos didn’t have friends. They had hangers-on, wannabes. ‘People who I trusted and who let me down. People who sold me out when I was in rehab. Paul.’
‘Paul?’
‘My ex-fiancé, who only wanted to marry me to get to Davide. Oh, not just him. Others. People on Daddy’s payroll...’
Like him. Things cleared a little in Zac’s muddled brain. No wonder she’d put up barriers. Everyone she’d trusted had let her down. Still let her down if he counted Desere.
‘How old are you?’
His grin broadened. ‘It could include potential list items...I hear erotica is all the rage. I’ll leave it open.’
‘No lists. No funny stuff. We are not alone, remember?’
‘With that noise I’m not likely to forget.’ His toes wriggled against her thigh. ‘Spoilsport.’
‘One more time and you’ll be in the bath.’ She huffed out a breath. Loudly. Just so he’d hear the frustration. ‘Okay. Once upon a time there was a very irritating man who refused to go to sleep, so his...friend did away with him in a very nasty grisly way. With lots of blood and pain.’ She tweaked his toe. Hard. ‘The end.’
‘Don’t ever take up writing for your next career. You really suck.’
‘No fear, I’ll stick to twisting limbs. Much more fun.’
‘So you have an evil side too. Very interesting...you are very interesting, Daniella.’ He laughed and opened his eyes. Heat from his body curled around hers. His smile kicked up one corner of his mouth, making his dimple twinkle. He looked for a second like a mischievous child.
He watched her for a while, but slowly his expression changed to thoughtful. He pushed back against the wall and sat up. ‘Hey, princess. Tell me about that photograph. What was going on back then?’
‘Why are you asking?’ She drew her legs up in an effort to wriggle away from him, wrapped her arms around her knees. She was so not ready for this.
‘You were so angry down there tonight, thought it might help if you talked a bit.’ He leaned forward.
‘Oh, yeah. The big guy who won’t talk wants me to talk. Right.’
He took her hand. ‘I’m trying to help. Maybe build a bit of trust here. Reckon we could both use it.’
‘No.’ Her reaction was automatic. She couldn’t hold in the tight bitter laugh as she snatched her hand away. ‘I don’t trust any man, not least one who’s employed by my father.’
‘I’m a man. And I’m employed by your father. Can you separate the two?’ He held his palms out to her. ‘You keep harping on about talking. Go on, try me.’
She sat there watching his face in the half-light, remembering the thunderous look when he’d arrived in the bar all breathless and confused. All she’d been able to think about was how the heck to save Jaxon, but all Zac had been concerned about was saving her.
Well, actually, it had been about sex. But he’d stayed and helped. To save her’the younger her. To prove someone cared.
That he would do that for her’
Something shifted inside her, swelled and filled a hole she hadn’t realised had been there. For so long she’d kept her own counsel, hadn’t let anyone in, but maybe it would feel good to let that go just for a few minutes. Trouble was she didn’t know if she could, and now was not a good time to learn to trust a man. Right when he was going to walk out of her life in a matter of weeks.
But hell, if she wanted him to open up to her, she had to lead the way. Just a bit’after all, touching on details wasn’t baring her soul, right?
‘They were wild, crazy days. We had too much time on our hands and too much money to blow on booze and dope.’ She nodded towards Jaxon. ‘Like Numpty here. Getting wasted was our number-one priority.’
‘Our? We?’
‘My friends.’ As she said it she rolled her eyes and made speech mark shapes with her fingers. Zac got the impression that people like the Danatellos didn’t have friends. They had hangers-on, wannabes. ‘People who I trusted and who let me down. People who sold me out when I was in rehab. Paul.’
‘Paul?’
‘My ex-fiancé, who only wanted to marry me to get to Davide. Oh, not just him. Others. People on Daddy’s payroll...’
Like him. Things cleared a little in Zac’s muddled brain. No wonder she’d put up barriers. Everyone she’d trusted had let her down. Still let her down if he counted Desere.
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