when she returned, her bravado escaping her like air from a
balloon. His relief increased with every breath she took. “What?”
“Nothing. He’s secretive as a clam. I have an invitation to his villa in Lake Garda
anytime I like, but aside from that? Nothing.” She closed her eyes and swayed, nearly
falling into the lobby sofa next to him. “Take me upstairs.”
“Go,” Raul said. “Nothing much going on here now. My relief arrives in about half
an hour. Get some rest. I know what you’ve been doing for the past forty-eight hours.”
Lane helped Bella stand. “Come on. We’ll order room service for dinner and you
are going to bed to get some sleep.”
“ Bene notte ,” she bade Raul with a watery smile. Walking with Lane, she seemed as limp as a rag doll. Then in the elevator, she fell against him. “I need you,” she told him, reaching up to kiss him. The desperation rippled through her body and he felt the terror of it. “I may need you for a long, long time.”
Proud as a beast that had conquered his own part of the jungle, Lane assured her,
“I’m taking you to bed. But you are going to eat and sleep in it. That’s it.”
81
Desiree Holt & Cerise DeLand
She pressed her face to the column of his throat. “And if I wake you in the night,
will you make love to me then?”
“Always, Bella,” he promised. “I will always make love to you.”
82
Until Twilight
Chapter Eight
“If Italy froze the Kopf assets why hasn’t Umberto been released?” Isabella asked as
she and Lane walked down the hall from the elevator.
“Maybe they’re using him as leverage to get the other seven countries to follow suit.
None of them has stepped up to the plate.”
“If that doesn’t happen then the bomb threat is still in play,” she pointed out.
The moment they walked into their suite Isabella kicked off her shoes, ran her
hands through her hair and flopped down on the bed.
“I need a shower,” she announced. “Just talking to Gottfried makes me feel dirty.”
Lane knelt next to the bed, and began rubbing her feet, her ankles and up the length
of her calves. He had such a soothing touch, his fingers knowing just where and how to
press and rub. A sigh of pleasure drifted from her lips like a soft breeze.
“Let me take care of you, bellissima ,” he murmured. “Let down your guard for just this little while and give yourself over to me.”
“Oh, Lane.” She moaned softly, her body melting into his. “You have no idea how
much I want that.”
“Then let me,” he insisted. “Don’t fight me.” He moved up onto the bed next to her,
pulled her into his arms and brushed the silken strands of hair from her face. “We’ve
had a hellacious couple of days, every minute of them stressful and tense. You’ve been
going ninety miles an hour and shouldering an incredible amount of pressure. You
don’t always have to be the strong one, you know.”
She studied his face, trying to read the emotion she saw there. “Sometimes being
strong sucks. You know?”
83
Desiree Holt & Cerise DeLand
“I do. And letting yourself go with me doesn’t make you weak, just human.” He
kissed her cheek, her nose, her chin and her eyelids. “If the situation was reversed I’d give every bit of control to you and enjoy every minute of it.”
She laughed softly. “I’m just so used to seeing that as a sign of weakness.”
“The last thing anyone would call you is weak, Bella. Maddie is tracking down sales
of the purse and Nicki is making arrangements for us to get into the hall where the G8
meeting is being held.”
“We have to do it tonight. And it’s already almost twilight.”
“Trust me. She’s on it. But she has to coordinate with the government, because the
meeting is taking place in a government building. Then she has to contact the heads of
all G8 security teams and set it up for me to meet with them. And then we’ll all go to the hall and you can do your thing. But
balloon. His relief increased with every breath she took. “What?”
“Nothing. He’s secretive as a clam. I have an invitation to his villa in Lake Garda
anytime I like, but aside from that? Nothing.” She closed her eyes and swayed, nearly
falling into the lobby sofa next to him. “Take me upstairs.”
“Go,” Raul said. “Nothing much going on here now. My relief arrives in about half
an hour. Get some rest. I know what you’ve been doing for the past forty-eight hours.”
Lane helped Bella stand. “Come on. We’ll order room service for dinner and you
are going to bed to get some sleep.”
“ Bene notte ,” she bade Raul with a watery smile. Walking with Lane, she seemed as limp as a rag doll. Then in the elevator, she fell against him. “I need you,” she told him, reaching up to kiss him. The desperation rippled through her body and he felt the terror of it. “I may need you for a long, long time.”
Proud as a beast that had conquered his own part of the jungle, Lane assured her,
“I’m taking you to bed. But you are going to eat and sleep in it. That’s it.”
81
Desiree Holt & Cerise DeLand
She pressed her face to the column of his throat. “And if I wake you in the night,
will you make love to me then?”
“Always, Bella,” he promised. “I will always make love to you.”
82
Until Twilight
Chapter Eight
“If Italy froze the Kopf assets why hasn’t Umberto been released?” Isabella asked as
she and Lane walked down the hall from the elevator.
“Maybe they’re using him as leverage to get the other seven countries to follow suit.
None of them has stepped up to the plate.”
“If that doesn’t happen then the bomb threat is still in play,” she pointed out.
The moment they walked into their suite Isabella kicked off her shoes, ran her
hands through her hair and flopped down on the bed.
“I need a shower,” she announced. “Just talking to Gottfried makes me feel dirty.”
Lane knelt next to the bed, and began rubbing her feet, her ankles and up the length
of her calves. He had such a soothing touch, his fingers knowing just where and how to
press and rub. A sigh of pleasure drifted from her lips like a soft breeze.
“Let me take care of you, bellissima ,” he murmured. “Let down your guard for just this little while and give yourself over to me.”
“Oh, Lane.” She moaned softly, her body melting into his. “You have no idea how
much I want that.”
“Then let me,” he insisted. “Don’t fight me.” He moved up onto the bed next to her,
pulled her into his arms and brushed the silken strands of hair from her face. “We’ve
had a hellacious couple of days, every minute of them stressful and tense. You’ve been
going ninety miles an hour and shouldering an incredible amount of pressure. You
don’t always have to be the strong one, you know.”
She studied his face, trying to read the emotion she saw there. “Sometimes being
strong sucks. You know?”
83
Desiree Holt & Cerise DeLand
“I do. And letting yourself go with me doesn’t make you weak, just human.” He
kissed her cheek, her nose, her chin and her eyelids. “If the situation was reversed I’d give every bit of control to you and enjoy every minute of it.”
She laughed softly. “I’m just so used to seeing that as a sign of weakness.”
“The last thing anyone would call you is weak, Bella. Maddie is tracking down sales
of the purse and Nicki is making arrangements for us to get into the hall where the G8
meeting is being held.”
“We have to do it tonight. And it’s already almost twilight.”
“Trust me. She’s on it. But she has to coordinate with the government, because the
meeting is taking place in a government building. Then she has to contact the heads of
all G8 security teams and set it up for me to meet with them. And then we’ll all go to the hall and you can do your thing. But
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