Page 49 of Heartless Union

Gabriella shudders. “Eww. I didn’t mean it like that.” She shudders again for extra effect.

I chuckle and stand up. “You’re clearly feeling better and will be all right. I’m glad you’re all right.”

“Me, too.” Her eyes soften as she looks up at me. “Thank you for saving me.”

“It was all because of Lara.” Thinking about my wife sends a pang through my heart. Life was so much easier when I pushed emotion to the side.

“I know. If you find her, send her my way. We never got to finish our sleepover.”

I head out in search of Lara. She can’t hide from me forever.

Eventually, I find her in the backyard with her face tilted up to the sun. No longer in a nightgown, she’s wearing black leggings and a simple top. Shame. I wanted her to still be in the nightgown. It made it so much easier to touch her how I’ve imagined for weeks now.

“What are you thinking about?” I ask.

She jumps and looks over at me. “I didn’t hear you. You startled me.”

“I didn’t mean to do that.” I walk closer to her, and she doesn’t move away, which is progress. “Back in the kitchen …”

“We don’t have to talk about it.” Her cheeks are burning red again.

“Maybe we should. You didn’t push me away. Why?”

She sighs, shaking her head. “I was caught up in … everything. The kidnapping really rattled me. It felt nice being in your arms.”

“I like the sound of that.”

“You do?”

I take a seat beside her. “I know I can be cold.”

“You can be.”

I raise my eyebrow at her.

She smiles slightly. “I made a promise to myself to not be so afraid around you. I don’t want to be so submissive anymore.”

“I know I can be cold,” I say again, “but that doesn’t mean I want you to be afraid of me, so I’m glad you’re choosing not to be. I want to touch you, Lara. I don’t want that to be a problem between us.”

“You have to give me time to get adjusted.”

“I can do that.”

She looks at me out of the corner of her eye. “You can?”

“When you tried sacrificing yourself for Gabriella, it changed the way I saw you.”

“How so?”

“It made me realize I do care for you. Before, you were a means to an end. A way for me to gain an ally. But now …” I shake my head. “Shit. I’m not used to saying things like this.”

She gently touches my hand, and the initiative touch from her surprises me. It’s not unwanted. “It’s ok. I get what you’re saying. The kidnapping changed things for both of us. We had a rocky start to our marriage, but maybe we can start again. We can try to be closer.”

“I’d like that. But you need to know I’m not used to this.” I wave a hand between us. “Not used to … emotional shit. Just like you need time to warm up to me, I need time, too.”

“I understand. A new start.”

“For us. But for everything else …” I rake my hand across the back of my neck. “I’m not so sure. Carlo and Dante are still out there. And my father is proving to be a pain in my ass.”

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