Page 75 of Unspoken Promises

Enzo takes off his glasses and stares at me carefully, as if one day I’ll understand that what he said is true. “Who texted you tonight before you ran off?”

I freeze completely. Now that I know how he feels about Anton, I could never say it was him. Maybe Enzo will trace the call. He’ll never believe Anton is as much on the run as I am. I don’t have enough time to think this through so… I lie, and the words are like acid in my stomach. “It was just Pen. I didn’t run off because of the text. I just got nervous. I’m scared of heights.”

His eyebrow twitches. He doesn’t believe it.

Still, there’s no way in hell I’m discussing Anton with him now. It doesn’t matter to Enzo what kind of man Anton is, but it does to me.

My entire outlook in life hinges on Anton being a good man. On us having been in it together. He was my family not my captor. He made the best for my life that he couldwith what he had, like a parent would. Thinking of him as a bad person turns me inside out and would ruin all hope that good exists in this world. Anton was my proof of good.

Anyway, convincing Enzo Anton is good doesn’t matter anymore because I don’t have to be part of rescuing him. I don’t have to use my freedom to ensure his. He’s in Nevada. He said he’s safe. I can concentrate on me now and wiping Lucy Murphy from existence forever.

I can focus on Enzo.

I thought the passion in his gaze would fade when he heard my story. Quite the opposite, there’s a new fire there. Enzo has always been a man hell-bent on protecting others. I knew it before I even knew about Diego, and now I understand his reason, I believe in him even more.

That protection is admirable. Being on the receiving end of it, my hands in his firm grip, his steely gaze on me? There’s no place I’d rather be.

He shuffles closer on the couch and wraps his strong arm around me. He stares into my eyes with a depth I’ve never known and says what I’ve been praying to hear.

He lifts his palm to my jaw. “You’re never going back there.”

The world stands still. I’m falling into him. Falling into us.

I want to go back to earlier, when I was full of butterflies and it felt like my new life was just beginning. I want to go back to him believing I’m the woman I was only an hour ago when he bought us tickets for the Ferris wheel and danced his fingertips on mine.

“I just want to be Ava Scott now and leave Lucy in the past.”

He understands immediately. I’m sure Enzo has dealtwith witness protection and new identities in his line of business. I don’t have to say another word.

He still cups my jaw, listening not only to my words but my every breath and every movement. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

My eyes flutter downward. “We were supposed to kiss tonight.”

His thumb traces my jawline so tenderly I could purr.

“We were?” He might have asked a question, but there’s no doubt in his words or in the subtle shift of his mouth toward mine.

“I was going to do it at the top of the Ferris wheel.” My confession is just a murmur.

“You’ve been through a lot tonight,” he says, carefully, with restraint and eyes full of unknown emotions.

He’s being careful with me now that he knows. But I swear his lips creep toward mine.

His touch glides up to my hairline, and his fingers light up every millimeter of my skin until he reaches the nape of my neck. Shivers skate down, straight to my core. I’m emotional on every level and I swear only his lips on mine will stop my racing heart from escaping my chest.

I’m not sure if he means it the way I take it, but his next words set me on fire.

“I’m going to take such good care of you.” He stares at my lips.

“Enzo…”

His nostrils flare.

“Please kiss me.”

His gaze is so intense I could burst into flames.

It took everything to be this bold. His lips draw closer still, warm breath cascades down my cheek. His gaze is deep and soulful, but there’s something like fear there, too.

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