Page 3 of His Kind of Beautiful
Chapter Two
Leona Underwood had no real way of knowing how long she’d been sitting on the deck of the lake house, staring out at the water. She’d come out before breakfast, wanting to get some fresh air, but had been held captive by the beauty and serenity of the lake before her and had sat to watch the water move and the colors of the day dance across its surface. She struggled to sleep through the night, plagued by nightmares, some new, some old, and always woke with a feeling akin to claustrophobia. She fought to pull herself from under the oppressive nature of that feeling in the city, but out here, with nothing but the lake and the surrounding forest, it was much easier.
It had been difficult for her to find peace since Angelo—no, she wasn’t going to dwell on that. She was at peace here. Or as much as she could be. She had everything she needed. Her mind was suddenly filled with smiling dark eyes, a man with thick dark hair that refused to be tamed, broad shoulders, and a protective streak like nothing she had ever witnessed before. He was good and special and wonderful and everything she wasn’t. No, Tony didn’t need her screwing up his life.
“Leona!”
She flinched and blinked a few times, dragging her gaze away from the water.
“Goddamn it, Leona, snap the fuck out of it!”
“Tony?” She was surprised at the harsh sound of her voice. She sounded nothing like she normally would.
“Yeah,bellezza mia, it’s me. Come back to me now. That’s it.”
His tone was sweet, no longer sounding harsh. It was as if he were coaxing her somewhere. Leona inhaled deeply, taking the scent of him into her lungs and closing her eyes at how delicious he smelled.
“No, Leona, don’t close your eyes, keep them open. Look at me.”
Leona complied and frowned at how difficult it seemed. When she was able to focus, she realized that Tony was on his knees in front of her, both his hands wrapped tight around her arms, his handsome face filled with concern.
“What is it?” she asked, thinking something must have happened back in Chicago. “What’s happened?”
Frustration and anger flickered across his face. “What is it?Porca miseria, Leona, I have been speaking to you and calling your name over and over for the past few minutes and you completely checked out. Are you okay?”
Leona laughed, a sound completely devoid of humor or happiness. “That’s a pretty stupid question, Tony, don’t you think? No, I am not okay. In fact, I am completely fucked up. I know this because I heard you all saying that about me, and you were all exactly right. I am completely fucked. Up.”
Tony scowled, his beautiful dark eyes flashing. “You are not. Fucked. Up. Whatever you think you heard,bellezza,I can assure you that was not it. You are not and nor have you ever been fucked up. We’ll talk more about what youaresoon, but for right now, I need to make sure you’re okay. Can you stand?”
This time it was Leona’s turn to frown. “Why do you think I couldn’t stand?”
Tony’s expression softened. “Because you’re frozen. I don’t know how long you’ve been sitting out here, but it has to have been a while. You’re sitting here watching the sun setting in nothing but a pair of pajamas. Were you getting ready for bed?”
Shock slammed through her. “Sunset? It’s sunset?”
“It’s close to five thirty in the evening, Leona,” Tony said slowly. “What time did you step out onto the deck?” Leona remained silent, watching a myriad of emotions wash over Tony’s face. “What time, Lee?”
Leona almost flinched at the undisguised demand in his tone.
“Before breakfast,” she whispered.
Tony’s jaw dropped almost comically, and he stared at her for a long moment before he began a rapid stream of Italian. She watched, enthralled as he stood up and walked around the deck. Although she wasn’t too sure what he was saying, she figured they were curses, gesturing to her, then the lake, then to the heavens. Perhaps calling on the heavens themselves to help him understand her. If she were normal and not screwed up on levels she could hardly comprehend, she might have laughed at the picture he made.
Tony took a few deep breaths then turned back to her, both hands on his hips. “Fuck.”
Leona waited for more, and when no more came, she felt compelled to ask. “Is that all you have to say? Was that the translation for what you just ranted in Italian, because if so, then I think your first language might be a little long winded.”
Tony shook his head at her as he walked to her and plucked her out of the chair. She gasped at the sudden change of position, her entire body protesting the move. She must have remained completely still for the entire day.
Tony shot her a sympathetic look. “I bet you’re feeling it now. Your muscles have probably seized with the cold and not moving all fucking day. Come on, let’s get you in the shower. The heat will help. Then we’ll set about getting you something to eat. You must be hungry.”
Well, she was now! Her tummy cramped. She was hungry. In fact, she was starving, and that surprised her. She hadn’t had much of an appetite since her attack. Her heart began to beat faster. Angelo was—
“Stop it, Lee,” Tony said with a growl as he walked them both into the large bathroom in the master suite and set her gently on the chaise lounge that sat against the wall opposite the shower. When she’d first arrived, she’d marveled at the piece, thinking it seemed an odd thing to have in a bathroom, but now that she was sitting comfortably on it, she was thankful it was there.
“Stop what?” Her voice was flat once more, and from the way he shot her a look, he heard it too.
“Thinking about that prick or anything that happened that night.” Tony reached in and turned the shower on, adjusting the temperature before turning back to look at her. “I can tell when you go back there and give that fucker more attention that he deserves. You get this lost look on your face, and the light leaves your eyes. It’s not you. You’re more than that.”
