Page 117 of Sicilian Sunset

Wow!

Would he have done this for anyone?

My mind races… I’m probably overthinking this.

His lightning-fast reaction raises questions I don’t want to ask. Yet my mind throws them at me anyway.

If I had been with any other person, we probably would have been frozen, unsure of what to do. But Tiero knew exactly what to do. There was no hesitation.

He took cover, his senses immediately on high alert. What does that suggest?

He’s done this before. I’m sure of it.

Is he’s expecting attacks at any given moment?

Oh God, what have I gotten myself into?

There’s commotion in front of the door, and I hold my breath. A light rapping on the door and Tiero’s voice pull me out of my stupor, and I undo the lock with trembling hands.

Tiero enters and immediately hugs me. My arms wind themselves around his waist, and I hold on tight.

“It’s all good, angel.” He’s cradling me tightly against his body, one hand in my hair, holding my head against his chest.

“There’s nothing to worry about. It was a minor gas explosion in the kitchen,” he explains while he rubs my back soothingly and peppers kisses on top of my head. For the first time since the bang, I breathe out properly, my body relaxing.

In Tiero’s arms, I feel safe.

“Was anybody injured?” I ask, my voice still shaky.

Tiero pauses before replying, “Everybody is fine.”

“Is it safe now?”

“Yes, we isolated the problem,” he assures me.

I pull back and look up at him. He smiles at me, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

A heaviness hangs in the air. Something is troubling him. His demeanor is off, and this alone worries me.

As if reading my mind, he bends to take my lips with his, catching them in a searing kiss.

I pull away and out of his hold before we get carried away, because we will if we continue this. With eyebrows raised, he watches me as I make my way back to the lounge to pick up my bag.

“What are you doing, princess?”

Rummaging in my Bermuda triangle of a bag, I find the little black box I bought for him this afternoon and turn it a few times in my hands before pulling it out.

Now is as good a time as any to give it to him. It might lighten his mood and make him smile for real. What were the chances of finding something so perfect for him?

When I turn back to him, Tiero eyes me curiously, an intrigued smile on his handsome face.

“I’ve got something for you.”

I’m so excited about this. I hope he likes it as much as I do.

“What is it?” he asks, the sparkle returning to his eyes.

“A present,” I say self-satisfied, holding out the little square box to him.

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