Page 78 of His Deadly Lies

“The way you touch me.”

We’re both too quiet for a moment, and I can only speak for myself, but I’m reeling. There are thousands of tiny thoughts and overwhelming emotions tangling together inside of me, and all of them struggle for dominance. Is that how you’re supposed to feel?

Or does it always feel this special to be with a man for the first time?

Not just any man, I remind myself. Carter.

I’m here with Carter, and he isn’t turning me away or treating me like I’m precious and breakable.

“You know,” he says, and I start at the sound of his voice. He notices. Draws me closer and wraps me up tight in the crook of his arm so that I’m fully pressed against his side. Draped over him, more like. “My age makes me overlooked. In more situations than not, people take one look at my hair and assume that I’m old enough to be out of the loop. To be expendable.”

“The way my looks do for me,” I add.

“Yes.”

It’s a small word. A simple word, but this time it conveys more meaning than any paragraph.

“We have that in common,” I continue. “We are underestimated for simply being what we are. You, a bodyguard who no one expects to do more than act like a brute and use your muscles. And me, the beautiful brainless heir. Not that there's anything wrong with being beautiful. It opens doors. It lulls people into a false sense of complacency.”

“Perks, you mean,” Carter replies with a chuckle. “No one sees what a capable badass you are.”

I snuggle closer, pressing my breasts to his side. “Thank you.”

He sees me.

“You’ve got a sharper wit than anyone in the Vittorio family. I don’t say it lightly.”

“I’ll be careful not to repeat that to Ricardo.”

Carter turns to cup my face, his eyes meeting mine and searching. I warm, melting at the look. He’s letting his guard down too. “Whatever is happening here might get us both killed. I need you to know that.”

“Will he…hurt you?” I have to know. “If he finds out about us?”

“He can try.” Carter gives me a deadly grin, and I lurch forward to kiss him.

“But he’s your boss. Maybe we—”

Carter grabs my wrists and rolls over to top me in the same move. “Everything is going to work out,” he interrupts. “Trust me. I promise you.”

“You can’t possibly know that,” I insist. I huff out a breath and watch his eyes heat. “I don’t get to be the kind of person who leans into hope when there isn’t any available. You know that. You’re just like me. It seems shortsighted to pin my future on something in such short supply.”

And I know him well enough to know that he might offer platitudes, but there is always a plan to back it up. Carter is nothing if not prepared.

“Our future hangs in the balance, and you think I’m going to leave anything to chance?” he asks.

Reading my mind.

I wrap my arms around his torso and hold him close.

“Do you trust me, Mia? Do you trust me to keep you safe?”

“I’m here, aren’t I?” I crane my face up to stare at him. “I trusted you with the only piece of me that my family considers worth anything.”

Carter shakes his head, his salt and pepper brows pulling together. “Not fucking true. You are worth so much more than that. There is so much more to you than anyone thinks.”

I’m falling, and a part of me really hates the way my chest clutches when I look at him. I’m getting to the point of no return, where I might hesitate or make the wrong decision due to my feelings. Which is ridiculous because I’m engaged to another man. Carter belongs to Ricardo, just like I do. We can never be together.

Even when he’ll take my bleeding heart with him when he leaves.

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