‘Valerio... I know you’re angry. But there is no luxury in grief, no matter what side you stand on. We both loved him. And I know that I pushed you to come back, but I’m not sorry. I get it that there are parts of you that are broken and scarred from your experience. But I just need you to know that I don’t blame you for his death. I never did. And you might have wanted to die in that dark shipping container, but I am thankful every single day that you came back.’
The door to the house closed softly behind her, leaving Valerio to sit alone in the darkness, feeling the result of his own stupid temper and guilt surrounding him like a dark cloud. He took a step forward, willing himself to storm after her and demand that she be angry. Demand the hatred he deserved.
But he remained frozen for a long time, his mind fighting to swim up from the fiery pit of anger it had succumbed to. It was at times like this, when the blackness came over him, when he wondered how there was anything of him left at all.
Valerio kept out of Dani’s way the next morning, not even passing comment when she holed herself up in the study at the villa and he spied her hard at work on her computer. She needed to take a break and some time to relax, but she wasn’t going to listen to him—not after he had been his usual difficult self last night.
He hardly even remembered half of what he’d said, he’d been so set on telling her the story of what had actually happened in Brazil.
He found his own computer and sat down in the dining room, logging on to the Velamar system for the first time in months and taking in the vast amount of work he’d been neglecting. It was no surprise Dani hadn’t had any time for her independent contracts—he’d left her alone to handle all this.
He spent the day through to the afternoon methodically sorting through emails and project outlines, sales projections and marketing plans. He immersed himself in the work, surprised when it fuelled the drive in him rather than making him feel trapped at a desk like it usually did.
His mind felt focused—as if he had unburdened it a little just by sharing his darkness with Dani. But guilt assailed him. He needed to swallow his pride and apologise for his behaviour. For all his behaviour over the past few days. He was about to be her husband, and even if it was in name only, he didn’t want to let her down.
‘I’m still committed to our agreement of a weekend off, even if you’re not. So I’m going to go for a swim before it gets dark.’
Like a mirage, she had appeared in the doorway of the dining room, a towel wrapped around her and the black strings of a simple bikini top visible at her nape.
Cursing himself for his instant flare of arousal, he glared down at his computer, waving a hand in her direction. He listened to her footsteps pad away, closing his eyes at the distinctive sound of a towel hitting a smooth surface before there was the splash of water.
His mind conjured up a vision of her smooth, dark curves gliding through the cool water in the setting sunlight. His groin tightened in response, all the blood in his body rushing south. He snapped the computer shut, looking up at the ceiling and shaking his head. This was what happened when he ignored his body for so long. He was like a teenager around her. She would be horrified to know of his lack of control.
He tried to get back into his work but his concentration was shot. So he sat in painful silence, listening to the sound of her moving through the water on the other side of the terrace doors.
Suddenly a muffled scream came from far away, jolting him from his thoughts. He frowned, tensing. When a second scream sounded out, he jumped from his seat and started running.
He reached the pool to see Daniela frozen in the centre, her eyes wide with terror as she pointed towards the wooden bridge over the water.
He followed her finger, his eyes instantly landing on what was possibly the most gigantic snake he had ever seen. The reptile was olive green in colour, with black markings along its length which almost matched the entire span of the bridge.
As Valerio watched, its heavy body moved and became partially submerged in the water towards its tail end. He looked closer, seeing a small alcove under the bridge filled with tiny movements. This mother snake was protecting her young. She didn’t move again, but was clearly aware of the woman who had interrupted her peace. Tiny black eyes were focused solely on Dani, and Valerio felt his chest tighten at the sight of her fear.
‘Do you think you can swim to the edge?’ He spoke softly, ready to move if the snake did. Judging by its size, it was one of the island’s native boa constrictors—non-venomous, but who knew how it might react if it sensed a threat?
Dani laughed—a panicked, breathy sound. ‘I can’t move at all. I’ve tried.’ She groaned. ‘It’s watching me.’
‘Okay, I’ll come and get you.’ He pressed his lips together, stepping out of his shoes. ‘It won’t hurt you. The only poisonous snakes on this island are a lot smaller than this large lady.’
‘Lady?’ she squeaked, incredulous. ‘I’m a large lady—that is a gigantic reptile. Seriously, I’m in mortal danger here and you’re being respectful of that thing?’
Valerio waded into the pool with slow, purposeful strokes. He reached her side in seconds, placing a finger against her lips. ‘Careful. She might hear you and take offence.’
‘Stop messing around.’ She clutched at him, her hands shaking as she latched on to his wet shirt and folded her body against his.
He felt a low groan escape his lips as his body roared to life at the delicious contact.
‘I’m sorry... Did I hurt you?’ she breathed, her attention still largely focused on the snake.
Get it together, Valerio.
He sliced at the water to move them both closer to the edge. Now was definitely not the time to be losing his grip on his rediscovered libido. She was afraid, and she was trusting him to get her out of the pool safely, so he was going to do just that.
He began to lift her onto the lip of the pool, then instantly regretted it as she froze and clung to him even tighter. ‘Don’t lift me!’ She pushed a hand at his chest.
Valerio growled with irritation. ‘Dio, again with the worrying. I have lifted you before and, believe me, I was not even slightly hampered by your size. You honestly have no idea how perfect these curves are.’
Her eyes went wide. ‘I meant...don’t lift me out where the snake can get me.’ She began to blush a bright pink, her body suddenly softening in his arms. ‘But...thank you.’
He froze for a long moment, just looking into her brown eyes, feeling her heartbeat thudding against his chest through the wet fabric of his shirt. He was an idiot. An absolute idiot.
His forehead dipped to press against hers as he fought the insane urge to kiss her. But he knew that if he kissed her now he would want more. He would want as much as he could have of her...as much as she was willing to give.
And where would that leave them? He had promised himself that the first time had been the last, that this was how it needed to be. And yet every time they were alone together it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to have her in his arms.
Thank God for the water around them, or she’d be all too aware of the nature of his thoughts.
‘Valerio...’
She shifted against him, her thighs tightening on his hips as she tilted her face slightly. Her lips brushed against his, soft and wet, and he felt the ravenous beast within him roar with triumph. Surely, if she was starting it, it would be rude to stop her?
His arms banded around her, pulling her chest flush against him as he plundered her mouth, deep and hard. He felt her nails on his back as she moved against him, heard the sound of her groans as he pushed her back against the side of the pool.
With one hand he gripped her hair, tilting her head back and gaining deeper access, deeper control of the kiss. The darker forces in his mind screamed at him to take her right here in the water and to hell with the conseque
nces. But it seemed Dani had different ideas. She stiffened in his arms, pushing him away with surprising force.
‘I’m sorry...’ he began, readying himself for the inevitable argument.
‘No, Valerio... The snake moved again. I heard a splash.’
He turned, and sure enough, the reptile was now fully submerged in the water. He lifted Dani up with ease, doing his best to ignore the deliciously wet curves under his hands. Once he’d lifted himself out too, they both looked down at the impossibly long, dark shape in the water.
‘I’ll call Animal Control in the morning. Our snake friend has a nest of babies under that bridge that need to be taken somewhere a little bit safer.’
Dani shivered at the word ‘babies’, stepping backwards, away from the pool. ‘I swear, I’ll never swim peacefully again.’
That made two of them, he thought wryly, but for entirely different reasons.
The cool evening breeze cut uncomfortably through the wet fabric of his clothes. He needed a hot shower and a lot of distance between them to get his head in order.
Making a snap decision, he pulled off his soaked shirt and hung it over a chair, doing the same with his trousers. The outside shower was tucked into a wall on the terrace of the villa. It was fully stocked with toiletries and had a cabinet filled with towels. It seemed the rental company had thought of almost everything—except checking for hidden families of snakes, of course.
When he emerged from the shower, he hoped Dani would have gone inside. But she sat waiting for him on a sun lounger, with a towel wrapped around her body. A wet pile of fabric lay on the ground beside her. Her discarded bikini.
Valerio gritted his teeth, wishing he had taken his shower inside and then locked himself in his bedroom. Being a coward was infinitely preferable to this kind of sexual torture. If she had any idea what her mere presence was doing to him, with her damp curls hanging over her bare shoulders and the way she watched him through her lashes with a look of uncertainty on her beautiful face...
He tightened his fists, searching for control, hating it that she made him ache for all that he couldn’t have. And he was finally admitting to himself that he did want to have her—not just because of sexual frustration or circumstance. He wanted her.
‘You said you were sorry.’ She spoke softly, standing up to face him. ‘About that kiss. But I’m the one who kissed you this time. I didn’t even ask. Surely I’m the one who should be apologising.’
‘You don’t need to apologise. I’m the one who needs to apologise. My behaviour towards you has been unacceptable from the moment I came home,’ he said, cursing himself as her eyes widened and she took a step towards him.
He raised a hand between them, holding her at arm’s length.
‘I’m sorry for how I spoke to you last night. I’m sorry I can’t be...what you need. But we both know why we need to keep things professional here. My priority is keeping you safe, and that includes keeping you safe from me too. You’ve seen the way I am. I can’t even be woken from sleep without becoming a danger.’
‘That’s ridiculous. You would never hurt me, Valerio.’
‘You have no idea who I am. Not any more,’ he rasped, his eyes lowering to take in the towel she clutched to her chest. ‘I’m the man who promised to keep his best friend’s sister safe. Then kissed her for the first time in front of an audience and had to stop himself from lifting her up like some kind of brute and carrying her off to the nearest bed. And if there hadn’t been a damn snake in that pool, the same thing would have happened ten minutes ago. I have no control over myself around you.’
‘Well...that would have certainly got everyone’s attention...’
‘This isn’t a game any more. In two days you are going to be my wife...’ He swallowed hard, trying to ignore the way her eyes darkened to deep burnished amber in the low glow of the setting sun. ‘But I’m going to find the people behind all this, and once I’m sure you’re safe—’
‘What, Valerio?’ She spoke quietly. ‘You’ll leave again? What a surprise.’
‘I’ll have our marriage annulled and you can get on with your life.’
‘What life? I’ve spent the past two years working myself to the bone.’ She ran a hand through her curls, taking a few steps away from him to compose herself. ‘At least with you I feel...’
‘What do you feel?’ he asked, feeling himself itching to move closer, to coax this fire between them until it burned them both.
‘I don’t know...’ Dani began, twisting the white towel in her hands, suddenly unable to look at him as she spoke.
Was she really going to be honest? She had kept her feelings for Valerio Marchesi under lock and key for so long it would be no effort at all to lie and agree to his sensible plans for their sensible marriage of convenience.
But she was tired of being sensible. She was tired of putting on a show of being strong and self-contained all the time.
‘I don’t think I have ever heard you speak in so many unfinished sentences,’ he said.
‘You said that I have no idea who you are any more,’ she said, standing up and looking down at him. ‘I think we’re both different people now. Changed people because of events that neither of us had any control over. We’ve both been alone and we’ve learned how to cope with the unknown in our own way. I don’t want to be alone any more, Valerio.’
He looked up at her. ‘You’re not alone. I’m here with you.’
‘You’re not,’ she said quietly, feeling her bravado falter slightly but pushing on. ‘Not really. And if I marry you, that means sharing a home with you, sharing my entire life with you... I can’t be around you all the time in these intimate situations and not be affected. I’m just not that good an actress.’
‘Are you saying you don’t want to be around me?’ He raised a brow.
‘I do,’ she said quickly, looking down at the ground and cursing herself for how badly she was getting her point across. ‘God, I really do... That’s the problem.’
Valerio stood up, closing the gap between them with a single step. ‘We’re not just talking about marriage any more, are we?’
‘Look...I understand that this has never been something you wanted.’ Dani spoke fast, praying she wouldn’t lose her nerve. ‘But I need to be honest. I’m really attracted to you. More than I’ve ever been to anyone else. It’s quite inconvenient, considering that we’re planning a marriage built on nothing more than business and friendship, but...I just wanted to have that out in the open.’
His fingers pressed against her lips, silencing her. ‘Are you proposing to amend the terms of our contract, Miss Avelar?’ He wrapped his hand around the towel, pulling her towards him until they stood chest to chest. ‘How much more do you want?’
‘I don’t know,’ she said breathlessly. ‘How much are you willing to give?’
He answered her with his lips on hers, his hands spanning her waist and pulling her against him—hard. ‘Dio, I thought I was already crazy with wanting to have you. But now...with this mixture of pretty blushing and the throwing around of business terms...’
His lips trailed down her neck, his hands sliding down to cup her bottom through the towel. Dani moaned low in her throat, the power of speech slowly leaving her.
‘Do you want me to make love to you, Daniela?’ he whispered next to her ear, his hands kneading her skin gently.
‘Yes... God, yes.’
He pulled back, an expression of awe on his face as he cupped her jaw and looked deep into her eyes. ‘This will complicate things.’
‘Only if we let it.’ Her voice shook as she spoke. ‘We’re both adults. We know what this is.’
‘I don’t have any protection.’ His brow furrowed, his hands tightening on her as though he feared his words might make her run away. ‘I haven’t been with anyone since before Brazil, and I don’t really go around carrying
condoms in my wallet. But I’ve had my yearly check-up since and I know I’m clean.’
‘Me too—and I’ve had an IUD for years.’ She pressed her hand to his cheek, hardly believing they were having this conversation. ‘I don’t want to think about this as a complication. I don’t want to think, Valerio. I just want to do what feels right.’
CHAPTER EIGHT
HIS EYES DARKENED, his hand moving to the front of the towel, spreading over it slightly. His fingers trailed over the bare skin of her stomach. ‘Tell me...does this feel right?’
She answered with a moan.
He continued his exploration, his touch sending her skin into an explosion of sensation. Her legs felt weak as he reached the edge of the bikini bottoms she had yet to remove, smoothing his hand down over her sex through the thin, still damp fabric. She bit down hard on her lower lip, tilting her head back as he licked a path of fire along the side of her neck.
She had never enjoyed sex in the past—she’d always been so consumed by her negative body image and her pesky inability to reach an orgasm. But her mind seemed unable to worry about that now, as he slid his fingers under the fabric and along the slick seam between her thighs.
‘How about this?’ he murmured softly against her skin, his teeth nipping at the area just below her ear.
Her answer was incoherent as she clung to him while he performed some kind of magic with his fingers. She had never felt such intensity from a simple touch before. Every slide of his hand sent fresh waves of pleasure shooting up her spine and down her legs.
Soon she was moving against him, powerless not to join his sensual rhythm. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she felt herself tightening around his fingers. The shock momentarily stopped her rhythm, her legs shaking beneath her as her mind got in the way of her pleasure.
‘Do you want me to make you come, Dani?’ he purred next to her ear.
‘It’s okay. I don’t usually...’ she breathed, her chest tightening. ‘I mean, I’ve only ever been able to do it a few times by myself. And it takes far too long.’
The Vows He Must Keep (Mills & Boon Modern) (The Avelar Family Scandals, Book 1) Page 11
