Morris, Stephanie - Unfinished Business [Indulgence 3] (BookStrand Publishing Romance)

by Stephanie Morris

  She would have sworn he didn’t know the meaning of the word comfort, but evidently he did. Then again, she had to remember Carlo had been different before the car wreck. He’d been loving, understanding, and such a gentleman. Then he’d been in the car wreck, and after the grim diagnosis, he’d changed. He became a person no one recognized, especially her. The two of them had almost grown up together. Her parents were friends with his parents, and she also happened to be one of his sister’s best friends. So she knew him very well. Well enough to know it was dangerous to stand here and let him hold her like he was. Daníella pulled back from him, sniffing and wiping away her tears as best as she could.

  Certain she looked horrible, she made her way into the kitchen and grabbed a tissue to wipe her face. After drying her eyes, she blew her nose and tried to make herself as presentable as possible. When she realized he was still behind her, she turned to face him and gave him a small smile.

  “Sorry about getting your shirt wet. I will have it laundered for you if you need me to.”

  She watched as he shrugged his shoulders, sliding his hands into the pockets of his slacks.

  “That isn’t necessary. It’s a shirt. I can buy another if needed, or launder it myself.”

  Her eyebrows rose because the linen shirt he had on looked expensive. It also looked very nice on him. His clothes normally did, but she also knew how good he looked without them.

  Daníella stared at him for a moment, taking in the sight of him. The top button of his shirt was unbuttoned, as usual, giving her a glimpsed of smooth, bronze skin. She smiled because he always swore they made shirts with the top buttons to choke him. A good look at him told her he’d become more handsome since she’d the last she’d really looked at him. Even though she was in his presence a lot more than she wanted to be, she tried not to pay too much attention to him. Still, his wavy, black hair looked like his fingers had been run through it all day. She looked into his eyes—the ones that used to tell her everything she needed to know. Eyes that now had strain around them. He’d probably been standing a long time, and even though he had come a long way from recovering from his injuries, she was certain one, if not all, were bothering him right now.

  “Have a seat. I’ll make us something to drink.”

  He stared at her for a long moment until she broke eye contact, and she turned to walk over to her liquor cabinet. Unfortunately, it looked like Ignacio had cleaned her out. The good thing was she had a bottle of wine she bought for tonight’s celebration. She turned around just in time to see Carlo lowering himself into the kitchen chair slowly. The look of concern appeared on her face before she could stop it. She knew he hated any form of pity when it came to his injuries.

  “Carlo, are you okay?”

  He surprised her giving her a small smile. “I think I should be asking you that.”

  She smiled. “Yeah, well I wouldn’t have a good answer for right now.”

  Daníella left the kitchen quickly before she said anything more damaging. It didn’t take long for her to grab the bottle of wine and return to the kitchen. She handed the bottle to Carlo, along with a cork remover.

  “Still can’t get these open?

  She shook her head before grabbing two wineglasses. Carlo had the bottle uncorked before she had the glasses on the table. He poured both of them a glass then put the cork back into the bottle. She took a sip while studying him. His gaze met hers, and one corner of her mouth tilted upward.

  “Do you have any plans for this evening?”

  He shook his head. “No, I don’t.”

  “Would you like to stay for dinner? I can make us something quick and simple.”

  Her heart began to race as Carlo gave her a genuine smile. There was something about his smile that made her heart flutter.

  “I would like that very much.”

  Standing abruptly, she made her way to the refrigerator. This was dangerous territory. It was no secret that there was unfinished business between her and Carlo.

  Chapter Two

  “This is very good, Daníella.”

  She grinned before taking a sip of her wine. “Yes, but compared to your mother’s cooking?”

  He looked at her over his own glass. “It is still very good.”

  “You always did know the right thing to say.”

  Carlo shook his head. “That’s not true, but I have always enjoyed your cooking. You know I do.”

  She couldn’t deny it as she took another bite of her eggplant parmigiana. Paired with a loaf of crusty bread, it was simple to make. Not the meal she had in mind when she’d planned her seduction, but it would do. Sitting here with him, sharing a meal, made her realize how much she’d missed this. How much she’d missed having a good man around.

  She’d been ready for the domestic life and kids a long time ago. When she’d married Carlo, she’d been head over heels in love with him. Starting a family with him had always been high on her priority list. They’d stumbled onto their attraction to each other by accident. She’d gone over to the Carabelli household for a dinner as she normally had, but dinner had been different that night. The entire time Carlo had stared at her as if it were his first time actually seeing her. It had made her nervous, and she tried to ignore him, but her eyes kept going back to him during dinner. Once dinner had concluded, Carlo had asked her to go for a walk with him. Nothing really out of the ordinary, but what had been was when he pulled her into his arms and kissed her senseless.

  Everything had been different afterward. Carlo had swept her up into a whirlwind romance, proposing to her six months later. At the mutual age of twenty-eight, both of them had felt like they knew what they were doing at the time.

  Over a year later the accident had proved them wrong, or at least her. Carlo had swerved to avoid hitting a drunken person on a moped as he headed home from work. The streets had been slick from the recent rain and caused him to lose control of the car. The end result was him plowing into a pole. His injuries had been extensive and, at one point, life threatening.

  After recovering from that, he’d been dealt one last blow. Due to his crushed pelvis and thigh, the doctors hadn’t been optimistic of his being able to walk again. That was when everything changed. Carlo had turned into a different person. He became difficult to deal with and at times downright mean, but she’d stayed by his side like a dutiful wife until he demanded she leave. His words had cut through her like a knife when he’d told her he no longer wanted to be married to her. She hadn’t known what to do, what to say. After a brief resistance, she finally gave in. Next to signing the divorce papers, walking away from Carlo had been the hardest thing she ever had to do in her entire life.

  It had taken her a long time to get over him, and she was beginning to think she hadn’t.

  “What are you thinking about?”Carlo’s voice brought her away from her private thoughts. He always seemed to know when she had something on her mind.

  “Just my life in general.”

  Which wasn’t too far from the truth. Yet she refused to tell him the rest. She didn’t feel like getting into a long, drawn-out explanation, and Carlo had a way of getting things out of her.

  “Anything interesting?”

  She shook her head before picking up her fork, hoping her expression was casual.

  “Nope. Boring and mundane as usual.”

  His eyebrows rose in surprise. “I have never known you to be boring and mundane.”

  “No offense, Carlo, but I think it could be due to the fact you haven’t been observant of my life.”

  * * * *

  Carlo had to lock his jaw in order to keep from replying to the statement. He’d become very aware of Daníella once she had become involved with Ignacio. It angered him to have to sit around and watch the loser use her, but he’d been helpless to do anything. It made him sick to know what the bastard had been up to. What was even worse was this wasn’t the first time. He’d witnessed the jackass bringing another woman into Daníella’s apart
ment once before.

  Earlier, he’d tried to catch Daníella before she entered her apartment, but she’d been moving too fast, and his damn leg prevented him from moving quicker. It still stung when she moved on, even if it was to a man like Ignacio. Then again, what should he expect? He had his chance with her, and he ruined it. It was no one’s fault except his. Still, he was glad the unhappy look on her face wasn’t due to him for a change, as selfish as it sounded.

  Hopefully, she was serious about ending her relationship with Ignacio. It may give him the chance he craved to make things right between the two of them. He’d screwed their relationship up so much the first time around he wasn’t sure it could ever be repaired. Yet, sitting across the table from her, he was more than tempted to give it a try. Carlo was still waiting for her to ask him what he’d been doing at her home. How could he explain he’d been waiting for the right time to get her alone for the last two months without sounding like a stalker? He would do his best because he had to make things right between them.

  “Actually, Daníella, I have noticed more than you think.”

  She shot him a look that made him question whether he should have said anything or not.

  “Oh really?”

  Daníella sat down her fork and folded her arms across her chest. “Then can you tell me why it is so hard for me to find a man who can stand to be in my presence for more than five minutes.”

  His mouth twitched. “I know five.”

  She wrinkled her nose up at him before shaking her head. “Your brothers don’t count, and you definitely don’t. In case you have forgotten, you divorced me.”

  He stared at her for a long moment before responding. “I realize now just how much of a mistake it was.”

  Her eyes widened briefly, for a moment, as if she thought she’d misheard him. His expression didn’t change, and she stood up, abruptly reaching for her plate. Carlo hid his smile, knowing he’d made her nervous. It wasn’t easy to do Daníella. That meant Tierra could be right. His ex-wife may still have feelings for him.

  “Well, it is getting late, and I need to get ready for the busy day I have tomorrow.”

  He watched her rush from the table, nearly leaving skid marks as she stopped in front of the sink. Her hands were shaking badly. He stood, not sure what to say, but knowing he had no plans of leaving. At least not without saying what he had on his mind. He walked up behind her, her spine stiffening.

  She gave a slight shake of her head. “I can’t do this right now, Carlo.”

  Her voice cracked with emotion. He brought his hands up to grab hers. “Daníella, look at me.”

  When she hesitated, he wondered if she was going to hear him out. After a long moment, she turned to look at him. Carlo felt like he had been punched in the stomach.

  The look of hurt on her face went a lot deeper. He read the emotion in her eyes. They were damp with unshed tears.

  “There is nothing wrong with you.”

  She gave him an exasperated look. “I think I’m a little too old for the ‘it wasn’t you, it was me’ routine, don’t you think?”

  “Not if it is a true statement.”

  She tried to pull away. “Oh, come on, Carlo, you can’t expect me to believe that. Not after all this time.”

  “Look into my eyes, Daníella. You always used to say my eyes told you the truth.”

  He watched her close her eyes at the true statement. It was the one reason he had stopped taking her visits at the hospital—had the divorce papers delivered by someone else, instead of delivering them himself. Kept his gaze from meeting hers directly, because she would know the truth as soon as he did.

  Still, she wouldn’t look at him. Carlo held back a sigh of sadness. He was responsible for her reluctance, but he would change if she allowed him to.

  “Daníella, please look at me.”

  She opened one eye, and he chuckled at the expression. His reaction seemed to make her brave enough to open the other eye. It took her another minute to fully raise her eyes to meet his. When she did, he forced her to hold his stare, allowing her read the emotions there.

  “Divorcing you was the second biggest mistake I have ever made. Making you walk away from me was the first.”

  Her expression turned wry. “You weren’t the one who did the actual walking. I could have fought harder.”

  Carlo shook his head at her attempt of humor. “You shouldn’t have had to. The bottom line is, I was stupid to push you away, and I’m sorry.”

  She shrugged. “I wish I could say it makes everything better, but it doesn’t.

  “I didn’t plan for it to be. I only expected for it to be a start.”

  Her brows bunched together. “A start for what?”

  Carlo took a deep breath before plunging ahead with what he’d wanted to say for the past two months.

  “I want us to start over.”

  Daníella’s eyes widened in surprise as she swayed against him. He tightened his hold on her, thinking she might faint. She blinked slowly staring up at him, still trying to grasp what he was saying.

  “W–Wh–What did you just say?” she stammered.

  He responded without hesitation. “I said we should start over.”

  She shook her head slowly. “Why in the world would we want to do that?”

  The fact she had to ask stung a little, but he didn’t let it weaken his resolve. His words had shocked her. Considering everything else she’d been through tonight, she was probably having a hard time rationalizing his suggestion.

  “Because it was a mistake to end what we had.”

  Her expression fell. “I have always known that, but I have to admit I’m not a big fan of making the same mistake twice.” She exhaled heavily. “It almost killed me when I received those divorce papers. If I were to become involved with you again, to allow myself to care for you again—I don’t know if I can take the risk.”

  He read between the lines of the words she left unspoken. She was hesitant to take the risk because she couldn’t stand another heartbreak. The bad thing was, he had no idea of how to reassure her that it wasn’t in his plans. If he was lucky enough to get her back, he had no intention of ever letting her go again. Now he just had to figure out a way to prove it to her. Better yet, he had to figure out a way to convince her to allow him to do so. He had to fight a smile when a possible solution came to mind.

  “I think we are well worth the risk.”

  Daníella looked up at him in surprise, but he continued. He had to make her comprehend just how serious he was.

  “Remembering what we had the first time around, I can’t help but to think we are.”

  She shook her head. “But how would it make things different?”

  “Because I am older and wiser. I made the mistake of letting you go once. I won’t make that mistake ever again. I will not mess it up this time.”

  Her eyebrows rose at his level of confidence. “You seem pretty sure of yourself.”

  Carlo nodded slowly. “I have reason to be. Besides this is my chance to prove to you how observant I have become.”

  Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “Carlo, do you have any idea as to what it is you are really suggesting?”

  “Yes. I’m suggesting we build upon the friendship we used to have and try to start our romantic relationship over.”

  The look on her face told him she was overwhelmed with everything he was saying to her.

  It was exactly what he wanted. Carlo leaned closer to her, crowding her intentionally. Daníella had always told him she loved the way he smelled. He could remember coming home from work, and she’d be up waiting up for him. She would walk up to him and embrace him, burying her face into his shirt to inhale his scent. If he wasn’t mistaken, he’d just heard her inhale now. He tilted her chin so that she looked up at him.

  “I just want you to do one thing for me.”

  He could sense her hesitance to ask what that might be, but she did so anyway. “What is it?”


  “I want you to say yes.”

  She laughed in response. “If I didn’t know any better, I would swear the Carlo standing in front of me is the one I have known forever.”

  He gave her a solemn look, knowing he deserved the somewhat sarcastic statement. Brushing his hand across her cheek, he gave her a gentle smile.

  “He never left,” Carlo whispered softly.

  He could tell she wanted to argue with him. Instead, she glanced away briefly before looking back at him.

  “Do you mind if I ask what brought this on?”

  “Seeing other people around me fall in love. Reminding me of what we had. What could have been if I hadn’t been so difficult and hardheaded?” he responded with a shrug.

  She smiled. “And you aren’t right now?”

  “Somewhat, but not as much as I used to be. I’ve been told I’m coming around more and more each day,” he said with a laugh.

  She shook her head in response, but he could feel her resolve weakening. He could see it in her eyes.

  “Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought we would be standing here and you saying this to me. I had hoped—”

  He watched her stop as if she realized she was revealing too much. He gave her an understanding look.

  “I know I hurt you, and I am sorry. I hope you will allow me to start making it up to you.”

  She tilted her head to the side. “How do you plan to do it?”