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I absently twirled my pasta, then looked back up at my captor. “Do you think you might consider sparing me?”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Valentino
So this was it then, the moment of truth. So why didn’t the truth come easily to my lips? The truth was I didn’t want to admit my feelings to her only for her to use them against me.
I sighed heavily. Did I have that little faith in the human race? In women?
That she might laugh at my candor and throw it back in my face wasn’t something I was prepared for. Even worse, that she might manipulate my love and gain my trust, only to escape from me the moment I was satisfied she returned my feelings.
I’d compartmentalized my feelings all these years for a reason. It was bad enough I’d never really punished her like I’d promised. I couldn’t afford to go from hard and suspicious to soft and trusting. I’d be dead before I knew it.
That I still wanted her trust and for her truth to burn bright while never hiding things from me made me a hypocritical jerk. But I’d never claimed to be a saint. I was a long way from perfect while Chantilly was perfection wrapped in a bright halo.
“I’m not going to harm you anytime soon,” I said, deflecting the truth while not completely lying to her.
She looked down. “I see.”
She didn’t see at all, and I wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or outraged. Shouldn’t she sense how much I was into her? Hadn’t I made it obvious in so many ways? And it wasn’t because I’d saved her from drowning. It was the little things I’d done, like pulling glass shards out of her feet and cooking for her every day, not to mention partaking in foreplay and making sure she orgasmed before I did.
I finished off my pasta, then looked at her half-full plate. “Have you had enough?”
She nodded, her voice stilted. “Yes, thank you.”
I gathered up the dishes, and she picked up her flute and drank the last of her champagne down. “I’ll leave the bottle here for you.”
“Thank you.”
It wasn’t until I rinsed off the cutlery and bowls that I remembered the mess I’d made on the balcony. My cleaning fairies had swept in and left it immaculate. I’d make sure they got a bonus next payday, they deserved it.
I sighed heavily. I couldn’t exactly go off at Tilly about destroying my monitors when I’d had a raging fit and smashed anything close to me. Monitors were easy enough to replace, in fact, I had someone coming later tonight to do just that.
Phil was a tech genius and a good friend of mine. Even better, he didn’t mind working late hours, for a price. That he was also an associate of the Agostino mob was just a bonus.
He was one of the few people who knew where I lived. One of the few I trusted.
Stacking the dishes into the dishwasher and turning it on, I returned to help Tilly back inside. She was still limping, though I guessed it was as much from her bandaged feet as it was from any more pain. I was certain she’d want to wear heels tomorrow night with her gown.
“What’s the special dress for?” she asked, glancing at me as though reading my mind, before she looked at the dress inside its garment cover.
“I’m taking you out,” I said. At her genuine smile, I reluctantly added, “To the Agostinos for dinner.”
She froze, her face going alabaster white. “The same people who want me dead?”
“Wanted you dead,” I corrected. “Now that Sean is gone, you’re no longer on their radar.”
She stared back at me, her face pinched. “Does that mean I’m also no longer on your radar?”
I turned and clasped her shoulders, hoping she’d understand why I hadn’t explained sooner. “You’re not,” I said softly. “You’re here solely because I want you here. Not to terminate, but to…date.”
“Date?” Her laugh was borderline hysteria. “I’m your captive, not your date. If we dated I’d be free to meet you for dinners and the theater, for picnics and concerts.” She drew in a shuddery breath. “Instead I’m imprisoned here against my will.”
She was right, so why did my fingers bite into her shoulders, my temper fraying?
Because you want her to develop the same feelings you have for her. Instead it’s her body that wants you, not her mind.
“I’ve kept you safe,” I reminded her succinctly.
