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‘For what?’

‘You saved my life.’ She felt her eyes fill. Nobody had asked her permission for the connection she felt with Leandro that had turned to love, but it was there and she couldn’t do anything about it. ‘You did everything right. If you hadn’t…’

Everything inside him went cold as he remembered how she had looked, how helpless he had felt. ‘I was…terrified.’

The husky admission shocked Elsie deeply. ‘You…?’

It was the first time he had volunteered his feelings willingly to her, and it lit a flame inside her.

‘Has it happened to you before? The anaphylaxis?’

‘Just the once, before they diagnosed the allergy.’

‘Your twin…?’

‘No, weird isn’t it, Emily doesn’t have the allergy, but we share everything else.’

‘I refuse to believe there is another Elsie.’

‘You’d be amazed how many people don’t realise that, they treat us like one person, but Mum and Pa always discouraged it. We were never dressed the same, they requested we be in different classes at school. Emily is my best friend, but we don’t complete each other’s sentences or anything like that. You’d like her if you met her. I mean when. You will definitely like her.’

Like… It sounded gentle and temperate, the total opposite of the emotions Elsie aroused in him, which were powerful, passionate…painful.

‘Home,’ he said, slowing the car as they approached the gate checkpoint to be ushered through, along with the inevitable convoy of protection.

There had been no convoy protecting Elsie and that was down to him, Leandro thought as they were waved respectfully through.

It was the sudden choked sob that alerted him to the fact that something was wrong.

‘What’s wrong?’

‘I’m… Nothing… I’m fine…’

Leandro swore, pulling the car into the kerb.

Her eyes were wide and wild, like a panicked animal. ‘I can’t breathe. Is it happening again?’ she panted.

He shook his head, profound relief replacing the moment of sheer heart-stopping panic. He was no expert, but he had seen panic attacks and she was displaying all the hallmark symptoms.

‘Just breathe,’ he said, catching her hands and pulling them away from her face. ‘That’s it, querida, in and, yes, brilliant, out…slow…perfect,’ he praised as her breathing slowed and became even. ‘OK?’

* * *

She nodded and gave an embarrassed grimace. ‘I’m sorry… I don’t know why I…’

‘A panic attack—it happens. I will never leave you unprotected again, Elsie.’

She looked at him as the moment stretched. ‘OK, I believe you,’ she said simply.

He shook his head and stared at her for a long moment. ‘You trust me?’

She gave a slightly off-key laugh. ‘It looks like I do, with my life, actually.’

He restarted the engine, aware that it was a trust he did not deserve. He was going to betray her.

* * *

The sitting room was filled with flowers. Elsie exclaimed in pleasure when she saw them, pressing her face into a fragrant bowl of roses.