‘I didn’t mean for that to happen.’
He spoke with his jaw tight, and there was a sudden tension in him that made Dani feel the need to reassure him.
‘Well... That’s not exactly what I came here for, either.’ She forced a small laugh, still slightly out of breath as she pulled her dress down.
‘What did you come here for, then?’ he asked roughly. ‘Because I was just on my way to see you.’
She tried not to read into his words, into his implication that sex was all they had. Even though he had told her that was all he was capable of giving her. They’d agreed to end things, but here they were after ten seconds alone together, panting in the aftermath of what had possibly been the most intense lovemaking she’d experienced with him. That had to mean something, didn’t it?
‘I came here to say that I’m not going to marry you today without telling you how I really feel.’ She inhaled once more, fighting the twist of anxiety in her stomach at the leap of faith she was about to take. ‘I can’t pretend to be your wife, Valerio. Because I’m in love with you, and the only way I’m marrying you today is if it’s real.’
Silence stretched between them for a moment, and she felt her heartbeat racing wildly in her chest. She forced herself to stand tall and meet his eyes, knowing she owed herself this moment of risk. She knew she would never regret giving him her heart, even if he handed it right back and walked away.
‘I don’t want to be your wife in name only. I want it all. I want everything that you said you can never give me.’
‘What if I told you there was no need for us to get married any more?’ He spoke quietly, his eyes stubbornly refusing to meet hers.
‘What do you mean?’
‘The threat to you has been neutralised.’
‘You should have come straight to tell me. How long were you planning to keep this to yourself?’
‘My private investigator informed me late last night. I waited to confirm the details myself and it’s true.’
He told her of Angelus Fiero’s involvement, about the blackmail and the corrupt politician. He went on laying everything out on the table until his head hurt and she sagged back against the wall, her face filled with disbelief.
‘You said you were coming to see me this morning,’ she said. “Were you planning to call off the wedding?’
‘Yes, of course,’ he said quickly, then caught her sharp wince. ‘I mean...I was going to tell you everything. We both agreed that this marriage was just for your protection, but now...there is no more danger. Does that not change things?’
She nodded once, her lips pressed into a thin line. ‘Of course... It changes everything. I just wish you’d told me before I came here.’
‘Dani, wait.’ He placed his arm on the wall to stop her leaving. ‘I’ve told you who I am... I’ve told you that I’m not the right kind of guy for you. You need to go and find out who you are and what you want without the threat of danger influencing you.’
‘Valerio. I just laid my entire heart on the line.’ She flashed him a deep look of disdain. ‘My feelings for you never depended on you being wrong or right for me. I accepted you for the man you are—not the one you think you should be.’
‘I don’t want to leave things like this.’ He frowned, hating it that he was hurting her but knowing he had to let her go.
‘If you don’t have anything else to say, then I’m going to leave, before anyone sees me in this dress.’
She waited another moment, refusing to look up at him, before disappearing quickly through the doorway and out into the hall beyond.
He let her go, telling himself that it was better this way even as everything in him fought to follow her. As though distance might help, he launched himself into the first speedboat he could find in the yacht’s docking bay, pushing the vessel to its limits, needing to feel the lightness that always came with being on the water.
The lightness didn’t come.
After a while he gave up punishing the boat and cut the engine, bobbing in the open water as he watched the sun rise higher in the sky. He could be selfish, he thought. He could follow her and take all that precious love she’d offered for himself. He could pretend she wouldn’t grow to hate him, even though everything in him knew she would. He wasn’t built for the kind of love she needed.
She would move on from this and start anew...find someone better. As for him... He wasn’t so changed that he would pine over a woman, was he? He cursed aloud, slamming his fist against the wheel. He couldn’t feel any pain, but the awful emptiness in his chest was a different matter entirely.
CHAPTER TWELVE
THE AIR IN Rio de Janeiro was warm and heavy as Dani walked out of the airport and into a waiting car. Blissfully, the chauffeur was not eager for conversation, so she had plenty of time to rest her eyes and prepare herself for whatever lay ahead.
Heartbreak was just another inconvenience right now—along with Angelus Fiero, who had refused to stop calling her every day for the past week until she’d reluctantly agreed to book a flight to Rio and hear him out.
It wasn’t that she didn’t feel gratitude for the part the older man had played in bringing justice against those who had been responsible for so much pain and loss. But something about coming back to Brazil felt wrong, somehow.
It was as if she was adrift amongst the old shadows of a life and had no idea how to navigate. The last time she’d set foot in Rio, she’d had her parents and her brother by her side, her family unit intact. Memories of her childhood were just as foggy as the cloudy sky above, which threatened to spill with rain at any moment.
Dani frowned as her car came to a stop outside wrought-iron gates and looked up at the concrete façade of the Avelar family villa for the first time in over two decades. It seemed like a lifetime ago that her ten-year-old self had said goodbye to the palatial mansion just outside the city, as she was torn away from the only home she’d ever known and forced to start over in England.
Was it any wonder that she had clung to her twin amidst all the constant change in their lives over the past two decades?
As she stepped out into the warm afternoon and told the driver to wait, Valerio’s words rang in her ears. ‘You need to figure out who you are and what you really want.’ The trouble was, she had figured it out. She had told him exactly what she wanted and who she wanted.
The memory of Valerio’s eyes before she’d walked away from him seemed like a dream. She shook her head. Had it really been a week since she’d seen him? It seemed as if only hours had passed since St Lucia. Since he’d held her hand as they dived into the depths of the ocean together...since he had looked into her eyes in Monte Carlo after he had kissed her for the first time in front of all those people...since she’d felt the heat and power of his body as he’d turned the tables on her that first night and tied her to her own bed.
Anger fuelled her as she dug through her bag in search of the old brass key. She rubbed roughly at the space in the centre of her chest, refusing to give in to another bout of tears and self-pity. She had done enough of that in the days after she’d returned to London.
She’d left St Lucia a week ago, returning to her tidy white apartment in Kensington and immediately sending a formal letter announcing that she was completely removing herself as an active partner of Velamar. Valerio had not attempted to contact her, but she’d told herself she didn’t care that he was glad she wouldn’t be working alongside him. It was irrelevant, and it wouldn’t change her own course of action in finally taking the plunge and launching her firm. She should have done it years ago.
It stung like a fresh wound, entering what had once been her family home now completely alone. The air was dry and utterly still inside, where white dust sheets covered furniture like old-movie-style ghosts. A shiver ran from the base of her neck down her spine. But she surprised herself with how boldly she stepped over
the threshold and laid her bags on the floor.
A quick scan of the barren downstairs space had her chest tight with emotion, so she distracted herself by opening shutters and windows, bringing light and much-needed fresh air into the stagnant dark rooms.
When she next looked at her watch, she was shocked to see that almost an hour had passed. She was covered in dust, sweat glistening on her brow, but something warm and precious hummed within her that felt suspiciously like relief.
It had never sat well with her to leave this beautiful house closed up and vacant. Her parents would have been happy to see it being taken care of, to see their daughter reconnecting with her roots in the home that held such precious memories.
She cleaned herself up as best she could and then set out for the hospital, to find out what exactly it was that Angelus Fiero simply had to tell her in person.
Two hours later she finally emerged from Angelus Fiero’s hospital bedside onto the street, her legs feeling as if they might give out at any moment. It turned out the man had a very pressing reason for bringing her here. One that involved a web of secrets and strategies that her brother himself had created. Once she was safely alone in the dark interior of the car, she fought the urge to give in to the hysteria and tears threatening to burst free from her chest as she processed everything the old man had revealed. But one fact shone out high above the others.
Her brother had survived.
Duarte was alive. He’d been recovering from severe brain trauma and was being kept in a secret location, but he was alive.
A thousand thoughts flew through her mind at once, but one drowned out all the others. She wished Valerio had been there with her for this. She wished she hadn’t been alone to take the hit of a bombshell of this magnitude.
She was hardly aware of the drive back to Casa Avelar. Her brain was stuck somewhere between numb shock and trying to analyse what the logical next step might be. But there was nothing logical about any of this. Nothing at all.
Stepping out of the car, she paused as she noticed that the lights in the villa were all blazing bright and a sleek black car was parked at the top of the driveway. She paused on the stone steps, her senses on high alert. The front door opened and she felt the tightness in her chest released on a heavy exhalation of breath.
Valerio.
His shoulders filled the doorway, the light grey material of his silk shirt making him seem ethereal, as if she could reach out to touch him and he might not even be there.
‘You didn’t answer my calls.’ His voice was low and effortlessly seductive, with just a little hesitance thrown in.
‘So you flew to Rio? You could have just left a message with my PA.’
She fought the shiver that ran down her spine as he held her in place with that intense gaze. The look in his eyes startled her. It was how she imagined she must have looked every day for the past week.
Miserable.
She needed to tell him what she’d just found out—that her brother was still alive and had been kept hidden somewhere in Brazil. But a part of her wanted to know why he was here, how he felt about her, before he knew about Duarte.
Had he missed her?
The look in his eyes was almost enough to tip her over the edge of control and send her melting into a puddle at his feet. Was it simply regret at the loss of the precious friendship he’d spoken of? She held back, schooling her features as much as possible. Once burned, twice shy might not apply to every situation, but that didn’t mean she should dive headfirst into this particular fire without thinking it through.
She crossed her arms and allowed the silence of the evening air to fall heavily between them. He moved first, taking a few steps down the gravel driveway with ease, showcasing long, powerful legs encased in worn designer denim. Of course he would look more delicious than ever, she groaned inwardly, imagining how awful she must look in comparison.
‘I spoke to Angelus Fiero.’ She tried to control the wavering of her voice, determined not to break down in front of him but desperately needing to unburden herself. ‘He told me that Duarte is alive.’
Valerio froze. ‘That’s impossible. I saw him die.’
Dani opened her bag and handed him the folded hospital document as she relayed the information she’d been given of Duarte’s injuries and rehabilitation in a facility deep in the rainforest.
For a long time Valerio just stared at the piece of paper in his hand.
‘I thought about what I would say for the entire flight here...’ He spoke softly, his hand moving for a moment as though he wanted to touch her but decided against it. ‘I didn’t plan on you telling me any of this. I’ll come with you. We will find him together.’
Dani nodded thankfully, letting the silence pulse between them before she spoke. ‘Valerio...why did you come if it wasn’t to hear what Fiero had to say?’
Valerio hesitated, then seemed to make a snap decision. ‘I came for you, Dani. I should have come sooner. I should have followed you the minute you left my yacht. I told myself I should be relieved that everything had changed, that you were free of needing me, but...’ He shook his head, looking away from her.
Dani felt something in her heart stretch—something that felt foolishly like hope blossoming. ‘You were scared,’ she said softly, a thrill of electricity shooting through her when he looked up and met her eyes.
‘I’m known for taking risks and following my instincts, even if it leads to trouble.’ He shook his head. ‘But the things I’ve done in the past...risking my safety and my wealth on crazy ventures... None of that scared me. I never truly valued my own life. I always saw myself as dispensable.’
She shook her head, ready to launch into a vehement protest, but he reached out a hand, stopping her.
‘I thought that risking our friendship and disrespecting the promise I’d made to Duarte was what terrified me. But seeing this paper now...knowing he’s alive out there somewhere... It doesn’t change anything for me. We will deal with that as it comes.’ He took a deep breath, laying the document down on the step behind him. ‘Dani...look at me. I now know I was just afraid of what I felt—not the consequences or the risks. I don’t need anyone’s permission. Letting you move on without ever telling you how I feel is no longer an option.’
He laid his hand over hers, turning it to find she still wore the diamond engagement ring on her finger. She hadn’t been able to part with it just yet. He looked down at her, meeting her eyes with such reverence that it took her breath away all over again.
‘I think I’ve been slowly falling in love with you since we were teenagers and I didn’t have a clue. So I ignored you—I ran away or I provoked you. I’m far from perfect, and I’ll probably make mistakes, but I’m asking you for a second chance.’
She felt emotion clog her throat as she fought to formulate the words rushing through her head. In the end she just threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder.
Eventually she leaned back, looking into his eyes and seeing the relief and emotion there. ‘You put far too much effort into playing a part and worrying about what others think...but I see a man who is so much more than a playboy pirate. You put me first every single time, and I...’ She felt her throat catch. ‘You told me that if you want something you just have to take a deep breath and dive... So I knew that I couldn’t walk away without telling you how I felt. Without telling you what you could have if you were only brave enough to take a risk of your own.’
He closed the small distance between them with lightning speed and pulled her up into a kiss that made her entire body shake with emotion. His hands entwined with hers, coming up to press against his thundering heartbeat.
Dani smiled against his lips as he devoured her. He kissed her until she was kissing him back with every ounce of love she had...until she felt the breath sigh from her and her entire body melt into his arms. Only then di
d he pause for breath, burying his face in her neck and exhaling on a deep, primal growl.
‘Sorry, I’m not good with pretty words or speeches,’ he said softly into her hair, his hands still clutching her tightly against him, as though he feared she might run away if he loosened his grip.
‘That was pretty eloquent, I think.’ She bit her bottom lip, feeling as if there was a hint of magic in the air—as if this couldn’t be real, this perfect moment. But the smile that spread across his full lips mixed with a look of fierce possession told her everything she needed to know.
She gasped, looking down as he slid her engagement ring off her finger with one smooth movement. Silencing her with a finger on her lips, he took a step back and slowly lowered himself down to one knee.
‘I know I’ve technically proposed already, but I feel the situation requires a do-over.’ His eyes met hers with intense heat and emotion. ‘Tesoro... I want to be your husband and your partner. I want us to create a family and a life together. I swear I will spend the rest of my life giving you every single thing you desire if you’ll have me.’
‘I’ve never wanted anything as much as I want to be your wife for real. I love you. I want us to live together, work our crazy schedules around each other. I want to have your babies, Valerio Marchesi. I want all of it.’
She took a deep breath, fearing her heart might actually burst out of her chest with the effort of getting the words out. She felt shivers run down her spine as he slid the ring back onto her finger and stood up, pulling her into a tight embrace.
She felt a calm settle over her like nothing she’d ever experienced before. Despite the unknown of what might lie ahead of them, she knew he would be by her side. Together they would dive headfirst into whatever adventures lay ahead, and as long as she had her hand in his, she knew things would be okay.
EPILOGUE
THE NOVEMBER RAIN poured down on his face as Valerio raced across the busy rush hour streets, narrowly missing a black cab as he finally reached the door of the hospital. He barely stopped to announce himself at the desk, his breath crashing in and out of his lungs as he took the stairs two by two.
The Vows He Must Keep (Mills & Boon Modern) (The Avelar Family Scandals, Book 1) Page 16