by Lucy Monroe
She jerked back from the touch. It was an involuntary movement but it made him frown. Tough.
‘Just not the ones that count.” The words tumbled out before she thought and she regretted them.
Not because she didn’t think he deserved the dig, but because she did not want to re-open that conversation.
‘Forget I said that.”
‘lt is forgotten.” The grim set of his mouth said differently, but she wasn’t about to take issue with him over it.
‘Elisa. Are you in there?” The sound of Signor di Adamo’s voice echoing in the small enclosure shocked her and for a minute she could not quite figure out what was going on.
Not so Salvatore. He was on the other side of the vault in a flash and speaking into the small black box recessed in the thick metal wall near the door.
‘This is Salvatore. Elisa is with me.”
‘Are either of you hurt?” di Adamo’s voice sounded strained, older than his sixty-two years.
‘No. Can you open the vault?” ‘The security company that installed it went out of business two years ago.”
That was news to her. Had she known she would have tried to get her boss to do something about transferring the override information to another company.
Salvatore swore. ‘This means you have no way of overriding the timed lock no?” ‘This is the truth. Praise the good God that you are b0th all right.”
Salvatore said something succinct but did not press the communication button so di Adamo did not hear.
They discussed the details of the breakin and how she and Salvatore had ended up locked in the vault. Her boss’s exclamations were replaced by the cool authority voiced by the local police. They took Salvatore’s statement via the intercom box while Elisa chewed on her lower lip in worry.
‘Ask them about the inventory,” Elisa told Salvatore.
Salvatore pressed the button. ‘Elisa wishes to speak to di Adamo.”
He moved out of the way, allowing her to ask for herself.
She pressed the button and spoke into the small box, all the while hoping Salvatore had been right. ‘signor di Adamo, I did not have the opportunity to put the trays in the vault before the breakin.”
‘Inoticed this.” His voice was quizzical, but not unduly worried.
‘So, they, um… didn’t take anything?” She’d been derelict in her duty to her boss and would be devastated to discover her neglect had resulted in his loss.
‘They must have been after the crown jewels.”
‘That’s what Salvatore thought.”
She looked at the opposite wall without seeing it, lost in thought.
’You’II have to take the rest of the jewelry home with you. I don’t think that’s safe.” She turned to Salvatore. He was the security expert and had insisted on forcing himself into her life. He could make himself useful now.
‘What shall we do?”
‘Let me speak ” She stepped back satisfied as the two men made arrangements for one of Salvatore’s operatives to come and take possession of the jewelry.
She spoke briefly again with her boss before he left the store, promising to be back when the vault’s timed lock opened in the morning.
Returning to the storage cupboard she perused the contents with more interest than the first time around. Now that she knew the inventory was safe and di Adamo was not worried about her and Salvatore she could consider dinner with more equanimity. Besides she was hungry.
A round of cheese hung from a hook on the ceiling of the cupboard and she pulled it down. She also withdrew two bottles of mineral water with twist tops, a tin of tuna crackers and some small jars: olives sundries tomatoes under oil and carrots under vinegar.
Stacking them together on the floor she arranged the contents of the cupboard so she could pull one of the shelves out to use as a table. Thankfully, di Adamo had also included paper plates utensils and napkins in his emergency store and she and Salvatore would not be reduced to serving with their fingers.
She arranged the crackers tuna and cheese on two plates and put the small jars between them so b0th she and Salvatore could reach what they wanted. He hadn’t said anything as she prepared the food, but he popped the tops off b0th bottles of mineral water and opened the other jars with quick precision.
He sat down on one side of the makeshift table while she gingerly settled on the floor on the other. ‘This is a far cry from what I intended our dinner to be tonight, cara.”
Remembering his dinner reservation she couldn’t decide if reliving memories would have been worse or better than their enforced intimacy. ‘We haven’t got much choice.”
Salvatore shrugged making the exposed muscles of his chest ripple in a very distracting way.
OK, so it was warm, but buttoning up his shirt would not kill him.
‘What do you know about my father’s heart condition?” she asked as she sliced a thin sliver of cheese and put it on a cracker with one of the olives cut in half.
Salvatore sighed, as if his mind had been elsewhere.
‘lt is not serious if he follows the doctor’s recommendations and avoids stress.”
Like that caused by worrying about his daughter’s safety. She got the message without Salvatore having to spell it out.
‘What happened?”
‘He had a small episode a couple of months ago and ended up taking an emergency visit to the hospital. The doctor said that while the episode itself was not that serious, it was a harbinger of things to come if he did not change his lifestyle.”
‘And did he?”
Again the shrug and she wanted to just yell at him to button up his darn shirt.
‘Francesco has been working less increasing his exercise eating healthier.”
‘l’m sure Therese is making sure of that.” Her stepmother loved her father very much.
‘I still don’t understand why he didn’t tell me.”
‘I do not know ” If she hadn’t been running from Salvatore for the past year, she would have visited Sicily at least once and no doubt found out about her father’s health then. Guilt weighed on her as she finished her small dinner. Cleaning up was easy and thankfully, with the help of the running water in the small bathroom’s sink they were able to avoid a lingering odor of tuna in the enclosed space.
Afterward they settled back on the floor but its hardness quickly grew uncomfortable.
She shifted her sitting position drawing her knees up to her chin having long since abandoned her shoes .
‘lt is going to be very uncomfortable sleeping.”
Her head came up at the sound of Salvatore’s voice and her conscience pricked her.
She should tell him about the blow-up air mattress in the cupboard. The thing was, it was a single and they would have to share. It was the only option that made sense, but her mind rebelled at the prospect of sleeping in such close proximity to him. Even the thought of slumber on the hard floor had more appeal. It would definitely be better for her sanity.
Besides, there was no saying if it would still hold air after all the time it had sat unused on that shelf, she tried telling herself. In the end, her conscience would not let her keep it to herself however. Grimacing, she stood up. ‘There’s an air mattress.”
His brow rose in question.
‘you know a blow-up thing we can use to sit on now.”
‘And sleep on later.”
He caught on quick but then he was a smart guy-about everything but her. ‘Yes.”
‘We will have to sleep together.”
There was nothing for it. She forced herself to nod. ‘Yes.”
She almost offered to sleep on the floor at the look of satisfaction that crossed his features.
‘Don’t get any ideas, Salvatore. If you try anything, 1‘11 push you right off the mattress, got it?”
CHAPTER SIX
IT WAS a ludicrous threat considering how much bigger he was than her not to mention more dangerous, but he didn’t laugh.
&nbs
p; He did smile though. you have made yourself clear.”
She pulled out the mattress. There was no pump, so they took turns blowing into it to inflate it.
Salvatore smiled the first time he took it from her, putting his lips where hers had been with deliberate movements and she could almost feel his lips against hers. It was worse when she took it back from him because the intimacy of using the air spigot after Salvatore made her insides clench. She hid her reaction but she felt as if he knew anyway.
Once they had it blown up, he pulled the blanket out and spread it over the mattress before they sat down on it.
It didn’t give and there was no telltale hiss of escaping air.
‘I think it’s going to hold.” She wasn’t sure if she was glad or disappointed by that fact.
‘Iwish we had a pack of cards, or something.”
‘Are you bored with my company already, cfo/cezza?”
‘No, of course not. It’s just that… ” She let her voice trail off.
He wasn’t that dense. He knew what the problem was. ‘can think of something that would pass the time.”
She stiffened and glared at him. ‘No way.”
‘What could be wrong with a game of Animal, Vegetable or Mineral?” He’d been having her on but she still couldn’t see him playing such a simple game and said so.
‘you forget the years I spent schooling in a very spartan environment.”
And she acknowledged there were depths to this alpha male she knew nothing about.
So they played, but she was tired, having slept little the night before.
After her third yawn, he said, ‘I think you should sleep, cara.”
She didn’t want to lie down, but it would have to happen some time. ‘Are you going to sleep?”
‘lt is that, pace, or sit on the hard floor. None of those appeal. I will sleep. I did not rest much last night.”
‘l’m sorry.” Her nightmare had wakened him.
‘Do not be. I have not slept well for the past year.”
He took Sicilian guilt to Olympic levels, which did nothing for her own peace of mind. Sighing with a sense of inevitability, she went into the small bathroom and got ready for bed.
She came out and once again he was waiting. This time he was standing in just his trousers his shirt dangling from one finger.
‘put this on to sleep in. It will be more comfortable than your dress.”
No doubt he was right, but still she balked. ‘I’ll be fine.”
Do not be stubborn.”
‘My dress isn’t that bad.” It was longer and tighter than any of her nightgowns, but she could deal with it.
‘You hate sleeping with anything wrapped around your legs.”
The reminder of their former intimacy did nothing to improve her mood.
‘I’ll survive this time.”
He put the shirt around her shoulders. there is no need.” He stepped around her and entered the bathroom.
‘Elisa’… ”
‘yes?”
‘I can think of nothing I would enjoy more than helping you change, cara.”
‘Has anyone ever told you that you’re too bossy?” His answer was the quiet sliding shut of the hi-fold door. She didn’t know if he would follow through on his threat to help her change, but on the likely chance he would she made quick work of slipping out of her dress and bra and putting his shirt on. She buttoned the buttons all the way up, but the collar was big enough that it still showed the dips and hollows of her collarbone.
Afterward, she went to the mattress to lie down. He had laid his coat down on one side and she knew it was there for a buffer between her skin and the velour-covered plastic of the mattress. She considered sleeping on the opposite side out of defiance, but decided against it. He’d put her beside the wall so she wouldn’t fall off the mattress either and somehow his concern touched instead of irritated her.
She snuggled down onto his coat pretending to herself that the scent of him was not having an impact on her emotions or physical comfort. Waiting for him to come out of the bathroom she pulled the light blanket over herself more to cover her bare legs than because she was cold.
He came out a few minutes later.
‘Do you want me to leave the light on?” It was a small enclosure. They both knew it well enough to find the bathroom if they needed it and they would sleep better in the dark.
‘No.”
He pressed a button and the dull glow of the emergency light went out.
She waited for him to join her on the bed, tense with an emotion between dread and anticipation.
When he did, he put his arm around her waist and the other under her head like a pillow, cuddling up to her back as if they were still lovers.
She stiffened with rejection and tried to push out of his arms.
‘Salvatorel”
He tightened his hold.
‘Be reasonable, rara, the mattress is small. It is the only comfortable position for sleeping.”
‘But-”
‘I promised I would not accost you. Can you not trust me this much?” Why the question should stir her emotions, she did not know. She started to say something again .
‘ushh… ” Soft lips kissed her temple. ‘sleep. That is aII.” Then, nothing.
He made no attempt to take advantage of their position and eventually she relaxed feeling more secure than she had in months. Incredibly, she slept.
When she woke the darkness was absolute.
Slowly, memory of where she was penetrated her mind but something was missing.
The warmth of Salvatore’s body surrounding hers. The blanket was tucked around her as if pressed carefully there by someone else. But no Salvatore.
She listened, but could hear no sound from the lavatory. Besides, in the absolute darkness, light would filter through the cracks of the hi-fold door if he was in there. She could hear his breathing, but not where it was coming from.
She sat up, groggy from sleep, the blanket falling to her waist.
‘Salvatore?”
”Si cara.”’
Her voice had been husky from slumber but his was crisp, as if he’d been awake a while.
‘Why aren’t you sleeping?” His laugh was harsh. you have reason to doubt it but I have some honor.”
‘Did I say I doubted it?”
‘lt is not necessary. I know what you think of me.”
She rubbed at her eyes, but of course that made no improvement on the impenetrable darkness.
‘your honor isn’t letting you sleep?” Nothing was making sense to her still sleep-fuddled mind.
‘I want you ”
‘I know.”
He’d made that patently clear and even half asleep, she could hear the sensual edge to his tone .
‘I cannot lie next to your delectable body for one minute longer and not take you.”
The admission cost him. She could hear it in his voice. He hated being subject to such strong physical need. His next words confirmed it.
‘I swore after Sofia that no woman would hold me in sexual thrall like that again.”
‘you don’t like being out of control.” He might not believe it, but she found no satisfaction in enthralling him sexually. Straight sexual hunger was nothing compared to love and respect.
‘I grew up learning self-discipline and control in the face of circumstances that would be impossible for many people.”
‘And the idea of a mere woman breaking through that terrifies you, doesn’t it?”
‘I am not afraid.” She couldn’t see him, but she could sure hear his affront.
‘Bad choice of words.”
‘I am not over there seducing you. I do have some self-control where you are concerned.”
But not a lot and he’d had to get out of the bed to exercise it. She didn’t rub that in, however. She had realized some time yesterday that she got no pleasure out of hurting him.
‘l’m sorry ”
‘sorry enough t
o let me make love to you?” She laughed at the absurdity of the question.
‘No way would you ever be able to accept sex based on pity.”
‘you would be surprised.”
His desire beat at her like a pulsing base in an orchestra of sensual composition.
Her own body’s needs warred with the thoughts going through her mind. This man had abandoned her and their baby. She could not trust him with her body again.
But he had also come back.
That fact had not struck her until a few months ago. He had been there when she was losing the baby because he had come to her apartment to see her. She didn’t know why and for a long time had not cared, but now she wondered.
‘Why did you come back?”
‘you said you were pregnant with my child.”
‘you didn’t believe it was yours.”
‘I realized it did not matter.”
‘What do you mean?” you believed the baby was mine. I would have married you. The baby would have been mine.”
‘you were prepared to marry me even though you thought I might be pregnant with another man’s child?”
‘This is the truth.”
Unbelievable! you weren’t willing to do that for Sofia.”
‘I was younger. Hot-headed. And she lied to me.”
‘you thought I lied to you.” He’d said so.
‘you told me what you wanted to be true. It is not the same. You believed it.”
While what he was saying touched her, the fact he still doubted her hurt.
‘lt was your baby.”
He didn’t reply for a long time and when the words did come they weren’t the ones she wanted to hear.
‘I let you down.”
‘yes ”
‘I am sorry ”
‘lt doesn’t help.”
‘I know ” But was that entirely true? After learning about Sofia Pennini , Elisa appreciated better why Salvatore had not trusted her. An experience like that would make any man wary when his lover told him she was pregnant with his child.
Her father’s assertion Elisa was just like her mother had justifiably fueled Salvatore’s distrust.
So, yes, she understood why he believed what he did, but it made little difference to her emotion-deprived heart. The simple truth remained. If he had loved her, he would have wanted the baby to be his not been afraid it was so. He would have believed her. He never would have left.