Page 130 of Vicious Intentions
Or at least, I hope I can.
I’ll tell her the truth when I’m sure she won’t kill me for it. How this last year has been the happiest I’ve ever experienced. That her calls were all I looked forward to. That she brought real meaning back into my life—one that didn’t involve hatred and bloodshed.
Anna is my reason. My purpose. My heart.
And one day, when she’s ready, I’ll tell her as much.
Unable to stop myself, I lean down and brush a tender kiss to her temple.
“I love you,vita mia. Now and always. Never forget that.”
Anna’s eyelashes flutter, making my heart stop in my chest, but when she turns her back to me, still lost to sleep, I know my words didn’t reach her. Maybe one day. But not today.
I let out a breath and turn to leave my girl be. But as I start to leave the room, a frown tugs at my lips when I notice the untouched dinner still sitting neatly on a tray on top of her dresser.
Hmm. I make a note to speak to my mother in the morning to find out if Anna ate anything today. I didn’t push her yesterday when she refused to touch the food prepared for her. I figured she’d be too anxious to keep anything down after the harrowing experience of being kidnapped. But those nerves should have settled by now. She knows I don’t intend to harm her. I think I’ve made that abundantly clear.
The thought takes me back to yesterday morning, when she sat on my lap as I tended to the burn on her neck. Anna’s scent—light, floral, unmistakably hers—wrapped around me, quiet and intoxicating. So much so that I haven’t since quite shaken its hold on me.
However, it was the way she didn’t flinch when my lips pressed against her skin that really did a number on my head. I didn’t mean to kiss her. It just… happened. As if it were the most natural thing in the world. A knee-jerk reaction. The kind that a man in love would make. But it was the look in her eyes, the way she stared at me like I’d grown a second head, that snapped me out of my daze.
I need to be more careful around her. More cautious. Otherwise, I’ll do something reckless, like drop to one knee andconfess my love. That would scare her even more than I already have.
Not wanting to dwell on how my very presence must terrify her, I head to my bedroom across from hers, take a quick shower, and try to get a few hours of sleep. But the second I slide under the sheets, I know sleep won’t come. It was the same yesterday. How could I sleep knowing the woman I love is just across the hall?
Merda.I won’t be able to think straight if I don’t get at least an hour or two. A war is brewing after all, and I’ll be no use to theCosa Nostraif I’m sleep-deprived.
Knowing there’s only one way to guarantee that, I grab a pillow and head back to Anna’s room. I settle into the armchair beside the window, my body relaxing instantly at the sound of her soft breathing.
Yes.
Much better.
Now I can sleep.
I stir awake the next morning, feeling rested for the first time in days.
My relaxed state lasts all of a second before I open my eyes and meet a pair of blue ones already watching me.
“I… um… good morning,” I stammer, having been caught in the act of sleeping in her room.
“Is it?” She cocks an eyebrow, her arms folded over her chest.
I turn to the window, the sun already high, greeting the day.
“Looks like a fine morning to me.”
“He jokes,” she scowls.
Cazzo.Why is Anna able to make me feel so unworthy with one single glare? I’ve entered rooms with dozens ofcaposand instantly made them quake with fear. But Anna? It’s like she knows exactly what to say to make me question everything I do.
“I should leave you to it,” I mutter, picking up my pillow and making a quick getaway.
“I don’t understand you,” I hear her say behind me, forcing me to turn around. “I’ve tried to. I’m still trying to. But…” She shrugs, as if I were some puzzle she can’t quite figure out. “You’re not what I expected.”
“What did you expect?” I can’t help but ask.
“I’m not sure. Just not… you.” She holds my gaze, then lets out a breath. “Any news from my father? When will I be going home?”
