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Mariella pulled out of his ar the cool air and the bite of cold reality “Thank you”

His eyes glittered at her knowingly “Thank you?”

She had to take a step backward She’d been swept away in the otten She was supposed to be afraid She was supposed to keep personal distance She was not supposed to let herself be vulnerable She could not…a sob built in her chest She could not allow herself to feel

She wanted to deny it, but he’d know she was running away froe it had affected her deeply was to take things where she didn’t want theo

“As you said, there’s a certain a him to contradict her

Instead he laughed, reaching out and grazing her cheek with a knuckle

“You are a strong worand woman, too”

Mari sed Co a whole new side to Luca Whether he recognized it or not, he carried around his own scars, ones indelibly scraped on his heart

She turned away, leaving hi at her back as she rested her elbows on the balustrade

“You remind me of her” He paused for a moment “Why did you not correct Gina when she called you by your full name?”

Mari shrugged “It would have been rude of me We’d just met”

“But you didn’trude to me”

She heard the dull sound of his shoes on the stone floor as he came closer “You can take it”

“I appreciate you being kind to my sister Annoyance that she is”

Mari held her breath as his hands appeared on either side of her and he leaned closer, not quite an eainst her back

“Mariella”

Mari’s eyelids drifted shut The soft way he said it eet seduction But it was no better as his iht, the way the expensive cut of his suit e hione days Too much like the man from her dreams She had to resist him Had to This was madness She was supposed to be afraid Repulsed She wasn’t supposed to be feeling like this