page45 (1/2)

Only in danger of what I feel for you, she thought That was the part she couldn’t tell hi she couldn’t let hi that there would never be anything serious between them He was Luca Fiori, based in Florence, heir to the empire They were from two different worlds and were simply in the same place at a particular time

He couldn’t know that with each passing day, with each gesture, she was falling deeper in love with his? She certainly didn’t feel equipped to handle the that she was sure of was that it wouldn’t turn out well And she valued hiry

“Are you afraid now? Of your stepfather? What about your mother? Where is she?”

She wasn’t sure how much to tell him, how much he could handle It wasn’t a pretty story She paused too long and he backed away

“I apologize I’ve overstepped You don’t want to talk about it, and I respect that”

“No!” Mari got up fro to shut you out, Luca…you must understand No one here knows about this I started a new life, built it froht I’d left it all behind ht it was all okay Only I have just realized I can’t leave it behind—Reilly showed ht now…”

She needed hiant, and temporary—wasn’t that a kick in the pants

“Right now—” her voice shook “—you’re the only one keeping ht it all back, all of it I…I need you, Luca”

She half expected hi Whatand crying all over him?

“Tellout his hand

She took it “Robert Langston spent seven years in prison for the attempted murder of my mother…and of me”

CHAPTER NINE