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  “I don’t want her to come here. She can’t take me away.”

  “She’s checking up on you.”

  “Or she’s wanting to see what you’ve got,” Mavis said, snorting.

  “Excuse me?”

  “She was checking you out when you came to pick me up. It wouldn’t surprise me if she suggests she stay over or have dinner.” She shook her head and made her way outside of the pool. He watched her, giving her the few seconds she needed, but then he was at the edge of the pool, climbing out.

  He couldn’t believe she’d been foolish enough to get in the pool fucking naked.

  Her hands shook as she tried to get her clothes on. She’d been in the pool too damn long, and now she was at risk of getting sick or something.

  Rushing to her side, he took her clothes out of her hands and picked her up.

  “Let me down.”

  “Not happening.”

  “I don’t want you to touch me.”

  “Too fucking late.”

  He carried her back to the house. Once again, he ignored Susan’s gaze and took her to the bathroom. He had to get her warmed up.

  There’s no way he was losing her.

  Not now.

  Not after he’d finally found her.

  ****

  Luca had been right. Mavis gritted her teeth as she shook against the cold. He didn’t leave her alone though. He turned the shower on and stood with her, holding her in his arms as the water slowly started to warm her skin. He didn’t rush the heating. He took it slow, and she felt so damn numb, which was what she wanted to feel.

  With his arms around her though, she couldn’t focus, nor could she breathe. She loved being in his arms more than anything else in the world. Whenever he held her, surrounded her with his warmth, she could finally breathe, and if he took that away, she didn’t know if she’d ever be able to handle that.

  She wanted him.

  Love.

  It was a word that she had often mocked.

  She didn’t believe in love.

  Love was something people gave each other and took away whenever they got bored. She’d never wanted any part of it, but when Luca stared at her like she was the only woman in the world, for a little while, she’d hope.

  Time passed, and she rested her head against his chest. Every few minutes or so, he’d change the dial on the water to make it a little warmer.

  When the shaking had stopped and her body was once again warm, he turned off the shower and helped her out.

  She didn’t stop him as he dried her body.

  His gentle touches meant a lot to her.

  “Are you going to push me away again?” she asked.

  “No.”

  “I don’t want you to lie to me.”

  Luca cupped her face, the towel resting over her shoulders as he did so. “I can promise you, right here, right now, I will never, ever lie to you. I will always tell you the truth. I can’t live without you. I don’t want to. I’m going to deal with Annabel, and then we’ll talk.”

  Already, she didn’t like the sound of this talk.

  She didn’t fight him as he led her toward his bedroom. He tucked her into his bed and sat on the edge.

  “I’m going to go and get some soup for you.”

  “I feel fine.”

  “For now. I’m not going to risk it though.” He reached out, stroking some hair from her face.

  “I want to stay here forever, Luca. I don’t want to leave.”

  “You’re young.”

  “And you think that means I just want to leave? To go and explore the world because that is what every other young person does?”

  “Mavis, people change their minds.”

  “I won’t.”

  “You don’t know that, and I’m not going to force you to do something you shouldn’t. I’m not that kind of monster.”

  She felt tears well up in her eyes, and she didn’t know what to say or do that would make him see that she meant business. That she wanted to stay with him and that it wasn’t just a bunch of words to her.

  God help her.

  She had fallen in love with him, and now she felt sick again.

  He leaned over, kissing her cheek. “Now, stay. Don’t think I won’t remember that this means a spanking is coming your way.”

  “I’m sick.”

  “You won’t always be, and I will take care of you.” He kissed her again, and she watched him leave the room, wanting nothing more than for him to join her.

  Wrapping his blankets around her naked body, she closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of him.

  To her, it didn’t matter what anyone said, Luca was part of her life, and she didn’t want to give him up, not now, not ever. She let sleep finally claim her as there was nothing else that she could do right now, and she was so tired.

  Chapter Ten

  Mavis had a temperature, and the doctor had already come out to check on her. Luca didn’t mind taking care of her. He actually loved it, sitting with her, reading to her, or just helping her eat soup.

  The doctor had said he’d done the right thing to bring her body back up to the correct temperature, but now it was just the wait for her to get better. Not only was Mavis in his bed, fast asleep, but Annabel had already called to say that she’d be arriving soon.

  He was so fucking pissed off.

  With himself.

  With the world.

  He didn’t want Mavis to settle for living here, to be a recluse.

  She deserved the fucking world.

  Her parents, his best friend had forced her to hide because they were ashamed that she didn’t fit their standards of beauty. Running a hand down his face, he turned toward the bathroom, the only room in the house that had a damn mirror. He knew Mavis used it most.

  Opening the bathroom door, he stared at the mirror. He needed to move a couple of steps before he could look at his reflection. Taking a deep breath, he took those two steps.

  He’d not looked at his reflection full-on in a long time. He did everything to avoid staring at his face. He remembered what he looked like.

  The one-time golden boy with the green eyes and perfect face.

  Staring at the sink, he felt his stomach clench. He closed his eyes, and as he did he pictured Mavis. The way her hand caressed his cheek. The smile that danced in her eyes. The fact he saw the love shining for him and only for him. No one else could take that away. She loved him. Even if she’d never said the words, he knew the truth.

  Mavis loved him.

  She was devoted to him.

  That day in the pool, he’d seen it so fucking clearly. She’d been hurt by his rejection, and all he’d wanted to do was protect her, to love her. To make sure no one took her away.

  Stepping into the bathroom, he turned and faced the mirror. He shouldn’t have been with Mavis. She was young, beautiful. Her life was only just beginning.

  At thirty-six years old, he’d done so much and had a great deal taken from him in a short space of time.

  Finally, he lifted his gaze up, and stared at his reflection.

  The young, fickle man no longer stared back at him. He wasn’t young or naïve anymore. He wasn’t the disgusting monster that others painted him to be. He had a scar that didn’t even cover the whole of his face. His green eyes stared back at him, and he couldn’t see what everyone’s problem was.

  He wasn’t traditionally handsome.

  The scar didn’t control him. It didn’t define him.

  He was more than what people wanted him to be.

  She’s yours for the taking.

  He heard the doorbell ring, and he wasn’t confused anymore, nor was he in any way unsure of what he wanted for his future.

  He wanted Mavis.

  She belonged to him.

  The world had had their chance to take her. They’d not taken her, and now he was going to have her and keep her.

  “You love her. Don’t let her get away.”

  Leaving the bathro
om, he found Susan had already let the blonde in.

  “You found us okay?” he asked.

  Annabel had been looking around the space, clearly liking what she saw.

  “Yes, it’s not easy to find though.”

  “It’s not supposed to be. Susan, could you please make us some coffee and bring it through to my office?”

  “Certainly.”

  “Oh, how about a tour? This place is really something. I heard it was derelict, and I was so surprised to see it this way. I mean, wow, did you do this all yourself?” she asked.

  He turned to look at her, Mavis’s warning ringing in his head.

  “Yes, it helped me after my injury.”

  “Ah, I see. Well, I think you’ve done wonders with the place.”

  Taking her to the office, he didn’t want her in his space and had a feeling he wasn’t about to like how this meeting was going to go.

  So far, she’d not even mentioned Mavis but instead complimented his décor. He sat behind his desk as she put her bag on the floor. He noticed she wore a short skirt and the blouse was tight across her tits. She was also heavily made up.

  “I’m sorry I’ve not been able to make it out here earlier. Work can be so demanding at times.” She folded one knee over the other.

  “Do you like your work?”

  “Most of the time. I can’t stand the lack of resources and of course the kids are not all great either. Some of them can have real attitude.”

  He waited to see if she’d finally speak about Mavis, and of course, not a word was spoken.

  The silence rang through the room, and he found himself getting even more pissed off with waiting. Gritting his teeth, he continued to stay silent even as Susan dropped off some coffee. He wasn’t interested in drinking.

  “This smells real nice. Italian?” Annabel asked.

  “No, instant.” He took a healthy gulp, and he saw her nose wrinkle as if he’d told her she was drinking dog turds.

  He’d been out of the loop so long but not long enough to miss that this woman was trying to impress him.

  Had he really been that shallow? That superficial?

  He knew the answer.

  He’d once been everything he now despised.

  “Are you going to ask about Mavis?”

  “Ah, yes, how are you finding it with her? I’ve heard she was a star pupil at her school. Teachers had no complaints. Her work was exemplary. How are you handling her though? If you have any concerns I can certainly arrange it with my manager to have her returned to the boarding school. You won’t have to worry about a thing. She’s already eighteen, so in a couple of months after her graduation, everything will be fine.”

  “You mean I don’t even have to care for her now?” Luca asked.

  “No, of course not. She’s a legal adult. You’re only dealing with her as her trustee. She’s way too old to be considered in need of a guardian, not really. I figured you’d have gotten her an apartment or sent her back to school. It must get very lonely out here.”

  “Get out of my house,” he said.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Your presence here is not wanted nor is it welcome. In fact, I find the very sight of you fucking repulsive. You’re supposed to be here to make sure Mavis is fine. That she’s doing okay after the death of her parents, and all you are doing is flirting with me. What is it? You want my money? Found out that I came from a wealthy family and that I’ve got plenty of cash on my own? That I’m so fucked up in the face that you figured I’d want any used-up pussy I could get my dick inside?”

  “I don’t have to be spoken to this way.”

  “Get out of my house. I will be speaking to your manager. If you ever come near Mavis or me again, you’re going to be wishing you’d never even heard of our names.”

  He got to his feet, grabbed her bag, and marched forward. Opening the front door, he tossed the bag out like trash.

  “How dare you!”

  The moment Annabel was over the threshold, he slammed the door right in her face.

  He turned and saw Mavis wrapped in a blanket, sitting at the top of the stairs. Her face was pale, her hair cascading all around.

  “I told you so,” she said. “She was after what you’ve got.”

  “Yeah, well, I figured her game out, didn’t I?” He took the stairs two at a time until he sat beside Mavis. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he pulled her close. “You shouldn’t be out of bed.”

  “I’m feeling okay. A little stupid for staying in the pool so long, but I heard the doorbell rang. I tried to ignore it, but I couldn’t. I was … scared.”

  “That I’d be attacked by her?”

  “No. That you’d look at her and want her and you’d cast me aside like I mean nothing.”

  “That is never going to happen, Mavis. Never. That woman means nothing to me. I wouldn’t have even had her come here if I knew she was just after getting in my pants.”

  “I heard what she said. I can leave at any time, or you can dump me back in boarding school, or I can get my own apartment.”

  He tensed up, not liking the way this conversation was going.

  “You could do that the first chance you got, yes.”

  “What if I don’t want to? What if I like being with you? Living here, in the middle of nowhere. Then I want to stay. I don’t want to leave. I like being with you.”

  “I like having you around. However, you need to be on bed rest.” He stood up, picking her up in his arms and carrying her back to his bedroom.

  Where she belonged.

  ****

  A couple weeks later

  Mavis walked downstairs feeling much like her old self. She’d been ill during Thanksgiving, but she and Luca had spent every waking moment with each other. He worked from his laptop in his room, and she watched television while he did. They shared mealtimes in his room, and at night, he’d pull her in his arms, and she felt the comfort as he held her close.

  His arms were large and surrounded her.

  She felt safe and loved.

  It was a strange feeling for her to have, but no matter how hard she tried to pull away from him, to not trust the comfort of his arms, he kept on holding her, and she didn’t want to let go, not for a second.

  At the bottom of the stairs, she heard soft music coming from the dining room. Feeling pretty much recovered, she was ready to leave her bedroom and to get back to helping around the yard or in the kitchen. Luca had also promised to show her some of the ideas he had for the surrounding land. There were times she was sure he was shocked by how much land he owned.

  Entering the dining room, she came to a stop. The large table had been replaced by a small, circular one. Two candles glowed, lighting the room. The soft music filled the air, and Luca stood beside her chair.

  “I’m so pleased you could join me.”

  “Where’s Susan?”

  “She’s gone. I’ve given her a couple of weeks off.” She’d been working overtime because of Mavis’s illness. For the past couple of weeks, Mavis felt she’d eaten enough soup to drown a farm. She wanted something with a bit of bite to it and that didn’t taste like waterlogged vegetables.

  “It’s just you and me.” He held his hand out to her, and she stepped closer.

  Luca pulled her in close, his lips brushing across hers.

  “It’s nice to see some color in your cheeks,” he said.

  She’d missed him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him back with a passion. She felt starved for his kisses, desperate to feel his hands on her, and she didn’t want to let him go.

  After a few seconds when she pressed her body against him, she moaned as he held her hands and pulled away.

  “There’s a couple of things I need to talk to you about, and I can’t do that to you with your lips on mine.”

  She licked her lips, thinking of nothing better to do or say than kiss him. “We could talk after?”

  “No, I want to talk to you now, when I can say
the words.”

  She bit her lip, worried that he was going to turn her away.

  Taking a seat, she released a breath she didn’t even know she’d been holding. Tucking some hair behind her ear, she tried to think of a number of things to do with her hands.

  He took a seat opposite her. “I decided against wine. I think water would be best.”

  “I’m kind of worried. Are you about to break me some bad news?”

  “I’m about to break you some news. I don’t know if you’d consider it good or bad. I guess I’ll let you decide.”

  She waited as he poured them each a glass of water. She hated being kept in suspense or feeling out of place.

  When it came to Luca, he’d become her everything, and showed her a life that to many may be confusing, but to her, it made a lot of sense.

  “So, I want to talk about the future, Mavis. I’ve seen all of your grades and what the teachers are saying. You’re smart. You can go on to have an amazing life, and I know you’d be able to pick up where you father left off in his company.”

  She couldn’t care less about her father’s company.

  “I want to help you with that.”

  “What?”

  “I realized something the other day.” He reached across the table. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone in my life. I didn’t think I was even capable of feeling anything.”

  “What are you saying?” she asked.

  “I’m saying that against all fucking odds, Mavis Miller, you have done what no other person has been able to do.”

  She stared at him, waiting. Her heart pounded harder with each second that passed, and she didn’t know what to do, what to think, how to feel. All of it was a crazy moment as the time seemed to stretch between them.

  “I’m in love with you, and I never thought I was capable of love. I care about you and I don’t want anything to happen, but love? I didn’t think I deserved love, let alone you. You’re so young. Eighteen years old, and yet you know what it’s like to be cast aside. Rejected. When you look at me, you don’t freak out. I wasn’t looking for love, nor anyone to share my life. I figured I’d take care of you, and then you could go, be someone else’s problem, but I can’t do that, Mavis. I can’t let you go, not ever. I love you, and I can promise you I’ve never said those words to another human being. They are all for you. Every single one.”