Page 88 of Worth the Risk

“No. It’s ugly.”

Suddenly, she was on her back, Dan above her.

“That son of a bitch shot you,” he repeated with greater intensity.

“Honey, it’s fine. It happened a long time ago.”

“Motherfucker!” he exploded. “Not only did the man you thought was your father, who was supposed to love and protect you, try to kill you himself, but when he failed, he sent his goon squad after you. It was Lorenzo, wasn’t it?”

“Dan, it’s fine. Really.”

“No, it isn’t. Answer the question.”

She could tell by his expression he wouldn’t let it go until she did. So, in the interest of being open and honest, she told him. “Yes. He hid my grandfather’s trunk where my mother kept all her most precious memories. I was going through it and found the picture of my mother with my real father, and my birth certificate, when he walked in.”

“And he shot you, fortunately not a fatal wound, but you ran, bleeding.” He bent over her and kissed the hideous reminder of the awful night that had changed her life forever.

“Dan, don’t, please—”

“I’m so sorry, baby.”

“For what?” she asked, near tears at the anguish in his voice.

“For what Lorenzo Giordano put you through,” he said with his cheek against her belly. “And that I wasn’t there to protect you.”

She sat up, curling her arms around his head and holding him close. “It wasn’t my destiny to have a protector then. But fate eventually led me to him, and he’s big and strong and handsome and brave. I couldn’t have dreamed up a better hero because he saved my life in more ways than one.”

When he raised up, she fell back on the pillows. He moved over her, propped on his forearms. Gazing down at her, his unguarded expression raw with emotion, his voice shook ever so slightly when he declared, “I love you, Bella. And I’ll die to protect you. Those bastards won’t get a shot at you again, I swear on my life.”

“Dan...” she breathed, palms gliding up his broad chest. “I never thought I’d ever love and trust someone again. I almost didn’t take the chance, but I’m so glad I did, with you.”

His mouth came down on hers, tenderly at first, but it quickly grew rough with passion. He rolled onto his back again and lifted her astride his hips. With his hands around her waist, holding her up, she took his cock in hand and aligned it with her entrance. Then it was only a matter of gravity as she sank onto him, their bodies fitting together like two puzzle pieces.

Dan’s hands curled around her ass as he thrust up inside her. She undulated her hips, riding him, their bodies moving in perfect harmony. Their hands explored each other’s bodies, their touch conveying a depth of desire words couldn’t express. As they reached the peak of their passion, they held on tightly, bodies trembling with the intensity of their release, and at that moment, nothing else mattered—not food or caffeine, an imminent meeting, or a malevolent threat hanging like an angry dark cloud over their heads—only the joy they found in one other.

***

AFTER SHOWERING, ALTHOUGHwhat she really wanted to do was sink up to her neck in Joanna’s clawfoot soaker tub, Bella joined Dan downstairs in the dining room for the upcoming strategy meeting. Jonas had already arrived, and they were in deep conversation about something that involved “frozen assets” and up to “Fifteen to twenty years of hard time.”

She didn’t want to interrupt and quietly backed out the door. Her intention was to forage in Joanna’s kitchen for coffee, but Dan spotted her.

“Where are you going?” he called.

“I...uh...it sounded like you were discussing something that didn’t involve me.”

He extended his hand. “Come here. Since we’re 100 percent open and honest. You need to hear this, too.”

Bella hesitated, but the cryptic conversation had incited her curiosity. As she approached the table, the seriousness etched on both Dan and Jonas’ faces filled her with dread. Bella took a seat, her heart pounding as she steeled herself for more bad news. Her plate was so full already, she wasn’t sure it could hold any more.

“Tell her what you told me,” a grim-faced Dan directed Jonas.

Looking ill at ease, he cleared his throat before beginning. “I’ve stumbled upon something troubling about Allison, Dan’s ex-wife. She appears to be in serious legal trouble.”

Bella’s eyes widened, surprised it didn’t involve her, but her mind raced with possibilities of what it might be. “What kind of situation?”

“The man she’s been seeing for several years has been arrested and charged with embezzling $2 million from the company he and Allison work for. They have frozen his assets while he awaits trial, but the DA doesn’t believe he did it alone, according to my sources, and they expect additional charges this week.”

“Against Allison?” she asked, incredulous.

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