Page 48 of Seduced By the Enemy

In his gut, Salvatore felt a burst of relief that she’d asked him. Relief that she’d turned to him rather than Leandro.

“I would prefer not to move you,” he said, though, reluctantly. Torn between his need to give her what she’d asked for, and what he thought to be right.

“I’m fine,” she insisted. “Please just take me home.”

He could feel Leandro’s response. There was something in the tension of the other man, the way his whole body was radiating an ice like rejection. Rather than risk Leandro saying or doing anything to upset Emilia, Salvatore nodded once. “I’ll take you away,” he promised. “On one condition.”

She glanced at him mutinously, but he barely noticed. All he could see was the pale colour of her skin, and he knew in that moment he would do whatever was necessary to fix this.

“We are going to hospital, before I take you home.”

“Salvatore, please?—,”

“No, Emilia.” He glanced across at Leandro, whose face was stone-like. “This is non-negotiable.” And then, with a look back at Emilia, “I need to know you’re okay.”

She expelled a breath slowly. “But I am. I don’t need a doctor.”

“Then do it because I need it. I need to know.”

She opened her mouth to fight him, to argue, but after a moment, she simply nodded. “Okay. But it’s a fuss about nothing.”

13

THE LAST THING EMILIA had any intention of admitting in front of Leandro was that she didn’t actually feel fine. Her head was aching and her body was trembling. She didn’t think she’d broken any bones, but her whole body felt as though she’d been put into a sack and tossed about a little. In short, she was sore all over. Mostly, though, she was in shock. Shock at Leandro having discovered their relationship, shock at the fact he was now walking like some kind of bridesmaid behind Salvatore, as he carried Emilia down the emergency stairs like she weighed nothing.

“You can’t carry me to the lobby, Salvatore. We’re on the twenty ninth floor.”

He flicked his gaze at her. “You think I wouldn’t carry you a thousand times further, if you needed it?”

Her heart turned over. She lifted her hand and pressed it to his cheek. “I’m okay.”

A muscle throbbed low in his jaw, and instead of saying anything to show that he was mollified by her statement, he kept walking, one step after the other, so she tucked her head against his chest and closed her eyes, just breathing him in.

“Areyouokay?”

She blinked up at him when he didn’t answer, to find he was staring at her intently.

“Don’t pass out.”

“I won’t.”

“You closed your eyes.”

“Yes.” She wasn’t about to admit that she simply wanted to breathe him in. Even with a raging headache, and she suspected a concussion, she hadn’t totally lost control of her brain.

They turned the corner to another landing and this time, Salvatore moved towards the doors.

Leandro moved quickly though, anticipating Salvatore, stepping past him to hold open the doors.

As they brushed past her brother, Emilia looked at him over Salvatore’s shoulder. “Thank you,” she mouthed.

The look in his eyes made her gut roll. The hurt and confusion there, the worry. They were all things she would never willingly subject her brother to. Or anyone in her family. She stifled a yawn, and let her eyes close again. She felt Salvatore’s step quicken and then, heard the swooshing of the elevator doors.

Her eyes drifted shut, as he stepped inside, and then, she heard a soft curse fall from his lips, as the elevator began to speed to the ground. Emilia was asleep before it reached its destination.

“Don’t do this,”Salvatore ground out.

“You heard the doctor,” Leandro replied. “Family only.”

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