Page 87 of Where Dark Hearts Devour
And we do.
I wake up with an awareness of warmth around me. I’m curled into Cristiano’s large, firm body, my face nuzzled into his chest. I breathe him in, not wanting to break the spell by moving.
“You didn’t have nightmares,” he says softly, the vibration of his voice touching my cheek.
I let my eyes drift closed. “Did you hold me like this all night?”
He presses his lips into my hair, and I feel him smile with his whole body. “Yeah.”
I lift my head and immediately drown in the look he’s giving me. Like I’m the most precious thing he’s ever held.
“Thank you,” I say softly.
“What for?”
I stroke my fingertips down his chest. “For everything. But especially for last night. And ...”
“And?”
“And for not taking my virginity.”
His chest turns suddenly rigid.
“It would have made everything so much more complicated. And if Savero ever discovered this ...”
A chill winds its way down my spine at the thought of Savero finding out about me and Cristiano.
I hear his teeth grinding above me.
“You know why I’m leaving after the wedding, don’t you?”
My lack of response leaves the air to fill with heavy breaths.
“I can’t stand by and see you become married to another man, least of all my own flesh and blood. It will kill me.”
“I don’t want to marry him,” I whisper. “I have no choice.”
His tone is laden with defeat. “And if I try to stop it, it won’t be me who pays—it will be your family. I’ll never be able to live with myself.”
I squeeze my eyes closed in the hope tears won’t fall. My heart drops, knowing there’s nothing he can—or will—do to keep me.
“Will you do me one favor?”
I look up.
“You said yourself you don’t handle alcohol well. Will you please refrain from drinking it? I can’t bear the thought of you getting into a ... predicament ... and I’m not there to look out for you.”
“I managed just fine before you showed up,” I mutter.
His tone is gentle. “Will you please just do it for me?”
I sigh. He doesn’t have to know. In fact, he’ll be on the opposite coast. “Okay.”
We fall silent again, and I listen to the steady beats of his heart. Then his fingers draw circles on my back.
“That comb you wear in your hair ...”
“Yes?”
