Page 814 of One More Kiss

Dante

Her beautiful sapphireblue eyes fluttered open.

I smiled and pushed her unruly hair away from her face before stroking her cheek. “It’s about time you woke up.”

She sat up in bed and scurried to the far side, pushing her back against the wall as her terrified gaze darted around the small space. “Where am I?” Her hands ran over her torso and stomach. “I’m not dead?”

I chuckled. “No, but I can see how you would think that.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You shot me.”

I held up my palms. “Baby, I can explain.”

She rose up on her knees and pointed a finger at me. “You. Shot. Me!” she yelled louder.

I gestured to the bandage on her upper arm. “It was necessary. Besides, it was a through and through, barely a flesh wound.”

She lowered her head to stare at the white bandage around her arm, then the soft white T-shirt I had placed on her unconscious body. “Where am I?”

“On my private plane.”

“I’m on a plane? With you? Why?”

I grimaced. “That’s a little harder to answer, cara mia. I’m not really sure myself. All I know is when it came time to kill you, I couldn’t pull the trigger.”

“No, no, no. You did pull the trigger. You freaking shot me!”

“I mean, I couldn’t pull the trigger and kill you, but I still had to shoot you to make it look real. There had to be some of your blood or it wouldn’t work.”

“Or what wouldn’t work?”

“My permanent kidnapping of you.”

Her brow furrowed. Damn, she was beautiful. No makeup, dressed in one of my old T-shirts, still wearing the diamond necklace I’d put around her throat last night. She was the most stunning woman I had ever laid eyes on. How could I be expected to just walk away and let her return to the pathetic existence she called a life? With me, she would see the world. By killing her, I was giving her a chance to truly live.

I continued, “I couldn’t have anyone looking for you. If they found you, they would find me, and that is not part of my plan. I need everyone to think you’re dead, especially Piero Russo. I can’t have him thinking you were involved in my getting my money back.”

“So, you’ve kidnapped me — again.”

I nodded.

She threw up her arms. “This is insane. You’re insane.”

“Think of it as an exciting adventure.”

“I hate you.”

I wrapped my arm around her neck and pulled her in close, claiming her mouth in a searing kiss. I smiled against her lips. “No, you don’t.”

She broke free and stepped back, folding her arms across her chest, she demanded, “So, where are you taking me?”

I winked. “We’re going on a date. You’re going to love Rome.”

The end.

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