He stared into her eyes for another moment. When he found only anger and contempt there, he released her wrists.
The Sienna who’d fought him had been frightened. He recognised that much.
He’d never wanted to frighten her. Not like that. A frightened Siena was a vulnerable Siena, and he did not want to ever think of this woman as vulnerable. It had been bad enough seeing her human vulnerability while they’d been eating. He only wanted to think of her and see her as the tough cookie he’d watched from afar for all those years.
Releasing her wrists, he rolled onto his back and sat up. “I’m going downstairs. Wait here. I won’t be long.”
* * *
Only when the bedroom door closed did Siena allow her body to sag.
Pulling the bedsheets over her shoulders, she turned onto her side and drew her knees to her chest. Her forehead was throbbing, the threat of tears as close as they had ever been.
She’d never meant to lash out or try to run, and she could kick herself for that display of weakness. Panic and fear had gripped her so tightly.
She’d known it would hurt, but the shock of the pain had overridden the self-preservation needed to keep it contained.
Elio had guessed the truth straight away, which had been frightening enough, but then he’d pinned her beneath him and angrily demanded to know why she hadn’t told him, and suddenly she’d been fourteen again, trapped by someone so much bigger and stronger than her, and Elio was even bigger and stronger than Stefano.
That he seemed to feel genuine remorse for taking her virginity the way he just had was laughable. As if his knowing would have made any difference. He’d still have taken her. He just might have been a bit more gentle about it.
Footsteps were nearing the bedroom. She drew in a long breath. It wasn’t even full dark yet. Plenty more hours of torture to look forward to before the new day began.
Closing her eyes at the sound of the door opening, she wished she could close off her heart as easily as her sight. Just to be in a room with Elio was to make the beats accelerate.
The mattress dipped. “I need you to sit up, princess.”
She opened her eyes and found him staring down at her. She glared at him mutinously.
The silver eyes were unreadable. “You need to put ice on your forehead.”
Only now that he mentioned it did she feel the throbbing ache on her forehead, and gingerly pressed her fingers to it. She winced at the size and tenderness of the lump.
Holding the bedsheets tight over her breasts, she sat up.
He passed the tall glass of water he was holding and two pills to her. “Painkillers first.”
Recognising them as the same painkillers she used for period pain, she put them in her mouth and swallowed them with the water. Done, he took the glass and then handed her a tea towel knotted around what she assumed were ice cubes.
She pressed it carefully to the lump, trying not to flinch at its coldness.
“You need to keep it there for ten minutes.” He pulled a rueful face. “I don’t think it will stop the bruise coming out, but it should stop any more swelling.”
“Why are you being nice to me?” she asked suspiciously.
“It’s what normal people consider basic human decency.”
She leaned back to rest against the headboard. “Meaning I don’t have human decency?”
He shrugged. “You’re an Esposito.”
“And you’ve proved yourself so much better than us.” She closed her eyes, then looked back at him. “How come you haven’t got a lump on your head?”
“I guess I have a much harder head than you.” He gave a fleeting smile and pulled open his black robe to show her his left shoulder. “You can take some joy in drawing blood.”
Her eyes widening, her fingers flew to her mouth. “Shit.”
Teeth marks were clearly visible.Herteeth. Tiny spots of red had pooled in the indentation, a faint pink encircling the bite where he’d wiped what must have been more blood.