But her body was frozen, the proverbial deer in headlights. A dark figure appeared in the shadows. She managed a few steps backward, her fingertips grazing the knob of the door she’d just come through. Which was safer? Staying out here alone with Kemper or facing the sinister mob inside?
“Rose!”
Her name floated on the breeze as the figure moved closer with swift, agile grace. Her knees weakened.
Aleksei!
She rushed forward, flinging herself into the safe heat of his embrace, relishing the strong arms crushing her against his muscular chest.
“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” Warm breath caressed her neck as he repeated the words.
“I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have cut you out. I shouldn’t have left without you. I should have let you help me.”
Firm lips grazed her forehead and cheeks. “I shouldn’t have gotten angry. I was so intent on keeping you safe that I didn’t respect your choices. I was wrong. Love isn’t control, even when it’s well-intentioned. Love is letting people make their own decisions, even when it’s hard.”
“You were right,” she admitted. “I didn’t want to be weak. I wanted to be strong enough to do this alone, but what you said is the truth. Accepting help when you need it is strength, not weakness.”
Warmth seeped into her bones. They’d both been wrong, but everything was going to be all right. A wry laugh shot up her throat. “I just wish I figured that out before Kemper tried to kill me.”
He laid calloused palms on either side of her face. “And I should have figured out that I loved you before I almost lost you.”
She felt weightless, as if his hands on her face were the only things keeping her from floating away.
“Did you say that you love me?”
He lowered his head, and her eyes shuttered in anticipation of his kiss. Firm lips brushed against hers as he said, “I love you, my lovely, bright, precious Rose. I love you.”
Her chest was so full, it might burst. This fierce man who’d been shattered by his best friend’s death was willing to trust her with his heart.
She followed his lead, letting her own lips move against his. “I love you too.”
His tongue invaded her mouth. His hands roamed her back and ass, rubbing and kneading. Her breasts were crushed against his hard chest. Her head spun.
And then he stepped back, chilly air filling the gap between them. The sound of their heaving breaths danced on the breeze. He grasped her hands in his strong, rough fingers.
“We’ve got to get out of here. It’s not safe.”
His words cut through the blissful haze. He was right. They needed to go. There would be plenty of time for kisses later.
Before they could take a step, the sound of revving engines assaulted her ears. Headlights blinded her as cars screeched into the lot, halting directly in front of them. She lifted her free hand over her eyes to block some of the glare. Bulky men in dark suits spilled out of two large black SUVs. Goose bumps pricked her skin. They looked way too much like Moresco’s henchmen for her comfort. Aleksei tugged at her hand, trying to pull her behind him, but she stood her ground. She had already been seen. There was no point cowering behind him.
One of the men pulled open the back door of the second car, and a tall, thin, silver-haired man emerged, carrying a cane. The man’s sharp, accented voice cut through the heavy silence that had settled over the parking lot.
“Voi pirla! Turn off those lights. You are blindingla ragazza!”
One of the men reached into the car and clicked off the headlights, but her eyes still retained bright, shimmery halos of light. Another car door slammed, and a stocky man in joggers, high-tops, and an Eagles jacket bounced around the car to join the older man.
For the second time in minutes, joy flooded her body. If they lived through this, it would take weeks for her adrenal system to recover from the pendulum swings.
“Dante!” she called, dashing forward to embrace him. His body was thick with muscle, and he smelled like sandalwood. “I’m so glad you’re all right.”
A throat cleared behind her. She turned to find more guns than she could count pointed toward her, and an amused smile on the older man’s face.
He waved an arm toward his guards. “Voi pirla!Put down the guns. You will scare the life fromla ragazza!”
He waved again. This time toward Aleksei, who was being held back by two of the overfed giants. “Let the boy come, but take his weapons first.”
Dante’s bulky hand gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Rosemary, this is Don Lorenzo Moresco, my grandfather,” he offered, his voice warm with affection.