I’m lingering over a fine breakfast when Sofia walks in. She looks terrible—like she’s been wrestling demons all night. Instantly I’m worried.

I’ve never seen her looking less than composed.

“Good morning,” I speak brightly, with a smile.

It seems to go right over her head. She takes a stool at the bar, just like our first morning in this very kitchen. On that day, she was grinning at me, her eyes sparkling.

Just reeking of sex—literally and figuratively.

She’s still beautiful and sensual, and as I look her over, I can feel my cock getting hard immediately. I don’t indulge myself in the desire though; she looks so fucking sad.

“Good morning.”

Her voice is quiet and raspy. Maybe she’s sick.

“Do you want coffee? Or tea, maybe with lemon?”

She looks up at me, eyes watery as she rubs at them.

Big dark circles cloud those lovely eyes. There’s a strain around the edges of her mouth. I stop fucking about with coffee and cups and come to the counter across from her.

“Sofia,” I gently take her hand. It’s very cool, but steady. So are her tired eyes as she looks deeply at me. “Are you alright?”

“Huh? I mean, yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You look like you didn’t sleep well. Can I get you anything? Why don’t you go back to bed, and I’ll bring you something.”

I try my best cheeky grin and point a thumb at myself.

“Just call me Nurse Marco,” I say.

She smiles, and the look in her eye softens just a little.

There she is. The goddess.

“I’m okay, really. I don’t want to go back to bed. I think I’m having trouble with the mattress. I’ve got a nasty headache.”

“We’ll buy a new one today. I could rub your neck for you? Or you could take a bath to relax?”

She shakes her head softly.

“No, none of that, thanks. I’ll just have a coffee.”

I pour her one quickly and bring her a couple of aspirin. She wraps her hands around the cup and swallows the pills.

“I kind of have an ulterior motive, wanting you to feel better.”

“Oh yeah?”

She grins at me, raising an eyebrow. I have to laugh.

“Nothing sexually sinister, I assure you. I’m organizing a big charity event—a gala dinner for all of society’s elite. It’s going to be the place to see and be seen. Everyone is going to want a ticket, just for the clout of being involved.

“I’ve been working hard on raising the prestige of the event. Not only are the tickets ridiculously expensive, there will be donation opportunities available at the event. I’m still researching those. The point is, I’ve slowly been gathering information on this so that I can help out all the local charities.”

I stop for a sip of coffee, watching Sofia’s reaction.

It’s strange, but she doesn’t seem as excited about this as I’d hoped.

She seems, if anything, a bit conflicted. Upset, somehow.

“Well, all of the money raised is going to go to the under-privileged. We have plans to set up programs for the homeless and the troubled youth. It’s on in two weeks.”

She sets her coffee down, staring at it like a fortune-teller looking for answers.

“Sounds like fun.”

She doesn’t look up, and I feel that darkness settling around her again.

I want to ask her what’s wrong, but she doesn’t talk about herself.

I don’t want to pry. It’s not my business to go chasing after her trauma. If she wanted me to know, she’d tell me. I reach out and squeeze her hand.

“Sofia. I want you to run it. The whole thing. I’m making you promotions manager of our new branch. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I can’t run the business and organize this at the same time.”

I squeeze her hand again, and she looks up at me, her dark eyes shining and completely locked onto me. Her soul doesn’t show from these doorways.

God, how I wish I could know the thoughts running behind those eyes right now.

Her lips are slightly parted, her gaze serious, as if she’s trying to imprint my features on her memory. It’s scary. It feels like a goodbye.

Like she’s miles away from me. What she says next shocks me to the core.

“You wouldn’t hurt me, would you Marco?”

I’m frozen for a moment.

It’s like being under water. Hard to breathe; impossible to move.

“Sofia! Why would you ask me something like that?!”

I reach up with my other hand to touch her face. “I could never hurt you. I…I—”

I can’t finish that sentence. Not with so much between us not known.

My brothers are in this as well.

Fuck! Today started out so good.

“Honey, look. I don’t know what kind of bad dreams you had last night. But I couldn’t ever hurt you…in any way. I want you to know that. I want you to go and get dressed, because I’m taking you in to the city to meet the managers of the separate charities. I have a venue and a plan in mind, but I want you to mastermind the whole thing. This is your job now. This is your home.”

She’s still looking at me, and her eyes are too dark. She smiles softly.

“It sounds really fun, Marco.”

Her voice is deep and resonant.

I want to grab her and kiss her, start pulling off her nightgown right here on the kitchen bench. Press those soft lips with my own. Force her to acknowledge my feelings through the power of my cock.

Instead, I just smile and let her hands go. I feel empty now, too.

Like this really is a goodbye.

“I’ll wait for you to get ready, then we’ll go, okay?”

She nods. Her face is so sad, I really have nothing else to say.