I couldn’t stop blushing as Martina and Ainsley bustled around, drying and helping me dress.

“I can do this myself,” I reminded them more than once, though we all knew that wasn’t true. I was helpless—and, thanks to my swim, both of my casts were soaked through and heavier than ever.

“They’re useless now,” Ainsley mourned, shaking her head. “But all is well. You wouldn’t be needing them for long.”

I looked up at her in time to see Martina’s sharp look.

It was Ainsley’s turn to blush. She turned away.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know what I’m talking about. You know me. I prattle on and on without thinking.”

That was a load of bull, and I knew it.

Martina glared at the back of her head.

“Sure,” I mumbled, trying like hell to work myself into a dry dress. My hair hung in snarls down my back, which Martina tried to work out. “It’s okay. I can handle a hairbrush,” I assured her as she pulled at a particularly tough spot hard enough to make me wince in pain.

Once I was dressed again, they left me on my own.

I settled against the pillows and cursed myself for being so stupid. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, wheeling myself out while nobody was watching me and I could get to the beach unnoticed. Wheeling myself with one good arm, using my good leg to steer when necessary, dragging myself across the sand. I had been so sure they were going to lead whoever had come looking for me straight to the bed in which I was waiting.

I was wrong about them. Wrong about so many things.

Like Miles. I was very wrong about him. I should’ve known he was too kind, too protective to send me back to my old life.

I’d mistaken his intensity for the possessiveness I had struggled under for so long. He deserved more credit than that.

I closed my eyes when the memory of him carrying me to my room teased the corners of my mind. It wasn’t right for my heart to pick up speed when I recalled his unyielding chest, his bulging arms. They’d held me so close, but there wasn’t a hint of roughness in them. He was strong enough to keep me safe, even if he was protecting me from myself. I had nothing to fear.

For once, there was nothing to fear. I didn’t know what to think about that. There had always been something—at least, ever since Mama died.

I’d lived in a state of oblivion up to that point, a spoiled little girl to whom nothing was denied. She had listened to my stories, painstakingly written in notebooks, and had always gasped at the suspenseful parts and applauded at the big, heroic climaxes. She had encouraged me, even pushed me in the direction of my little-girl dreams. I was fearless then. I could conquer the world.

“Can I come in?”

I hadn’t noticed Miles’s knock at the door.

I should’ve been expecting him. He had to come to me, didn’t he? There was too much left unspoken. I put down the hairbrush and hoped I didn’t look too terrible, the mirror was out of range, so I couldn’t possibly know.

He sat—this time, he ignored the chair and perched on the edge of the bed, instead, near my knees. “How are you?”

“Feeling sheepish,” I admitted.

His smile was mercifully small. And kind. “You had your reasons. I’m sorry for them.”

“You risked yourself to pull me out. It was quite a swim. If you had drowned…”

“I’m a strong swimmer, and it was a calculated risk. Besides, you’re worth it.” He stared at me with an intensity that took my breath away.

I told myself I should look away, that it was too much. Only I couldn’t. I couldn’t even close my eyes to break the connection. What was he doing to me?

My laugh was weak, uneasy. “How can you say that, when I’ve been nothing but trouble since you first spotted me?”

“You think you’ve been trouble? Perhaps we need to get that out of the way now. You’re no trouble. Just the opposite.”

“How can you say that, after everything I’ve put you through so far?”

“I can. That’s all.”

It made no sense, but I knew he meant it. I knew it the way I knew he wouldn’t hurt me, that he’d meant it when he said he would always protect me—so long as I didn’t do anything to hurt myself.

“You never told me who was out there. Who came for me.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Who told you?”

“Nobody had to. I just… knew it. That was when I knew I had to get out of here.”

“Do you realize how dangerous it was for you to leave your room? What if he had seen you?”

“Who?”

His face darkened. “Your fiancé.”

“Don’t call him that.”

And in the blink of an eye, it was like the storm clouds parted and the sun came shining in.

“Really? Isn’t that who he is?”

“Technically. According to him and Papa—my father,” I amended.

“But not according to you.”

“No. Definitely not.”

“Why was he looking for you, then?”

“You know why. Because he’s a monster and a pig and he thinks I belong to him, all because my father likes his father and likes whatever work Antonio’s done for him. I shudder to think what that work entailed.” I looked down at my hands, my vision blurring thanks to the tears which threatened to spill over.

Miles’s hand closed over mine, and it felt right. It gave me the courage to keep going.

I took a deep, tearful breath. “He’s terrible.”

“I got that feeling about him. And you were forced to become engaged to him.”

“It wasn’t quite official yet,” I admitted. “We were going to announce it at a party held by my father. Or, rather, they would announce it. I had nothing to do with the wedding. I had nothing to do with any of it. My whole life. Everything decided for me. I’d only learn after the fact when a decision that concerned was made.”

“Do you know what your father does for a living?”

When my head snapped up, and I glared at him, he winced.

“That was clumsy. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“I know exactly what he does. I’ve known for a long time. And I’ve tried to run away exactly four times, because I can’t stand the thought of being near him.”

“What happened?”

“What do you think?” I shrugged. “He found me, or one of his men found me. I’m surprised Antonio was the one to come after me this time. Or maybe my father thinks I’m dead and doesn’t see the point. But Antonio wants his bride. He won’t leave well enough alone.”

“He loves you?” Miles looked skeptical.

I snorted. “He’s incapable of love. No, this marriage means uniting himself with my father’s business. He wants to be top dog someday—why, I have no idea. There’s only one way for their work to end. Do you know what I mean?”

“It’s pretty much a death sentence from the first day,” he surmised.

“Essentially. How either of them have lived this long is beyond me. But I won’t be one of his women. I won’t. He only wants to use me, and when he’s tired of me…”

“You don’t have to say it.” His hand tightened, almost to the point of pain.

I winced.

He released me immediately. “I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s all right. I’ve been hurt worse than that before—and on purpose, too,” I whispered. “So, do you see why I jumped that day? It was the only way I could think to get away from them both. I knew they’d always try to find me—and someone always had before, so there wasn’t much hope of getting away unless I was dead.”

“Don’t speak that way. I don’t want to hear it.”

“That doesn’t make it any less true. I couldn’t see any other way out. My whole future looked like nothing but a prison stay. Maybe I would have babies, but I would have nothing to do with the way they were raised. No say in their lives or even in my own life. He would use me when he felt like it and throw me away when he felt like it. And nobody would care. Nobody would even know, so long as I could help it. I’d be too ashamed. I’m almost too ashamed to talk about it with you, now.”

“Why would you feel shame over something like this? It’s not due to any fault of yours.”

“I know that here.” I pointed to my head, then let my hand rest over my heart. “But here? Another story.”

“I would say it took courage to do what you did. The way you lingered there, hesitating…” He trailed off, his eyes going out of focus as he remembered that day.

I remembered it, too. How could I ever forget?

“I didn’t want to.” That was it. The moment I lost control. The sobs which wrenched themselves from my chest left me shaking all over, unable to breathe or speak or do anything but let them out. I’d been holding them in for so long.

I didn’t know when he took me in his arms, but he did, and I rested my head on his shoulder and released every pent-up bit of anger and disappointment and fear. All of it, until there was nothing but peace.

When it was over, and his t-shirt was soaked through with my tears, I had to laugh at myself.

“God, what you must think of me,” I muttered, wiping my cheeks with the back of my hand.

He got up without a word, going to the attached bathroom and wetting a cloth. He brought it to me—but instead of handing it over and allowing me to wash my face, he held my chin firmly in one hand while he ran it over my cheeks.

“Do you really want to know what I think of you?”

I raised my eyes to meet his, and what I saw there… It was a look I had never seen before. A depth of emotion I didn’t think a man would ever feel for me. I was so sure that sort of thing wasn’t for me, that I wasn’t lucky enough to have been born into a life where I’d experience such simple, profound pleasures. Just to have a man look at me that way…

I realized he had asked a question I had no response for. I stammered, helpless—until he pressed his lips to mine and made me forget anything in the world existed but him.

Yes. This is how it’s supposed to be.

Not some tense, emotionless, cringe-worthy kiss, the sort of kisses Antonio had forced on me so many times. This was soft but firm, giving and demanding all at once. He took his time, moving his mouth over mine as his hands found the sides of my face and held me still.

I leaned in, melting into him, my head spinning from all of it. His thumbs stroking my cheeks, his tongue darting out to sweep across my lips until I parted them with a sigh.

I wanted to cry again—this time, with joy and relief. My body came alive, needing and watching and desiring in ways it never had before. Like he had turned on my soul.

He growled, deep and low in the back of his throat, and a heat like nothing I’d ever known blazed in my core. He wanted me as much as I wanted him. Maybe more.

I was the one making him growl like some sort of wild animal.

My fingers curled in his short hair and held his head in place as he held mine while desire took over.

When he pulled away, I followed, leaning forward until it was clear the moment was over.

My eyes snapped open, and a sense of loss came over me. I wanted him back. He stood, fists clenched and nostrils flaring.

“That might have gone too far had I not stopped when I did,” he muttered in a tight, almost unrecognizable voice.

I bit my lip to keep from telling him I wanted things to go too far. I wanted them to go as far as possible.

I chuckled in an attempt to break the tension. “I guess it wouldn’t have been too comfortable, what with me in two casts and everything.” That reminded me of Ainsley and her strangeness. “Speaking of which, Ainsley said something interesting.”

“Oh? She says a lot of interesting things.” He kept his back turned, and I wondered if he was trying to hide his erection.

Something about the idea touched my heart in a way nothing had up to that point.

“This was especially interesting. She said I wouldn’t need my casts for long—I mean, they’re ruined,” I pointed out, needlessly. Of course they were ruined. He was there when I ruined them. “She made it sound like I would heal faster than I’m supposed to. Something like that. What do you think that meant?”

“Who’s to say what she means when she says any of the daft things she comes up with?” He turned to me, shrugging. “I don’t know.”

The weight of the lie hit me hard.

Why would he pretend he didn’t understand? And what was there to pretend about, anyway?

“What sort of place is this, really?” I asked, suspicion clearing away all traces of unfulfilled lust.

“What do you mean, what sort of place? What does it look like?”

“Answering a question with a question?”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m not sure what you want from me. This is a special place, as I told you before. Not a resort.”

“I know that. But don’t you think I should know where I am? My life has been nothing but lies for so long, since my mother died. I can feel something off here. I only ask that you tell me what it is.”