Stretching out my arm, I revealed her hand in mine. “This is Gemma.” I gestured to the woman at my side. “See, Gemma.”
The dogs gazed from me to the shivering woman beside me. Lupo even tilted his head, his dark eyes assessing.
I tugged her closer. “Here, let them sniff your hand. They’ll get to know you.”
Her breathing grew shallow, erratic, her palm clammy against my own. “Please, Enzo,” she whispered, her voice barely audible, as if afraid the dogs themselves might hear her protest. “I don’t want to.”
I leaned close, inhaling her frangipani scent, tempted to kiss the top of her hair. “I won’t let them hurt you.”
Her hand flexed, her strong grip anchoring to mine. “Okay.”
Holding her hand in mine, I offered her palm. Lupo sniffed first, his cold, wet nose bumping my fingers before trailing over her palm. Fico followed, not content with a simple sniff but licking her hand, too.
She grimaced and grew rigid, but otherwise endured.
A flicker of something like approval warmed me. She hadn’t bolted, hadn’t screamed. Progress, however fragile. I commanded the dogs away. With one last sniff, they ran off.
She kept her eyes scrunched tight, oblivious to the fact they’d run behind the mansion.
“Gemma.” I held her tight, stroking her nape. A part of me contemplated delaying telling her the dogs had gone, liking the feel of her in my embrace. “They’re gone.”
She glanced around, and I stamped my grin at her lack of trust. “See, they’re not so bad.”
A wrinkle creased her forehead, and she twisted her shoe into the grass. “I guess not.”
I now found a reason to summon her for quality time. “Tomorrow we’ll try again until you are confident enough to pet them yourself.”
She snorted in disbelief; the sound swallowed by the rustle of leaves in the breeze.
We walked back to the house, our footsteps crunching along the gravel path. Gemma hugged her arms around herself, her eyes drooping once. The encounter with the dogs exhausted her. A dozen conversation-starters sprang to mind,anythingto keep her out here longer, but I bit them back. Birds in nearby trees chirped, their melody a mocking song taunting my inner turmoil.
Once at the front entrance, she paused on the porch step, turning away from the guard who opened the door for us, and faced me. “I do feel… a tad better.” She lifted her gaze, the tiniest smile playing at her lips. “Thanks.” She ascended the stairs, her frangipani perfume lingering behind.
I stared after her, at the pale denims hugging her thighs, and dark hair bouncing down her back. This woman… she was going to be a problem. A big one. And a part of me, the reckless part I kept chained up, didn’t care.
Chapter 11
Gemma
Towel-wrapping my hair, I stepped out of the en-suite. Breath hitched in my throat, and I clutched the fluffy material tighter to my damp skin.
A strange woman rifled through garment bags inside my bedroom. Had she been in here the entire time I’d been showering? Dresses, a rainbow of silk and satin, lined the walls like some exclusive boutique. A row of designer shoes, the kind to grace influencers’ posts, sat alongside the racks—labels I could never afford, especially now.
I’d scheduled leave for my wedding, but the daycare expected me back already. Alice, the manager, ran the daycare with a stone-hearted approach, and a stone-face to match; even the children were frightened of her. She wouldn’t hesitate to fire me. I’d seen her sack Belinda for clocking in ten minutes late, so imagine me—gone for weeks. And I’d promised those kids I’d see them soon. My chest tightened. Little Leo’s gummy grin flashed in my mind as he shoved brightly colored blocks into my lap, and Mia’s crayon-scented hands combing my hair, her voice brimming with confidence as she bragged about being the best braider in her family, and possibly the world. A pang of longing twisted in my gut.
The mansion bored me so much I looked forward to Enzo returning in the evenings.Pathetic, I know. We ate dinnerdownstairs every night, much to my dismay, then moseyed in the garden for him to perform his littlephobia experiment. As much as this place frustrated me, I couldn’t help the soft smile tugging at my lips. The two Dobermans didn’t see me as a threat anymore, but were almost… patient, careful with me. Who knew Lupo and Fico could be so gentle? Here I expected nothing more than ferocious beasts. I still feared them, but my fear lessened when Enzo stood near. His presence, his authoritative demeanor, kept them in check. Just like myself, the dogs knew better than to cross the man. And he’d stood a little too close every time we ventured outside, the heat radiating from his body a palpable force beside me, as if heanticipatedmy need to latch onto him. I swear he’d even grinned. Almost as if hewantedme to do so. The Psychopath. I bet some sick part of him got a kick out of my phobia.
He still refused to let me call anyone, so no chance he’d let me contact work, despite my pleading these past two weeks. What on earth to tell them anyway?Sorry, I’m unable to come in. I’ve been… indisposed by… some unpleasant people. Yeah, have Sally cover for me.
“Buongiorno, Gemma.” The woman bustled between hanging clothes, hangers clattering in her hands. “I’m Rosetta. I’ll be assisting you with your new wardrobe.”
New wardrobe? I ran a hand along the dresses, the silk a slippery caress against my palm. “I never asked for new clothes. Who arranged this?”
“I did.” His voice vibrated through me, a low hum against my skin…my bare skin.
Enzo lazed against the doorframe, his heated stare traversing my length.
My stomach flipped, the sensation… pleasant? I squeezed the towel so tight, my knuckles whitened. No, unpleasant, definitely unpleasant. The urge to tell him to get out of my bedroom sat onthe tip of my tongue. His bedroom.Whatever. “You’ve wasted your time.” My sharp words made him straighten. If he believed he could buy my favor, he was sorely mistaken.
