The urge to soothe her pain and reassure her she was safe was all consuming. It was natural to touch her, caress her forehead and then her cheek with the tips of his fingers. He felt her skin warm against his fingers and gently smiled down at her.
“Shh. You are safe here. Rest. Are you in pain? Do you need me to fetch the doctor?” he made sure his voice was comforting when he spoke looking directly into her eyes.
Fear brimmed over the surface but when he looked deeper there was strength and determination. According to the report on Antonia she was one tough nut. An only child like himself, her parents had died in a boating accident when she was twelve and she had been reared by an aunt who took little interest in her life. The woman hadn’t even been concerned after her niece had gone missing for the summer and the police hadn’t been able to locate her whereabouts. She wrote a blog on the plight of refugees and was determined to make it as a journalist after ditching her career as a human rights lawyer, recording her experiences in the camp and posting them on her popular YouTube channel as well as writing freelance for the newspapers. She was very clever, a quick learner, and had learnt many languages on her own including Arabic. It made him feel relieved. She might appear fragile lying in this hospital bed but there was fire in those eyes and she wouldn’t be kept down for long. The agent barely knew the woman but already he found himself intoxicated by her. He had never met a woman like her before and he had no doubt he never would again. Antonia King was unique.
Gabriel closed the memory of seeing Daniella’s broken body hit the ground after being hit by the car before he could get to her and push her out of the way. Daniella had always gone the extra mile and it had finally gotten her killed. It was like it was yesterday the scene was so vivid in his mind.
“No. I don’t need the doctor,” her voice was hoarse. “Where am I?” she asked trying to sit up. He gently pushed her back down. “Lie still and relax,” he told her softly. “We are in Venice.”
“Venice? I have to get out of here. I can’t lie here when they are out there.”
Antonia’s movement was more determined this time. She lifted the covers off her body. She bent to swing her legs around clutching at her stomach. Gabriel reacted quickly. He caught her legs and put them back on the bed and holding her shoulders he firmly lowered her down back onto the pillows once more.
“You aren’t going anywhere,” he ordered. “You need to rest.”
“I have done enough resting. I can’t lie here. He took Nazila and Qaifa.”
Antonia was trying to test his strength and fight him to sit up again but the action was proving futile.
“Stay down,” he demanded deepening his voice.
Antonia growled with frustration making him raise one dark eyebrow in surprise. The woman needed to be taken in hand.
“Please let me go to them. You don’t understand you have to let me go.”
The journalist growled and gave one determined effort to push him away and he had no choice but to flatten her down on the bed. Antonia King was one stubborn woman.
“Let me go. You can’t keep me here against my will,” she shouted, her eyes darkening with fury.
“I can. Stay in bed. If you try to get up again so help me, I will throw you over my knee, bare that cute bottom of yours and spank it hard. Then I will tie you to the damn bed. Do I make myself clear?”
She stopped struggling, shocked at his words and stared at him for a moment, her eyes tightly narrowing.
“You wouldn’t dare,” she sneered with contempt.
“Why don’t you try it and see,” he warned her, leaning in close until his lips almost brushed her own.
Antonia narrowed her green eyes at him with determination forcing him to suppress a smile. He couldn’t help but look down and watch her pink lips tremble with anger. The need to kiss her came upon him unexpectedly. It made him tighten his frame and for a second slightly loosen his grip on her shoulders. Antonia was quick to take advantage feeling the weight from her shoulders lessen.
She sat up sharply and delivered a punch at his stomach. Surprised when the small fist hit his toned abs with some power behind it, his instinct was to automatically let go of her and reel back. She was up and out of the bed in the white pyjamas she had been placed in for travel and heading for the door. Gabriel caught up with her, placing his hand over hers on top of the door handle before she could open it. He lifted it away and swung her around as she struggled to free herself. He pressed her back against the door with a thud and moved closer so she was trapped between it and the solid wall of muscle lining his chest and abdomen. She wasn’t going anywhere except over his knee for the spanking of her life. It looked like Botelli was right. He was going to have to take a firm line with the feisty journalist until she realised he was in complete control and her job was to obey him without question.
Antonia felt fragile and delicate in his arms despite her strength and he couldn’t help revelling in being close to her. But it was time to teach her a lesson.
“Let me go.”
“No chance, kotyonok. You
