“I know.” I sighed. “But the deal between you and Samuel still feels icky.”
Danilo stroked my arm gently, but the touch was enough to make my body take notice. “Do you think I don’t know that? That’s why I didn’t want you or Emma to find out. Our world can be harsh. Sometimes it’s better not to know every detail. But you need to know that I’m glad I married you.”
I swallowed. “Do you want me to talk to Emma? Without mentioning the deal, of course.”
“Maybe it would help.”
“Then I’ll give it a try. I’ll call her in the morning and see if she wants to have lunch.”
“Thank you, Sofia.” He leaned forward and kissed me lightly, but his lips lingered against mine, as if he hoped I might deepen the kiss.
And I wanted to. His scent and warmth fogged up my brain. Instead of giving in to my body’s longing, I nodded and pulled back. This night, for the first time since the party, I dreamed about sleeping with Danilo. As with most of my fantasies, my first time happened in front of a fireplace with flames flickering in the background. I wasn’t sure why I’d chosen this fantasy as my favorite, but it played on repeat.
I met Emma for lunch the next day at Danilo’s parents’ house. Her mother was having brunch with a few friends, so we had privacy. Despite my attempts to convince her that Samuel’s coolness had nothing to do with her and was just him being his usual idiotic self, I wasn’t sure if I got through to Emma. Like Danilo, she was good at hiding her emotions. I could only hope that Samuel wouldn’t mess up like Danilo . . . unless he already had. I had no idea of knowing since neither Emma nor he shared anything about their past encounters with me.
In the following days, Danilo seemed more determined to get closer to me, but he also displayed remarkable patience at my keeping my distance. He often touched my lower back when he led me somewhere, took my hand, or gave me one of those lingering kisses that made me want to surrender to him. I enjoyed those small touches and felt myself longing for more with every passing day. Still, I kept my distance.
I grew more relaxed around Danilo and began to find my way around the mansion and Indianapolis. My first meeting with the Captains’ wives went surprisingly well, mostly thanks to Danilo’s mother Adelina, and my introduction to the heads of the charity for disabled children was a full success. I even got along splendidly with the staff in my new home, though they were still restrained in their interactions with me.
The only thing still dimming my happiness was the distant politeness between Danilo and me. It wasn’t the exciting giddiness I’d wished for as a newlywed. This time it wasn’t Danilo who was responsible for our restrained encounters. I could tell he wanted more closeness because he was always touching me and leaning in closely to talk to me, but he accepted my boundaries.
I was torn between gratefulness and impatience. My pride kept me from allowing more, as if I needed to keep him waiting for far longer to make up for the years of longing I’d suffered.
Danilo’s cursing caught my attention, so I stepped out of the bathroom of my old bedroom. It was the day of Emma’s and Samuel’s wedding in Minneapolis. Danilo and I had flown in only this morning because of a late-night meeting Danilo had to attend in Indianapolis. We were staying with my parents and it felt strange to be back in my childhood room as a married woman with my husband. Though the room held no sign of childhood, I felt as if I had been catapulted back to my younger self in my old surroundings.
Danilo was tugging at his tie, glowering at his reflection in my vanity. He had to bend slightly to see himself.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s crooked,” he bit out.
Raising my eyebrows, I approached him. The tie looked perfectly fine to me, but Danilo had been in a mood all morning. “Let me,” I said, even though Danilo was better at binding ties. He dropped his arms and straightened.
“Is this because your sister is getting married to my brother?”
Danilo grimaced. “I can’t believe she’s getting married today. I know she’s a grown woman, but to me she’s still the little girl I want to protect.”
I smiled. “That’s why Samuel doesn’t like you very much. You took away his little sister.”
Danilo chuckled, his arms coming around me. “Yeah, he and I have the same protective streak. But I’m not giving you back, either.”
My breath hitched at our new closeness, and my fingers curled around his tie.
Danilo searched my eyes.
Kiss me, I wanted to say but I stayed mute.
Danilo lowered his head slowly, giving me all the time in the world to pull back. His warm breath brushed my lips, and my heart beat so quickly that I was worried it might burst through my ribcage.
Of course, I’d heard girls whispering about kissing. That it could be a magical moment that filled your belly with butterflies. When Danilo’s mouth touched mine, it was all that. My body warmed, and a flock of butterflies went on a rampage in my stomach. But that wasn’t even half of it. I’d never thought a kiss could make my core clench with desire, could make me so aroused that my panties stuck to my throbbing skin, but Danilo’s lips om mine managed that. He massaged my scalp as he tilted my head while his other palm rubbed circles on my back. And his mouth and tongue . . . My mind was spinning as my tongue followed his lead. He kissed me without hurry, a languid, savoring kiss, as our tongues discovered each other.
Danilo pulled back to suck on
