Her Return to King's Bed(64)

                “Tell my father I’m safe, Bastien. And I can’t leave the island.”

                “Si, you can. I have a fishing boat waiting at the harbor.” The older man reached out and took her hand. “From the mainland, we board the plane your father has waiting. It will take us to him.”

                Anger flared so bright and hot, Rico could hardly see. Teeth clenched, his jaw muscles felt tight enough to snap. He could already feel what would happen next. Teresa was going to do it again. She would run to save her family. She would break her word and disappear. Again.

                He took a step forward, intending to stop her before she got one step outside his house, but he halted suddenly when Teresa spoke.

                “You don’t understand, Bastien,” she said, words tumbling from her in a rush. “I won’t leave. I gave my word to Rico and I won’t break it. Not again. He’s my husband and I…care for him. I won’t hurt him by disappearing one more time, Bastien. I agreed to stay here for a month and I’m going to.”

                Rico laid one hand on the doorjamb to steady himself. His world had just been rocked. Teresa had shocked him straight to the bone. She cared for him. Love? Did she still love him? While he stood there outside the room, something flickered to life in the center of his chest. Warmth filled him along with the territorial urge to go to her, hold her tightly to him and sweep her into bed, where he would damn well keep her for the rest of their time together.

                He shifted position slightly so he could see Teresa better. Her long, thick hair was pulled back into a ponytail at the back of her neck. She was wearing the dark green nightgown he loved to strip from her, with a short white robe over it, loosely belted at her waist. Her long, tanned legs were bare and planted wide apart as if in a fighting stance. But it was the expression on her face that caught and held his attention. She looked…fierce. She was defying her father’s attempt at a rescue. In favor of Rico.

                This time she had chosen him.

                “Your father will not be happy.” The older man was speaking again.

                “My father is the one who taught me that once your word is given, it is sacred,” Teresa told him. “I won’t cheat Rico. Tell my father to find Gianni. He still has two weeks to bring the dagger here.”

                Through the anger at Dominick’s duplicity rose a new and unexpected feeling inside Rico. Trust. That warmth rushing through him was enveloping as he watched the woman who was his wife. And though he warned himself to be wary, he knew that something between them had shifted tonight.

                Gathering together the threads of his anger, Rico pushed the door open and stepped into the room. Both Teresa and the older man whipped around to face him. She looked stunned and embarrassed. The man she’d called Bastien just looked worried. As he should.

                “Get out,” Rico said, voice tight with the effort of holding on to the anger churning in his gut.

                The man didn’t need to be told twice. He scuttled for the terrace doors and only stopped at the threshold when Rico spoke up again.

                “Leave the island tonight,” he advised. “If I see you here tomorrow I’ll have you arrested for trespassing.”

                One bob of the man’s head told Rico he was understood. In another second, the man was gone and he and Teresa were alone in the room.

                “I can explain,” she said quickly.

                “You don’t have to.” Rico looked down at her and felt that rush of warmth again. She was beautiful. She was proud and defiant and she was his. For now, anyway. “I heard everything before I came in. Your father sent him.”