She huffed out a breath. “Thank you.”
“But I need to know why you chose differently tonight, Teresa.”
Leaning into him, she said solemnly, “Because I didn’t want to hurt you again, Rico. Because this time you were more important. This time I had to trust you.”
“Good answer,” he murmured and bent down to kiss her. He’d meant only to plant a brief, hard kiss on her lips.
But at the moment of contact, Teresa wrapped her arms around him and held on. She opened her mouth and tangled her tongue with his and they were linked, as they were meant to be, always.
Rico groaned and held her tighter. Lifting her off her feet, he turned back to the bed, laid her down and then lay down beside her. Rising up on one elbow, he looked down into golden-brown eyes. Then he kissed her again and lost himself in the arms of the only woman in the world who held his heart.
* * *
Rico met Sean for lunch at a small restaurant near the harbor. It had been two days since Teresa had turned down a chance at escape. Two days since she had chosen him over her family. He liked knowing that she was on his side in this, but he had to wonder how long that would last if her family didn’t return the dagger.
Because if that happened, he would go through with his threat. He would hand over all of the evidence he’d collected over the last several years to Interpol. And once he did that, he would lose Teresa. How could he expect her to stay with the man who had imprisoned her family? No, he knew damn well she would never forgive him for that.
And if they did deliver the dagger as promised, then he would have to hold up his end of the bargain and not only release Teresa, but divorce her, as well. He couldn’t keep her here without going back on his word and couldn’t let her go without losing a piece of his soul.
Time was ticking past. With every beat of his heart, that internal clock moved on, pushing them toward the end of the month. Toward the end of his time with Teresa.
He couldn’t stand that thought.
This month had started out with him holding her against her will, yes. But that had changed, hadn’t it? She didn’t act like a hostage—with the run of the island, working in the hotel kitchen, coming to his bed eagerly. Whatever it was that was still humming between them, it was something that would die the moment he sent her family to prison.
“You look like hell.” Sean sat back in his chair and sipped at a bottle of beer.
“Thank you. It is good to have family to turn to in times of trouble.” Rico picked up his own beer and took a long swallow, hoping to ease the knot in his throat. It didn’t work. “How are Melinda and Stryker?”
Sean’s grin lit up his face. “Great. Seriously great.” He shook his head. “The baby’s keeping us both up all night, every night, but I don’t even mind. Right now I’m like a zombie, but I’ve never had so much fun.“
A pang of envy rippled through Rico, but he ignored it. No point in wishing for things that weren’t going to happen. Unless, a voice in his mind whispered, Teresa is already pregnant. Then your problems are over, aren’t they? You stay married. You keep her with you. And you have the family you’ve always craved.
He straightened in his chair as that nebulous idea took root in his mind.
“So.” Sean spoke up and Rico came out of his thoughts. “You said you wanted to talk. What’s going on?”