‘So, it was a happy ending for her?’ He couldn’t stop a hint of bitterness from spilling out. He and his brothers hadn’t been granted a happy ending. And his mother continued to live a hollow existence, a shadow of the vibrant woman she’d been for the first decade of his life. ‘But she cut you from her life?’
‘Yes; I suppose she didn’t want the reminder,’ she answered lightly; a little too breezily.
Sakis knew she was glossing over her pain. Wasn’t it the same way he’d glossed over his for years? But something else struck him, made him reel all over again.
She’d had a mother who had done her wrong in the most fundamental of ways—she’d failed to look after her daughter when she was young and helpless and needed her most. And yet, Brianna had gone out of her way to find her after she was grown and on her own two feet.
The depth of compassion behind such forgiveness rocked him to his soul. ‘I never forgave my father for what he did to us, and especially what he did to my mother. Hell, sometimes I think he purposefully died of a heart attack in her arms just to twist the knife in further, because she sure as hell almost died mourning him.’
She touched his cheek with fingers that trembled. ‘Don’t be too hard on her. She had her heart broken the same way yours was.’
But then he’d had his brothers and the myriad cousins, aunts and uncles who’d rallied round when the going had got tough. Even in his darkest days, there’d always been someone around and, although he’d never been one to reach out, deep down he’d known there was someone around.
Whereas, Brianna had had nobody.
His insides clenched with the same emotion he’d experienced earlier. Like a magnet drawn to her irresistible presence, he pulled her closer.
‘You’re amazing, do you know that?’ he murmured against her hair, satisfied for the moment to just hold her close like this.
‘I am?’ Her delicate eyelids fluttered as she looked up at him.
‘Yes. You have a unique way of holding up a mirror to some of my deeply held beliefs that make me question them.’
She gave a shaky laugh. ‘And that’s a good thing?’
‘Forcing me to examine them is a good thing. Learning to forgive is another...’ He felt her stiffen but she felt too good in his arms for him to question her reaction. ‘But perhaps I can try to understand the reason why people act the way they do.’
When she tried to pull away, he reluctantly let her place several inches between them.
‘I should get back to work.’
Sakis frowned. He didn’t want distance. He didn’t like the threat of tears in her eyes. But already he could feel her withdrawing.
Belatedly, he remembered where they were.
But so what? They were alone in his inner sanctum. No one would dare breach it without incurring his wrath. Besides, both his door and hers were shut. And all he wanted was a quick kiss. Well...he gave an inner grimace...he wanted way more than that but...
He focused to find her halfway to the door. What the hell...?
In swift strides he reached the door and slammed his hand against the heavy polished steel-and-timber frame, the feeling that he was missing something fundamental eating away at him. She jumped, her wide-eyed gaze swinging to his.