His muscles lost none of its rigidity.
"I'm sorry." She gazed into his eyes with every sincere feeling she had. "I didn't realize I'd been gone for so long. I was going to call the driver, but I'd forgotten my mobile."
His stare followed the wave of her hand and his short nod acknowledged he'd seen the offending phone on the counter.
"It was a dumb thing to do. It won't happen ever again."
A long pause fell. Pressing into his warm body, she laid her head on his chest, listening to his heart slow, feeling the heat of his rage diminish. She'd make this up to him. Somehow.
"All right, bella." His voice held its usual blend of arrogance and remoteness. Underneath, though, underneath there was still a hint of … of what? Resignation? Agony?
"This isn't your fault in any way," she said, lifting her head to meet his gaze.
He nodded as if he agreed. Yet his eyes were a deathly blank black, a look that made her shiver. "Whatever you say."
Her arms dropped from his body as he pulled away. Her tongue seemed glued to the top of her mouth. What else could she say to him? If she told him she loved him, he wouldn't believe her. What other words would heal this gaping chasm that had instantly appeared between them?
"I should notify security." He moved past her as he spoke softly into his phone. Soon he disappeared into the bedroom, the door closing quietly behind him.
No slamming doors. No temper tantrums.
Cold fear filled her gut.
Chapter 19
"What's wrong?" Ana's voice held concern and worry.
"Nothing." Lara continued to sort through the collage of books and papers littering her desk.
Her friend scoffed in disbelief. "You haven't been yourself in days."
Days in which nothing she said or did broke the wall Dante had erected between them. In bed, he turned his back to her. In public, he was smooth and distant. At home-well, he was rarely at home anymore. She'd searched desperately for a smidgen of warmth in which she could lay her love at his feet, yet there was nothing but chilly reserve. The passionate man had slipped behind his steel wall and it appeared as if he was never coming back out.
"I'm fine." Her throat tightened, fighting to swallow the tears.
"Okay. You don't want to talk about it." Ana placed her hands on the pile of books and papers.
Forced to stop her sorting, she reluctantly looked up.
"Why don't you knock off early," her friend suggested.
"I couldn't. It wouldn't be fair to you."
"You work harder than all of us put together."
"Ana-"
"Take some time for yourself. Or go get that gorgeous husband of yours and have some fun."
Lara winced.
"Aha!" The older woman sat beside her and took her hand. "Dante's upset you."
"Exactly the opposite. I've upset him." The tears hovered at the edge of her eyes. Wasn't it ironic that the day she'd finally figured out she loved him was the day she'd managed to make him so angry he'd virtually disappeared from their marriage? If not physically, in every other way.
How she missed him. She missed their breakfasts together, when he made her a cappuccino and they discussed the coming day. She missed his wry comments as they endured another dinner party or gala event. She missed his tender words and touches as they came together in bed.
"Every marriage has its ups and downs," Ana said.
A sharp laugh of despair escaped. "This has been a huge down."
"Whatever you did, you can fix it."
She glanced over, trying to find some glimmer of hope from her friend. "Do you think so?"
"I know so." The hand holding hers squeezed. "One time Salvadore was so angry at me."
"What did you do?"
"I like to shop." Ana laughed. "He'd laid down the law and I didn't follow it."
"Uh, oh." She managed a small smile.
"Si. And he was right. We were trying to buy a house and we needed to save money."
"So … what happened?"
"He yelled and then sulked. For days." Ana's dark eyes danced. "Men are champion sulkers. Salvadore wouldn't talk at dinner. He stayed late at work. He ignored me in bed."
"Dante's been sulking for days, doing all those things. I feel like it's been an eternity since he's been normal."
"What did you do?"
"I walked away from protection." She made a face. "Dumb, I know. But I needed a bit of freedom for a little while, time to myself."
"Dante didn't understand, did he?"
"He thought I'd been kidnapped."
"Ouch." Ana patted her shoulder in sympathy. "Well, I can see why he's been sulking, still it's time for it to stop."
"Way past time." She heaved a frustrated sigh.
"You'll have to do what I did with Salvadore."
"What?"
"I seduced him." Ana's smile grew large. "You see, he'd always made the majority of the sexual moves in our relationship before."
"Yes," she admitted. "It's the same with Dante."
"I decided I would turn the tables on him. I went to his office dressed in a skimpy dress he'd never seen. Locked the door and took charge."
For the first time in days, she laughed in honest enjoyment. "What did he do?"
"He was shocked." Ana chuckled. "However, he got into the spirit of things within a few moments."
"That's all it took?"
"Si." Her friend's dark curls bounced around her head at her vigorous nodding. "After we made love, and he was completely relaxed and content, I apologized one more time and he accepted it. Get your man's attention, make him happy, and then apologize sincerely."
She took a deep breath, trying to imagine if it could possibly make a difference.
"I promise you. This will work."
"In the office?" Her doubts crowded in her mind. Marching into his office and seducing him? That would be scary. He might reject her. He might be his usual cold and distant self when she tried to make her moves. "Perhaps I'll just try and touch him in bed tonight."
"Won't work." The older woman was definite. "He'll be able to escape. Into the bathroom, the living room. You need the element of shock to buy some time."
"I'm not sure-"
"He has an office with a door, doesn't he?"
"Um. Sure." Did Ana not know her husband owned entire buildings?
"His staff respects his privacy?"
Lara frowned. She couldn't imagine his staff being anything but subservient to Dante. "I'm almost sure they would."
"Then go shopping. After that, go over to his office."
"Ana-"
"Do it before you think about it too much. Before you lose your nerve." With a decisive movement, the older woman rose, pulling Lara up with her. "Go right now."
"I don't think-"
Ana pushed her out of the room, grabbing her purse and stuffing it into her arms. "Correct. Don't think. Act."
Grumbling, she allowed herself to be marched down the long hall and out the door, into the hot Italian sun. "I'm not sure-"
Her short friend stood on the top step and pointed her finger, shaking it in front of Lara's nose. "Do you want him to forgive you?"
"Yes." The rush of tears threatened once more.
"Do what I did then." The finger wiggled. "Take a chance."
"Okay." The thought of her husband forgiving her and returning to what he'd been before was so poignant and pointed, it pierced any doubts and yanked her into action. "I'll do it."
Her friend waved as Lara started up the street. She scarcely noticed the bodyguard stepping behind her, talking on his mobile. It seemed like eons ago that having security irritated her. Why had she spent so much time angry about meaningless things? What mattered was seducing her husband and getting her marriage back on track.
A dress. She glanced at her watch. She didn't have time to go home and change. Anyway, she wanted something he had never seen before.
Shock value.
Striding along the street, she headed for an elegant, exclusive shop she'd spotted before she married. She'd stood outside the window and drooled, wishing, briefly, she were really, really rich. With a wry grin, she located the boutique and opened the door. Well, she was really, really rich now. Might as well enjoy the perks.
With the help of a friendly assistant, Lara found exactly what she was looking for. The dress was bright fuchsia with a delicate lacing of gold running through the silk. It shimmered when she moved in front of the mirror. The skirt cut off a good four inches above her knee, showing off her legs.
Dante said he liked her legs.