Chapter Thirty-Five

Theo

M y heart pounds in my aching chest as I hold Danica in my arms. This is the closest I have been to her in years, the most I have touched her, and my body burns with a need that is so much deeper than hunger. This woman is my world, my whole fucking life, and I have been forced to keep a painful distance, always watching from the shadows, stealing scraps of information from whatever source I could find. And now she is here, in my arms, letting me hold her and I don’t ever want to let go. It’s been too fucking long.

I carry her gently as I move through the quiet of the house, not bothering to turn on any of the lights. I know this place like the back of my hand; I have spent countless hours and poured my blood, sweat and soul into every inch of this place. I know which floorboards to avoid so the creak doesn’t disturb her peaceful slumber and move with a grace that belies my bulky frame. I wasn’t lying to Danica earlier, when I said that I had changed too.

The time we have spent apart is telling with every pound of muscle that I have packed onto my once lean frame. I had been fit before, toned, but there is a hardness to my edges now. Any time not spent on the ice, or doing work for my uncle was spent making sure that when I do find the fucker who had ruined our plans for the future, that I would be able to make them fucking suffer.

I poured every ounce of my frustration and longing into hours training at the gym or working on this property. And I am not oblivious to the fact that it reflects in my muscular physique. It has made me a popular favorite with the ladies, though there is only one woman whose attention I have yearned for. My movements are silenced by the soft carpet covering the steps as I make my way up the dramatic staircase to the second floor, but I don’t stop when I reach the landing. Moving with the turn of the banister, I continue further up until I reach the third floor and the master suite that takes up the entire space. With sure footsteps, I move past the breakfast nook, through the doorway that leads to the main room and make my way over to the enormous, custom-made bed that fills a large portion of the space.

Carefully, I shift Danica in my arms, trying not to disturb her as I reach out with one hand to pull back the covers. My movements are smooth as I gently place her away from the edge of the mattress, and deftly remove her shoes. Knowing how overheated she gets at night, I hesitate only for a moment, before carefully removing her leggings.

After folding and placing them at the foot of the bed, I turn to the large walk-in closet on the far side of the room. I step inside, finding one of my Sabretooth t-shirts and make quick work of removing my jacket that she was still wearing to replace it with the more comfortable shirt before pulling the covers up to her chin and tucking away a stray curl that rests across her eyes.

Pausing at the side of the bed, I take in the sight of my beautiful girl. So exhausted, yet peaceful in her slumber that she didn’t even wake through my careful ministrations. “Mi togli ancora il fiato.” My words are whispered, and I know she won’t hear them, but one day soon, she will know them to be true.