have preferred to let herself float away. “And we have to talk about Haydon and what that photograph means.”
Grace forced herself to look up at him. Meeting his eyes was a mistake and she knew it the moment she looked into that deep indigo blue. Liquid heat, so that she fell in and drowned there. There was no saving herself. He smiled, his lips curving, revealing his perfect white teeth. That focus, making her feel as if she were the only woman in the entire world, was heady, especially when she looked a complete mess. For a moment her mind went blank and she could only stare at him.
Where was her sharp intellect? She relied on her brain. She could think fast and was good at details. When Vittorio was around, the only details she could remember were how his smile was so beautiful and how the sound of his voice was so gentle and yet compelling. She was going to have to take charge of her life and that meant getting her brain going from meltdown to working. She dreaded having to be in charge again. She would much prefer lying on cool sheets, closing her eyes and willing the pain in her shoulder to let up even if it was for just a few minutes.
“What is it, bella?”
His voice had a way of whispering over her like a caress. She wrapped herself in the sound of it and forced herself to do the right thing even though it would have been so much easier to let someone care for her.
“Haydon threatened you.”
“Yes, he did.” He smiled down at her. “We expected that. Maybe not this soon, but you did say he doesn’t like anyone close to you. Our engagement has been big news. The uproar hasn’t settled down these last two weeks, mostly because my beautiful fiancée is in the hospital. I imagine with me staying right by your side, he’s not so happy.”
“Please take him seriously.”
“Why would you think that I don’t?”
“You’re smiling at me.” He had a gorgeous smile and it was distracting, even in the face of trying to warn him about Haydon. What was even more distracting was the way his fingers were once again closed around hers and that thumb of his was sliding over her inner wrist, wreaking havoc with her ability to think clearly.
“It’s nearly impossible to look at you and not smile, Grace.”
She sighed and tried to sit up straighter although she didn’t pull her hand away as she should have. The instant she did, pain sliced through her body, radiating outward from her shoulder. She gave a sharp gasp and froze.
At once his eyes darkened and every hint of his white teeth disappeared. “Didn’t you hear the doctor say you couldn’t make any sudden movements? He wants you as still as possible for the next week.”
“I forgot.” It was a lame excuse as excuses went, but it was the truth. She knew Dr. Arnold had insisted on an x-ray before she left the hospital. She had the feeling that he would have been happy to lock her up in a tiny room where she couldn’t move or see the light of day for the next few weeks. Fortunately, Vittorio had insisted she go home with him.
“Here’s what we’re going to do for the next few days, gattina bella. You’re going to let me take care of you while you get better and you’re not going to worry about Haydon Phillips, the police or anything else.”
“That sounds like you’re taking over my life. I can’t just let you make all the decisions for me.”
“Why not? Would that be so bad?” His low, velvety voice stroked over her skin. “I’ve been making the decisions for the last two weeks.”
That was true. Someone had to have made a lot of decisions for her. She was fairly certain she wouldn’t have an arm if it hadn’t been for Vittorio. Would it be so terrible to let him take over for another week while she rested? The idea was very tempting. Still, there was the matter of Haydon Phillips.
She steeled herself to do the right thing. “You know you’re not really my fiancé. You don’t have any responsibility to me at all. In fact, you’ve done more than anyone else would have done under the same circumstances, and I appreciate it more than you can possibly know. I can’t let this continue no matter how much I want it to. Haydon Phillips will kill