At the Ruthless Billionaire's Command

Because he feels responsible for me.

Well, that had to change. Maybe not right now, because it was far too late for her even to think of moving out of the hotel and finding somewhere else to stay tonight, and she was determined not to involve Cathy and Rick in any further acts of violence from David. But tomorrow, when she was feeling stronger and able to make other arrangements, she was going to stop being a burden on Gregorio and take control of her own life—as she had said she was going to.

Tomorrow.

* * *

‘Wake up, Lia! It is not real, bella, only a nightmare. Lia?’ Gregorio prompted more firmly as she continued to scream, the tears streaming from her closed eyes and down her cheeks as she fought off his attempts to take her in his arms.

Gregorio had drunk several more glasses of brandy before going to bed, knowing he was going to need the relaxant if he stood any chance of sleeping at all.

It had taken some time, but he had finally dozed off into a fitful slumber. Only to be woken—minutes...hours later?—by the sound of Lia screaming.

At first he had thought someone—Richardson—had managed to get past his security and Lia was being attacked. It was only once he had entered her bedroom and found her there alone, screaming as she tossed from side to side in the bed, that he realised she was obviously in the middle of some horrendous nightmare.

His efforts to calm her had so far been unsuccessful.

‘Lia!’ He was careful not to knock the cast on her arm as he grasped her shoulders. ‘Open your eyes and look at me, Lia,’ he instructed firmly.

She’d stopped screaming, at least, and her eyes were open, but her body was still being racked by intense sobs.

‘It was just a nightmare...it isn’t real,’ he continued to soothe as he took her in his arms.

It seemed very real to Lia!

She was running, knowing that something...someone...was pursuing her. She couldn’t see him when she dared to take a quick glance behind her, but she could feel him, hear him breathing—could almost feel that hot breath on the back of her neck. And then he was there—in front of her—not behind her at all. An indistinct dark shadow and yet she knew it was a man. Knew it was David. And he wanted to kill her.

‘You are safe now, Lia.’ Gregorio held her tightly. ‘No one will harm you while I am here. I promise you.’

But he wouldn’t always be there, would he? She was just a woman Gregorio felt a fleeting obligation to protect. Because she was alone in the world and she needed his help. He didn’t really care about her. They’d had sex yesterday afternoon, and that was the reason he probably felt even this much obligation. Right now he was probably regretting that he had ever shown an interest in her at all. She brought too much baggage with her, and Gregorio de la Cruz wasn’t interested in a woman with baggage.

‘I’m okay now.’ She was very aware of the fact that Gregorio wore only a pair of loose jogging trousers, and his chest was completely bare. The warm and muscular chest he was holding her against... ‘I’m sorry if I disturbed you.’ His half-nakedness was certainly disturbing her! ‘I’ll be fine now.’

She kept her gaze lowered as she attempted to pull away. Gregorio’s arms only tightened in reaction.

‘Lia, look at me.’

She didn’t want to look at him. At any part of him. Bad enough that her hand that wasn’t restricted by the sling was now pressed against Gregorio’s chest, that his flesh was warm and sensual to the touch.

‘Lia?’

She glanced up at Gregorio’s face and then quickly down again. His hair was tousled from sleep, his eyes black, and dark stubble lined his jaw. He looked incredibly sexy. And he smelt edible. A cross between the lingering aroma of that expensive cologne he wore and something else—a male musk that was uniquely Gregorio.

She felt her body’s response to all that overwhelming male lushness.

Gregorio simply felt an obligation to look out for her, Lia firmly reminded herself. That was the only reason he had been around this past couple of months.

And in return she had slapped him at her father’s funeral, been incredibly rude to him before asking him to leave her apartment, and then yesterday—yesterday she had told him she didn’t want him. That she never wanted to go to bed with him again.

Liar, liar, pants on fire.

She could lie to Gregorio, but there was no longer any chance of lying to herself.

She was in love with Gregorio.

Not infatuated, not sexually enthralled by him—although she was that too!—but one hundred per cent in love with him.

He was everything a man should be. Honourable. Truthful. Protective of those he deemed weaker than himself. A man Lia knew instinctively her father had liked as well as respected. And the reason she knew that was because her father had recognised those traits in Gregorio.