Page 57 of Brazilian Revenge

“She’s great. Misses you. Do you need help?” he asked, and in typical Leonardo fashion, walked to her and gently held her good elbow, steering her toward the bed.

She bit back a smile. “Thanks.”

“I miss you, too.”

She sat on the edge of the bed, and doubted her sudden light-headedness had anything to do with her health. Air was in short supply when he inched closer, his gorgeous hazel eyes on hers. Besides the stressful last twenty-four hours, there was something relaxed, almost boy-like about his expression. Hopeful.

“I have something for you.” He handed her an envelope.

“Let me guess, another contract? With more clauses?” she said, apprehension trickling into her. But, as she opened the envelope to verify its contents, she found hundreds of tiny pieces of shredded paper. “What is this?”

“This is the contract I asked you to sign.”

Did that mean he didn’t even want her to stay in Brazil anymore? Fear knotted her throat. Or, could it maybe, mean that—

“I love you, Satyanna Darling,” he said, staring deep into her eyes.

Her heart skipped a beat, then a second later resumed its work, about to pop from her mouth. Throbbing. “What?” she managed to ask.

He flashed her a gorgeous smile. A smile that was as comforting as homemade chocolate chip cookies and movies in bed. A smile that was…home. “I love you,” he said, louder this time, as if he challenged her to believe it. “A year ago, when I met you, I fell for you. Then you left. And ever since you came back into my life, I’ve been doing a really lousy job convincing myself that I don’t love you, but I can’t keep on lying to myself anymore.”

“But you have…you said all these things about your parents’ marriage. Made me feel like I wasn’t worthy of being your wife. Are you saying this just because I saved your life?” she asked. She didn’t want his charity.

“No. If you don’t believe me, I can show you the email I sent my assistant to draw me a different kind of contract before we even met Clemonte.”

“What do you mean?”

“I want to marry you. I will always be grateful for you saving my life last night, but what you don’t know is you saved it long before. When we met, I was depressed coming to terms with my father’s diagnosis, and you brought sunshine and happiness. Even if only for a weekend. Then I found you, and you told me I had a daughter. What better gift can I ask for? And, when you told me a couple weeks ago that you’d be willing to stay under my conditions…to make it better for our daughter… I may have lied to myself then, too, but that night opened my eyes.”

Could this really be happening? Her heart leaped up her throat. Tingles of happiness swept over her. Yes. Yes, it could. “Oh, Leonardo…”

He cupped her face. “My father always talked about my mother even after she was long gone. They shared this beautiful love story that was the only thing I clung to during my childhood. I don’t need to do it anymore, because we have our own. I fell for a woman who’s brave, kind, and always puts others first. I don’t want to live in a world where you’re not part of my life, Satyanna.”

“I love you, too,” she said.

He kissed her. A long, passionate kiss that made her lift her arm to link her arms around him. Soreness pinched her, and she realized her shoulder still hurt. Damn it. She forgot she was damaged goods. “My shoulder hurts.”

He kissed her nose. “Until you feel better, I will tell you a story.”

“What story?”

“It started in a land far, far away…” he whispered in her ear, and she smiled into his skin. She just knew how that story would end.