He closed his eyes, taking a moment to let it go, and covered my hand with his.
“What’s wrong?” I asked softly.
“Having you here,” he whispered, “is unnerving.”
“Oh.” My stomach dropped.
“No.” He shook his head like I misunderstood him. “If anything was to happen to you because I…” He dragged my hand to his mouth and kissed the palm. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.” I was immediately swept into the spell he so easily cast.
“Will you come to dinner with me tomorrow night?”
I pulled my hand away, feeling the amor click tightly around my heart.
“I don’t know.” My head spun as the fog lifted from the mental hold he had on me. “Why?”
He stood a little straighter and leaned his head to the side and frowned like he realized he was coming at it all wrong.
“Sienna,” he said quietly, “I’m not used to having someone question me like you do.”
“I haven’t changed, Elio. I’m still the girl who wanted to stab you at the dinner table for making me meet your parents soaking wet.”
He dropped his head back and laughed, and I saw the old, carefree Elio I remembered. “You were scrappy at times.”
“Right, so…” I lifted my chin and fought a smile.
“Well, I would like very much to take you to dinner tomorrow night.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” My lightness faded away.
“And I disagree.”
“Of course, you do.”
“No, look.” He stumbled, and given his flustered look, he wasn’t prone to being thrown off his game very often. It was kind of sweet. “You told me I hurt you, and I know I did because I hurt me in the process, but for some reason fate has brought us back together again, and I think we should listen to it.”
I folded my arms and continued to make him sweat this one out. When I didn’t answer, his eyebrows pinched, and he stared into my eyes, no doubt trying to mentally break down my walls and read my mind. By the way his stance shifted and how he rubbed his face I could tell his temper was rising. I would never purposely play mind games with any man. I wasn’t like that, but Elio hurt me, and as much as a night out with him sounded intriguing, what would it mean if I simply said yes?
“I want the chance to prove I am worthy of you, Sienna. I just need the time with you to do it. Please.”
Well, I wasn’t expecting that.
“I feel I need to check in with Mariano to see if he has plans.”
“He has plans for tomorrow night.” He cleared his throat as though he was uncomfortable talking about him.
“Oh?” He had mentioned something about not being around, but nothing was set in stone.
“He and Anna have plans.”
“Oh? All right, then.” I nodded, not sure I believed him. “Let me talk to him first, and then I’ll let you know.”