Her Gentle Capture (13 page)

She sighed and pushed her fingers through her blond locks. “I’m not seeing him Dad. He just…” she looked up and realized that she’d goofed again. So much for thinking she’d outgrown that trick. He was just getting stealthier about it. Defeated, she grabbed the phone and read the message. “We have a lot
to discuss!” he’d texted. “Give me a time!”

She had no idea why he was angry now, but it was obvious that he was indeed furious. Shaking her head, she set the phone down again. “I can handle this,” she promised.

Her father stood up, taking his wife’s hand as well. “Have breakfast with us tomorrow morning,” he dictated. “We will hear more about this man at that time. Until then, get some
sleep and turn off your phone.” He bent down and kissed her gently, then stepped back while Adriana’s mother embraced her.

“Tell me he’s good enough for you,” she whispered in Adriana’s ear.

Adriana couldn’t make that promise, thinking back to all the hurt Mitch had given her over the past twenty-four hours. But just as she was about to shake her head, the men in the park came back to her.
And the extra meals he’d brought down that alley. And there had been that company he’d acquired two weeks ago, before they were…seeing each other. He’d gone through the list of people to be laid off carefully. Several of the people he’d knocked off the list, one being a woman who was six months pregnant. When the acquisition team had argued that her position was redundant, that they couldn’t
make an exception simply because the woman was expecting, Mitch had simply stared down the lead of that team and said, with a calm and deadly voice, “Find her another position.”

Surely a man with that kind of compassion had some redeeming qualities, right?

“He has moments of astounding kindness,” she said honestly. “And then he somehow changes into an autocratic, obnoxious, irritating jerk.”

Jemma looked at her daughter with astonishment, then back up to her husband. A moment later, she burst out laughing. Turning back to Adriana, she hugged her again. “Grab onto him and don’t let him go, honey! Trust me on this!”

Damien knew exactly what she was saying and his eyes promised her retribution when they were alone. But for the moment, he leaned down and gave his daughter another
hug. “You’re smart, my dear. I know you’ll figure this one out. Your mother just needed to come up here and make sure you were okay.”

Adriana laughed because she knew that her father worried about his kids just as much as her mother did. He just blamed it all on her which was fine. He had to be tough and strong, but deep down inside, he was a sweet guy. “I love you too, Dad.”

They left
and Adriana smiled as she leaned against the door, thinking about how lucky she was to have such wonderful parents. But then that dratted phone pinged again, letting her know that Mitch was texting her once more.

“Adriana, if you don’t give me some information, I’m coming right back over there. I don’t care if I have to meet your parents now or later, we’re going to talk.”

She sighed and slipped
her phone back into her purse. Slinging it over her shoulder, she walked out of her apartment and rode the elevator down to the parking garage. She wasn’t going to text him, she told herself. She’d simply show up at his place, just like he’d done, get the discussion over with and then maybe hand in her resignation. She couldn’t work for a man who thought she was a prostitute, she told herself
as her previous anger swelled right back up to her.

Why was the man so complex? He could be so sweet and kind, so generous with his affection one moment, then spewing horrible, ridiculous accusations at her the next moment.

She stood in the lobby of his building, waiting for the security guard to announce her, tapping her toe impatiently. When the man hung up, he nodded his permission for
her to enter the elevator. “He is waiting for you,” the guard explained. “The elevator will be operated from the penthouse level.”

Great, Adriana thought. She couldn’t even come and go in secret! He could even control the elevator!

She rode it up to the top level, her stomach starting to tense at the idea of seeing Mitch again. He’d been so charming while stealing her wine earlier tonight.
Of course, he’d also barged into her apartment thinking the pizza delivery guy was her lover. Ick!

When the doors opened, she found him glaring at her, obviously lying in wait for the elevator to present her. Adriana stood in the elevator cab, staring right back at him defiantly. “I’m here. What do you want to discuss?”

“Aren’t you going to step out of there?” he asked her smoothly. Too
smoothly!

Her blond eyebrows went up as she realized her assumption was correct. He was livid! About what, she still had no idea.

“No. I don’t think I will.”

Mitch rolled his eyes and eliminated the two steps that separated them. Grabbing her arm, he pulled her out of the elevator and into the great room. “Explain yourself, Adriana.”

She glared up at him, shaking her head with confusion.
“First of all, I have no idea what I’m supposed to explain. Secondly, even if I did know, I probably wouldn’t explain anything to you because you’re back in jerk-mode!”

Mitch knew she was right but he was having a hard time trying to come to terms with what he’d discovered when he’d returned home. “I went into my bedroom to shower after leaving you with your parents.” He watched her carefully,
waiting for any sign that she knew what he was talking about. “I looked at the bed.” Again, another pause. “The bed in which we’d made love all night.”

She sighed and rubbed her forehead. “Is there a point to all of this?” she asked.

“You were a virgin!” he grated out. “You’d never been with another man before!”

She stepped back, not sure why he was so furious about that idea. “I’m sorry
for that?” she asked, hurt once again.

His mouth dropped open and then his eyes narrowed. “Sorry? For giving me the gift of your first time?” He walked away several steps, then came right back to her. “You’re sorry that you had to stand there and have me accuse you of being with another man, when you’ve never been with another man in your whole life?!”

She looked up slightly, trying to find
the answers above his head. “I’m not sure what you’re angry about, Mitch. Could you explain what’s going on?”

Mitch looked down at the incredible beauty and tried very hard to figure out that question himself. He wasn’t sure what was going on inside of him. All he knew was that he wanted to take her into his arms and make love to her again, over and over until neither of them could move.
But he’d done that last night! He’d probably hurt her! Damn, he actually had hurt her, thinking of that teardrop the first time. He was beating himself up and directing his anger towards her when he was actually furious with himself. “You should have told me! I would have made it better for you!”

Adriana looked at him askance. “You’re angry because I didn’t tell you in advance that I was
a virgin?”

“Yes! You should have told me!” He rubbed the back of his neck and paced several steps. “We have to get married now,” he announced. “I’ll get a special license and we can be married by Tuesday.” Damn, he’d never thought he’d say those words. He’d never wanted to say them. But now that they were out, they felt right. Perfectly right. He wanted her forever and he wanted the
whole world to know that she was his woman.

Adriana shook her head, confused and horrified on so many levels. “I’m not marrying you. There’s no way I’m getting married without my whole family around. You might be an insensitive jerk, but I have family that I love and want them to witness my wedding. But that wedding definitely isn’t going to be with you!”

Mitch tried to calm down. He
knew he was completely blowing this. Again. It seemed that every time he was around this woman, she tied him in knots so thoroughly that he never acted quite right. In fact, he knew he was acting like a complete ass but he couldn’t seem to stop. “Adriana, you gave me a precious gift,” he finally said, moving closer and taking her hands. “We have to be married. I won’t sully that gift with anything
less.”

Adriana ripped her hands out from his. “No! That’s a ridiculous reason to get married. You didn’t marry the first woman you had sex with. I don’t have to marry my first man!” A part of her was thrilled that he’d brought up marriage while another part of her wanted to cry because he only wanted to marry her because he’d been her first, not because he loved her.

She spun around on
her heel and started walking out, refusing to deal with this man and his crazy notions any longer. “Good night, Mitch. I’m probably calling in sick tomorrow.”

Mitch watched her walking away and knew that he had to get this right. He had to figure out how to get her to understand how important she was in his life. “Stop. Please, Adriana.” He sighed and walked over to where she was standing,
tensely waiting for whatever he might say next. “Could you please sit down and listen to me?” he asked.

Adriana thought about it for a moment, then shrugged her shoulders. “Since you asked nicely,” she said and walked back to the sofa, sitting down and looking up at him.

Mitch paced back and forth, trying to figure out how to talk to her. “You’re…” he looked at her and something twisted
inside of him. “You’re mine,” he finally said. “I know that’s not what you want to hear, but damn it Adriana, from the first moment you stepped into that conference room, I knew that I wanted you. But I had no idea how important you were. I couldn’t have anticipated how much you could twist me around your little finger.”

Her eyes widened with that declaration and she looked up at him, still
confused, but still listening.

“I couldn’t believe how intelligent and beautiful you were, both inside and out. You were like a breath of fresh air in a world that had grown stale and tedious.” He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to form his thoughts into words. “When you look at me, I want to be a better person. I can make money, seemingly in my sleep,” he explained. “But when you look
at me, I want to be kind.” He grimaced. “I’m never kind. I’ve never even wanted to be.”

She looked up at him through her lashes. “You’re very kind to those homeless men.”

He waved that aside. “Those guys just need a bit of help.”

She wouldn’t let him dismiss that act of kindness so easily. “Anyone could help them. You’re the one that does. That’s kindness Mitch.”

He still didn’t agree.
“You make me feel things that I don’t understand. That I don’t want to face all the time.”

Her heart was racing with those words and she stared up at him, almost afraid of what he might say next. “What do I make you feel?”

He grimaced again. “I think I’m in love with you.” He was furious with that admission and glared down at her.

She looked down at her hands, not sure how she felt about
his declaration. Should she believe him? Or was he only saying that to smooth things over. She’d never thought of Mitch as the kind of guy who would say just anything. In fact, he was brutally honest most times, unconcerned about how others took that honesty.

She gripped her hands together, trying to react slowly and with common sense this time. “Well, how about if you let me know when
you’re sure?” she suggested. But she was almost ready to throw her hands around his neck and kiss him, so overcome with excitement.

Mitch didn’t like this conversation. He wanted to know that this woman was his and the only way he knew how to do that was to marry her. But she hadn’t agreed! What more could Adriana want? “You make me crazy jealous, Adriana. Just the thought of another man
touching you made me almost insane this morning.”

She laughed slightly and shook her head. Deciding to give him a bit more information might be fair. “My mother sends me the clothes,” she finally explained. “And my father bought me the condo. They’re a little overprotective, but they mean well and they love me a lot.”

Mitch’s eyes narrowed as his intelligent mind put the pieces together.
She knew the exact moment when he figured it out. “Damn! You’re the daughter of Damien Alfieri!” He smacked his forehead for his obtuseness. “If I hadn’t been so overcome with sexual need for you,” he laughed, “I probably would have figured it out.”

She smiled slightly, not sure if that admission was an improvement. “You do have a special way with words, Mitch.”

He sighed and sat down next
to her, relieved when she didn’t try and scoot away from him. “I’m an idiot when you’re near me,” he finally said. “So please give me some sort of signal that you feel the same way?”

“I don’t feel like an idiot around you,” she replied shyly. “I feel…”

“Angry,” he filled in, taking her hand in his and nibbling on the tips of her fingers. “Furious, insulted…”

“Sexy,” she sighed and watched with
fascination as he moved on to the next finger.

“Loved?” he offered.

She shivered as an electric shock sparked up her arm. “Yes. Sometimes,” she replied with a low whisper.

He smiled and it was that sexy, crazy smile that made her heart flip over. “I’ll have to work on that then. I wouldn’t want you to feel loved only sometimes.” He kissed her palm. “That’s something a beautiful person
like you should feel one hundred percent of the time.”

She pulled her hand out of his and scooted back on the cushion. “So what are you going to do about that?” she challenged.

He watched her carefully. “Well, since you won’t marry me, I’ll just have to talk to your father.”

She didn’t like the sound of that. The first part was completely wrong and the second part definitely wasn’t going
to happen. “Why do you think I won’t marry you?” she asked.

“Because I asked and you said no.”

She rolled her eyes. “I didn’t say no. I said I wouldn’t marry you simply because you were my first lover.”

He stood up and took several steps, pacing in front of her while he ran a hand through his dark hair. “See? This is what is so confusing, Adriana. I have no idea what you’re trying to say.”