Chapter 6 Make Her Fall In Love With Me

Carefully, he hands the box back to me. “If I’d known you were allergic, Mrs. Fernandez, I would’ve included antihistamines with the gift. It’s an easy enough problem to solve and a small sacrifice to pay for Luna’s happiness.” He adds with a mocking smile, “I’m sure you’ll forgive me for the oversight.”

My mom’s nostrils flare. Her chest rises as she inhales sharply. Seemingly unable to string together words to make a sentence, she flicks her fingers again at which the gardener slips away as fast as he appeared.

“Well,” my mom says, giving me a narrow-eyed look. “You better go settle your new pet and get ready. You’ve kept everyone waiting long enough. I’ll tell your Aunt Mildred to help you get dressed so that your guests don’t have to wait another hour.”

Turning up her nose, she leaves as regally as her high heels allow.

I’m shocked to a standstill, unable to believe my luck. Gaping at the handsome stranger, I say with all the sincerity I possess, “Thank you.”

A hint of warmth softens the harsh blackness of his eyes. “You’re welcome, Luna.”

My stomach flutters at yet another term of endearment. “Why did you do it?”

His statement is casual, but the words are loaded. “Because you should get what you want for your birthday.”

“Your business must be really important to my dad. My mom never gives in like that.”

He shoves a hand in his pocket and glances at the partygoers. “There are only old people here. Don’t you have friends?”

“I’m not socially awkward and incapable of making friends, if that’s what you’re implying,” I say with a grin.

“I’d never be so crass,” he deadpans. “I’m just wondering why they’re not invited.”

“Everyone is away for the big summer holiday.” I pout. “If it wasn’t for this party, I would’ve been in the beach with them right now.”

His expression darkens. “Alone?”

“I wish.” I make a face. “My brother and his wife would’ve gone along to chaperone.”

“Ah.” Some of his tenseness evaporates. “If it makes you feel better, I could’ve been in the forest.”

“Really?” That pang of defensiveness hits me again. “You must be very disappointed about missing out on that.”

“Not so much now. The view here is very nice.”

I laugh. “Nice?”

“A lot more than I expected.”

My breathing quickens. I’m new at the nuances of our game, but I like playing it with him.

“Can I see?” he asks, motioning at the box.

“Oh.” His interest in my Kitty-Kat makes me happy. Giddily, so. “Of course.”

I lift the flap. We both peer into the box, our heads close together. His cologne is a blend of something woodsy and citrusy, a subtle perfume that makes me want to bury my face in his neck and inhale the fragrance of his skin. He tickles Kitty-Kat under the chin and chuckles when the kitten purrs, but I’m not focused on the cat. I’m too aware of our proximity and how good he smells.

“He’s cute,” he says, raising his gaze to mine.

I clear my throat. “He is.”

A weird, almost calculated look comes over his face. “Who gave him to you?”

“I found him in a trashcan on my way home.”

At that, his features relax. “I’m glad he found a good home.”

“I’m sorry about earlier,” I say on impulse as a fresh bout of gratitude washes over me. “I was rude.”

The smile he offers me is so warm and unguarded it not only makes me feel as if the sun is shining on my face but also that I’m special to him.

“I’m sorry for mistaking you for a waitress,” he says. “I should’ve asked instead of assumed.”

“Quits?”

“Quits,” he agrees, his dark gaze piercing mine.

My blood heats under the intensity of his stare. No one has ever looked at me with so much possession. No man has ever smiled at me as if I’m valuable and important.

Slowly, something serious replaces the warmth of his expression, something predatory and carnal. I know he’s aware of how close we’re standing, invading each other’s personal space. I’m out of my depth, unequipped for what’s passing through his eyes, but I can’t make myself move.

He acts first, not stepping away but closer still, so close that the box is pressed between us. Raising his arm, he brushes his fingertips over my temple and hooks my hair behind my ear. The touch is so gentle it’s barely there, but it jolts me. It ripples over my entire body, covering every inch of my skin in goosebumps.

“Happy birthday, Luna,” he says in that deep, low voice with a hint of an accent.

A beat passes in which I hold my breath, although I’m not sure for what.

And then he backs off, putting space between us.

It physically hurts. Whether it’s the distance or his proximity, it aches with the same intensity, leaving a hollow sensation in my stomach and a fluttering in my temples. My heart thumps and my knees are wobbly. It’s confusing. I both want to burrow against his chest and run away from the fiercely wonderful and scary feelings.

Worried that he’ll notice my weakness, I flee inside the house, miraculously managing an unwavering smile from over my shoulder, but he’s already strolling away with his hands shoved in his pockets and his gaze trained on the horizon. Just when my heart is about to sink, he looks back. I’m so ecstatic, I don’t care he caught me staring, because I caught him too.

For the first time in my life, I hurry to make myself pretty.

Leonardo Franco POV

Possession flows in my veins when I leave Luna to dress and walk back to the party. The heady cocktail of ownership and responsibility sends a thrill through my body and rushes like a drug to my brain.

The sentiments are foreign and unexpected. I’ve taken care of our pets since a young age, but a human has never been dependent on me. Up to yesterday, Luna Belle Fernandez was an abstract concept. I gambled with the element of surprise, and it’s not shock that won. Far from it. What I saw pleased me. A lot. Seeing her triggered something in me. Marrying her is no longer a blurry picture with intangible edges. The prospect is real. She’s not an image of a person with indistinguishable features. She’s a young woman of flesh and blood, and a stunning one at that.

The knowledge that this beautiful girl is mine fills me not only with pride but also with a heavy dose of jealousy. She’s a looker, and she doesn’t know it. Not yet. Soon, however, she’ll grow aware of her beauty and the power she can hold over men.

Take me, for example. Not even five minutes into meeting her I’ve already broken my promise to myself. I’ve touched her when I knew better. She’s an innocent girl with the curves of a woman. Only a dead man wouldn’t notice those firm breasts, tight ass, and long legs. Her body is like a succulent fruit on the verge of ripening, soon to be ready for the picking.

The thought alone is enough to make me see green when I think about the distance I’ll be putting between us tomorrow and how many horny boys may show up on her doorstep while I’m fighting this war with her father.

I’ll have to send a man to keep an eye on her, our most loyal and trusted man. The decision eases my worry, although only marginally.

Back on the front lawn, I look for my father among the throng of people. Finally, I spot him sitting on a bench in a secluded corner of the veranda. His face is as white as chalk, and he’s coughing into his handkerchief.

The alarm triples my pulse. I make it to him in a few long strides and pour a glass of water from the nearest pitcher. Shoving the glass into his hand, I block him from potentially curious spectators with my body.

“Drink,” I say, glancing around to gauge if anyone is looking, but no one takes notice.

He manages to swallow a sip, which helps to calm the coughing and hands the glass back while resting his head on the wall and breathing through his mouth.

“Come.” I put the glass on the table and take his arm, helping him to his feet. “Don’t let them see you like this.”

Unable to speak, he nods his agreement and lets me guide him back to the car. We’re barely inside before another bout of coughing wracks his shoulders. I reach in the back for his inhaler, but he shakes his head.

“Leave it. It’ll pass.”

Stubborn bastard. “You have nothing to prove by refusing your medicine. No one will think you are weak for taking it.”

He sucks air through his teeth and forces the words from a wheezy chest. “I just need a moment.”

Arguing is fruitless. My father is nothing if not hardheaded and proud. I start the car and drive to the gates. At the intercom on the inside of the garden, I push the button. A beat later, the gates open as someone in the house, presumably one of the staff, lets us out.

Etiquette states leaving without saying goodbye to the host is an unforgivable rudeness, but Barry Maximo declared himself our enemy, tonight, and you never show your enemy your weakness.

Keeping one eye on my father and the other on the road, I take the turn toward Kabankalan Roundabout. He winds down the window and takes a few deep breaths of the cool air. By the time the lights of Silay City Airport come into view, the attack has passed, and his muscles are slack again.

“You should call your doctor,” I say. “You need to see him when we get home.”

He dismisses the idea with a flick of his hand. “Nothing but a waste of time.” Shooting me a look, he says, “Not a word about this to your mother.”

“You shouldn’t hide this from her.”

“What’s the point of making her worry? It’s not going to change anything.”

I clench the wheel. I both agree and disagree with that statement, but I respect his decision. It’s what I would’ve wanted if I’d been in his position.

“I’m sorry,” he says, staring through his window toward the distance where the hills swell in the moonlight.

It’s such a rare occurrence for my father to apologize that I’m not sure how to reply. All I can say is, “It’s not your fault.”

His voice hardens. “I meant that we had to leave before Luna Belle made her appearance.”

“I met her.”

He looks at me.

“We ran into each other by accident,” I explain. “She tried to slip into the back of the house without being noticed.”

The corners of his mouth pull down. “She doesn’t seem like a very obedient daughter.”

Feeling compelled to defend her, I say, “She was rescuing an abandoned kitten.”

He makes a noncommittal sound. “What was your impression?”

I consider my answer. “She likes me.” Surprisingly. “I think I can make her fall in love with me. It won’t be very difficult.”

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