out this week as a favor to Papa. He said he needed me. A special lady needed me. I don't know if he was right or not, but I need that special lady."
Would she believe him? Dylan had never heard his blood pass through his body before, but he could swear he heard it now. The pulse in his neck throbbed, like the time he'd hit his fingernail with a hammer.
"So you say. You're good with words, Dylan. And reading minds, it seems. Are you reading me now?"
He shook his head. "No, this is too important."
Mia looked relieved. "That's something then, and not because I'm thinking lust and sex. But I want to know something without you having known about it in advance. This island. What is it to you?"
Dylan knew that was the make or break question. He hesitated, not sure how to put everything into words. Before, he'd always been so negative about Isola Dei Sogni. No matter, it was part of him, engrained into his mind, body, and soul, and he'd chosen to ignore it. In a stereotypical flash of clarity, he realized it was important. He could no longer ignore the place and what it stood for, as he couldn't ignore the woman sitting next to him. Whether or not he could do as his father wanted was another thing. So much hinged on Mia. Somehow, he had to import this knowledge to her.
"The island. Where we make dreams come true. Where anything good and legal can happen and does. An island to experience your fantasy, and maybe find love. My heritage, if I chose to embrace it. I have to decide soon. Papa wants to, well, pursue his own happiness. It's time he was allowed to. My time is to take over or walk away."
"Not Blaine?"
Dylan rolled his shoulders; they were tight with tension. "No, it has to follow the bloodline. If I deny it, it goes to . . . someone we don't want. I can't say any more."
Mia stroked his shoulder, and some of the tension left him.
"What will you do?"
"That rather depends on you. It's said that if you do find you're true love here, it happens so fast you don't have time to worry or fight it. If it is right, then you know. I know."
He looked at her, and welcomed the compassion he saw in her eyes. He wouldn't look and see what she was thinking. She had to tell him of her own free will.
"Then it's just as well I know too, isn't it?" Mia kissed him, and he felt all her love spill into him. "What are we going to do about it, Dyl?"
"Us? Take it one day at a time. Learn about each other, strengthen each other and grow old together. Or is that going too far too fast?" He held his breath. The hairs on his arms stood upright, and a shiver stroked his skin and increased his tension.
Mia tucked her head to one side and fiddled with her ear lobe. "Yes." She paused.
Tentacles of fear twined around his heart. Dylan hated the closed look on her face. He'd promised not to look into her mind, and he managed to keep to that, but only just. When she spoke it was like the death knell.
"Much too fast."
Dylan's face went white and he swayed. Mia grabbed him in alarm. Had she been too brutal? Damn it, he says he can read my mind, so why the hell isn't he doing it? Mia remembered he'd said what needed discussing was too important for him to find out the answers through reading her mind. Darn it. She knew she had to explain, but that equally, it wasn't going to be easy.
"For goodness sake, sit down before you fall down." Worry made her voice sharp and she winced inside. It wasn't what she was trying to achieve. "If you're hell bent on not peeking into my mind, you'll have to put up with me trying to explain." Mia pushed Dylan into a nearby chair, and knelt next to him.
"It's complicated, and not something I talk about very often. It would upset Meryl if she knew, so I've just zipped up a big part of my life and locked it away. Damn it, can I have a cuddle?"
He looked startled, but nodded. "Love, you never need to ask. I'm trying to give you space. Come on, snuggle in. Up on my lap and I'll will my body to behave." He
Would she believe him? Dylan had never heard his blood pass through his body before, but he could swear he heard it now. The pulse in his neck throbbed, like the time he'd hit his fingernail with a hammer.
"So you say. You're good with words, Dylan. And reading minds, it seems. Are you reading me now?"
He shook his head. "No, this is too important."
Mia looked relieved. "That's something then, and not because I'm thinking lust and sex. But I want to know something without you having known about it in advance. This island. What is it to you?"
Dylan knew that was the make or break question. He hesitated, not sure how to put everything into words. Before, he'd always been so negative about Isola Dei Sogni. No matter, it was part of him, engrained into his mind, body, and soul, and he'd chosen to ignore it. In a stereotypical flash of clarity, he realized it was important. He could no longer ignore the place and what it stood for, as he couldn't ignore the woman sitting next to him. Whether or not he could do as his father wanted was another thing. So much hinged on Mia. Somehow, he had to import this knowledge to her.
"The island. Where we make dreams come true. Where anything good and legal can happen and does. An island to experience your fantasy, and maybe find love. My heritage, if I chose to embrace it. I have to decide soon. Papa wants to, well, pursue his own happiness. It's time he was allowed to. My time is to take over or walk away."
"Not Blaine?"
Dylan rolled his shoulders; they were tight with tension. "No, it has to follow the bloodline. If I deny it, it goes to . . . someone we don't want. I can't say any more."
Mia stroked his shoulder, and some of the tension left him.
"What will you do?"
"That rather depends on you. It's said that if you do find you're true love here, it happens so fast you don't have time to worry or fight it. If it is right, then you know. I know."
He looked at her, and welcomed the compassion he saw in her eyes. He wouldn't look and see what she was thinking. She had to tell him of her own free will.
"Then it's just as well I know too, isn't it?" Mia kissed him, and he felt all her love spill into him. "What are we going to do about it, Dyl?"
"Us? Take it one day at a time. Learn about each other, strengthen each other and grow old together. Or is that going too far too fast?" He held his breath. The hairs on his arms stood upright, and a shiver stroked his skin and increased his tension.
Mia tucked her head to one side and fiddled with her ear lobe. "Yes." She paused.
Tentacles of fear twined around his heart. Dylan hated the closed look on her face. He'd promised not to look into her mind, and he managed to keep to that, but only just. When she spoke it was like the death knell.
"Much too fast."
Dylan's face went white and he swayed. Mia grabbed him in alarm. Had she been too brutal? Damn it, he says he can read my mind, so why the hell isn't he doing it? Mia remembered he'd said what needed discussing was too important for him to find out the answers through reading her mind. Darn it. She knew she had to explain, but that equally, it wasn't going to be easy.
"For goodness sake, sit down before you fall down." Worry made her voice sharp and she winced inside. It wasn't what she was trying to achieve. "If you're hell bent on not peeking into my mind, you'll have to put up with me trying to explain." Mia pushed Dylan into a nearby chair, and knelt next to him.
"It's complicated, and not something I talk about very often. It would upset Meryl if she knew, so I've just zipped up a big part of my life and locked it away. Damn it, can I have a cuddle?"
He looked startled, but nodded. "Love, you never need to ask. I'm trying to give you space. Come on, snuggle in. Up on my lap and I'll will my body to behave." He
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