Page 276 of Modern Romance January 2025 5-8

Seeing Charlotte like this cut through him like a sword. She was bright, sexy, intelligent, breathtakingly beautiful—but the woman before him now was worn down. Scared. It was unacceptable.

Kneeling before her, Enzo took her hand in his and held her chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes. ‘Your father called me. He wants you back, but I won’t let that happen. I wish you had told me sooner, but it doesn’t matter now. I will protect you, Charlotte. All I ask is that you are always honest with me.’

‘I can do that.’

He scooped her up as he stood and moved to sit against the headboard with Charlotte on his lap. Cradling her head against his bare chest, he could feel her quiet tears. The hand against her head travelled down to her neck where he felt her pulse thrum rapidly.

‘Relax,tesoro. I won’t let anything happen to you.’

CHAPTER NINE

CHARLOTTEFOUNDHERSELFin Enzo’s plane once again. Except this time, she was in the one area she had seen the least. The bedroom.

After she had confessed everything to him, Enzo had held her until she was able to breathe and then for a while longer, his tight grip becoming a soft embrace.

It wasn’t long after that that he announced they would be leaving. All he said was that they were going somewhere safe.

‘Will you still not tell me?’

‘No.’ He smirked, pulling her closer so their bodies pressed together in the most delicious way under the covers. ‘You said you wanted to see more of Italy. Well, now you will.’

‘My father knows where I am, Enzo. I can’t go anywhere.’ Ever since Enzo had told her that Gordon knew where to find her, Charlotte had an uneasiness in the pit of her stomach. Her neck constantly prickled as if she was being watched. And while she did feel safe around Enzo, it wasn’t enough to overcome years of anxiety.

‘No one will find you where we are going. I promised to protect you. I am not a man to go back on my word.’

She knew that. Integrity was important to her, and she had always admired his.

He kissed her forehead, fingers combing through her inky hair. ‘You’re safe with me, Charlotte.’ How she had craved to hear him speak her name. She loved the way it sounded when he spoke it. Freeing, that’s how it felt. A weight had fallen off her shoulders in being honest with Enzo. It made her hopeful that maybe she could live as herself again, but that was a terrifying prospect.

‘You’re thinking too much,tesoro. You have kept yourself safe alone for all this time. Sharing this burden with me will make it easier.’

He was right. She forced herself to remain calm and closed her eyes.

When Charlotte awoke, she was in the passenger seat of a car, with Enzo driving, his dark sunglasses perched on his nose. His powerful legs were clad in dark blue denim, a black V-neck T-shirt hugging his incredible physique. The sight made everything below Charlotte’s waist tighten.

‘Good, you’re awake,’ Enzo said. She felt her cheeks redden at having been caught staring, but it was an impossibility not to. ‘We’re almost there.’

‘And where is that?’

‘I am glad that you don’t give up. I admire your tenacity.’

‘But you’re still not going to tell me.’

‘You would be correct.’

‘You know, you can be very aggravating, Mr De Luca.’ Charlotte folded her arms across her chest, but Enzo reached over and threaded his fingers with hers, bringing them to his lips, kissing her sweetly on the back of her hand. The touch sent sparks shooting all the way down her arm.

‘It will be worth it.’

Charlotte fell silent, choosing to look out the window for clues as to where she was, but nothing was familiar to her. When a town finally appeared in the near distance, Enzo spoke.

‘Welcome to Ravello.’

Charlotte turned to him with a beaming smile. She had heard of Ravello’s beauty, had always wanted to sail along the Amalfi Coast, but after she ran, she had said goodbye to those dreams. The very last trip she had taken for herself had been a girls’ getaway with her friends to Santorini. In her heart, it had been her way of saying goodbye without having to say anything to them.

Now Enzo was giving her the things she wanted and needed. The ability to be herself. Safety from her father. The opportunity to see the parts of Italy she had really wanted to experience.

Now that her father knew that she was with Enzo, he would likely suspect that she would hide in Perlano. That would be until they booked in somewhere.