Page 5 of His UnBearable Touch

Valerio squeezed her hand and her cheeks flushed warm.

She felt a rush of air and heard the soft brush of tires hugging asphalt.

“Let’s get you inside.”

She startled at the sound of his voice in her ear. She wanted to ask him for a moment. She needed to tell him what a nightmare it was for her to get into a car, especially one she wasn’t used to and-

His hand gently released hers and settled on her waist, almost low enough for his fingers to brush over the fullness of her hip. “It’s a mid-sized SUV,” his voice soothed her nerves, “I don’t think you’ll have to climb up at all. Maybe just step in.” His laughter was like a caress. “If you like, I can pick you up and place you on the seat.”

She pulled away slightly, a gasp parting her lips. “You’ll hurt yourself.” Allegra felt him tense beside her and felt the vibrations of a growl through his touch.

“Let’s get you inside. Step?”

She took in a breath and shivered at the scent of his cologne. It was, in a word, yummy.

“Or, do I get to hold you?”

Danger, Allegra, danger.

“S-step.” She wanted his hands on her, but that wasn’t going to get them off of the street. And now that they were out of the subway, the adrenaline was wearing off and her knees weren’t going to last much longer.

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes.” She didn’t think about the answer, it was just there, and a moment later he proved that she was right.

His hand led hers to the hand hold on the frame of the car. His voice gently guided her closer, told her how close she was, how high to lift her foot. It was seamless and unnerving, as if he’d worked with her and Nurse Owens when she’d been in therapy and training.

Never once did he let her flounder. Never once did she feel like she’d fall or make a mistake.

Never once did she feel like he treated her like she was broken.

And before she could really wrap her head around the idea, she was in the cab, taking the seatbelt from Valerio’s hand and setting it into the lock with a decisive click.

When the door on the other side opened, she jumped a little and then turned away toward the window as if she could see out of it. The seat beneath her tilted slightly to the right and she set her hand down to keep her balance. A heartbeat later, she felt his hand cover hers. It was warm, his skin and the contact didn’t make her itch. The heat of his touch didn’t stifle, he didn’t crowd.

Again, sensations swam through her, uplifting instead of claustrophobic. With Lance, it had always been-

“Where to, Sir? Miss?”

Allegra sucked in a shuddering breath as she focused on the driver’s question. Clearing her throat, she told him the address of the practice hall, finishing with, “Gotham Chamber Orchestra.”

As the car pulled away from the curb, she admired the fact that the driver didn’t swerve into traffic like most. It helped her to keep her stomach even. Since the attack, sudden shifts in direction made it difficult for her to keep her balance and her stomach in check.

Valerio lifted her hand from the seat, turning it over so her palm faced up. She turned her head and tilted it down instinctually, as if she could see what was happening. A touch, a caress, just a whisper against her skin from fingertip to her palm.

She tried not to pull away, or rather, she tried not to lean into his touch. Whoever Valerio was, she not only instinctively trusted him, she craved him. That alone put her head in a whirl.

After Lance, touching wasn’t… The past just wouldn’t leave her alone.

“What instrument do you play?”

She swallowed down the dark thoughts that had crept into her head. “Don’t you want to guess?” Her cheeky response seemed to shock them both, at least that’s what his laugh told her. “You were looking at my hand. Were you trying to find calluses? Resin? Polish?”

The seat under her shifted again and the whisper of sound told her that he’d tucked his leg up on the seat, turning toward her. She didn’t trust herself to turn toward him.

“I looked, but I also touched your hand, Allegra.”

Wow, didn’t she know it. The sensation of his skin against hers was still making her blood pound through her veins.