Page 7 of His UnBearable Touch

Her voice drew his attention away from his bear’s demands. “I’m listening…”

“Spending time with you, being near you… I can’t explain it all right now, but later. After you see your friends-”

“Friends?” He’d startled her and watched her expression tense as her thoughts rushed through her head. “They’re not my friends, I don’t-” she swallowed and blinked furiously, “I don’t think they are, yet.”

Her voice pulled at him. The wonder in her tone, tinged with sadness, made his bear push at Valerio, but he didn’t need the push.

He wrapped both arms around her, cradling her against his body. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m here. I’ll always be here.”

It took her a moment to react to his words, leaning back in his embrace. He loosened his hold and looked down into her face and waited for her to speak, but the question written so clearly on her face never passed her lips.

“Allegra!”

A second door opened up and a crush of people pushed toward them.

“Allegra, where have you been?”

The bear wanted to roar at them to keep back. He didn’t know who these people were and didn’t like the interruption, but his bear backed down when Allegra tucked herself against his side, holding up her hand.

“Please, it’s too loud.” She shook her head and explained. “I can’t hear with everyone talking.

The group quieted in a few moments, their gazes turning toward the man at the back of the group. He was shaking visibly as he walked toward them and Valerio narrowed his eyes at the other man. More than a head shorter than him, his hands wrung together as he passed through the group.

“Miss Rossetti, thank goodness!”

Valerio drew in a breath and his lip curled at the scents in his nose: fear and desperation.

“I worried that I’d lost you. I came back here, hoping you’d return. I was even considering calling the police to search.”

“Then why didn’t you? The Transit Police would have started the search instantly.” Valerio like the way that man flinched and the way his skin paled at his words. “You left her alone.”

“But I thought,” the man was startled at the question, “what I meant was-”

“Goodness, Davis,” a woman shoved through the crowd to get to his side. Thin and teetering on heels that would have made more sense on an exotic dancer, she managed to look down into the other man’s eyes, “you were more worried about the press. Admit it.”

Davis was starting to look like he might faint from the unwanted attention. “I turned around and you were gone!” His hands pried apart and wavered in the air. “I was frantic!”

“There was music.” Allegra’s answer turned their heads and Valerio tensed against her, worried. As if she’d sensed his mood, she set her hand on his chest and gently drew her fingers across his heart a couple of times.

His bear leaned against the wall of his chest, seeking her touch.

“I wanted to listen to the music. I thought you stopped with me.”

Davis pressed his hands over his chest, exasperation written plainly across his features. “Didn’t you see me walk-”

The assembled group went absolutely still, as if they’d followed an unseen cue from off-stage.

Valerio was ready to pick up the other man and fling him into the onslaught of New York City traffic for his careless words, but it was the outspoken woman from before that stepped into the silence.

“Davis, this is why you’re the Artistic Director and not Public Relations. Go, take a break, pull your foot out of your mouth and leave Allegra to us. Hmm?”

She didn’t wait for an answer from him and based on the blank expression on his face, he wasn’t going to offer one. Stepping up beside Allegra she lowered her volume. “Allegra, sweetie. I’m Linda, remember me?”

The tension in Allegra’s body relaxed just the littlest bit. “Linda, you play the oboe.”

“Hey, spot on!” Linda’s laugh was full throated even if it was a little tense. “Look, let’s get you off the street and into the rehearsal space. We’re nearly done for the day, but I don’t think anyone is expecting you to pick up the bow again today. You look wiped. So how about we find you a chair to sit in before your legs give out.”

Allegra gripped the front of his shirt, but she didn’t pull away from the other woman. “Sitting might be good.”