“I used to come here,” he said quietly, joining her at the railing. “Whenever I feel the need to disappear.”
Lexi turned to him. “And now?”
He met her gaze. “Now I don’t want to disappear. I just want to breathe.”
She leaned into him slightly, her shoulder brushing his. “And you brought me here to remind you how?”
He reached for her hand, threading their fingers together. “No,” he said softly. “I brought you here to remind me what it feels like to have something to lose.”
Her heart gave a painful flutter.
They stood there for a long moment, saying nothing, watching the sun dip into the fields.
Later, they settled into the villa's main sitting room, a bottle of deep red wine opened between them. Lexi curled her legs beneath her on the wide sofa while Julian loosened his tie and undid
