"We should be sleeping," he whispers breathlessly.

"I'm not tired anymore," her voice satin temptation.

His body hungrily responds to her fevered kiss. He effortlessly lifts her into his arms, slowly lowering her onto the bed, his mouth never leaving hers. He doesn't dare allow his hands to act on his desire to roam her needy body greedily, realizing that he doesn't currently have enough self-control to stop when things get too heated between them. Instead, he cups her face in his hand, rubbing his thumb across her cheek as he forces himself to keep his mouth above the base of her palatable neck.

They tease and taste, savoring every second of their fingers and lips exploring, reconnecting to what they both feared was lost. With swollen lips and resuscitated hearts, they drift into a deep, peaceful sleep.

It is twilight when Kas finally stirs. He turns towards Raina, gently brushing the auburn river off of her shoulder. He gazes at her beauty, her skin softly shimmering in the ambient light spilling through the curtains of the French doors of the balcony. Touching her is salve to his soul. He leans down, softly kissing the exposed area of her shoulder, causing her to stir. She moans and slides into the warmth of his chest, snuggling her head underneath his chin. He inhales the sweet scent of her as he brushes a kiss against her hair.

"I'm starving," her sleepy voice is barely audible.

"You hardly ate anything earlier. When is the last time you ate a meal?"

She squirms beside him, and Kas sits up, chastising her with his disapproving stare, "Answer me, Rain."

"Lunch, before I left."

Kas refrains from scolding her, understanding the anguish behind her suppressed appet.i.te. His mind once again wanders into dark thoughts of how he's afraid her not eating is a subconscious self-punishment. "Well, then, let's feed you." He kisses her forehead, "But I need a shower first, and I'm sure Chase is going to want one as well. We can be ready in less than an hour."

"That gives me time to get ready. I will go wake up Chase."

She starts to get off of the bed, but Kas gently wraps his arm around her waist, careful not to hurt her, "I need one more taste of you first."

Raina giggles as she straddles him. He gazes up at her and smiles, happy and relieved to see the light dancing in her eyes again, "You are so beautiful."

She blushes as she peeks at him through her long lashes.

He slides her shirt up, taking another look at the angry bruise wrapping around her stomach, courtesy of her father, and he bites back burning rage. He tenderly kisses her marred abdomen and side, carefully caressing the wound with his fingertips. He looks up at her, his eyes burning with fierce honesty, "Never again, baby girl. I will make sure your father never lays a hand on you again."

Raina slides off of him, uncertainty darkening her eyes, "Kas, please-please don't do anything stupid."

He sits up, pulling her into his arms. "I promise I won't do anything stupid, darlin'," he a.s.sures her, I will be very intelligent in choosing the most painful method to make Waterford pay for his cruelty.

CHAPTER FIVE.

The food in front of him resembles roast, but it tastes nothing like it, in fact, it doesn't taste much like anything. He mindlessly chews, just trying to get through another meal, another hour, another day. The noise level, three tables down, rapidly increases, and his heart follows suit. He ducks his head, not wanting to look anyone directly in the eye, not wanting to be there.

He catches a tray doing somersaults through the air out of his peripheral vision. The tasteless, off-color vegetables spin wildly to the ground as the tray crashes to the floor, sliding several feet before it stops. He hears the familiar crunch of fist hitting bone, and his whole body goes rigid. Keep your head down, keep your mouth shut, stay invisible, he repeats the mantra, over and over, in his head. He hunkers down lower to the floor, barely breathing as he watches the melee of feet running around. More crunches fill his ears, sickening him, followed by vile threats he knows will be acted upon.

He crawls further under the table, his heart rapidly pounding as if it's going to jump right out of his chest. Blood spews across the floor in front of him, splattering into a cruel pattern against the cold white tile. A head lands on top of the blood with a nauseating crack, blood spills from the man's mouth, joining the other blood, making a larger, wicked pattern. He tries to look away, but he can't, the lifeless eyes are staring at him, holding his gaze in a vexing trance. He feels the bile rising up, and the roast is emptied from his stomach in front of him.

He wants to cry, but doesn't dare. He thinks of how he is too young, too brilliant to be in a place like this. The room seems to be thundering with the sounds of fists. .h.i.tting flesh and words too vicious to repeat vibrating throughout the room. He goes over quant.i.tative calculations in his head, his only method of keeping his sanity until the guards can restore order to the anarchy.

Kas steps out of the shower, his muscles glistening from the moisture on his skin as he steps into the bedroom. Raina can't control herself as she is magnetically pulled towards him. His eyes darken with raw desire as she traces her finger along the edges of the masculine muscles on his toned torso. He slips his hands underneath her hair, pulling her closer to him.

"I don't know if I can make myself stop if we start anything right now," he whispers, his voice husky from months of agonizingly unfulfilled need.

Raina's jade eyes search his, her own heated desire searing her blood. She needs to be his in flesh so badly it terrifies her. Her finger continues its torturing path down his muscles, her fingertip becoming damp from the water still on his skin, and she stops, just above the top of the towel, the soft cotton keeping her from where she wants to explore further. She leans her forehead against his chest, her body writhing with need. The towel does nothing to hide the evidence of just how badly he wants her, too, and fire rages through her veins.

She closes her eyes, knowing she needs to stop, to pull away, so she doesn't make this any harder for him, or herself. Softly, she brushes a kiss against his chest as she turns, walking to the French doors, stepping outside, praying the cold night air will shock her body back into a reasonably composed state.

Kas wants to go to her, but knows that the physical distance is a very wise choice right now. He forces himself to dress and head downstairs, telling Chase the shower's free before grabbing a bottle of water, drinking it slowly as he concentrates on pulling himself together. A few moments pa.s.s before Raina joins him. The love in her eyes when she looks at him almost knocks him to his knees.

He pulls her close to him, brushing his thumb across her bottom lip, "I'm beyond ready to make you my wife, and not just because touching you leaves me half-mad needing to make love with you. I want to share my life with you completely, but I will wait for you, as long as you need me to."

"I don't want to wait," she whispers, her resolve clear in her beautiful eyes.

"Then marry me now, Rain. I can get the paperwork started, I can't think of a better place than Italy to get married."

Raina's eyes shoot to his, searching him to see if he is serious about this. "What about your family, they will want to be there when you get married?"

Kas knows his family will want to share in his wedding day, but the thought of his side of the church being filled with family and hers not, saddens him. "As long as my dad is there, the rest will understand."

Raina's heart swells, antic.i.p.ation filling her, "Are you sure, Kas?"

His grin is proof enough, "I've never been more sure about anything."

"I want Judge to be here. I will pay for their tickets."

"We will pay for their tickets," he whispers as he lowers his lips to hers.

"I'm really going to have to find another villa if you two can't stop that," Chase teases as he walks down the stairs.

Raina giggles as Chase playfully ruffles her hair. Kas grabs the jacket off the back of the chair, giving it a quizzical look as he hands it to Raina. She smiles, "It's the cab driver's," she starts to explain, then shrugs her shoulders, "never mind."

She grabs the jacket she purchased earlier as Kas reaches for the phone, needing to call Henry, letting him know that Raina is okay. Guilt creeps into him that he hasn't called him earlier, but he knows that Henry will understand his distraction, especially when Raina tells him the news.

"We need to make a couple of quick calls before we go," Kas winks at Raina.

An hour later, they are seated next to a roaring fire at one of the trattorias, enjoying the local dishes, each ordering something different so they can share everything. Chase orders a bottle of Famiglia Anselma Barolo to celebrate, glancing at Raina, making sure she is comfortable. "You are of legal age here if you want to try a gla.s.s."

Raina smiles, shaking her head, and Chase relents, knowing that it will take her time to realize that the alcohol is not the main factor behind her father's abuse. They spend the next couple of hours talking and laughing until the restaurant closes.

Raina slips out of bed, her mind wandering to the ride back to the villa late last night as she steps into the shower. She was finally able to properly thank the kind driver, who she learned is named Eugenio, when he picked them up from the restaurant. She says a silent prayer of grat.i.tude at G.o.d's timing when she thinks of how Eugenio became so excited when he had heard they were getting married. He had suggested they marry in Lucca, at the simple, but beautifully decorated wedding hall. Raina had heard of the many wedding ceremonies that take place in the famous hall, but politely explained that it is booked months out. Eugenio happily told them that he has familial connections there, and he can get them in for a late evening ceremony. Raina smiles as she remembers how Eugenio's cheeks blushed when she had leaned across the driver's seat, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed his cheek at his kindness.

Barely contained enthusiasm spurts through her as the hot water streams over her body. Antic.i.p.ation tingles her skin as she thinks of how she will soon be Raina Pierce, Mrs. Kas Pierce. She shampoos and conditions her hair in a hurry, excited that Kas' dad is arriving in a few hours and Judge in the afternoon. Their coming makes everything so real. Her battered soul from twenty-four short hours earlier is now lite and br.i.m.m.i.n.g with happiness.

Kas is awake when Raina gets out of the shower, and he wraps her in his arms, losing himself in the clean, sweet scent of her. "I can't believe you are going to be my wife in two days."

Her eyes brighten at how wonderful it sounds to hear Kas call her his wife. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too, sweetheart."

They slip downstairs quietly, not wanting to awaken Chase as they begin breakfast. Kas checks the clock, wanting to meet his father at the airport, but not wanting to be away from Raina.

She laughs, "Go, but eat breakfast first, I'm not going anywhere."

He sees worry glint in her eyes, "What's wrong, Rain?"

"What if your dad pushes for more information about why we are here?"

He pulls her into his arms, wishing she felt comfortable enough with him telling his dad about her past, not understanding why she is so fiercely private. "I'll avoid the questions, besides, right now, he's just happy we're getting married and he's getting a free trip to Italy," he winks at her. Kas kisses her forehead, softly caressing her neck with his thumb. Renewed anger burns through him as he carefully avoids the bruises on the back of her neck.

"You have to press charges against your father this time, Rain," Kas gently coaxes. "I know that you had talked Henry into putting him into an alcohol program and counseling instead of jail last time, but that obviously didn't work, sweetheart."

Rain looks away, her expression tight and pensive as she contemplates his words. She realizes that her father hasn't changed, but she also knows that she is the only target to his wrath, he wouldn't be stupid enough to physically harm anyone else, he wouldn't risk his career like that. "He won't do it again, Kas, I won't be around him anymore."

Kas leans his head back, closes his eyes, and lets out a deep breath, trying to grasp patience and praying for divine wisdom to get Raina to understand and listen to reason. "He knows where you are now, and you are standing in front of me with multiple bruises on your body from when he just hurt you again. Don't tell me that it's the last time, Raina, you don't know that, I don't know that, and there's no way I'm going to leave it up to chance anymore."

"He won't be back, Kas, please just let it go. There's no chance of him hurting anyone else, he has just hurt me, and he won't risk doing that again."

"Just you? So, it's okay to let it go because it was just you he hurt, not someone else?" Kas questions sternly, angrily, not believing how she can minimize herself so profusely.

"That's not what I meant."

"Okay, what did you mean then, Rain?" he asks, his eyes searching hers for some clue of what is going on in that beautiful, emotionally-damaged head of hers.

Raina looks down, away from his concerned scrutiny, not exactly understanding the full depth of what she meant herself. "Look, if I thought that there was any chance that my father would hurt anyone else, I would be the first one to press charges, but trust me, he won't."

Kas' jaw tightens as he angrily rakes his hand through his hair, trying to rein in his flaring temper before speaking. He lets out another long breath before taking her chin in his hand, raising her head to where she has to look at him again, "Is that why you pressed charges against Chris? Because you knew he was capable of hurting someone else, not because of what he did to you?"

"You're putting words in my mouth, Kas."

"Am I?" The silence following his question is answer enough. "h.e.l.l, Raina, don't you realize that you are worth too much for you not to be hurt?"

"I know they shouldn't have hurt me," her reply is barely above a whisper.

"That's not what I asked you, darlin'." Kas runs his hands softly down her arms, "Your father has messed with your head, twisted your view of yourself, somehow making you doubt your own self-worth, and that is what sickens me the most about him." He takes her chin in his hand again, gentle, but st.u.r.dy, so she can't look away. "Chris deserves to be in jail for what he did to you. Brian deserves to be in jail for what he did to you, as well as, for what he is in there for. Your father should be in jail for what he did to you, Rain!"

"I know," her voice almost inaudible.

Kas searches her eyes, hearing her answer, but not believing it. He decides to let it go for now. It doesn't take Chase's psychology training for Kas to understand that he can't magically undo in one night what her father has beaten into to her over so many years. She had changed so much with him over the past several months, her self-confidence growing increasingly healthier. He pulls her into his arms, gently kissing the top of her head, inhaling the soothing scent of her again as he thinks of how her seeing her father has set her back. He is determined that the set-back is only temporary. He swears to himself that he will help her get back to where she was with him, to where she understands that she is worth loving, worth not being hurt.

"Can we eat now? I'm really hungry," Raina changes the subject, running her fingers under his shirt, tingles spreading through her as she explores his muscles, her hunger becoming two-fold.

Kas groans, the bulge in his jeans growing at a rapid pace with the sweet torture of her fingers sliding across his skin. He silently reminds himself that he can touch and taste every inch of her hot, beautiful body in forty-eight hours. He tries to a.s.sure himself that he can be strong, that he can hold out for two more days. "Darlin', I think you need to use those fingers to put sustenance in your body before you kill me."

Raina leans her forehead against his chest, trying to calm the pounding of her heart. It takes all of her self-control to pull her hand out from underneath his shirt. With the heat of his skin still warm on her fingers, she steps away from Kas, her eyes never leaving his, promising him exquisite things to come.

CHAPTER SIX.

Raina dries the last dish that Kas hands her, putting it back into the cabinet as he wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her back against him. "I've got to go get Dad," he whispers in her ear, "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Raina pulls his mouth on top of hers, kissing him pa.s.sionately before he pulls himself away, trying to ignore his needy throbbing and heads out the door to the arriving cab.

Raina watches the cab drive away, her body ravenous from searing, unfulfilled need. A thought stabs her, and worry seeps into her mind as she bites her lip. Chase grabs a drink out of the fridge, and she turns shyly towards him, her timid gaze glued to the floor.

"You alright, Raina?" Chase questions, catching the rapid change in her demeanor.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Chase pulls a chair out for her and takes a seat in front of her when she sits down. He studies how she fidgets nervously with her fingers, and he places his hand on hers, "What is it, Raina?"

She keeps her gaze lowered as she asks with an embarra.s.sed whisper, "What if Kas doesn't like how I . . . um . . . you know . . . perform?"

Chase begins to laugh, stopping when he sees the seriousness in her eyes, "I'm sorry, you're right, that is a legitimate question, but, in your and Kas' case, it is not a legitimate concern."

Raina hesitantly raises her eyes, the worry behind her question evident. "How can you be so sure? I'm not exactly experienced. You hear about compatibility issues, what if I do it wrong?"

Chase suppresses a smile, "Rain, trust me, you are not going to do anything wrong. As far as compatibility, please don't worry. There is an undeniable chemistry between you and Kas. You're in risk of third degree burns just standing next to the two of you," he teases.

Raina continues to chew on her bottom lip as she ponders Chase's words.

"Listen to me, Raina. There is no set rule about making love, no list of moves to follow. You just do what feels good. If it feels good to you, I promise you, it's going to feel good to Kas. Don't over-think this, just trust your body and follow your instincts."

Raina smiles shyly, "Follow my instincts?"

Chase nods his head, "You will know what to do when the time comes."

"Thank you, Chase. For everything, I mean."

He pulls her into a hug, "I'm here whenever you need me, Rain."

Raina glances at the clock, excited about Kas and his father arriving anytime now. She pulls out the clothes she purchased and slips on the soft, celery green sweater, fumbling with the b.u.t.ton in the back as she hears a soft knock on the door before it opens.

Cliff greets her warmly, "There's my soon-to-be daughter-in-law."

Raina quickly drops her hair, not wanting him to see her bruises.

"Here, let me help you with that," Cliff offers, starting to push her hair aside to fasten the b.u.t.ton.

Raina pulls away. "It's okay, I can get it," she a.s.sures him hurriedly, but she is too late.

She catches the reflection of Cliff's questioning look in the mirror when he sees her angry bruises. His eyes slowly rise to her reflection, pain searing his heart at her panicked, stricken expression.

"No," he almost moans from the pain stabbing through him at the thought of his son hurting her. Without warning, he storms into the hall, his eyes blazing, ready to confront his son.