Chapter 8 - A Spark in the Dark
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The physical therapy sessions were brutal.
Late at night, with the suite locked and the music turned up to muffle any sound, Dante fought a war against his own body. Lena knelt on the floor, massaging the atrophied muscles of his calves and thighs, trying to stimulate the blood flow exactly as Elias had instructed.
Dante was covered in sweat, his hands gripping the arms of his chair so hard the leather groaned.
“Push against my hand,” Lena instructed, placing her palm against the sole of his right foot.
Dante closed his eyes, his face contorting with effort. He grunted, a sound of sheer frustration and agony.
“I can't,” he gasped, his chest heaving. “It’s like trying to move a mountain.”
“You can,” Lena said softly, refusing to let him give up. She moved closer, resting her hands on his knees. “You survived an explosion. You built an empire from a wheelchair. Moving your foot is nothing compared to that. Focus on my voice.”
Dante opened his eyes, looking down at her. In the dim light, with her hair falling over her shoulders and her eyes full of fierce belief, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
He didn't focus on his leg. He focused on her. He focused on the warmth of her hands on his skin.
He took a deep breath and pushed.
Lena gasped.
Underneath her palm, Dante’s toes twitched. Then, his foot pushed forward, just a fraction of an inch, pressing against her hand.
“Dante,” Lena breathed out, tears springing to her eyes. “You did it.”
Dante stared at his foot, completely stunned. He had moved. Willingly. For the first time in seven years.
He leaned forward, reaching down to pull Lena up from the floor. She collapsed against his chest, laughing through her tears. Dante wrapped his strong arms around her waist, burying his face in her neck, breathing in the scent of vanilla and clean linen.
“Thank you,” he whispered fiercely against her skin. “Thank you.”
Lena pulled back slightly, looking into his dark eyes. The space between them evaporated. The clinical boundary of boss and employee had vanished days ago, replaced by something deep, dangerous, and electric.
May you like
Dante reached up, his rough thumb gently wiping a tear from her cheek. He leaned in, and for a heart-stopping second, Lena thought he was going to kiss her.
But a sudden, sharp knock at the suite door shattered the moment.
