VITTORIO'S RUNAWAY BRIDE (The Vittorio Series) by Kimberley Reeves Read Free Book Online

time to register the agony of one injury before another was inflicted.   A sharp, stabbing pain shot through her ankle followed by a jarring pain in her knees as she hit the ground.   Shelby threw her arms out in front of her to break the fall and succeeded not only in tearing the skin off the balls of her hands but from her elbows as well.   Then she nearly lost consciousness when Logan’s body came down hard over hers and forced the air from her lungs with a loud whoosh.
    Logan rolled off her, terrified that he’d crushed the life from her when she didn’t move.   His stomach twisted into a painful knot as he stretched out a shaky hand and gently turned her over.   He brushed the hair from her face, fighting back the wave of fear that rushed through him when Shelby’s beautiful green eyes stared up at him unblinkingly.   Her face had gone deathly pale, and for a moment Logan thought he really had killed his wife.  
    “ Tesoro , my darling, talk to me,” he whispered hoarsely.
    Shelby’s eyes flickered at the sound of his voice, her back arching as she dragged in much needed air.   Her lungs felt as if they were on fire.  In fact, there didn’t seem to be a spot on her body that didn’t burn, and for several minutes she was too stunned to do anything but lay there listening to Logan’s soft words of assurance that she would be okay.  
    As her breathing gradually returned to normal, Shelby’s mind began to clear.   Her gaze moved to Logan’s anxious face and she was instantly overcome with shame and remorse for how foolishly she’d behaved. Tears sprang to her eyes and slid down the sides of her cheeks.
    “I-I’m s-sorry,” she managed to say before the dam broke and she burst into tears.
    Logan’s throat constricted at the look of utter misery on Shelby’s face.   Rising to his knees, he scooped her up in his arms then got to his feet and stood there for a moment cradling her to his chest and trying to calm her down.   Only when the harsh sobs had subsided and she’d buried her face in his neck did Logan start back to the house.   Even through his concern for her injuries, he was conscious of the fact that she had lost weight she certainly couldn’t spare.  
    He hadn’t noticed it before because of the oversized t-shirt she was wearing, but holding her in his arms as he was now, Logan could tell she weighed next to nothing and obviously hadn’t been taking care of herself.   A dark scowl marred his face when he thought of all the incompetent fools he’d employed over the months to find her.   He was angry at them and even angrier at himself for not realizing something was wrong to begin with.   He was usually so in tune with Shelby’s feelings, but he’d been working so many long hours in the weeks leading up to her departure he must have missed all the signs.   Still, how could he have failed to notice that she was so unhappy?
    Logan took the steps up to the deck and slipped in through the open French doors.   The place was decent sized but it didn’t take more than a cursory glance around to determine the hallway off to the left would lead to her bedroom.   He carried Shelby in and attempted to lay her down on the bed, but she was clinging to his neck as if her life depended on it and wouldn’t let go.   A tenderness like nothing he’d ever known before welled up inside him, melting away all the anger and pain and bitterness that had followed in the wake of Shelby’s desertion.   All he wanted to do now was take care of her and protect her from ever being hurt again.   Whatever he’d done, he was determined to atone for it so he could reclaim his wife.
    Logan sat down on the edge of the bed with Shelby in his lap.   She was so still and silent he would have thought she’d fallen asleep if it hadn’t been for the delicate arms wound so tightly around his neck.   Pressing his cheek to hers, he stroked her hair, inhaling the familiar scent of her shampoo.   How had he