With a towel wrapped around my body and my hair a wet, tangled mess over my shoulders, I went into the bedroom, startling at the sight of Enzo sitting on his bed. “I was sort of expecting you to join me after you, um, walked that man out.”
Enzo had changed while I’d showered. New black dress pants that were tailored to perfection to fit his strong legs. And another crisp black dress shirt. Top two buttons undone to show a hint of the guardian-angel ink on his chest. Sleeves cuffed at the wrists, hiding the tattoos on his arms. His hair was dry now, but it was still a bit messy, as if he’d used his fingers to brush it back, and somehow, it looked even sexier that way.
“If I joined you in there, we’d never leave.”
“The bodyguard still alive?”
He stood as his gaze flicked to where I clutched the towel at my breasts. “His limbs are intact.”
Hopefully he hadn’t hurt him. It wasn’t his fault he’d walked in on us. Not entirely. “I guess we should get going?” He had my suitcase by the bed, waiting for me.
“Yeah, I need to get another phone, though. Mine was in my pocket when we fell into the pool.”
“No secret room here like back in Charlotte with phones ready to go?”
A dark smirk played across his lips. “There’s a room. Only burner phones. Nothing I want to use on a regular basis.”
“Burner phones. Mm-hmm. Makes sense.” I felt so completely lost in this world. Whatever world he’d once lived in and, well, was now back in.
“I called the store out by my parents’ place to let them know to have one ready for me. I’ll pick it up on the way.”
“Wait, how’d you call them, since your phone is wet?”
“Your phone was in the car.” He took three strides my way, swallowing the distance between us. “Yes, I bypassed the password to use it. Are you mad?”
“More curious how you did it, but I don’t need a hacking lesson, just a change of clothes.” I blew at a wayward strand of hair in my face. “And a brush.”
He gently held my shoulder, then slid his warm palm down to my biceps. “Natalia has been texting. You might want to message her back. She’s worried.” I looked down to see my iPhone in his other hand. “And there are a few missed calls and texts from Thomas.”
“Um, okay.” My pulse was fluttering hardcore at my throat, and he brought his hand there, brushing the pad of his thumb over the beats.
“Do we need to talk about what happened?”
“I don’t know. Do we?” I took my phone from him and peered into his brown eyes.
He only lifted his brows as if waiting for my next move.
“You spanked me.” The memory of his palm on my ass had me tightening my legs, wanting more of him already.
“And I plan to do it again,” he casually remarked.
Holy shit. The thought of Enzo spanking me again . . . did things to me. I squirmed under his gaze, then swallowed down my nerves, because hell yes. “Good,” I whispered, watching his nostrils flare slightly.
“I’m going to leave so you can get ready.”
“Because we won’t leave otherwise?” I asked, taken aback by the husky tone of my own voice. That’s what a top-tier, best-in-your-life orgasm will do to you, though. Make someone feel like a sex goddess who can read the phone book and make it sound good. Well, that was my working theory. I’d need a few more orgasms from this man just to be sure.
Enzo’s gaze went to my cleavage. “Because I’ll put a child in your womb if we stay, I can promise you that.”
Ohhh. Well then. I mean . . .
He lifted his chin, eyes moving to the ceiling. “God help me, woman, I don’t know how I’m going to survive this week at my parents’ without touching you.”
“Who says you can’t?”
His attention returned to my face, and he captured the edge of his lip between his teeth. He didn’t answer and only stared at me with a touch of uncertainty in his eyes.
“So, don’t wear the red dress to dinner?” I teased.
“Fire,” he rasped.
Fire, huh? Was he inviting me to play with fire or warning me not to? I didn’t always know when it came to him.
He reached out and yanked the fluffy white cotton free from my body in one fast movement, then flung it to the floor.
A fleet of goose bumps set course, traveling over every inch of my skin as I stood there naked with only my phone in my hand.
“Cold?” His hand smoothed along his hard jawline.
“Yes.”
“Wet?” His gaze fell between my legs, and I was still pink and swollen.
“Very,” I murmured, then caught a whiff of his cologne. He always smelled so damn good. I had no clue how to identify scents, though. Sandalwood? Cedar? Juniper berry? I mean, what in the hell did juniper even smell like? The best I could do was maybe identify lavender and vanilla.
My shoulders slumped. Vanilla had been my life up until Enzo, too. And I didn’t want that. I wanted something dark and spicy. Bold and seductive.
Enzo.
I just wanted Enzo.
“I lost you.” Enzo cupped my chin, reminding me I was still naked and cold. And a bit speechless even though my brain was nonstop all the time.
“I was saying you, uh, smell good, right?”
He smiled. “Maybe you were thinking it.”
“Oh.” My embarrassment came out as a grin, and I probably looked ridiculous. “And what is the cologne you’re wearing?”
He closed one eye as if not sure. “I forgot the name. But it smells like black orchids and notes of truffle, and maybe—”
“Of course, a chef would describe his cologne like it’s food, making me both hungry and . . .” Wanting sex.
I jolted at the sudden rumble of thunder. Had the clouds rolled in while we’d been inside? And why did an impending storm and ominous gray sky feel fitting for today?
He released me. “I should let you get ready.”
“Mm. Yes, please leave me alone while I’m wet and naked.” The taunt tumbled from my lips at the same time the sky groaned, threatening to unleash hell.
And the way Enzo peered at me right now, it was as if he wanted to unleash something as well. But that tight lock of his jaw meant he was going to restrain himself. One of us needed to behave, I supposed. “Maria.”
My hand lifted between us as I said, “I know, I know. Fire. And you need a phone because you probably have a ton of important calls you can’t miss, and I’m a distracting pain in the ass.”
He snatched my hips, his hands cut around to my backside, and he squeezed my flesh to that torture-pleasure point he seemed to know so well. “You are distracting. And a pain in my ass. But I . . .”
You what?
His eyes closed, and there was that battle. The war. Didn’t he ever get tired of fighting it? I was exhausted for him, and I was only on the outside looking in, catching a glimmer here and there.
He freed me from his strong hands and turned. But he stopped just outside the doorway, and his hands went to the frame. They turned to fists as he bowed his head. “Wear the red dress. No panties,” he ordered, and with that, he left.
Frustrated by the fact he was leaving but also turned on by his order, I hurriedly grabbed what I needed and went into the bathroom.
Maybe he was right to walk away, though. We were in New York to find his sister’s killer, not to check off my sexual fantasy list. Enzo going down on me had been on the list, but I’d never pictured it happening in that hotter-than-sin way.
I unceremoniously dropped my things onto the vanity and combed my wild hair. I was a mess. On the inside and out, so it would seem.
Once I managed to tame my wet hair, I wrangled it into a side braid so I wouldn’t have to dry it and slipped on the bra and modest but slightly sexy red wrap dress.
I finally unlocked the phone, and all of Natalia’s messages were still unread, which meant Enzo had only seen the notifications and hadn’t invaded my privacy.
Natalia: I’ve called five times. No answer. I’m worried.
Natalia: Okay, Enzo’s not answering his phone either. Do I need to call Constantine?
Great, if she called Constantine and then he tried to get ahold of his brother, why’d I get the feeling he’d send the cavalry?
Me: Sorry. I was distracted.
Natalia: Oh, thank God. I was two seconds away from phoning every Costa I know.
Me: We had to stop at Enzo’s, and I left my phone in the car, and his wound up getting wet.
Natalia: How’d that happen?
Me: His pool.
Surely my sister had been to his place before when she lived in New York, but she’d never told me how crazy-over-the-top his home was.
Natalia: ???
Me: We fell in.
Natalia: ???
Me: It’s a long story.
Natalia: So, give me the bullet points.
Me: Well, Enzo kissed me six years ago at that bar. And then he got me off with his hand twice this past week. I saw him naked last night. And then we kissed for the first time in six years this morning. Somehow, we fell into his pool today. And well, you know, stuff happened after that. See, long story.
Natalia: I knew something happened back then. I can’t believe you just breezed past that in a bullet point. Can you call me?!
Me: I have to go. Can you just trust that I’m okay? We didn’t “go all the way” . . . Almost. And my head is a bit all over the place. Only ever been with Thomas. But Enzo is, well, a whole other level of everything. I don’t know how to explain it.
Natalia: But are you okay?
Me: I mean, I think so.
Natalia: Liar.
Me: I’m . . . I don’t know what I am. Confused. Worried. Scared. In over my head.
Natalia: I’m gonna kick his ass.
Me: It’s not his fault. I pushed and pushed. He was trying to behave. I’m stubborn.
Natalia: So, what you’re saying is his control finally snapped? I guess I can relate. I kind of made Ryan crazy back in the day, too. You sure you can’t talk? I want to be there for you.
Me: I’ll call tonight, okay? We’re heading to his parents’ house and staying there all week. Should be . . . interesting.
Natalia: I guess that makes me feel better. Just don’t forget to call. I love you.
Me: Love you, too.
I set the phone down, determined to erase the nervous blushed color from my cheeks before facing Enzo, but then my phone lit up with another message. Ugh, Thomas.
A-Hole Ex: I heard what happened this morning. Did you get hurt? Talk to me. Are you okay?
How in the hell did he find out what happened?
Me: What are you talking about?
A-Hole Ex: I knew he was a danger to you. You should never have been at his place.
Me: How’d you find out? You’re out of town. Are you having someone spy on me?
And why was I getting the weird Peeping Tom creepy feeling from him? And you are a Tom. Shit.
A-Hole Ex: Why in the hell would I spy on you?
I highly doubted Natalia or Ryan would’ve told anyone what went down that morning. No, it didn’t make sense.
A-Hole Ex: And if you ever answered your phone, you’d know I just got back to Charlotte. Work emergency. I have to fly out tonight. Be back Sunday or Monday. Where the hell are you?
Me: Wait, what? You’re home?
My phone buzzed as he tried to call, but I sent it to voice mail, knowing he’d hear the lie in my voice when I gave him a BS excuse.
Me: I had to leave town. I’m in New York. We’re thinking of opening a second location here. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you getting pissed. I’ll call my parents and have them meet you to get Chiara, and they can watch her until I get back.
I’d much rather Chiara be with my parents than with Thomas during this mess anyway. But now that she was back home, it made being away from her that much harder.
A-Hole Ex: You’re in New York?! Are you fucking with me right now? You can’t just leave without telling me, damn it.
Me: I need to call my parents. You can yell at me in person when I get home.
A-Hole Ex: Oh yeah, and when will that be? Don’t even tell me you’re with the chef.
Fine. I won’t tell you. I called my mom, ignoring the flood of messages from him that followed.
I managed to get off the call in less than a minute, dodging as many of her questions as possible, promising to fill her in tonight. I needed a cover story first that made sense.
When I finally made my way back into the bedroom, I found Enzo waiting for me, and my cheeks were fire-hot from dealing with Thomas.
“Thomas is back in Charlotte. He had a work thing, so my parents are going to get Chiara. She’ll stay with them until I’m back.”
“Then I’m taking you home. You need to be with her,” he said without missing a beat.
I folded my arms. “I’m here until Sunday. That’s the deal. Don’t argue with me. She’s in good hands.” I gave him a stubborn lift of my chin before my gaze fell to my suitcase. “So, how are we supposed to fit everything into the Porsche?”
He stroked his jawline, clearly contemplating an argument. He shook his head, grunted, and my shoulders fell with relief when he didn’t push back on sending me home. “Fine. I’ll send Alessandro to come back for the boxes tonight or tomorrow.”
“So we came here for no reason?”
He surprised me with a smile and brushed his knuckles over my cheek. “I don’t know, I feel like it worked out, don’t you?”
My body shivered in response, but after he stepped away and took my suitcase, my arms fell to my sides at the memory of the first part of my conversation with Thomas in the bathroom.
Enzo’s brows slanted. Had he read my thoughts? “What is it?”
“I’m just . . .”
His gaze dipped to the vee of my red dress, which showed a hint of cleavage, and I had to admit my breasts looked pretty damn good in this thing. The way his tongue traced the seam of his mouth like he was dying to taste me had me wondering if he even realized what he was doing.
“Maria.” He shook his head as if trying to focus. “What’s wrong?” His attention landed on my phone in my other hand. “Did Thomas say or do something that upset you?”
“He said he heard about the attack, but I don’t see how he could’ve found out.”
His gaze narrowed as if he’d just put together some puzzle in his mind.
“What is it?”
“It was him,” Enzo hissed. “He’s the one who sent those men to try and rough me up this morning. The attack had nothing to do with Bianca.” He let his words sink in before adding, “Only it was his bad luck he sent the Sicilian fucking mafia to my house.”
