But my face ended up right next to her breast, close enough to catch the scent of her skin.It seized me, warm, sweet, clean. Nothing fancy. Only her. And fuck, I liked it. Everything about her, her body, her face, and her scent, stirred something deep and savage inside me.
I inhaled, slow and deep, savoring her, trying to get a grip, when I felt her hand, light and hesitant, touch the top of my head. My brows nearly shot to my hairline. I looked up at her, unsure what the hell she thought she was doing.
“Wow, your head’s so shiny. Like, mirror shiny! Do you shave it that smooth yourself, or is it, like a medical thing?” she whispered. “Poor guy, you looked really handsome with a full head of hair. If I were you, I’d be grumpy all the time too!”
She was completely wasted.
I glanced at Maxim and Lorenzo, both of them barely holding it together. The second they caught my eye, they lost it, bursting into laughter so loud it made my ears ring.
I grabbed Emily’s uninjured arm and lifted her off the chair. The moment her feet hit the floor, she clung to my arm to steady herself.
“Out,” I said.
The two clowns shuffled away, still snorting as they left. I walked her over to the couch by the window, sat her down, cracked the window open for some air, and dropped beside her.
She kept glancing around, flushed, dazed, and clearly struggling to make sense of anything.
I snapped my fingers in front of her face. “Hey. Look at me. I’ve got a few simple questions. You answer, and you’re free to go. Got it?”
She nodded slowly, her eyes boring into mine. God, those eyes. They were messing with my head. I forced my focus back where it needed to be. “What happened today?”
“Um... I fought with Tony. About something... sexual. Then I got so mad and frustrated, I bolted and headed for the door. Because, you know, in America, when a woman wants to leave, she can walk out the same door she came in through. But I guess that’s not how things work in Italy.”
“What sexual thing?”
Grabbing a strand of her hair, she started twirling it between her fingers, drifting into thought.
When the silence dragged on too long, I grabbed her chin and squeezed, forcing her to look at me. “Did you forget what I said? When I ask a question, I expect an answer.”
She yanked her face free with a little whimper. “My God, you’re so rude! I’m not talking about that with you, or with anyone. But since you’re the boss, and clearly terrifying, I guess I can give you a hint. Tony wanted to conquer a certain hole I wasn’t exactly ready to surrender.”
Then she burst out laughing, a bitter laugh for a very short second. “I think we’re done here. You asked your question, and I gave you an honest answer. I should probably go now.”
She started to rise, but I grabbed her uninjured arm and shoved her back down. Her ass hit the couch with a thud, and she let out a startled yelp.
Just because I wanted to fuck her in every position imaginable didn’t mean I had to play nice. I’d built my reputation with blood and fire. I wasn’t about to let some teary-eyed girl fuck it up with her cuteness.
“I decide when you leave,” I growled. “Now shut your mouth unless you’re answering a question I asked.”
I leaned back against the armrest of the couch, watching her scared face closely. “What’s your full name?”
“Emily Stewart.”
“That’s an American last name.”
“I’m American.”
“How come you speak Italian so well?”
“My mom was Italian.”
“What was her name?”
“Angela Stewart.”
“Her maiden name?”
“I don’t know. She took my dad’s last name after they got married, and she didn’t have any family in the States. My grandfather died when I was seven. His grave’s in Pennsylvania. I’ve never even been there. I don’t know what’s written on his headstone.”
