Still, I was out of breath, gasping through my mouth as he held me steady. Even before I realized what I was doing, I had one arm draped over his shoulder.
The closeness was as oppressive as it was exhilarating.
He was much taller and I tilted my head, studying him the same way he was doing with me. For a few seconds, a series of images floated into the forefront of my mind, naughty and very dirty. My brothers would call them forbidden or against the rules, but I’d never been one to follow them very easily.
With his head lowered, our lips were almost touching. And for a few amazing seconds, I was certain he was going to kiss me.
Maybe I was even hoping he would.
I licked my lips, the hard thrum of his cock keeping my pussy throbbing.
Donatello cocked his head, his nostrils flaring. I could tell he was thinking the same thing.
Thankfully, we both came to our senses at the same time. I pushed away, giving him an evil look.
The frustration was building all over again. I raked my fingers through my hair before smoothing down my dress that had crawled up my thighs by one too many inches.
“You’re right, Mr. Giovanni,” I managed as I flicked the unlock button on my key fob. “You’re not to blame for this. My brother is. I’ll take care of the situation in the morning so you’ll never be bothered by such a trivial command ever again.”
As he shoved his hands into his pockets, I threw open the door.
“Whatever you say, Miss Prince. But you should know protecting you isn’t trivial. It’s an honor.”
Was he being sincere? Not a chance. “Uh-huh. And don’t you dare follow me home.”
His smirk was just as sexy as every other expression. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” Being the Italian playboy that he was, he decided to close my car door, then backed away, maybe so I wouldn’t consider running him over.
After starting the engine, I revved it, taking a deep breath before pulling away. I constantly checked the rearview mirror to ensure he hadn’t jumped into his vehicle.
He remained where he was, watching me as I drove away.
When he was out of the line of sight, I finally took a deep breath. At least he wasn’t following me.
As soon as I made a turn, a flash caught my attention and I glanced into the rearview mirror again.
Only to see my original bodyguards following me in their big, black SUV.
I had to laugh. Donatello was good at his job.
Damn the man.
CHAPTER 4
Donatello
A rebel.
As a kid, various Italians had called meun ribelle pericoloso. A dangerous rebel. Even as a young man I’d enjoyed acts of violence, savoring learning methods of brutality that most people would shy away from. Including those who’d witnessed horrific loss of life in wars and drug-related battle zones.
I’d reveled in the act themselves, learning the art and craft of how to kill people. There was no soft selling the man I’d mostly taught myself to be.
While I’d never injured an animal or a woman on purpose, there wasn’t a man alive who couldn’t land himself on my radar.
The truth was that carving my initials in a man’s skin or hearing him beg for mercy were the only things that could soothe the angry beast dwelling inside of me.
That’s why the world of crime syndicates was a perfect fit to fulfill my needs. In befriending Jaxon Prince, another rebel spirit, I’d found a sense of belonging that had never occurred in my own family. That in and of itself was a tragedy.
One that I rarely if ever talked about.
