“Let’s see. You were taken to the airport by an unknown person, although I doubt it was Kylie Reynolds. Your best friend and a local nurse. That’s one piece of the puzzle I’ve yet to determine. My guess is you lured a man who would do anything for a moment of your time. After that, you took an American Airlines flight from New Orleans in first class, followed by a flight with Azul Brazilian Airlines for the final leg. Instead of staying at a hotel, you chose to rent a house, currently for three months, paying an exorbitant price to do so. Given you have monies in various offshore accounts, you won’t need to worry about finances. Oh, and of course you left your phone in your house, opting for a burner phone. How am I doing?”
Oh, the man made me furious as hell. He could get under my skin like no other person I knew in my life. But I played it cool, finishing off the wine and grabbing my bag. “Well, since you have me all figured out, you can take your goon self back to the private jet and head on back to New Orleans. By the time you report in, I’ll be somewhere else. I am curious. Where are allthe other soldiers? Are they hiding in plain sight or do you have them eager and ready to kill some locals just for target practice?”
Donatello had always been a cool cucumber. Little ruffled his features, forcing him to lose his cool, but he certainly was excited when forced to use violence against an enemy. He took his time answering me, enjoying his beverage and the scenery.
Granted, so was I.
“I came alone.”
His statement surprised me. “You thought I would be that easy to find and drag home?”
He lifted his head, completely removing his sunglasses. “No, sweet Ambrosia. I knew you’d be a challenge given your beauty and intelligence and I wanted to see if there was a chance I’d live up to your standards of delicious manipulation. You are the mistress of disguise, diplomacy, and secrecy. And I’m well aware of your other more formidable…skills.”
His words sent a direct chill through my muscles and bones but forget about my core.
That was heated to a thousand degrees.
Even worse.
My pussy was throbbing.
“You broke into my house.”
“No, I was allowed in.”
By my meddling brothers who would get a piece of my mind all over again.
I took a deep breath, tugging my tote bag closer. “Then you’re well aware I can take care of myself. So run along, Donatello. I’ll make certain I let my brothers know how fabulously accurate you were in your knowledge of me. Now, I have a few errands to run. I don’t expect to see you again. I hear there’s a fabulous new hotel a few blocks from here. Go wet your whistle before you leave the country. And please, do leave.” We were oil and water, so part of me wanted to carve his heart out with a spoon.
The other part? I wanted to use my lips to brush away the calculating expression on his handsome face. I noticed he hadn’t shaved in several days, the thick line of scruff covering his powerful jaw added to his sexy masculinity.
I had to walk away, or I wouldn’t be able to.
Only he wasn’t about to allow me to go anywhere.
He snagged my arm, keeping me standing where I was.
“Make no mistake, Ms. Prince. I was hired to bring you home safely and that’s exactly what I will do. No matter the circumstances. No matter the difficulty. And no matter how many obstacles you put in my way.”
His deep voice penetrated the darkest parts of me. However, attractive as he was, he was also the most annoying man alive. I jerked my arm free, taking a purposeful step away. “Remember, Donatello, as you said, I am carrying weapons and I won’t hesitate to use them.”
“I do so love a challenge. Especially from a beautiful woman.”
“Be careful what you ask for, Italian man. Did you ever hear that we Cajun French girls are unafraid of anything? If not, be warned.”
As I walked away, I could hear him laughing.
And every blood cell boiled, every inch of my skin tingled, and every thought centered around two things.
Fucking him.
Then escaping his possessive hold.
* * *
Why was it that even though I’d reached the ripe old age of twenty-nine, as of this moment my thoughts were more in tune to a college freshman than an accomplished professional?
While the answer was in the forefront of my mind, I’d carefully avoided it for the last two hours. Now the stupidity of my thoughts angered me more than anything.
